Paul3704

Thanks for the feedback, much appreciated. I'm not planning on a shore hook up at all, though there is an external feed for one at the moment. Fair point on the immersion and batteries. In that case, a dual coil cylinder - one connected to the water feed from the engine, the other to a diesel boiler, seems the way forward. I've got a portable Honda I've used a few times. Does the trick when you're stuck. Yeah, my plan is to get it done right and then keep it simple. The stove is at the front of the boat, and I quite like it there. It's more the back of the boat in the morning. Tried to Google Poloma but end up falling into a wormhole. Do you have a link? Are there any boiler systems to avoid? Yeah, I'm leaning this way more and more. I'm thinking 30mm as it would cover the iron struts. I love the idea of flat panels on the roof, but I think you're right about the longevity. In that case, the adjustable ones seem like a plan. I'm assuming you lie them 'flat' when cruising? Yeah, not looking at a beast of a thing, just a 24" thing for occasional use. 12V seems the job, along with a 12v fridge. I've been looking at control panels, and they all seem much a muchness - so that seems straight forward. Water and heating seems the most confusing. The ideal solution would be a diesel combi boiler, but they seem horrifically expensive - though they would remove the cylinder creating space. Any brands that you've used and would recommend? The ones I've seen are all between 3k & 4k. Again, thanks for your help.

Hi, I recently inherited a narrowboat off a family member who died. I've been on the narrowboat a fair few times when he was alive, and have a basic understanding of how navigating a canal works. Before I got the boat, it was left for a few years, and in all honesty fell into disrepair (it was last used for cruising in 2019). He bought the boat in 2007, and because of his 'frugal' nature, did very little with it other than take pleasure in travelling. I want to do the boat up and bring it up-to-date - but I'm really not sure where to start. I got use of the boat in August 2021 and since then: - I've had the engine checked and serviced - it's fine. - Had it lifted out of the water, glassblasted, some welding, treated, painted, blacked and new anodes fitted. - Ripped the existing interior out (except the electrics at the back, cylinder and wood burner). - Had the water and fuel tank integrity checked - again they're fine. - Removed the insulation - which was polystyrene sheets and rockwool. I have a plan of how I want the final layout to look, but need some practical advice before I get to that part. It's 48' long overall with roughly 36' internal space. Built in 1991, once it was blasted, it looked in pretty good condition. Next step is treating the inside metalwork, replacing some of the windows and rebalancing the ballast (it leans one way slightly) and replacing the floor. After that it's the insulation, power, heating and hot water - and this is the bit where I'm WAY out of my depth as there's so many different types all of which have conflicting reports information from the manufacturers. After researching myself, this is what I'm thinking: Insulation - I was looking at having it sprayed, but I'm now leaning towards Kingspan because I'm guaranteed the thickness. Hot water - cylinder connected to the engine with a 12v immersion as a back up which will feed a shower and supply two basins. Power - solar panels with a standalone back up generator. I was looking at the flexible panels so I can at least see past them when I'm cruising, but there's a fair few comments on here prefering the fixed panels, and when I look in the marina - none of the boats have the flexible panels. Is there a reason for that? I was looking at getting most appliances to run on 12v, but having a 240v loop for a TV and sockets. Heating - going to keep the log burner, but as a secondary source, was looking at a diesel hot air blower with three outlets (bedroom, bathroom and living area). Any thoughts or advice before I start committing? Am I missing something glaringly obvious which is a big no-no?

Can anyone advise if this has been cleared now? I can't seem to find anything on the BW site. I'm looking to take my boat from Crooke to Leigh.

Hi, Does anyone know if this has opened again yet? I can't seem to find any information anywhere.

I've spoken to the fella that owned the boat previously, and he's talked through everything through with me. The boat has two electric circuits - one 12v and one for connection to the mains at 240v. I spoke to an electrician, and as the boat is already wired for 240v, making it 240v 'only' shouldn't be a big job. I think I'm going to leave it for a while though and see how I get on with 12v. I'm putting her in the water on Wednesday hopefully, and then going for a bit of a jaunt. Thanks to everyone who has posted and helped. It's been very much appreciated.

