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Hello. Soon to be narrow boat owner.


Chris Debois

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1 hour ago, doratheexplorer said:

Apologies to the OP for a pair of bickering children.  Best ignored.  As others have said, it's rare that a narrowboat gives views out of the window when sitting down inside.  A couple of option to consider:

 

1.  A narrowboat or dutch barge style with a wheelhouse will provide views.

2.  There's a hire boat company who has boats with a dropped gunwale at the bow end, with a much lower and big window.  Napton Boats I think?  You might look out for something like that, maybe an ex-hire boat of theirs.

 

It was Napton, and actually they recently had one for sale on the duck. From their french operation istr.

 

This is the UK based version. The French ones are cream.

 

 

Elegance.JPG

Edited by The Happy Nomad
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5 minutes ago, Graham Davis said:

Dora, 

I'm sure it was Black Prince who first introduced the dropped windows in the front cabin area on their Princess range of boats. I moved a couple for them and they did make the front quite airy, but were a pain if you had to walk along the gunwhales.

I can imagine the difficulty, but I can also see how it's fairly rare to need to walk all the way to the front along the gunwales.

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1 hour ago, doratheexplorer said:

Apologies to the OP for a pair of bickering children.  Best ignored.  As others have said, it's rare that a narrowboat gives views out of the window when sitting down inside.  A couple of option to consider:

 

1.  A narrowboat or dutch barge style with a wheelhouse will provide views.

2.  There's a hire boat company who has boats with a dropped gunwale at the bow end, with a much lower and big window.  Napton Boats I think?  You might look out for something like that, maybe an ex-hire boat of theirs.

We have all portholes, we have friends that as soon as they moor up draw all the curtains to stop people looking in.

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1 hour ago, doratheexplorer said:

 

2.  There's a hire boat company who has boats with a dropped gunwale at the bow end, with a much lower and big window.  Napton Boats I think?  You might look out for something like that, maybe an ex-hire boat of theirs.

Concoform Marine at Weedon had boats with that feature. Without checking, I suppose that their former boats - the well-known "Weed boats" - come up for sale from time to time.

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1 hour ago, ditchcrawler said:

We have all portholes, we have friends that as soon as they moor up draw all the curtains to stop people looking in.

I have big windows.  I almost always draw the curtains on the towpath side and leave the canal facing windows open.  People are too damn nosey!

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2 hours ago, doratheexplorer said:

I can imagine the difficulty, but I can also see how it's fairly rare to need to walk all the way to the front along the gunwales.

Yeahbut......when you have to you have to. And......

 

Those huge windows have always struck me as condensation magnets.

We have portholes on 'RW' and they are bad enough in the winter.

 

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49 minutes ago, Victor Vectis said:

Yeahbut......when you have to you have to. And......

 

Those huge windows have always struck me as condensation magnets.

We have portholes on 'RW' and they are bad enough in the winter.

 

That's no bad thing.  When your water tank is empty, you can lick the windows and get adequately hydrated.

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1 hour ago, doratheexplorer said:

I have big windows.  I almost always draw the curtains on the towpath side and leave the canal facing windows open.  People are too damn nosey!

Yup, but have blinds instead of curtains. Canal side open. Towpath side - part open with the inside edge of slats up and outside edge down. Towpath users are high - usually at least 1.5 meters plus height of towpath above water - so they are looking down on the whole width of the slats so effectively a solid surface. You inside will be low down and have a view between the slats without being visible (except to nosey dogs ?).

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20 minutes ago, Opener said:

Yup, but have blinds instead of curtains. Canal side open. Towpath side - part open with the inside edge of slats up and outside edge down. Towpath users are high - usually at least 1.5 meters plus height of towpath above water - so they are looking down on the whole width of the slats so effectively a solid surface. You inside will be low down and have a view between the slats without being visible (except to nosey dogs ?).

It's surprising how often a dog pokes his nose in the window.

