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New Narrow Boat advice


amandanadine

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Hi, i am so excited. We just viewed a new build boat by "the custom boat company" in Devizes Marina. I'm so excited to be ordering our very own boat from them. As the boat is custom made to our specification. I was wondering if there is any must haves that we should ask for as an extra. As I'm new to the boating world, I'm looking for your "can't live without" "wish you added" ideas 😁

 

 

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Edited by magpie patrick
To remove large empty space!
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1 minute ago, amandanadine said:

My husband has, myself not so much.

It's always been his dream to have one, and honestly I've come back so excited after seeing this boat and what can be done. 

 

 

 

In that case he probably has a reasonable idea of what he likes and doesn't like in a boat already. I would get the builder to make the fixed bed at the front extendable to the full width of the boat so it can be a super king size......it'll be a 4ft double as standard and they are slightly cramped for 2.

 

Then maybe think about what toilet you want.....I see it has a pump out as standard but you might want to consider a cassette. Plenty of threads on here discussing the pros and cons of each. 

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- A dinette, ideally elevated. So you can sit at a table and eat whilst looking at the canals (which will matter a lot more to you as leisure boaters). Also makes spare beds if you and your husband have guests.

 

- A side hatch, or better still one each side (if you can: if it's the boat in the picture and it just needs the interior done it might be too late). Lets summer heat out, lets you look out and it can be another exit for the boat

 

- Two heat sources (probably a multifuel stove and diesel heated radiators) so you can use the boat in winter

 

- A few spare grand to spend on storing and maintaining it!

 

 

 

 

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There will be loads of thing you think are really important from looking at youtube and hiring for a week, but which you later realise were largely a waste of money. 

Everyone's list will be different, but these are things I would want to check on if it was speccing a new boat: 

- Check the size of the shower they are proposing- some builders fit cubicles that are so compact they are almost impossible to use. 

- Make sure the bow gas locker can fit two large size bottles, mine can only fit one large and one small, and its a pain when swapping out empty bottles. 

- I would not consider an inverter of less than 2000 watts, and insist on pure sine if you have laptops- my old modified sine inverter bricked the power supplies on two laptops

- At least 400Ah of lthium batteries- they will last 10 years or more if you look after them, and are worth the extra cost

- A good alternator that uses a poly V belt, and not a cheap one with a single v belt like mine. Charging using a cheap alternator at 40 amps means running your engine for 3 hours every day in the winter (when there's no solar)- whereas charging with a decent alternator at 80-100 amps means you only run the engine for a bit over an hour each day to recharge. 

- I would always get at least 1000 watts of solar, then you are sorted for all your electricity between March and October, with no engine running to recharge batteries. You can fit them yourself, if you want to do that make sure the electric cupboard has space for one or two MPPT units and the wiring.

- build in the option to divert your solar energy to heating up the water in summer. 

- A water level indicator on the water tank, and preferably one on the fuel tank.  

- Lots of big windows for lots of natural light

- for heating, fit both diesel CH and also a stove, whether that's a SF stove or a diesel one

- I would ask for dimmable LED ceiling lights, its nice to be able to soften the lighting a bit in the evenings

- At least 100 gallons water tank

- one of those compact washing machines fitted in the kitchen

 

Thats just a few off the top of my head tbh, there are others. 

 

 

 

 

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16 minutes ago, Tony1 said:

 

There will be loads of thing you think are really important from looking at youtube and hiring for a week, but which you later realise were largely a waste of money. 

Everyone's list will be different, but these are things I would want to check on if it was speccing a new boat: 

- Check the size of the shower they are proposing- some builders fit cubicles that are so compact they are almost impossible to use. 

- Make sure the bow gas locker can fit two large size bottles, mine can only fit one large and one small, and its a pain when swapping out empty bottles. 

- I would not consider an inverter of less than 2000 watts, and insist on pure sine if you have laptops- my old modified sine inverter bricked the power supplies on two laptops

- At least 400Ah of lthium batteries- they will last 10 years or more if you look after them, and are worth the extra cost

- A good alternator that uses a poly V belt, and not a cheap one with a single v belt like mine. Charging using a cheap alternator at 40 amps means running your engine for 3 hours every day in the winter (when there's no solar)- whereas charging with a decent alternator at 80-100 amps means you only run the engine for a bit over an hour each day to recharge. 

- I would always get at least 1000 watts of solar, then you are sorted for all your electricity between March and October, with no engine running to recharge batteries. You can fit them yourself, if you want to do that make sure the electric cupboard has space for one or two MPPT units and the wiring.

