Oakums Narrowboats

Reality, is that it wont pay for your time in doing it. You'd be better advertising your services and skills to others at a rate. Dont do it!

Hi Ally. We used bronze mirrors throughout. I am not sure if it is the mirror, or the reflection you are not a fan of. Mirrors have been placed in the dressing area of the boat, to give you a place to change and reflect on your day ahead. The items you pickup on are all aesthetic, and we'd be more than happy to design a boat to your exact requirements. There are both 240v and 12v sockets onboard. We also provide the boat with a full 12month insurance backed warranty that can be extended up to 15 years, to cover all aspects of the boat. This will give the owners peace of mind that anything which may happen in the future to there investment is fully protected throughout the boat. The paintwork is metallic; and is easier to touch up than a flat colour. If you scratch the paintwork, a G3 compound will remove. A chip or deeper scratch can be touched up with the extra paint provided. The boat is designed for both live aboard and casual cruisers. The bed is a standard double, with plenty of walking space to the side. If you would like to view the boat (even as a window shopper), I'd be happy to show you aboard and discuss the full feature list, and give you a better understanding of the space onboard. The boat has suffice space for up to 1Kw of flexible solar panels. If solar is something that you are unable to do yourself, it can be negotiated or requested at an additional cost when making the purchase. The boat has got the wiring in place for the new owners to easily install should they wish to do a DIY. The boat has a 175Amp Leisure and 75Amp Starter Alternators. I hope this aid's any questions you may have.

I dare say you are right. Deep pile carpet can be a nightmare if you walk through with muddy shoes (I can speak from experience with kids on our boat!). That said; the mud room at the front does have a place to clean your shoes; and the kitchen is vinyl. So getting in and out to make a tea or coffee; and you wont cause any marks on the carpet. We certainly wouldn't suggest carpet throughout (as that would be a bad idea!). Carpet in the room designed for relaxing however, is forgivable IMO, and despite having the occasional kid run through the boat in excitement; we did prefer the carpet. It wasn't so cold on your feet. We do say when viewing the boat, if the new potential owners have preference to change for a hardwood floor; or karndean alternative, it can be negotiated in the sale. In terms of the website you are viewing; I believe you may be looking at Jackson & Sons, who provided the shell in this instance. Where are you looking if you don't mind me asking? Unlike other builders, whose experience is limited to boats, we do (as you've researched); carry out commercial work also. As a subsidiary we are a major fitout contractor in the UK for most of the high street cinemas and restaurants. Our experience in custom manufacturing allows our boats to be the true meaning of bespoke. We are not bound by the typical limitations of others who may not have a wider industry knowledge.

I cant comment on the install you have, but the fridge we use only has insulated side panels (No mechanical components); therefore there is no risk of over heating on the side panels. In terms of the install we do; the fridge is totally freestanding (like a removable fridge would be; no differences). It is not placed within a cupboard. This allows for air circulation to the fridge. We also provide air ventilation strips (that you cannot see on a video; as its irrelevant) along the baseboards.

Thanks Tom. Aesthetically; your right. Removing the upper portion of the fire surround would give you a more "Open" use of space; but the space is unusable. While I appreciate it will give you clear sightlines either side of the boat, you are removing the charm of its intended design; which is a fireplace. The intention is create something different than the standard box lines you typically experience, and offers an alternative to the "Normal". In terms of heat distribution, you do not get heat output from the flue. Therefore the encasement either side will not give you any less heat output. Warm air is less dense than cold air and will rise. Cooler air moves in below to replace the air that has risen. It heats up, rises, and is again replaced by cooler air, creating a circular flow called a convection current. These currents circle and heat the room. The provision of a fire surround will not restriction this from happening; but will give a more comfortable level of heat output from the stove to the users either side. Fire surrounds have been used for 100's of years in a residential setting; they are aesthetically pleasing on the eye. While this is not a residential dwelling; the aesthetic design will give the new owners a homely ambiance to there environment. Its perhaps not to everyone's taste, but its been designed intentional to provide a safer siting to the users; maintain a more comfortable level of heat to the users; and provide an aesthetically pleasing design feature to remove the traditional linear lines in most new builds. I will add that not all our boats have fire surrounds; and this is merely a design unique to this boat.

