Advice on this Nauticus for liveaboard GRP boat

[Amylincs]

Hi, I've been lurking on these forums for years on and off whilst dreaming of getting my first boat. After huge regret of not making the move years ago way before the pandemic demand sent prices crazy, I finally have the opportunity again after returning back in the East Mids to be closer to family.

 

I'm wanting to spend around 10 grand (with a few extra grand set aside for licence, mooring fees and initial extras/maintenance). I would pay extra for a Highbridge Crusader, however non-mega projects seem like hens teeth, so I've been looking at the Nauticus 27 which looks like it would do me perfectly and I could get a decent one for this budget, and they can also be transported by road for not too extortionate money which widens my search area considerably. I'm a complete newbie with boats, however have lived in tourers and vans previously. 

 

I've seen a Nauticus 27 I'm particularly interested in (pics attached) due to the inboard diesel, and bonus of the calorifier, fitted shower and heating. It looks like it's been completely refitted by the seller from an old wreck, even though I prefer the tradional look, I'm worried I'm getting swayed by the good looking whitewashed refit, however on paper it's ideal and looks well looked after. Although I know it's impossible to tell from pictures, is there anything I should be wary of or any red flags I should be looking for in particular with the Nauticus in general? Spots prone  to leaks or other issues? Is the gas boiler and heating likely to cause issues with the BSS? What do you think a Nauticus like this is worth? (Pictured).

 

 

 

My boat would become my base inbetween working away for a few days/sometimes weeks at a time with similar times back on the boat.

I'm also looking at leisure moorings at Lincoln Brayford Marina if anyone also has any experience of mooring here? (Growing up with narrowboat friends, I always dreamed of cruising my own boat to the Pyewipe for a pint!). Was also potentially considering Beeston Marina, Nottingham if any suitable became available. Main requirements are security, showers, nearby carparking and easy cruising for a complete beginner (and single person).

 

Big thanks in advance for any info and advice!

Amy. 

 

Edited March 29, 2025 by Amylincs

[Tonka]

2 hours ago, Amylincs said:

Hi, I've been lurking on these forums for years on and off whilst dreaming of getting my first boat. After huge regret of not making the move years ago way before the pandemic demand sent prices crazy, I finally have the opportunity again after returning back in the East Mids to be closer to family.

 

I'm wanting to spend around 10 grand (with a few extra grand set aside for licence, mooring fees and initial extras/maintenance). I would pay extra for a Highbridge Crusader, however non-mega projects seem like hens teeth, so I've been looking at the Nauticus 27 which looks like it would do me perfectly and I could get a decent one for this budget, and they can also be transported by road for not too extortionate money which widens my search area considerably. I'm a complete newbie with boats, however have lived in tourers and vans previously. 

 

I've seen a Nauticus 27 I'm particularly interested in (pics attached) due to the inboard diesel, and bonus of the calorifier, fitted shower and heating. It looks like it's been completely refitted by the seller from an old wreck, even though I prefer the tradional look, I'm worried I'm getting swayed by the good looking whitewashed refit, however on paper it's ideal and looks well looked after. Although I know it's impossible to tell from pictures, is there anything I should be wary of or any red flags I should be looking for in particular with the Nauticus in general? Spots prone  to leaks or other issues? Is the gas boiler and heating likely to cause issues with the BSS? What do you think a Nauticus like this is worth? (Pictured).

 

 

 

My boat would become my base inbetween working away for a few days/sometimes weeks at a time with similar times back on the boat.

I'm also looking at leisure moorings at Lincoln Brayford Marina if anyone also has any experience of mooring here? (Growing up with narrowboat friends, I always dreamed of cruising my own boat to the Pyewipe for a pint!). Was also potentially considering Beeston Marina, Nottingham if any suitable became available. Main requirements are security, showers, nearby carparking and easy cruising for a complete beginner (and single person).

 

Big thanks in advance for any info and advice!

Amy. 

 

Has the front windows got the condensation drain holes in or not. The early ones did and they leaked rain into the boat because they were drilled on the bench and when installed the windows lean. The later ones were modified, no condensation hole.

Where is the shower because there is not a lot of room in the toilet. When we had ours from new the toilet is that small that the washbasin had to be a fold up one. I assume this one has been modified to include an electric water pump. What size is the water tank ?

[Crewcut]

Hi,

 

If you've lived full time in a van you'll be ok with the space, fg boats have poor insulation and relatively large window areas so condensation in winter is a real issue. If you have mains you can use a dehumidifier (dessicant type) but if not you'll need to work on the insulation. And if it was me I'd also remove the windows and fit portholes instead - more privacy/security, less condensation. There's a few ways you might go about this, I saw a Highbridge 32 where it had been done, massive improvement in liveability. Nauticus or Highbridge yes but avoid Viking boats, they're poorly built. Be aware that some NB'ers will assume if you're living on a "plastic yogurt pot" that you have mental health/substance misuse issues and are destitute. Hence they'll likely give you a wide berth which might suit you, or you could be friendly and normal towards them which might in turn give them a pleasant surprise...

