Do people live on cabin cruisers?

[tjderby]

whats its like compared to living on a narrow boat?

[Alan de Enfield]

If its a cruiser based on the 'narrow canals' then it will be the same width and probably a fair bit shorter than a NB

 

Generally they will be colder than a NB as insulating them is not easy. Very very few will have a solid fuel stove.

Some will run on petrol

Some may have outboard engines.

Edited March 2, 2014 by Alan de Enfield

[luctor et emergo]

you don't need a galvanic isolator.

[tjderby]

i spoke to one chap who lived on one. was quite surprised. had them down as more leisure craft

[John Williamson 1955]

From the few I've seen, cramped and wobbly. The ones I've seen are all under 30 feet, though. The wobbly bit is due to the underwater shape being optimised more for inshore waters, lakes and rivers. It has a softer response to wave action, which makes it less stable under movement of the crew.

 

You do soon get used to it, though.

[GoodGurl]

we met a guy on the GU last year who lived on a 22ft GRP with 4 dogs and yes he had a solid fuel fire on it

[Martin Megson]

There seem to be plenty on the GU at Milton Keynes.

[Richard10002]

you don't need a galvanic isolator.

Why not? I think there is plenty to corrode on a GRP boat.

[Naughty Cal]

Yes people do live on GRP boats quite happily. No reason why not.

 

There is a chap happily living on a tiny yacht in Lincoln. He and his cat seem happy enough.

 

People seem to have a lot of misconceptions about fibreglass boats being cold and damp yet given the number of complaints on here about narrowboats being riddled with condensation you have to wonder!

[Phil Ambrose]

We lived vry comfortably on a 40 X 12 GRP for 10 years, no it wasn't cold, no it wasn't damp, no it didn't fall apart at the sight of ice, no it didn't wobble. We have had more issues with damp/condensation on our present NB and THAT does move around/wobble and in all honesty if she had fitted the locks here in the Fens we would have kept her.

Phil

[magpie patrick]

Yes, people do.

 

Space is only an issue if you choose to make it an issue, assuming you live alone. The main failing of my 23 foot viking cruiser to live on is insulation and heating, She has none of either. I am buying another boat because that is easier than ripping all the (perfectly good) interior out of Juno in order to insulate her. I effectively did live on Juno last summer when cold and damp weren't an issue. Juno was built in the 80's as a summer weekend boat, originally she didn't even have hot water.

 

Several people I know live on fibreglass cruisers, they either had factory fitted insulation or the boat needed a refit and the insulation was fitted then. Most of these boats also have outboard engines.

[Neil2]

I agree there's a lot of nonsense talked about insulation, heating etc you can make a grp cruiser as comfortable as a steel NB. I have a good friend who with her parents cruised all the way up the Norwegian coast and to the Arctic Circle and back in a grp motor sailer, and lots of people live on grp yachts all year round.

 

The issue with grp cruisers and canals is more to do with the suitability of the material, the design of the hull, the type of transmission and the beam.

 

But you might say the most important of these is the beam. If you want something for the narrow canals and need more than 30 foot to live on, there's hardly anything available and that rules out grp for most folk without considering the other issues.

 

On the other hand if you're happy to just cruise the rivers and wide canals I would would have a grp cruiser in preference to a NB every time.

[Wanted]

I see livaboard cruisers all of the time, if I was single and wanted to live for virtually peanuts then that's exactly what I'd do, I'd also echo the thoughts of Patrick in that the clutter and space you need is purely personal.

 

I would say that over 50% of my friends live in either boats, trucks or trailers and with the exception of a couple we all live with minimal material goods.

 

(Says the man who is looking for a Widebeam..)

[carlt]

I lived on a Dawncraft 27 for a year and loved it but it got even better when I moved onto my Walton 30' wooden cruiser and the heating bills plummeted (largely because I was reluctant to cut a hole in the Dawncraft grp roof for a SF chimney).

[boathunter]

I know someone who lived in a tent near Heathrow airport for 2 years, any boat would have been luxury.

[Alan de Enfield]

Where does Annie May fit into al this ?

[craftycarper]

i have a 34ft x7ft centre cockpit dawncraft it has hot and cold water a shower,permanent double bed four ring hob,grill, oven ,fridge,tv and woodburner and although i dont live on it i would go tommorrow if i could ,she was new in 1986 and i believe has been lived on for about half its life so in answer to the op yes you can live on a cruiser .

[tjderby]

I was just curious alan, after speaking to a chap at sawley who live on a cruiser.

[bramley]

if you can fit a stove to a cabin cruiser it would be as good as a narrowboat as long as it was a reasonable length. Nauticus 27 for example.

 

Often these boats were well thoughtout at fitout and storage etc is good. Yes its small but I could have lived on mine with a dog, its just keeping warm as they do seem to get cold.

[Naughty Cal]

if you can fit a stove to a cabin cruiser it would be as good as a narrowboat as long as it was a reasonable length. Nauticus 27 for example.

 

Often these boats were well thoughtout at fitout and storage etc is good. Yes its small but I could have lived on mine with a dog, its just keeping warm as they do seem to get cold.

There is no reason not to have a stove in a cruiser so long as it is installed properly.

[magpie patrick]

Shurrup you lot. I've just gone and bought a narrow boat and you are making me wish I hadn't

[tjderby]

I prefer narrow boats. they look a lot better and more homely.

[Naughty Cal]

Fool

[Barry]

Heeeeey NC - take it easy!

[luctor et emergo]

Shurrup you lot. I've just gone and bought a narrow boat and you are making me wish I hadn't

 

 

is it the one you had an eye on before?

 

 

When is the epic journey home commencing?