Design

At least we weren’t starting from scratch. Having taken a few holidays in hired narrowboats and carried out a great deal of research on the internet, from books and visits to boat shows, I was very clear what we want from a narrowboat in terms of layout, fixtures, fittings, engine, etc.



I was also very clear that we would not be able to fit everything into a hull shorter than 60 feet so my planning was based on this length. Any longer and we would have difficulties negotiating some locks and mooring fees would be higher, any shorter and it would be too tight a squeeze to fit everything in that’s needed for long term cruising. I was also conscious of the need to sell the boat at some point in the future and I know 60’ boats are more in demand than others because they give greater flexibility.


That decided, I started to consider the detailed design. I kept to 3 basic principles - simplicity, quality and a traditional feel. On the last point, I didn’t want a perfect reproduction but a modern boat built to look and more importantly ‘feel’ traditional.


So, I took these principles and transferred them onto a free internet software package, opting for what’s called a 'cottage' layout with a long cabin at the front, followed by fitted galley, dining area/spare room/study, bathroom with pump-out toilet, double bedroom with a decent sized wardrobe and dressing table, utility room with washing machine and dryer and an engine room with a short traditional stern. All the rooms are accessed by a side corridor to maximise the space. Only the bedroom and bathroom have doors which will give the boat a light open feel. 
I know many boats have fitted beds, settees, and chairs, folding tables, bunk-beds, etc, to make full use of the spaces underneath for storage but I prefer free-standing furniture. We have lots of suitable furniture at home - smallish chairs and tables, cupboards and the like - these will be tried and tested for life afloat. If they work, fine. If they don't, they'll be changed. This will make the boat feel much more like a floating home rather than a half-submerged caravan or flooded railway carriage. I also think this will give future owners more flexibility to adapt the boat to their own uses and tastes.


Skylark will be fitted with portholes throughout, again because this has a traditional look. Some people might say, 'That will make it dark inside.' but, when I have seen portholes on other boats, it doesn’t cause a problem especially if the interior painting is light. I think portholes provide a perfect amount of soft natural light, they are secure (being smaller) and look more traditional than rectangular windows.


I have also opted for a complete timber fit out with vertical tongue and groove boards from the floor to the gunwales (previous boats by Mike and Gena had carpet up to the gunwales). I also wanted longitudinal t&g on the ceilings from front to back. The walls will be panels of ply giving a deliberate but complimentary change of surface; one that can be painted and/or papered. This will give the whole boat a sense of cohesiveness and character. To continue the traditional feel, most of the wood will be painted - exact colour combinations and finishes tbc but are likely to be 2 or 3 shades of cream and green. The bathroom and kitchen will have plain tiles and waterproof splash-backs and may have different main colours, eg blue or yellow. Dark wall to wall carpeting is planned at this stage with maybe a harder finish in the kitchen, utility and engine rooms but this might change as the design evolves. I aim to do all the internal painting to help keep the initial capital cost down.