Alternative to a widebeam?

[Tony Brooks]

7 minutes ago, Noviceboata said:

Sure, apart from the 10ft width inside the cabin height at 6.2ft it basically has a 1 foot wide by 3ft high storage compartments along each side of the boat ( except for a few pipes/wiring). this is one of the thinks that attracted me to this boat.

 

I seem to be in a minority here but apart from the insulation and possible drive line I think it could make a lovely live aboard. If you intend to insulate and the engine  drive are OK I think it is a fair buy, not to say possibly a very good buy for a live aboard. On a similar but rather different design we fitted out the carpenters set the sideboard and chest of draws into that space so less than half stood out into the cabin. It is far easier to sort out gas and water pipes plus the wiring on those with simple board lining and space to reach/crawl behind than the typical narrowboat.

[Tony Brooks]

FWIW. The originals were fitted with hot air Webasto heaters but very different to today's offerings (they used a sort of centrifugal pressure jet system). The heaters were mounted to one (port I think) side of the engine room with a fixed bulkhead and drew combustion air from the engine room. The exhausts were a simple flange and elbow/bend pipe to fit onto the hearer with about a 6mm gap all round to prevent wind causing combustion problems. However, I can't see that being accepted now. Lots of space for insulated air pipe running up the boat. On our later builds we drew the air for heating from the cabin, rather than cold and potentially smelly engine room air, in an attempt to make them more efficient. It must have been changed several times over by now.

[Alan de Enfield]

11 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

I seem to be in a minority here but apart from the insulation and possible drive line I think it could make a lovely live aboard.

 

 

I'm with you -would / could make a super liveaboard, BUT work and expenditure needed.

[Noviceboata]

4 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

 

I'm with you -would / could make a super liveaboard, BUT work and expenditure needed.

Any rough quotes on the cost? I will do all the interior work except for pluming, electricity, gas

Just saw this boat and it is 8 ft smaller with full insulation. Cant imagine I would have to add another 18k to get it up to this standard https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/195074546254?hash=item2d6b595a4e:g:jhMAAOSwUHdiinvv

Edited June 8, 2022 by Noviceboata

[Alan de Enfield]

As a liveaboard you should not really be touching anything to do with Gas.

Liveaboard gas comes under the GSIUR regulations.

 

Location will make a huge difference to cost, if you are inside the M25 it'll be 2 or 3x the cost in the Midlands.

 

The cost will depend on the amount of work needed - eg:  will all of the cupboards need to be disassembled to remove the wall panels ?

Edited June 8, 2022 by Alan de Enfield

[Noviceboata]

3 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

As a liveaboard you should not really be touching anything to do with Gas.

Liveaboard gas comes under the GSIUR regulations.

 

Location will make a huge difference to cost, if you are inside the M25 it'll be 2 or 3x the cost in the Midlands.

 

The cost will depend on the amount of work needed - eg:  will all of the cupboards need to be disassembled to remove the wall panels ?

As I mentioned, I wont be doing the gas or any of the Utilities. Anything like disasembling cupboards, panels, tiles, flooring, new cabinets, painting I will be doing myself

[Tony Brooks]

6 minutes ago, Noviceboata said:

Any rough quotes on the cost? I will do all the interior work except for pluming, electricity, gas

Just saw this boat and it is 8 ft smaller with full insulation. Cant imagine I would have to add another 18k to get it up to this standard https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/195074546254?hash=item2d6b595a4e:g:jhMAAOSwUHdiinvv

 

There you go, 34ft, not 43. Yours is definitely a Caribbean, not that it matters.

 

If you DIY then I would think a very few thousands for materials, especially if you can reuse much of what you have. For instance, I think the ceiling is thin wall PVC cellular planks just clipped into place and it may already have insulation behind it. Maybe you won't have to do anything much to the ceiling or the planks  may be reusable. So much depends upon the standard you want to work to. As soon a syou add fancy trims and veneers the costs go up.

