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Living on a plastic boat

DeanS

By DeanS
in General Boating

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DeanS Veteran II

DeanS

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Posted (edited)

So we have a widebeam, and all the kids have their own cabin, and everyone is happy, even the cat. We have a marina mooring with hookup, but only plan on using it for winter months. So I've been thinking. Since we've fallen in love with boating, and life on the canals in general, I'm hoping to give my oldest boy his own "place" in a year or two, by buying him a plastic boat, and either tying it to the widebeam as a butty, or tying it to the marina pontoon (he likes shorepower). It would mean that if he gets some sort of employment, he'd have a "pad" of his own, while we would still be able to cruise off for a while. In winter, he'd be able to sleep aboard the widebeam if needs be. If finances go well in the next few years, a 30ft narrowboat refitted to suit his needs, would be ideal, but I cant get over the low price of some of these plastic boats...Of course I'm just musing with the idea, but they're as good as living in a camper/caravan I'd think...with the option of cruising anywhere...so we could also borrow it and go south when we felt like it. Are any plastic boats better than others...I'm thinking in the under £4000 range.......all it would need is a fold out bed, desk, galley, casette (he could shower in the widebeam or marina showers). ...about 25ft.......I guess the shower would be the biggest problem with living aboard them.....and a reason to go for a narrowboat perhaps....

Edited by DeanS
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Captain Zim Community Regular

Captain Zim

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Even though my boy is only just here, I'm already planning for the day I get him his own boat as an extension! I think it's a great idea.

 

Day before yesterday i passed a narrowboat which had a butty type extension on the front. The bow of the narrowboat tucked in to a v shaped stern on the extra bit. I thought it was a brilliant idea and asked the guy if it was a one off. He said there were three boats like this now and that it allows them to do more of the system by dropping the length from 72' to 62'.

 

Now I couldn't do it on my boat as the bow is the wrong shape, but given widebeams have a similar shape to a narrowboat, would that be an option? Only thinking it leaves you with only one mooring still? Cheaper in the long run? You could have it built without power and worry about an engine in the future?

Sorry, scratch that. Doesn't allow for you to go south does it?

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wobbley Engager

wobbley

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It may be just me (probably!), but I do associate the term "plastic boats" as a derogatory referance made by 'metal boat' owners with a chip on their shoulders. What's wrong with using the words "cruiser" or "fibreglass". One idiot of a marine engineer recently talked himself out of a few hundred pounds of work by referring to our boat as a "yogurt pot".

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Naughty Cal Veteran II

Naughty Cal

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No reason why a cruiser can't have a shower Dean. Our 25ft cruiser has one which is very useable.

 

With an outboard powered cruiser one of your main problems when away from the shore power will be power generation. Small Outboards don't tend to have massive alternators. That said they do tend to have flat roof space ideal for solar panels.

 

 

We don't find the term plastic boat derogatory. We often refer to ours as that as well as calling her many other things over the years. But then again we are not shy of referring to narrow boats as sewer tubes, flat beds, tin slugs, etc.

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Doorman Veteran

Doorman

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Chap ones? How do you sex a Dawncraft?

 

Richard

 

Drat, you beat me to it you sod!

 

There have been accounts from boaters where they've remarked that GRP boats have passed them (at speed) and the item at the helm resembled male genitalia.

 

Could these then be described as male gendered craft?

Edited by Doorman
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W+T Influencer

W+T

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I think it is an excellent idea for your lad, GRP craft are no worse than steel for living on, its all about how you set it up, £4K will get a good one, i have had a few but far the best was the Creighton 26 with centre cockpit, a lot better construction than a Dawncraft, Dawncraft are still good though, A Burland is another good one of solid build. I like the centre cockpit as then you can have rear bedroom and wash facilities and front living area. make the boat feel more roomy to me aswell to have 2 cabins.

 

On the `plastic boat` thing, i have just bought a sewer tube, well a narrow boat, you get some folk calling GRP craft plastic in a serious way, they are just ignorant IMO, or snobs.

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Doorman Veteran

Doorman

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On the `plastic boat` thing, i have just bought a sewer tube, well a narrow boat, you get some folk calling GRP craft plastic in a serious way, they are just ignorant IMO, or snobs.

 

Snobs! on the canals?

 

Surely not....... :-)

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Naughty Cal Veteran II

Naughty Cal

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we used to own a 30 foot dawncraft center cockpit, Dean if you go down the cruiser path for liveaboard it will need some kind of heating as they are not as warm as NB's in winter.

