jimthesail

Why didn't I think of that ? Only disadvantage I can see is leg sticks out back but if you are careful should not be a problem and it is no different to the normal set up. Leaves space under deck free for storage too. Also thought that holes and rubber bellows under water not a good idea ! Like it ! Pics. would be good ? Have not come across a Sonic, I think I will keep eyes open and start looking for another Romer/Crusader. On a different point we fitted the Lee Sanitation aircraft 'suck and blow type toilet' in the port side quarter bunk space; tank aft. Put a mall bulkhead under rear bulkhead, then bog. Cut down aft loo bulkhead and erected new ply panel on inboard edge of bunk between aft bulkhead by rear doors and loo door. The wife just loves narrowboating !

Hi ! Glad the system works ! Lot of water under the proverbial ! Wife disclosed (?) not keen on diesels ! To be honest,the twin screw jobbie is 'on its way' as it is not too pleasant driving 150hp of diesel up and down the estuary ! Narrowboat, Dawncraft Rover is fabulous ! 32ft and bags of room so am loth to change anything and thereby speaks an ex steel narrowboat builder ! The secret is that as a GRP shell it has no internal framing to speak of so is 8" wider than any other narrowbeam. Wife loves it ! However to your query ! Loads of probs. with outboards. Diesel transplant tempting but difficult due distance (Essex/Cheshire). Would have to be Beta Twin/Triple (had one before, silent !) But the one moment, Thursday, when I at last got the 'bugger' going was a joy ! The original fit was the Yamaha 'High Thrust' 9.9hp which I suspect was simply a low geared/big prop job specifically for canals. Went like a rocket, manoeuvres well astern (you can suck yourself backwards by pointing engine in the right direction) Even as we are 'continuous cruising' I suspect the fuel cost v. diesel will be close. The technical probs with o/b's boils down to knowledge of the kit if second hand or buy new (££££££££££££££££) Remedy, I think, is to get two Yam 9.9's and keep one as a spare. Find a good engineer, two on EBay that sell spares around Manchester and I suspect will put them together; so you have back up! Why not three ? My thoughts, buy me a pint when we meet ? Jim

Thanks for replies. Not an enthusiast of outdrives having wrestled with a pair in a Project 31 which we are selling as a wife finding sea going disconcerting ! Lots of alloy to corrode and pipes to leak and heavy on the steering and not, in fact, very maneuverable ? However the advantages of inboard wins over outboard and I can always fit a rudder plate ?

Not sure if I have 'navigated' to right place ? Am interested in a 'Highbridge' Dawncraft but most seem to have outboards. Is it possible that the sterns are the same and conversion to inboard a practical idea ? Jim