 

Good luck! No reason why a Nauticus 27 can't be made into a decent liveaboard for 1...

[alan_fincher]

Just one thing - it   says "gas boiler"  was new in 2022.  Assuming they mean the instantaneous water heater, I'm struggling to believe you could buy one that looked like that 3 years ago.  To me it looks a great deal older, but I'm happy to be proved wrong.

[Tonka]

1 hour ago, alan_fincher said:

Just one thing - it   says "gas boiler"  was new in 2022.  Assuming they mean the instantaneous water heater, I'm struggling to believe you could buy one that looked like that 3 years ago.  To me it looks a great deal older, but I'm happy to be proved wrong.

It also states gas air heater., I would have thought that the 2 heaters would use a lot of gas

[MtB]

1 hour ago, alan_fincher said:

Just one thing - it   says "gas boiler"  was new in 2022.  Assuming they mean the instantaneous water heater, I'm struggling to believe you could buy one that looked like that 3 years ago.  To me it looks a great deal older, but I'm happy to be proved wrong.

 

I agree. To me it looks a good 25 years old, with that separate flue hood/draft diverter on the top.

 

I don't recognise the appliance at all. 

 

Also, looking at the external photo, the water heater has one of those brass mushroom flue terminals on the outside, which means the total vertical flue length can't be more that about 6". This is probably too short to comply with installation instructions so if a BSS inspector notices this, he may well issue a fail.

 

 

[Amylincs]

Many thanks to all for the replies. Has given me some good points to look into and think about. 

18 hours ago, Tonka said:

I assume this one has been modified to include an electric water pump. What size is the water tank ?

120l water tank. I recognise a shower on a boat this size would likely only be good enough for a quick, compact rinse, at least a warm one. I'd be looking to mainly use the marina showers, however would like an onboard shower for when cruising or emergencies. I'll check about the condensation holes, good to know, thanks!

 

13 hours ago, Crewcut said:

Be aware that some NB'ers will assume if you're living on a "plastic yogurt pot" that you have mental health/substance misuse issues and are destitute. Hence they'll likely give you a wide berth which might suit you, or you could be friendly and normal towards them which might in turn give them a pleasant surprise...

Haha hopefully I can pleasantly surprise those people! The boat community always seemed like a good bunch, which is another big draw for me. 
Thanks for the heads-up about the condensation, I've read about this but maybe I underestimated how bad it could be to live with. Is gas heating also a culprit of extra moisture? I was originally looking into diesel heaters and have read a few questions on forums about converting propex to a diesel heater, but there seem to be advocates for both heaters being better than the other so will do some more digging on that front, but as Tonka said I was already worried how much gas I might get through with this set up.

 

Anyway, thanks again for taking the time and for all the info, 

Amy

[Bee]

Well it looks like a pretty reasonable example of what it is, i.e. a cruiser. Good for holidays when the weather is nice and travelling the waterways  with the big advantage that it doesn't rust (although GRP is subject to its own maintenance issues). Might not be so nice when the weather is cold, wet and bleak, not much space for living in and personally I would be wary of putting in a solid fuel stove. This is probably the reason that lots of GRP cruisers look so neglected and  deteriorate over the winter. A decent steel narrowboat would be a better choice but even old and tired ones cost more than they are really worth - well that is what ii think anyway. There are possible bargains around, a couple of times a year I see a boat advertised that looks like it could be made into something nice (subject to a hull survey!) so if I were you I would keep looking and learning and talking to people who actually know what they are talking about but beware, there are not many people whose opinion can be counted on. Good luck

[Crewcut]

1 hour ago, Amylincs said:

Many thanks to all for the replies. Has given me some good points to look into and think about. 

120l water tank. I recognise a shower on a boat this size would likely only be good enough for a quick, compact rinse, at least a warm one. I'd be looking to mainly use the marina showers, however would like an onboard shower for when cruising or emergencies. I'll check about the condensation holes, good to know, thanks!

 

Haha hopefully I can pleasantly surprise those people! The boat community always seemed like a good bunch, which is another big draw for me. 
Thanks for the heads-up about the condensation, I've read about this but maybe I underestimated how bad it could be to live with. Is gas heating also a culprit of extra moisture? I was originally looking into diesel heaters and have read a few questions on forums about converting propex to a diesel heater, but there seem to be advocates for both heaters being better than the other so will do some more digging on that front, but as Tonka said I was already worried how much gas I might get through with this set up.