Certainly. From the body of the stove; to the front lip of the marble is 225mm. The boat is supplied with a chrome / stainless upstand, that sits on the outer edge of the stone, with a 70mm high lip. This is not shown on the video, but is included within the components. This is made of sturdy, non-flammable material, to fully protect any fabrics or materials from combustibles. This is not part of the code, but is an increased effort of our commitment to the end user. I will further add that in the UK, there are two British Standard; BS5287 and BS4790 for carpets. In reference to this boat the carpets comply with both these codes of practise, and correspond with the latest guidelines for carpet safety. Whilst I appreciate that most carpets will catch fire given enough heat, modern carpets are designed to resist ignition, and if set alight they are designed to resist further burning, and in most cases a patch of burning carpet will extinguish itself in under a minute.. There is also fire extinguishers supplied in several locations throughout the boat. Timber floors are just as likely to catch fire, and are often not fitted with a Class 0 surface spread of flame treatment. If however; a buyer had preference over timber flooring; or vinyl alternatives (such as karndean), we would not have any problem in making the required changes to the customers satisfaction.

Robin. I believe I may be able to answer all your questions, as the manufacture. The RCD Guidance notes you are looking for fall under B.4. ER 5.6.1 Fire Protection. The type of equipment installed and the layout of the watercraft shall take account of the risk and spread of fire. Special attention shall be paid to the surroundings of open flame devices. In this case; the boat has been constructed with a fire surround to improve, and enhance the stove in question. The harmonised standard is BS EN ISO 9094 Fire Protection. This ER is generally self-explanatory. Under the harmonised standard, a means to alert craft occupants of the outbreak of fire is required, such as a smoke detector or heat detector. In the case of this boat; there have been two placements of fire detection within the living/kitchen area that is interlinked to a fire detector in the front bedroom. Also; all the windows are removable to allow for quick access out the boat. There is no restricted openings or fixed glass units. The skylights would also allow for smoke to escape in the event of a fire, or be access points out the boat to further improve chances of escape. Solid fuel stoves should be installed to the manufacturer's instructions if these are for boats. If no such instructions exist, then they should be installed to the BS 8511 standard. In the case of this boat, it is fitted with a Morso Squirrel. Narrowboat Stove Safety under the guidance notes a minimum gap of 45mm (~2 inches) between your wall and the narrowboat stove. Also, the wall area nearest to the stove should have a minimum of 25mm (~1 inch) fire retardant board, with a 10mm (~½ inch) air gap between the wall and the board. In the case of this boat; we have exceeded the requirement with 100mm to all sides of the stove from the wall. The wall buildup is further improved from the guidance; as it is tiled; onto 12mm fire cement board, fixed to a 25mm calcium fire retardant board, with a 60mm air void behind. In answer to your question over placement into a cupboard; the images may be misleading your judgement, and I would be more than willing to show you the boat in person. Our reason for the stove recessed between two side walls is… Think safety first!!! Typically a stove would be positioned to the side of an entry door, or access door to a bathroom (or similar). In our opinion, the position of the stove near access ways is a poor practice for several reasons. When a stove is positioned in a corner near an access door; its prone to having increased risk of burn injuries as you are more likely to come into contact with the stove. Our position is central to the living area; away from direct access of any individual. Also, consider pets and children. Are they likely to come into contact with the burning stove if placed incorrectly? The other consideration for your stove’s position is heat distribution. Often, some bright spark would place a stove in the saloon’s corner, away from the corridor leading to the bedrooms. This makes the heat distribution difficult. Another aspect to consider is that no heat will come from the flue (its twin wall). The placement of this stove is central to the boat. This will allow a better flow of heat around the boat. The placement of the chairs either side is protected from the direct heat of the stove and reduce the risk of fire damage. The chairs; often directly in front of the stove can be an uncomfortable heat (Have you ever sat in front of a fire for the duration of a movie? This isn't a home where you are a few meters away.. On a narrowboat, you're often within 500mm?). For the sake of pictures; the chairs had been pushed back, but the reality is that the chair is loose; it is freestanding, and your most likely going to position it to enjoy both the flames and your better half. I will note that the fireplace only protrudes 170mm forward of the cabin walls; its less than a beer can laid flat… In terms of the TV. We have supplied wireless (Doesn’t require constant power supply) TV. This has been placed on the corner unit for marketing, but can be placed on the TV unit opposite the fire; or placed on the wall opposite the fire? It is the preference of the new owners…. If the owner prefers, they can take the TV onto the exterior deck; and watch the sports as they cruise. That will likely be the more restricted view from the living room if placed on the exterior decks, but the advantage of the TV Supplied is that it can go anywhere? Have it in the bathroom; while you soak in the tub if you like…. Finally; your question over the flue at the head. This is placed 2 inches from the timber. There is a twin wall, and a 25mm calcium fire board separating. There are many design aspects that you cannot mention in a picture; or video. An example is the dividing walls between the rooms. We don’t use 18mm MDF that is standard on other builders. The doors are not 18mm MDF. Instead; we have solid walls (with voids between, filled with fire insulation). The doors are then solid timber; fire treated. This is designed to give the occupants a better resistance from the potential fire (or smoke). I would be more than happy to give you a tour of the boat if you are interested. I will also be happy to answer any additional questions. Best Regards.