Post by bromleyxphil on May 21, 2017 11:46:45 GMT
Bromleyxphil, The whole business of narrowboats being perfected over years is, at best, utter rubbish. Modern technology, coatings, and materials have changed that forever. I built a boat nearly 20 years ago and got fed up with being told "you can't do that" or "that's not the way it's done", It has served us well in that time. I planned the boat having never been inside a narrowboat in my life. Beware of your shell builder building the shell he wants, make sure it is what you want. That means planning the whole boat, and it's systems, beforehand including how the internal walls will fix to the shell, and width of all external doors. Don't let him primer the outside, or black the hull until you have specified the treatment and products to use. Look outside the UK, Many other countries use products and methods to build boats that are superior to those used in the UK. Do not worry too much about how the boat looks from the outside, you will be living on the inside. It is how the boat works, and works for you, that matters. Chose your engine and silencer with extreme care. It is an expensive piece of kit and you will have to live with it, and it's noise for years. Plan for the future. Things change and break (frequently after the manufacturer has gone out of business) . People change, as do their minds and capabilities. I was a fit 50+ when I built a boat for CC'ing and now, at 70 overwinter in a marina, a totally different lifestyle and I had to modify the boat for that situation. It had all been planned in and could be done without ripping the boat apart. Certainly listen to advice from all quarters but a good functioning boat is not a collection of good ideas. It is an integrated system, it requires the compromises that work best for you. Good luck, and do not let tradition stand in your way.
thanks very much for that reply, comprehensive and very much in the spirit of my design philosophy. I could in due time follow your transition so need to think of the future. Hope crick opens my eyes to a few possibilities.
phil