I spoke to Mike Webb at Peel Holdings, and he was pretty helpful with the answers. I know of a guy who already has a 36' moored outside his house on the Bridgewater. He indicated it shouldn't be a problem (as he knew the exact area I meant) - but was subject to a banking & depth survey. After that it was a question of £.080 per metre, per week - providing everything was all right with the survey of course. Anyway, in the end we got sorted at Crooke before taking it any further. Crooke with no electricity though. I've not really had any hassle with the yard either. The only outstanding thing at the moment is this question of electricity. I read in the other thread that 240v can drain the batteries quicker, but is this really going to be a problem? I also read that 12v appliances are either not very good, or they are hard to come by. Would upgrading to 240v be worth it really; and what kind of outlay would I be looking at?

I've painted the boat, and done most of the little jobs now. I've got the insurance sorted, and my waterways license is on it's way to me. I've set a date to get it into the water on the first of October. The guy who originally owned the boat is coming down ad I'm going to meet him at weekend to go over details, which I think is very nice of him. So far, so good, though I'm a little bit baffled by the electrics. The whole boat runs on 12 volts, with the exception of the fridge which runs at 240v. The fridge will only work when connected to the mains when moored with a suitable facility. I'm led to believe that there are two solutions - replacing everything with 12v equipment, or having an inverter installed. How much would it cost (ballpark) to get the boat rewired to 240v, and is it really worth it in the long run? Which would people recommend as the best option? I have trouble getting my head around electrical systems. Plumbing and heating no problems, but electrics just hurts my brain.

Thanks for the help on here, it's much appreciated. I've had a survey done on the boat and it's come back fine - it needs a little bit of love, but from a technical/engineering standpoint, everything is in working order. As the boat's out of the water, I'm going to spend a fair bit of time doing odd jobs - just getting it right really. I've got a private mooring, and I've got the insurance sorted. It's got a safety certificate up 2011. What else do I need to do? Do I need to contact British Waterways for anything?

Cheers for all the information. I'm going to get it surveyed I think. It's the wisest course of action. I'm wondering actually if it isn't worth paying for a full survey; structure, electrics and the engine. Then at least I know exactly what I'm getting. I think it might be the one you're thinking of Alan: http://www.harralbrokerage.co.uk/ Search under traditional & £20,000 - £40,000; The boat's called Chrisendale. Liked the boat straight away, and although it wasn't to my taste on the inside, it seemed to be a good price. A cursory check (by myself and a friend with more expertise than I) revealed nothing apart from mid-sized jobs on the inside. Since then though, I'm beginning to wonder if it wasn't too good a price. Are stretched boats more liable to problems? The scan revealed 1.2mm loss at the front of the boat as opposed to 0.5mm at the back. This is off a steel hull which was originally 8mm. My friend considered that it was 'about right' for a boat that age. Next question; where would I find a surveyer in the Northwich area, and what qualifications should I be looking for? I've had no luck using Yell or Google. The broker reccomended a surveyer, but I'm not sure I should be following his recommendation. Thanks again.

I'm in the middle of purchasing a 48' narrowboat from a brokerage in Northwich. I've been on the canals quite a few times over the last few years in friends boats, but the opportunity arose to pick up this boat at a good price through a broker, and so I went for it. The boat is currently out of the water in a yard, which is going to give me ample opportunity to get a little work done on it. The thing is, I'm not entirely sure what to do next. The boat was built in 1991, and had a ultrasound survey in 2006 which reads fine. It also has a safety certificate which is valid until 2011. I'm not entirely sure if I should go for a full survey, or just get then engine and electrics checked out. I'm considering contacting the original owner and ask him to come to the yard and talk me through the boat. Is that unreasonable? Once the surveys are out of the way, I need to look at things like licences and insurance. Are there any good pointers on things like this, as I'm really not sure where to start. Last question is related to mooring. There is mooring available in Southport, but I'm thinking of having it moored behind my house which leads directly onto the canal (Bridgewater). I'm speaking to Peel Holdings on Monday and I'm going to ask for their input. Is this something straightforward to do, or is it overly complicated? I'm completely green, yet also quite excited, so any help and advice would be greatly appreciated.

Hello, I'm Paul from the North West, and I've just bought my first Narrowboat, and it's occurred to me that I don't really have a clue about what to do next. I'm going to look over the forum the next couple of days, and then start asking for help!