[mrsmelly]

3 minutes ago, Noviceboata said:

As I mentioned, I wont be doing the gas or any of the Utilities. Anything like disasembling cupboards, panels, tiles, flooring, new cabinets, painting I will be doing myself

Ive just skimmed the thread. The beauty of living on a boat is that it moves, and you can get a hell of a long way from the shithole known as London. The vast majority of mooring problems are only in London, there are hundreds of miles of space in nice places, that means anywhere other than London. Whilst widebeam are mooocho more comfortable to live on, many live in a narrowbeam simply for its much greater cruising range on UK canals.

[Noviceboata]

7 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

 Whilst widebeam are mooocho more comfortable to live on, many live in a narrowbeam simply for its much greater cruising range on UK canals.

Where would be my restrictions in London with a 12 ft beam? 

[Alan de Enfield]

1 minute ago, Noviceboata said:

Where would be my restrictions in London with a 12 ft beam? 

 

Primarily finding a mooring - with a narrowboat you can readily breast up, but with a wide beam, you would now be blocking 3-boat widths.

[Noviceboata]

13 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

So much depends upon the standard you want to work to. As soon a syou add fancy trims and veneers the costs go up.

i think I would just insulate it and get all the Utilities up and running for now. It is already quiet confortable inside. Maybe later i would modernise the interior

[mrsmelly]

Just now, Noviceboata said:

Where would be my restrictions in London with a 12 ft beam? 

Everyehere!! the place is rammed full. Moving and finding a mooring is nigh on impossible. I dont know why anyone would want to moor inside the m25, boats offer freedom. For instance if you are unfortunate enough to absolutely " have " to work in London? mooring a narrowbeam on the south Oxford is easy peasy and from such as Heyford rail station central London is an hour and 15 mins, or Oxford less than an hour. Other alternatives are available.

[Noviceboata]

2 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

Primarily finding a mooring - with a narrowboat you can readily breast up, but with a wide beam, you would now be blocking 3-boat widths.

I mean restrictions for 12ft regarding cruising, bridges, locks, etc

1 minute ago, mrsmelly said:

Everyehere!! the place is rammed full. Moving and finding a mooring is nigh on impossible. I dont know why anyone would want to moor inside the m25, boats offer freedom. For instance if you are unfortunate enough to absolutely " have " to work in London? mooring a narrowbeam on the south Oxford is easy peasy and from such as Heyford rail station central London is an hour and 15 mins, or Oxford less than an hour. Other alternatives are available.

yea, need to work in London

[Alan de Enfield]

1 minute ago, Noviceboata said:

I mean restrictions for 12ft regarding cruising, bridges, locks, etc

 

You'll be fine if you can keep moving (I am 14' beam but have given up and taken the boat to the lumpy water stuff - 12' - 14' on the inland waterways is just not worth the hassle).

[Tony Brooks]

I am sure the only bridge and narrows trouble you will have is with wheel steering from the front, port side, but the window slides open, so you can look back. I have seen wing mirrors on them and I understand reversing cameras are not too expensive. I can't say I ever had any particular problems manoeuvring them around the yard and up river, so you should soon get used to it. Just expect to bang the starboard rubbing band a few times - that is that it is there for!

[RS2021]

"There you go, 34ft, not 43. Yours is definitely a Caribbean, not that it matters."

 

Caribbean's were 39'. 42' would be the Bahama. Looking at the window arrangement it fits with the Bahama as well.

 

http://fbwilds.horning.org.uk/page5.html

[Tony Brooks]

4 minutes ago, RS2021 said:

"There you go, 34ft, not 43. Yours is definitely a Caribbean, not that it matters."

 

Caribbean's were 39'. 42' would be the Bahama. Looking at the window arrangement it fits with the Bahama as well.

 

http://fbwilds.horning.org.uk/page5.html

Stand corrected, thanks.  I put the extra length down to what looks like a false bow in the photo.