Is that really true?

 

We have been on some bloody cold narrowboats over the last five years.

 

Our diesel heating does a might fine job of keeping NC toasty warm during the winter months. In fact at times it can get a tad too warm.

 

It's all about setting up the heating to suit the boat.

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GoodGurl Experienced

GoodGurl

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Is that really true?

 

We have been on some bloody cold narrowboats over the last five years.

 

Our diesel heating does a might fine job of keeping NC toasty warm during the winter months. In fact at times it can get a tad too warm.

 

It's all about setting up the heating to suit the boat.

like i said it needs to have heating, both NB's and GRP's without heating are cold.

Edited by GoodGurl
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madcat Experienced

madcat

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That wasn't the intent but you saw it that way, I consider a boat to be better than no boat and a GRP boat is a good starter boat but being a warmth lover a boat without heating is a boat too far for me. Most narrow boats these days are fairly big and complicated but the smaller cruisers are handy and I would imagine could be a lot of fun. Most will have more accommodation and mod cons than my old beastie and just the thing for Deans lad to have a bit of independence . After that it will be up to him and I suspect that NC might be more his style than a narrow boat

While we are on the subject of GRP boats which have inboard engines and are suitable for canal use, I think all the cruisers at our place are outboard powered except for a rather cute plywood boat .

As it happens allthough I know you use NC on rivers etc I tend to think of her as a seagoing boat . I'm not fussed about the sea so will stick to my canal boat. I was introduced to inland boating by a friend with a converted ships life boat which was rather fun,happy days indeed.

Back in the day there was a lot more variety in the boats attending a rally but it was mostly narrow boats at Pelsall the other week.

If you are up for a discussion on the different types of cruisers start a thread and get people talking and sharing their stories. Must be a shed load of happy memories out there.

Edited by madcat
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Doorman Veteran

Doorman

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I consider a boat to be better than no boat and a GRP boat is a good starter boat but being a warmth lover a boat without heating is a boat too far for me.

You are not alone in wanting to be warm on board. Although it appears that the feminine types like it warmer than most. If I were to let Mrs Doorman near the spinners of our Squirrel stove I'd be walking around the boat in a sequinned mankini all day. Not a pretty sight to behold.

 

I would also imagine that tomato plants would soon appear along with tropical spiders. In fact I'm terrified of spiders and even their relatives (tomato stalks) so it makes sense to confine her to believing that the spinners are purely decorative things, or even volume controls for the Marconi.

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Guest

Guest

Posted
Posted

 

Chap ones? How do you sex a Dawncraft?

 

Richard

For som rason, the lttr " " is not working on my laptop.

A shame when these daft arguments start about "my type of boat's best," "plastic boats are crap" etc.

A boat is a bloody boat. We have had plywood GRP and steel boats over the years, and all have their virtues/problems. My first boat was an Avon inflatable and a tent onboard; wouldn't liked to live on it though.

Dean you do realise the plastic things can go way way faster than 6 knots!

Plus dont need welding/plating/blackingclapping.gif

 

 

 

Lynall

And are very often trailerable :)

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DeanS Veteran II

DeanS

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Forgive me for calling it a plastic boat :) In South Africa they were known as Fibre Glass boats, but on the forum, people use GRP whatever that means :)

Yes, love the idea of the central steering.

No idea what inboard and outboard motors mean..:)

He'll love on the warm widebeam in winter I'm sure.

Just a thought for the future..if I sell the camper van etc.

 

One thing I've never understood is...why dont people with outboards just open up and ride em cowboy down the canal....surely it's not because they are just being good people...or cant those boats actually go that fast.

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Naughty Cal Veteran II

Naughty Cal

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Forgive me for calling it a plastic boat smile.png In South Africa they were known as Fibre Glass boats, but on the forum, people use GRP whatever that means smile.png

Yes, love the idea of the central steering.

No idea what inboard and outboard motors mean..smile.png

He'll love on the warm widebeam in winter I'm sure.

Just a thought for the future..if I sell the camper van etc.

 

One thing I've never understood is...why dont people with outboards just open up and ride em cowboy down the canal....surely it's not because they are just being good people...or cant those boats actually go that fast.

Inboard motor is inboard.

 

Outboard motor is outboard.

 

River cruisers are on the whole displacement boats so are still limited in much the same way as your narrowboat. They wont go especially quickly. To get over the hump you need either a semi displacement or fully planing hull and a big engine to make the boat climb over its own bow wave.

Edited by Naughty Cal
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