- build in the option to divert your solar energy to heating up the water in summer. 

- A water level indicator on the water tank, and preferably one on the fuel tank.  

- Lots of big windows for lots of natural light

- for heating, fit both diesel CH and also a stove, whether that's a SF stove or a diesel one

- I would ask for dimmable LED ceiling lights, its nice to be able to soften the lighting a bit in the evenings

- At least 100 gallons water tank

- one of those compact washing machines fitted in the kitchen

 

Thats just a few off the top of my head tbh, there are others. 

 

 

 

 


two ways or options to go about about this 

 

1. worry about the banal 

2.or go boating 

Edited by Goliath
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23 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

£168,000?

 

Far canal!!! 

 

 

I couldn't even see what length of boat you get for that money!

The ad says "Innovative design and concept have been brought to life as shown in the detailed gallery below." I could see a reasonably well spec'd boat, but nothing particularly innovative. The chimney's on the wrong side. And the decor is the new boat version of 'London white'. 

 

@amandanadine, it has been said many times before on the forum that if you are new to narrowboats, you would do much better to buy a second hand boat that approximates to your wants (for a third or less of what you are proposing to pay), get some experience boating and find out what does and doesn't work for you. Then, and only then, consider buying a new boat. A reasonable second hand boat will more or less hold its value if you find its not for you. Buy new at the level you are thinking of and its value will plummet over the first couple of years - could be very costly if you find boating is not for you.

Edited by David Mack
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Just now, Goliath said:


two ways to options to go about about this 

 

1. worry about the banal 

2.or go boating 

 

No offence Glenn, but it seems a bit blase to suggest that they just pay the £170,000 for a boat without looking at the 'banal' details, and to miss the chance to get some important things built into it at the point where it is most cost effective to do that. 

I recently discovered that my hot water system doesnt have an expansion vessel for example, which I think it will be a real help in prolonging the calorifier life.

If I was spending 170k I would take nothing for granted- I would check that all the important stuff is covered. 

 

So fair enough, lithium batteries are not crucial (I didnt know it was a leisure boat to be fair)- and as a leisure boat they'll be cruising (and charging) loads, so lead acids may do a decent job. And being a leisure boat also reduces the importance of lots of solar.

In fact it even means you might be ok with a crappy alternator, because you'll be cruising for hours on most days.

The leisure thing definitely changes the importance of some of the things on my wish list.

 

But that said, a decent sized shower is a must, as is a decent pure sine inverter, and space for two large gas bottles, and two forms of heating- and a few of the other things that some builders seem to get wrong. Why pay twice for stuff like that because you didnt bother with 'banal' details when it was being built? 

I reckon at this point they need hard-headed, cold blooded analytical advice.

We can give them the romantic boating guff once the contract's been signed! 

 

 

 

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Probably better to get a really small boat and try it out then if you like the life get a bigger boat. 

 

It isn't all about the size of the boat. It is about the fact it is a boat. Also relationships come into it. 

 

Assuming there are no children to deal with then get a nice 40ft narrow boat with basic comforts and try it out. If cracks appear in the relationship then it is probably boat related. A bigger boat won't solve that problem. 

 

Save money. Buy smaller boats. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At the end of the day if you can't live together in a 40ft narrow boat what hope have you got when things really get bad ?

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2 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

My grouse which is far too common £150K + boat and its got bloody great holes in the external doors to let the gales blow through

Your grouse? 

 

New word for me i thought it was a bird. 

Edited by magnetman
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Practical stuff is good but I'd skip the washing machine for a leisure boat! (I'd happily take a better one than my twintub for my liveaboard  though...)

 

 

Looking at the boat in the picture, if I was using it for boating holidays I'd much rather have a canal view Pullman (or even breakfast bar) than an L-shaped lounge in front of the TV. And I'd want the stove closer to the middle of the boat if at all practical.

Since the bed's in the bow you might as well have it full width, or at least folding to be full width. Or maybe not if you don't like walking down gunwhales (stuff like that is why you boat before you buy!)

 

The pocket on the roof with the tachometer and stop/start button is neat

Edited by enigmatic
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1 minute ago, enigmatic said:

Practical stuff is good but I'd skip the washing machine for a leisure boat! (I'd happily take a better one than my twintub for my liveaboard  though...)

 

 

Yes- I assumed it was a liveaboard when I said that. 

I wouldnt bother with a washing machine on a leisure boat.

 

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