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House boat build


NeilG

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1 minute ago, NeilG said:

£15000-30000 would be the range. It would be a largely, if not total, self build.

 

Just now, NeilG said:

I haven't ruled out buying a boat that is ready to live aboard. It is definitely much easier logistically, no doubt. But I do love an ambitious project haha

Building a boat is not an easy thing, it requires experience and normally when someone who is new to boating says they're going to build their own boat what they really mean is they are going to commission a boat builder to do it. The costs of building your own boat might be rather more that you expect. 

 

I love a good project too but they always cost more that I first think they will fortunately I know this know now and factor this in to my initial planing. 

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From what you have said so far it seems that you have very little knowledge of the waterways and the constraints on boats and boaters  caused by the dimensions and construction of canal structures. The boat (?) you have used as an illustration is not one you would find on the UK waterways, particularly because just about everything about its main construction is unsuitable. It would very quickly suffer from damage caused by bridge holes, locks etc not to mention the obstruction that such a square, beamy boat would cause, even on a wide canal such as the L&L. 

 

Do you realistically intend this project to be for a boat that you would use to cruise the canals and rivers or forgive me for suggesting this, but is it to find a cheap alternative to buying a house or flat? If the latter, think very carefully because it will cost you a lot more than you may think, and please consider the downsides to boat living all the year round. Sewage disposal, obtaining water and provisions, and heating/cooking, not to mention the provision of electricity.

 

Before you go ahead and start construction, I would suggest that you need to familiarise yourself in some depth with the realities of canal and river life. This can best be done by spending some time on or near the water, observing the variety of boats, and speaking to boaters. The other prerequisite is to identify where you intend to moor at an early stage, and ask what would be welcome and what would not.

 

There are many web sites which advertise boats for sale, new and second hand and also narrow or broad beam You may well find that there is just the answer to your quest for sale which would save you a lot of work and heartache. 

 

I wish you luck in chasing your dream but please think carefully before taking the plunge.

 

Howard

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There are a few big square residential boats about. There is or was one right in Liverpool by the marina building so you could go and have a look. There is another slightly sad one in Northwich marina "awaiting restoration". It will cost just as much to build an unconventional box boat as to build a proper boat, but its likely to have much less value as its stuck in a marina and can only be relocated by lorry. It will likely be worth a lot less than what it costs to build.  Buy a second hand boat, live on it, learn about boats and the canals, and only then think about building one.

 

.................Dave

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This is an example of the type or house boat you have shown in your picture, it's not a self built and I remember watching the building of it on the TV series My Floating Homes and it was not such a basic build as it looks, it was an interesting episode though. 

 

https://houseboats.apolloduck.co.uk/boat/the-river-pod-company-river-pod/512291

 

https://www.channel4.com/programmes/my-floating-home/on-demand/65589-008   (I think this link will give you the floating homes episode)

 

 

Edited by Tumshie
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9 minutes ago, howardang said:

From what you have said so far it seems that you have very little knowledge of the waterways and the constraints on boats and boaters  caused by the dimensions and construction of canal structures. The boat (?) you have used as an illustration is not one you would find on the UK waterways, particularly because just about everything about its main construction is unsuitable. It would very quickly suffer from damage caused by bridge holes, locks etc not to mention the obstruction that such a square, beamy boat would cause, even on a wide canal such as the L&L. 

 

Do you realistically intend this project to be for a boat that you would use to cruise the canals and rivers or forgive me for suggesting this, but is it to find a cheap alternative to buying a house or flat? If the latter, think very carefully because it will cost you a lot more than you may think, and please consider the downsides to boat living all the year round. Sewage disposal, obtaining water and provisions, and heating/cooking, not to mention the provision of electricity.

 

Before you go ahead and start construction, I would suggest that you need to familiarise yourself in some depth with the realities of canal and river life. This can best be done by spending some time on or near the water, observing the variety of boats, and speaking to boaters. The other prerequisite is to identify where you intend to moor at an early stage, and ask what would be welcome and what would not.

 

There are many web sites which advertise boats for sale, new and second hand and also narrow or broad beam You may well find that there is just the answer to your quest for sale which would save you a lot of work and heartache. 

 

I wish you luck in chasing your dream but please think carefully before taking the plunge.

 

Howard

I have no doubt of the extent of the time and effort a project like this will take. I am an absolute novice. The only experience I have on a canal is when I've fished on them haha. The square style box boat was just my initial idea of what I'd like. General opinion seems to be a no go, so it might be back to the drawing board. 

12 minutes ago, dmr said:

There are a few big square residential boats about. There is or was one right in Liverpool by the marina building so you could go and have a look. There is another slightly sad one in Northwich marina "awaiting restoration". It will cost just as much to build an unconventional box boat as to build a proper boat, but its likely to have much less value as its stuck in a marina and can only be relocated by lorry. It will likely be worth a lot less than what it costs to build.  Buy a second hand boat, live on it, learn about boats and the canals, and only then think about building one.

 

.................Dave

Thanks. I'll take a look and see if I can get some info from the marina while I'm there

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8 minutes ago, NeilG said:

I have no doubt of the extent of the time and effort a project like this will take.

