Dee Kay

Sounds brilliant. I'm a big fan of comfort...Rayburn sounds like a good idea to me...we had thought about a reconditioned engine to save a few bob...and getting 'normal' bathroom and kitchen gear to install...as you say...household furniture will do nicely...rather than those built in caravan style interiors that seem to be so popular...the shell in question has been sold...we decided to pass on it as there were issues related to its provenance that didn't stack up. But we'll carry on looking...and find the right thing...for us. Thanks for your good wishes...

Noted. Thank you very much. Some people here have been exceptionally helpful. I'm grateful that you've taken time to reply to my query....

"Flowing waters" versus "stagnant smelly ditches" ....rather poetically put. Canals = interconnecting waterways....hmmm. Food for thought. Thank you.

I was hoping for gold taps on the Jacuzzi, but I guess I'll have to pass on those with all the other expenses outlined here. Half a million is getting very close to the top end of what I'm prepared to pay for a simple fit out...

"Not enough room to swing a cat..." Ever heard of that well known English saying? Clearly not. You seem a rather humourless and judgemental person...with nothing better to do other than snipe unpleasantly from the sidelines. Perhaps you have issues? Do you really think this is the place to work through them?

Noted...the comments re widebeams and cruising. I can see that they could be seen as self indulgent...especially when it comes to flights of locks where it would be much better to be able to put two boats at a time in... We are both keen cat swingers...and thought that a widebeam would provide more space to express ourselves. Hmmmm So much to consider...

Are we coming up to the' boat buying season'? End of summer... People start buying again before next Spring? We thought maybe at the end of summer there'd be a lot of sellers...and around Spring there'd be a lot of buyers.... ? Are prices 'seasonal'? We saw some 'eco' toilets at the Crick Boat Show... Didn't get to try one out... Are they any good?

We thought it might be better to do it from scratch rather than try to renovate a doer upper. Will check out the guy on YouTube...the master craftsman whos doing his own boat... Its incredible how much material there is on YT...so many people have taken the time to share their experiences and knowledge...amazing...

Gosh! So much sound and varied advice. Varnish....many coats. What kind of toilet...prop shaft?... Why not buy what's already there? All very good points. Hard standing mooring, so the boat can be worked on.....we thought about £1000 ....4 months at £250 per month... We haven't got the skill to do it ourselves unfortunately... We were hoping a wizard would appear in a puff of smoke with a bag of tools and a jolly disposition... Our total budget...for the shell, the motor and gearbox and the fit out is £55,000 We have seen a few really nice 57' widebeams in very good condition with low mileage motors for £55K...but we thought that maybe we could buy a shell, find and man with a bit of time on his hands and get something that was more to our liking than the boats we have seen. It has to be said that both boats were sold before we could get to see them...our fault...but disappointing nevertheless...so we thought...why not give putting our own boat together a try? We made the mistake of thinking...60 sq metres...kitchen/bathroom/some radiators and some lights and plugs...a spot off flooring and then measure up for curtains...how hard can it be? We've already done up, quite successfully, some small houses... both here and abroad...so we figured fitting out 60 sq metres of space would be a bit of a doddle. Clearly not! We want to cruise as continually as is reasonably possible. We want the layout to be...enter into a 'space'...which could be a lounge or bedroom...then, in the middle of the vessel a bathroom enclosed by two bulkheads...a modest kitchen next to that...then another 'space' then the 'exit' Very minimalist....laminated flooring...£20 per sq metre or so...plywood on lower walls...t&g on upper walls and ceiling. 3 or 4 domestic batteries and one starter...plus invertor. Some radiators...a stove... Very simple interior...no fitted furniture, no fitted cupboards or storage. Gas bottle somewhere for hot water and cooking. As I type I can sense it's adding up fast! I'll definitely get hold of that book mentioned above...by Graham Booth... The shell is looking less of a bargain now... It appears to be some sort of cannibalized vessel, that used to have a 70 bhp engine installed, but doesn't anymore This is a quote taken from one of the above postings: " There is a reason why a 'sailaway' widebeam shell is £38,000 and a finished boat is £120,000 " We are both beginning to slowly grasp this one now! We were hoping to live aboard...in a state of bliss at 4 mph max...and we hadn't thought much further than that.... This posting is very long, because I haven't, as yet, figured out which button to press to answer or respond to each message individually. Thanks for your help, advice and patience everyone !

Thank you so much for your reply. Yes, we still have to add an engine and I have been quoted £7K for the engine plus fitting Thank you so much for your reply. Yes, we still have to add an engine and I have been quoted £7K for the engine plus fitting

My partner and I have been actively looking for a boat that suits our needs, tastes and budget for the last few months. It's been both interesting and frustrating in equal measure. We visited the Crick Boat Show in May and since then have been looking at different marinas both in London and in the Midlands and we have viewed some private sales too. We have slowly come to the conclusion that a wide-beam may well be the most comfortable option for us. Obviously that would mean that we would be restricted in terms of the places we'd be able to visit and if we wanted to go from north to south or vice versa we'd have to get the boat out of the water...around 'blacking time' perhaps...and drop it back in... But...the extra space would be nice. So...we are now looking at buying a widebeam shell (65' by 12') The one we have in mind has side doors, portholes and stainless steel mushrooms. Inside it has ballast floor and it's been spray foamed and battened. There's a stainless steel water tank and the hull has been done with epoxy paint. It seems that it's ready to 'fit out'. We don't want luxury. We don't need an expensive kitchen... And a basic 'wetroom style' bathroom would be fine for us. The rest...laminated wood flooring, tongue and groove side panelling, electric wiring and plumbing, heating/radiators and stove are all, obviously essential. But we're quite happy with 'loose' furniture and cupboards and storage. The question is... After buying a foamed and battened, expoxy painted, 'engineless' shell that's 65' by 12'....could we create something simple and basic by spending another £25,000 ?