hydro

Hi Bottle you are right Ive mistook it for the Johnethon Willson boat with the french window type bow door I know I will have to drain it with a sump and pump but with a permanent cratch hopefully not very often, and any way at least I should be able to get in and out without bumping my head, remember this going to be an HELP the AGED boat.

Hy john I welcome all comments what Im trying to do is to put all my frustrations out in the open so that hopefully some boat builders who want to keep in business and want to cater for the ageing boater like myself will have to offer something radicaly different to whats available at present . Im capable of driving on motorways at 70, and in traffic at 5 MPH ,parking in supermarkets, ect, but Ive had to retire from boating because of the difficulty driving my boat at 4MPH and mooring in my marina berth. The fault lies with the boat so Im putting up not shutting up.

hi bottle yes I've seen Whitefield at Critch this year, I won't be spending anything like £250,000! But I will be incorporating some features I liked on it, eg, the well deck being below water level but I will be using a fixed cratch instead of a removable one. I also liked the idea of being able to steer from the front.

I will take on board your advice about the length....thanks

I am at present building my own 58ft narrowboat to my own design and if I finish, it should keep me boating into my old age (I am in my mid sixties). I have engaged a welding / fab company to build the shell and incorporate my unique designs. This company has never built a narrowboat shell before its main business is building bus and lorry chassis. I chose this type of company rather than a traditional boat builder because them having not built boats before I shouldn't encounter ("you can't do that!") mentality. For interested parties I intend to post regularly updates as the work progresses.