Your budget estimation was well off though. Some things will take time/effort, some are simple but need parts bought which cost £x. You need to know £x.

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If you are happy not to be able to visit much of the Midlands and all the southern system (apart from on a lorry) then look a so called wide beam narrowboat. Built like a narrowboat but much wider giving more living space. You can buy sailaways or bare hulls for you to fit out but do not underestimate the time involved. I worked in a hire fleet where we fitted out our boats and with that knowledge would allow myself at least a year working full time on it and maybe five years if I had a job as well. If you really are a novice them getting fed up and trying to sell it is the most likely outcome.

 

I agree that your budget is wildly unrealistic.

 

 

 

 

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30 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

apparently our views on what a canal boat should look like are 'warped', according to that pillock.

 

If I wanted to build a corrugated iron shed as a house to live in on a housing estate I would expect to be refused by Planning.  Why does this bloke reckon it's OK to build a wooden shed on a marina?  By his own admission it's 'about 2m taller' than the surrounding boats.   Wouldn't we all love to have a big shed looming over us  .........   NOT ?

 

to the OP: boats evolve to suit the environment where they are used.  Canal boats are well evolved.  American 'lake boats' are also well evolved.  They are not inter-changeable. 

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3 hours ago, Murflynn said:

apparently our views on what a canal boat should look like are 'warped', according to that pillock.

 

If I wanted to build a corrugated iron shed as a house to live in on a housing estate I would expect to be refused by Planning.  Why does this bloke reckon it's OK to build a wooden shed on a marina?  By his own admission it's 'about 2m taller' than the surrounding boats.   Wouldn't we all love to have a big shed looming over us  .........   NOT ?

 

 

I was born in the wrong era. I should have been born now instead of the early 50s.

It would suit me to be entitled, and the thought of not being responsible for what I do is quite appealing. 

Most of all though, I love the idea of being in the right because nobody came and told me I couldn't do what I was doing ….. moan, moan ……. winge winge ……. entitled, entitled

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There are a couple of floating pontoon based house boats at Redhill Marina at the junction of the Soar and Trent. There are some elegant ones on the bottom of the Erewash - a couple of them are two storey.There are also two at East Midlands Boat Services on the Soar at Kegworth. All have long established use - getting planning consent for further ones might be very tricky.

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2 hours ago, Richard T said:

There are a couple of floating pontoon based house boats at Redhill Marina at the junction of the Soar and Trent. There are some elegant ones on the bottom of the Erewash - a couple of them are two storey.There are also two at East Midlands Boat Services on the Soar at Kegworth. All have long established use - getting planning consent for further ones might be very tricky.

 

And there are quite a few houseboats of this nature on the Basingstoke at New Haw. I don't know but I'd guess they change hands for about £1/4m.

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So far you have had a few of the problems pointed out, and quite correctly too. What you want to do is actually very hard indeed, mostly because of the design of boat. The UK is not really a place where that type of boat has ever taken off, there are many variations on that theme in Holland, mostly built on concrete 'hulls' and for the most part they are v. expensive and if you find a cheap one it will not have a mooring. You really do need to look at narrow  or even wide beam boats. Your budget will buy you an ok boat that will give you the bonus of actually being usable as a boat and that is a Good Thing, many of  have and do live on boats and they suit our needs very well. Realistically, if you really wanted to have a boat like the one in the pic you would probably need to buy your own lake to put it on - and you would still need planning permission wheras you could buy a conventional boat and then live on it - and that still has some problems too but it is possible. Good Luck

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£10 to £20K?   You are having a laugh, a bare hull without engine or anything will cost you £25K. A wide boat that size WHICH IS LEGAL TO HAVE ON A CANAL will cost you £100K even if you fit every screw and nail.

 

No matter what you build on a steel hull it will have to be capable of moving and fit bridges etc because you are going to have to take it out of the water regularly for bottom blacking.

 

Have you costed a permanent mooring in a marina? You will have a fit! Have you thought about power, energy, fuel, TOILET  !?

 

Go rent a flat. It will be cheaper, easier and you will keep your sanity.

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1 hour ago, Bee said:

So far you have had a few of the problems pointed out, and quite correctly too. What you want to do is actually very hard indeed, mostly because of the design of boat. The UK is not really a place where that type of boat has ever taken off, there are many variations on that theme in Holland, mostly built on concrete 'hulls' and for the most part they are v. expensive and if you find a cheap one it will not have a mooring. You really do need to look at narrow  or even wide beam boats. Your budget will buy you an ok boat that will give you the bonus of actually being usable as a boat and that is a Good Thing, many of  have and do live on boats and they suit our needs very well. Realistically, if you really wanted to have a boat like the one in the pic you would probably need to buy your own lake to put it on - and you would still need planning permission wheras you could buy a conventional boat and then live on it - and that still has some problems too but it is possible. Good Luck

I had a friend in Holland who lived on one, even had a basement in the concrete hull

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49 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

I had a friend in Holland who lived on one, even had a basement in the concrete hull

Lets hope he never tried to bury any bodies under the floor

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