CrabbyPatty

I will get him a good raincoat then!

Yes lol, I struggle with terminology on a regular basis, always getting into trouble with that...😐 I've noticed a few things seem to stir up a soup, as it were.

I like that Ian, storage as well.... I would probably get one of those pram cratch covers, as well, dearest Hubby gets very grumpy when he is very wet.😂

Thank you all for your insights, it has all been useful. Although I have a decent budget, I do want to do this without blowing the bank, as it were. A question for those who have bought new sail away boats, would you mind giving me a rough idea on how much it cost to do? Sorry if that is too personal.... My husband and I are both from engineering backgrounds and my father also ran an engineering company. So we would all be capable of doing the work. Whether or not we want to do it is sometimes another question!!!😆 (Joking, we are all enthusiastic about it). My father has owned boats in his past and I have spent many a year cruising the cut for holidays, so we are not total virgins. We can wait for a year or more for the build tbh, obviously the sooner it is don the better. I would probably pay for some of the work to be done, and do some ourselves, to save time and hassle. To answer questions (sorry if I miss some). The cruiser stern, we want to have the rear space as our area to sit out and enjoy cruising along and sitting out to enjoy when we are moored Especially as we want the bedroom at the very front. It is important to us that the kitchen is close to the stern, so that we can supply food and drinks to whoever is driving, and so that my messy husband and muddy pawed dog, do not drag filth through the whole boat. Plus I like the idea of waking up and opening the front doors out to enjoy the fresh morning. So the reverse layout is the deal breaker. i would consider the semi trad, if we still have space to sit together. Also my husband is a 'relaxed' guy, he likes the idea of being comfy while driving the boat! Yes... I will be the designated lock keeper... The problem with me, is that I have slight issues with OCD and having to completely control the environment I am in and if I am doing something, I tend to have to strip right back to the bare bones of things. The insulation will bother me, if I dont think it is good enough, for instance. (there are pictures of myself and my father hovering under the floorboards of the house we renovated). This is something that concerns me with the second hand boat thing. Will I end up going mental and having to strip it down to its bones anyway?!! Unless I do find one that is the right layout and just need a bit of updating, for instance I like the modern look and more white, not so much wood, and I would most likely redo the bathroom.. but then the danger is, i then see the underside and start freaking out about the insulation..🤔

Thank you for your replies. We have renovated our current house, which of course ended up costing far more and taking far longer than expected, so I am expecting this to be the same. I am aware of how disgustingly messy this could get ripping out the old fit out and insulation. I am expecting to have to have this out of the water for the majority of the work, as it is easier and more socially acceptable (for obvious reasons). We had planned to do this for a year, before moving onto it. We are able to take our time with this and planned to do so. The cruiser stern and having the bedroom at the front are both deal breakers for us both tbh. My husband is messy, we have a dog and I get migraines sometimes. So I really would prefer to have the kitchen or living area at the stern for ease of cleaning and for peace on my migraine days in my bed.

Hi all, I am looking at buying my first canal boat and I am debating buying a brand new shell or buying an old boat to renovate ourselves. I have been looking at boats for a while and none are fitting my super fussy criteria. My husband and I are both handy and able to do most DIY ourselves, both metal and woodwork, plumbing and electrics, along with help from my father who is amazing with most things. We will be living in this boat on and off. Going off for about 20 weeks of the year to work and probably other occasions to travel around in our camper, so I want to build it as our full time home. I want to have a cruiser stern and a reverse layout, and a more open plan living space. I intend to have a permanent mooring in a marina, so we always have somewhere to keep her when we are off working or travelling, and to park our vehicle. The budget is not a big limitation, but I would rather keep it as low as possible, so I can invest elsewhere for the future tbh. Please could I have some advice as to which way is best to go, with buying a new sailaway, or getting a good second hand base? Bearing in mind, we will probably totally gut the interior and change the layout. (seeing as am struggling to find the layout I want)