[Noviceboata]

6 minutes ago, RS2021 said:

"There you go, 34ft, not 43. Yours is definitely a Caribbean, not that it matters."

 

Caribbean's were 39'. 42' would be the Bahama. Looking at the window arrangement it fits with the Bahama as well.

 

http://fbwilds.horning.org.uk/page5.html

Thanks for that, the interesting thing is the steering is at the back of the boat above the Engine hold, guess it must be custom made

 

4 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

Stand corrected, thanks.  I put the extra length down to what looks like a false bow in the photo.

I just looked up the Bahamas cruiser, seems like they are quiet rare (in comparrison to the Carribean)

[Tony Brooks]

2 minutes ago, Noviceboata said:

Thanks for that, the interesting thing is the steering is at the back of the boat above the Engine hold, guess it must be custom made

 

 

Well I seem to  remember the rudder stock was in front of the transverse engine beds so doing that would not be as difficult as it might seem.

[Noviceboata]

28 minutes ago, RS2021 said:

"There you go, 34ft, not 43. Yours is definitely a Caribbean, not that it matters."

 

Caribbean's were 39'. 42' would be the Bahama. Looking at the window arrangement it fits with the Bahama as well.

 

http://fbwilds.horning.org.uk/page5.html

Thankyou very much for this! was able to find a sold one and now i know the specs, https://norfolk.boatshed.com/caribbean__42-boat-174462.html#friends-of-boatshed

Seems like it is a rare boat, there are a few Carribeans for sale but no bahamas. The owner told me it was a rare 42ft length but i wasn't sure if I should believe him ))

 

Edited June 8, 2022 by Noviceboata

[booke23]

@Noviceboata Have you been on any of the London boaters facebook pages? This forum has a lot of experience and technical expertise, but practically no one here has cruised in London let alone lived aboard in London. It might be worth asking on some of the facebook groups about the practicalities of CCing on a 12ft wide boat in London as I suspect there are a few pitfalls.  

[Stroudwater1]

I dont believe that you need to paint antifouling on, IIRC thats for sea going vessels, just ordinary paint will do I believe. 

 

[Noviceboata]

2 minutes ago, booke23 said:

@Noviceboata Have you been on any of the London boaters facebook pages? This forum has a lot of experience and technical expertise, but practically no one here has cruised in London let alone lived aboard in London. It might be worth asking on some of the facebook groups about the practicalities of CCing on a 12ft wide boat in London as I suspect there are a few pitfalls.  

Thanks for that, will do. One thing I can say, I have seen a few broads cruisers at 12ft width on the canal near hackney (probabably 30-36ft in length) so I gues there is no trouble moving around the central canals. The reason why I want on of these single level broads cruisers is because the are about the same height as the 12ft steel widebeams and there are lots of them in central London 

3 minutes ago, Stroudwater1 said:

I dont believe that you need to paint antifouling on, IIRC thats for sea going vessels, just ordinary paint will do I believe. 

 

Thanks for that, could probably save some money

[Tony Brooks]

3 minutes ago, Stroudwater1 said:

I dont believe that you need to paint antifouling on, IIRC thats for sea going vessels, just ordinary paint will do I believe. 

 

 

You can, or could, get fresh water antifouling, but I would have thought a good scub down every few years would be enough. Maybe give it a coat of two pack if you are worried about osmosis, but even if it has osmosis the layup was thick enough for it rarely to be a real issue, apart from surveys.

[booke23]

7 minutes ago, Noviceboata said:

Thanks for that, will do. One thing I can say, I have seen a few broads cruisers at 12ft width on the canal near hackney (probabably 30-36ft in length) so I gues there is no trouble moving around the central canals.

 

I'm sure you could move it around ok, but are those widebeams you see in central canals on permanent moorings? It's one thing having a wide boat on a mooring that never moves, entirely another CCing in one!