CanalCuttings - Your FREE online-world British Inland Waterways, Narrowboat, River Cruiser, Canal Boat Magazine, Info Source and Britain's & Narrowboat Holiday Guide.

Almost 600 Pages of Information and Features about canals and their usage - We're not just a Narrowboat Magazine. The website includes River and Inland Waterways information.

Boat Building

Having a narrowboat built to your own design or specifications is probably the third most stressful thing you can do in life! We had our narrowboat built at Stilton, Near Peterborough - so know that is true! Moving house is no 2. And we know about that also being career ex-forces! We are told divorce is no 1, but having just had our 36th wedding anniversary we haven't experienced that!

In Boat Building we will be covering (in no particular order):

• Finance:

  • marine mortgage or loan, who, where and how.

• Engines, how big and why?

• Propellers / Screws Hulls;

• Boat building specifications - conformity to regulations,

• Hull Identification Number (HIN)

• Boat builders, your recommendations.

• Planning,

• What you would like and what you can get in - even the jacuzzi?

• Layout, where will it fit!

• Furniture, Carpets, curtains, blinds, Insulation & Ventilation;

• Spray foam, Rock wool, other?

• Solar extractors.

• Heating:

  • space, solid fuel, coal, multi fuel, central heating, gas, diesel (fuel oil) what the science is!

• Bathroom Equipment:

  • baths, showers, sinks, wall and floor coverings.

  • toilets, vacuum pump, holding tanks, cassette, bucket & chuck it!

• Bedrooms:

  • Fixed doubles, put you ups, bunks, mattresses - descriptions and what they mean - foam, sprung.

• Water:

  • Hot - heating, calorifiers, control.

  • Cold - storage, filtration. Pumps

• Cookers:

  • Hobs, Ovens. Gas, Diesel, Microwaves, Slow cookers, Electric Fry pans.

• Fridges and Freezers: Gas, 12v DC or 240v AC

• Boat Safety Certificate, Boat safety examiners. Recreational Craft Directive (RCD), Buying a shell, Sailaways, Part Fitted boats,

• Electricity: 12v and 24v DC Electrics, 110 and 240 AC Electrics, Batteries, Generators, solar panels, wind generators. Power systems, inverters, chargers, converters.

This list is not exhaustive so your input to this section is most welcome. If you have built a boat or have a story to tell about your build - Let us know! Send us your photos too.