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21 minutes ago, LadyG said:

It's surprising how often a dog pokes his nose in the window.

the windows are just the right height for doggies viewing ? An open side hatch beside a cooker when dinner is being prepared is even more inviting!

 

haggis

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4 hours ago, doratheexplorer said:

I can imagine the difficulty, but I can also see how it's fairly rare to need to walk all the way to the front along the gunwales.

Speaking from personal experience of these boats, it is fairly rare -- but when you *need* to do it, you're often in a *big* hurry.

 

Which is exactly when you trip over the dropped section and (very nearly) fall in. Don't ask me how I know... ?

17 minutes ago, haggis said:

the windows are just the right height for doggies viewing ? An open side hatch beside a cooker when dinner is being prepared is even more inviting!

 

haggis

Sausages...

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I have to admit, I do prefer the look of portholes, but larger ones for the living area would be my preference. It will be just a matter of looking, getting aboard and getting 'that feeling' - similar to when you buy a house. Maybe it'll be completely different to how I am thinking at the moment.

 

Just to add, I am very lucky to have my own little business working from home so am able to work my own hours (about 4 hours a day) and then get to the boat. I live near the Aylesbury and Wendover arms of the Grand Union and plan to do continual cruising between Milton Keynes and Harefield, and then have holidays when I am able to travel further. ?

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11 minutes ago, Chris Debois said:

I have to admit, I do prefer the look of portholes, but larger ones for the living area would be my preference. It will be just a matter of looking, getting aboard and getting 'that feeling' - similar to when you buy a house. Maybe it'll be completely different to how I am thinking at the moment.

 

Just to add, I am very lucky to have my own little business working from home so am able to work my own hours (about 4 hours a day) and then get to the boat. I live near the Aylesbury and Wendover arms of the Grand Union and plan to do continual cruising between Milton Keynes and Harefield, and then have holidays when I am able to travel further. ?

You could always go for the option of mainly portholes, but with glazed opening side doors where you want light/views (dinette or saloon). These also have the advantage of good ventilation in hot weather, I've thought they were an excellent idea on boats I've hired which have had them fitted.

 

Don't put dog-stealable sausages anywhere near them though... ?

Edited by IanD
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9 minutes ago, Chris Debois said:

I have to admit, I do prefer the look of portholes, but larger ones for the living area would be my preference.

Yes, some boats have tiny portholes and must be rather dark inside unless they have houdini hatches, dog boxes etc. On the other hand, oversized portholes can look grotesque. The glazed parts of ours are I think, 10" across, which we think is just right. Additionally, you'll never get a burglar climbing through a 10" porthole.

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1 hour ago, IanD said:

Speaking from personal experience of these boats, it is fairly rare -- but when you *need* to do it, you're often in a *big* hurry.

 

Which is exactly when you trip over the dropped section and (very nearly) fall in. Don't ask me how I know... ?

Sausages...

That is why I don't have anything fixed on my gunwale at all

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6 minutes ago, IanD said:

You could always go for the option of mainly portholes, but with glazed opening side doors where you want light/views (dinette or saloon). These also have the advantage of good ventilation in hot weather, I've thought they were an excellent idea on boats I've hired which have had them fitted.

 

Don't put dog-stealable sausages anywhere near them though... ?

Haha. My 2 collies would have them first, I think. ?

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15 minutes ago, Athy said:

Yes, some boats have tiny portholes and must be rather dark inside unless they have houdini hatches, dog boxes etc. On the other hand, oversized portholes can look grotesque. The glazed parts of ours are I think, 10" across, which we think is just right. Additionally, you'll never get a burglar climbing through a 10" porthole.

Very few burglars could fit through a 12" porthole, going by what data I can find -- about 90% of shoulder width seems to be the limit according to cavers.

9 minutes ago, Chris Debois said:

Haha. My 2 collies would have them first, I think. ?

But maybe your dogs are also more obedient than ones passing by on the towpath? The one who nicked our sausages took absolutely no notice of its owner telling it not to... ?

Edited by IanD
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