 

Anyway, thanks again for taking the time and for all the info, 

Amy

 

Generally yes most of us are very friendly & helpful. If you're in a marina then condensation & lack of insulation are much less of a problem, use a dessicant type dehumidifier (Meaco DD8 or Ecoair DD1) rather than compressor type because they work well in colder temperatures and are less prone to spontaneous combustion. Heating with gas is going to be expensive, cheapest form of heating would be multifuel stove and scavenge your own wood but that's time and labour intensive, you can't just burn anything you find. Coal I honestly wouldn't know how expensive that is but it's not cheap. Diesel options are warm air or drip feed. Given the choice I'd have drip feed diesel feeding radiators but that's an investment of a few thousand. Chinese warm air diesel heaters are cheap to buy and replace, you'd need to upgrade the ancilliaries for boat use - not difficult, for a few hundred quid you can have a useable, usually reliable and reasonably economical form of dry heat. I have an older Mikuni warm air heater that works well on my boat (Colvic Watson 34, fibreglass, well insulated) but I'm in a marina most of the time and FWIW I use an Ecoair DD1 dessicant dehumidifier, a 1500w oil filled radiator and an electric blanket. Do get youself an electric blanket! I also have a fridge, microwave, kettle, toaster, telly, etc. and in the very coldest weather spend about £50/week on leccy and we're still paying almost 40p/unit, most marinas are on about 30p/unit now I think. In the summer when I don't need any heat or dehumidifying it drops to a fiver a week...

[b00ke23]

36 minutes ago, Bee said:

 A decent steel narrowboat would be a better choice but even old and tired ones cost more than they are really worth - well that is what ii think anyway. 

 

I agree, and with the OP's budget of around £10k I'd would be very hard to find a steel boat that is anything other than a basket case.

[BilgePump]

Nice boats Nauticus, but like so many cruisers of the era a lot have the Enfield outdrive, and they are getting old now. I know of people who have had major headaches with them when they've needed an engineer to fix them.

[Crewcut]

There's another N27 with a nearly new Beta engine here:

 

https://www.apolloduck.co.uk/boat/nauticus-27-for-sale/744543

 

That Beta engine is infinitely preferable to an old BMC & I don't imagine anybody in their right mind wouldn't service the outdrive properly before fitting a new engine that would likely have cost about the asking price (£8.5k) by the time all the dust has settled. But there are people about who aren't in their right mind...

[Alan de Enfield]

 

The Enfield 'outdrive' (or Z-drive) is not ideal for use on canals, but (subject to reliability), is a good option for deeper rivers.

 

The only company that I have heard that can still repair and has parts is (I think) on the Thames, so not much use for someone on the Fossditch or the Witham.

[Tonka]

21 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

The Enfield 'outdrive' (or Z-drive) is not ideal for use on canals, but (subject to reliability), is a good option for deeper rivers.

 

The only company that I have heard that can still repair and has parts is (I think) on the Thames, so not much use for someone on the Fossditch or the Witham.

Our Enfield Z drive was problematic from new. So much so that Ladyline (the dealers in late 60's) were regularly getting the boat picked up from Hampton on Thames and carted back to Braunston. Don't think they fully resolved the issue. We sold it in 1973/74 for personal reasons. We really should of bought the narrow version of the Freeman 22 which was a far superior boat in our opinion. We had the widebeam version prior to the Nauticaus

[MtB]

5 hours ago, Amylincs said:

Thanks for the heads-up about the condensation, I've read about this but maybe I underestimated how bad it could be to live with. Is gas heating also a culprit of extra moisture?

 

Where gas heating and condensation is concerned, it is crucially important to draw a distinction between gas heaters with a flue, and those without. The products of combustion coming from a gas flame comprise approx 50% water vapour so any "flueless" appliance will cause condensation in spades, because the products of combustion stay inside the boat. Once you have a flue though, all the condensation problems vanish as the products of combustion are discharged to outside. So only use gas appliances which have a flue to outside in any boat, I suggest.

 

Cost of the gas and safety issues also need considering with gas heating.

 

 

Edited March 30, 2025 by MtB
Clarify.

[Tony Brooks]

There are blown hot air heaters fuelled by gas with their own exhaust, so they would not cause condensation, but you immediately run into  the running costs and the electricity consumption when you are away from a shoreline.

[MtB]

1 hour ago, Tony Brooks said:

There are blown hot air heaters fuelled by gas with their own exhaust, so they would not cause condensation, but you immediately run into  the running costs and the electricity consumption when you are away from a shoreline.

 

Turning to the subject of running costs, I've seen steel narrowboat owners mention two gas bottle refills a week in extreme weather. So maybe one refill a week on this boat in more temperate conditions. Current cost of a 13kg propane refill is £45 at Smiths of Axford, and they tend to be cheaper than most. Plus diesel cost to run the engine to provide electricity.

 

Solid fuel in a stove will probably cost about half that. 

 

 

Edited March 30, 2025 by MtB

[Tonka]

37 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

Turning to the subject of running costs, I've seen steel narrowboat owners mention two gas bottle refills a week in extreme weather. So maybe one refill a week on this boat in more temperate conditions. Current cost of a 13kg propane refill is £45 at Smiths of Axford, and they tend to be cheaper than most. Plus diesel cost to run the engine to provide electricity.

 

Solid fuel in a stove will probably cost about half that. 

 

 

I can't remember if the Nauticus will take 13kg bottles in the gas locker