Wide beam....

[goldtone]

Hi ya'll, Been in a boat for a year + now. Have managed to catch a woman, who seems very interested in living afloat. Thought we would get a sailaway and get it fitted out for us. So a few questions:

 

Size? Me, her, and 2 kiddies at weekends. I'm in a 49' narrowboat which has enough space for me. How much bigger you reckon for both of us on a widebeam? It needs a separate bedroom for the kiddies

 

Fit Out. we know a chippie, but he has never fitted out a boat before. Any reason he can't do it all for us. Same for sparky, her Dad is one, so would do it for us. Where can I find info on standards and compliances for boat building (if any).

 

Reputable builder: Don't wanna spend a bomb, but want something that is durable, we plan on having it for many many many years......

 

I'm sure these questions are too hard to answer, but I'm looking for some one to put us in the right direction.

 

Thanks ya'll

 

Goldytoney

[blackrose]

Unless the people who fit out your sailaway are working for nothing or for very low wages, you may well end up spending more on your sailaway than if you bought a fully fitted boat of the same standard.

[Colin Smith]

Hi ya'll, Been in a boat for a year + now. Have managed to catch a woman, who seems very interested in living afloat. Thought we would get a sailaway and get it fitted out for us. So a few questions:

 

Size? Me, her, and 2 kiddies at weekends. I'm in a 49' narrowboat which has enough space for me. How much bigger you reckon for both of us on a widebeam? It needs a separate bedroom for the kiddies

 

Fit Out. we know a chippie, but he has never fitted out a boat before. Any reason he can't do it all for us. Same for sparky, her Dad is one, so would do it for us. Where can I find info on standards and compliances for boat building (if any).

 

Reputable builder: Don't wanna spend a bomb, but want something that is durable, we plan on having it for many many many years......

 

I'm sure these questions are too hard to answer, but I'm looking for some one to put us in the right direction.

 

Thanks ya'll

 

Goldytoney

 

When I started looking for a widebeam, most of the new builds were around £85-£125k for a ‘completed’ boat. Second-hand ones were £65-£100k (my requirement was for 57ft x 10 or 11ft).

 

I opted for an ‘advanced’ sail-away with most of the hard work done – ie painted, windows in, insulated, lined out, wiring loom etc. To date I’ve spent less than the cost of a reasonable second-hand boat. The difficulty was finding something within my limited budget that wasn’t an ‘off-the-shelf’ design. More specifically, a builder who would build what I wanted. I found most builders wanted to sell me a standard production shell and once I went outside of the norm, the price rocketed. One well-known builder quoted me £1000 extra for not wanting a well-deck at the bow!

 

You seem to have access to some of the skills that I haven’t got so could probably get a decent quality sail-away and then spread your remaining budget across the major fittings. I can't think of any reason why your chippie wouldn't be able to do the woodwork.

If you’re going to have 2 bedrooms then I’d suggest that you need to be looking at 57ft. Any longer, you’re into a more expensive license and may find it harder to find a mooring.

 

There is a wealth of info on this forum covering most things. I’d set yourself up a few folders on your PC covering the shell, electrics, plumbing, heating, galley etc then start trawling.

 

The basic requirements regarding standards etc can be found on the BSS website: http://www.boatsafetyscheme.com

The British Marine Electronic Association (BMEA) Code of Practice for Electrical and Electronic Installations in Boats is available from: www.britishmarine.co.uk

The Recreational Craft Directive (RCD) is a bit of trawl but some useful info here: http://www.rya.org.uk/KnowledgeBase/techni...eccraftdir.aspx

 

Talk to builders and get a feel for what they can offer. It’s all about research – the more you do, the better informed you’ll become and it will help you decide what is achievable and at what cost. There are many differences from a narrowboat to a widebeam, not just the obvious. Look at build specs in detail particularly the hull and superstructure thickness of the steel, bulkheads, etc.

 

I ended up with a short list of builders that I felt confident could deliver and were financially stable then went out for detailed quotes. Prices varied dramatically. My short list (in no particular order) was:

 

Gem Marine Services www.gemmarineservices.co.uk Merseyside 0151 548 2587

Lambon Hull www.lambonhull.co.uk Worcestershire 01299 253111

JL Pinder & Son www.jlpinderandsons.co.uk Bromsgrove 01527 876438

Piper Boats. www.piperboats.com Stoke-On-Trent 01782 510610

RLL Boats www.rllboats.co.uk Bristol 01179 869860

RW Davies & Son Ltd www.rwdavis.co.uk Gloucester 01452 740233

Peter Nicholls www.steelboats.com Northants. 01788 891823

 

In the end I went with Gem Marine Services and it was one of the best decisions I’ve made - ever. They were very flexible in terms of what I wanted; built a quality, well-specified shell; delivered on time and on budget.

 

Good luck in your search!

Regards,

Colin

[goldtone]

Thanks Colin, You seem to have answered most of my questions. Any chance you could send me anymore info? PM me and I'll give you my email. Would love to see some photos of your craft. Are you a live aboard, how long was build time.....and more questions to come!!

 

Jamie