Opinions on this boat please

[Toby knight]

Yes it would be for a part time live aboard, I wanted to do 2 weeks on and 2 weeks off

[Southern Star]

On a personal basis, I don't like boats with portholes and that looks very claustrophobic to me. Also I would say that the galley takes up far too much space, how much work surface can one person need? I'd also rather have a sofa-bed than those free-standing chairs for my needs although it wouldn't be the end of the world to get one. However these are my personal thoughts and we are all different. The spec looks fine though and an Isuzu is a good engine.

[ditchcrawler]

. Also I would say that the galley takes up far too much space, how much work surface can one person need?

Ask my wife

[Toby knight]

Point taken, but I am very much at home in the kitchen, so the more space the merrier, one thing I did wonder what kind of electrics would I need to upgrade, and heating system for it to be a comfortable Live-aboard, And on top of the purchase what kind of costs would be involved. Should I continue looking for a better fitted boat

[alan_fincher]

one thing I did wonder what kind of electrics would I need to upgrade, and heating system for it to be a comfortable Live-aboard,

 

To be honest nobody can really answer that.

 

Slightly tongue in cheek, but in working boat days probably any boating families would have considered their back cabin a "comfortable live aboard", even if it had no electrics at all, no running water, and just a range stove for heat and cooking.

 

Slightly more seriously, these days some people move aboard and adapt to low power demands, others expect microwaves, electric kettles and even hair driers. I don't think you have really told us where on that spectrum you might sit.

 

I'm also not sure how much you wish to be self sufficient, or whether you may sometimes be on a mooring with a land-line for power?

 

I would certainly suggest that if you want to use serious amounts of mains power away from any mooring then a basic "Ring" inverter is unlikely to be sufficient You could pay several thousand pounds just to buy a good quality pure sine wave inverter, but be aware that spending those thousands of pounds has only provided you with the potential to run your battery bank down very fast, and done nothing to address how you then put large amounts of charge back in.

 

Just charging batteries by running a boat engine for no other purpose is quite destructive of the engine, and expensive in fuel, so you may wish to consider options lie buying a generator and/or supplementing with wind or solar power.

 

What do you consider as "must have" comforts if you move on board, and will you ever be connected to mains power?

[Toby knight]

Thanks Alan, I think the most important items would be a fridge and freezer when I'm of line and not moored at a marina, and a TV

Charging a pc and that about all, the rest I can cope without, or until I return to a marina with a land line

[Southern Star]

Thanks Alan, I think the most important items would be a fridge and freezer when I'm of line and not moored at a marina, and a TV

Charging a pc and that about all, the rest I can cope without, or until I return to a marina with a land line

If you are out cruising, and you have a decent battery bank, then you can run a fridge freezer from the batteries. I personally try to minimise my use of frozen food, since a freezer is rather power-hungry. If I moor for couple of days then I turn the fridge down to its minimum setting, or turn it off altogether. When cruising, I also pack the freezer compartment out with sachets of Capri-Sun juice drinks so that they freeze while the engine is running, and keep the frozen food frozen and the fridge cool overnight.

[Toby knight]

A great tip to keep the freezer cool over night,

[Pykebird]

A great tip to keep the freezer cool over night,

I leave mine on,keeps it cool!

[alan_fincher]

Having both a fridge and a freezer will inevitably use more power than just having a fridge, although in part you can mitigate it slightly by paying more for the most efficient types.

 

It is highly likely that running both could be way over half the total power you use, so if reliant on engine or generator to recharge your battery bank, it could represent over half your running time.

 

I would say it is well worth seeing if you can manage with a fridge with a frozen food compartment unless you have a real need t store large amounts of frozen stuff, (which ultimately will be costing you far more to do, compared to iving in a house connected to mains electricity).

 

Perfectly possible of course, and many boats have both, but it can't happen for "free".

[dmr]

Having both a fridge and a freezer will inevitably use more power than just having a fridge, although in part you can mitigate it slightly by paying more for the most efficient types.

 

It is highly likely that running both could be way over half the total power you use, so if reliant on engine or generator to recharge your battery bank, it could represent over half your running time.

 

I would say it is well worth seeing if you can manage with a fridge with a frozen food compartment unless you have a real need t store large amounts of frozen stuff, (which ultimately will be costing you far more to do, compared to iving in a house connected to mains electricity).

 

Perfectly possible of course, and many boats have both, but it can't happen for "free".

 

Shoreline do an under counter fridge freezer jobbie with separate doors for each. The freezer bit is still on the small side but much much better than the traditional "freezer compartment inside fridge".

 

.................Dave

[cherswud]

My first thought was that it looks very dark inside and I would find that depressing and a bit claustrophobic.

 

My second was about heating - I didn't see a radiator in the bathroom.

 

I am not a fan of small portholes but others love them. We have seven large portholes on Waka Huia and one thing we are having done over the winter is getting four of them converted to have the top half be an opening piece - in the warmth of the summer we needed more cooling ventilation than was available through the front and rear doors, side hatch and other windows.

 

So a third thought is about fresh air!