AQUA NARROWBOATS

Honesty Update

noreply@blogger.com (Aqua Narrowboats) — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 16:10:00 +0000

I can't believe that my last blog update for Honesty was in December, how time flies! Since my last post the boat has been back to us a few times to continue with the build. Here's some photos of progress since December.

My last post was when Honesty was at Norton Canes for painting and what a fantastic job Graham Edgson's team made of her and Dave Moore's signwriting looks superb.

Above & below - The cabin after Dave Moore's scumbling. Jan worked incredibly hard to undercoat and prepare the back cabin. These photos are before Jan had picked out the wood beading in red paint.

Above: The stove is surrounded by Welsh slate as a heat shield.

Above: Thick solid oak steps lead up out of the boat - here they are covered with ply to protect them from splashes of paint.

Above - The completed Boatman's Cabin - this was Jordan's first Boatmans Cabin and what a fantastic job he made of it - well done Jordan. Jan's painted the beading and what a diffence it makes, it suddenly brings the space to life. This bed hole is 4' 6" wide making it a lot more comfortable than the traditional 4' wide standard bed holes.

Above - Instead of a traditional Boatman's solid fuel stove at the stern, Jan went for a small diesel Glembrig stove purchased through Kuranda Marine. Having felt the warmth of the heat it produces, it's impressive for such a small and compact unit - and no need to store any additional coal.

Above - The seating area will be upholstered by Jan.

Above: Embracing advances in technology Jan & John opted for LED lighting in the cabin roof.

Above: Jan has made all the pull cords herself and all are colour co-ordinated to compliment the colours in each cabin.

Above: Dave Moore's decoration sets the whole cabin off.

Above & Below - Engine controls disguised by a decorative panel when not in use.

Above - The completed galley.

Above & Below - The galley cupboard doors without the stained glass inserts.

Above & Below - And with the stained glass panels in place and back lit. These panels are influenced by the seed heads of the plant Honesty, which the boat was named after.

Above: The dividing door between the saloon and bathroom featuring another beautiful piece of stained glass. The stained glass was commissioned by Jan from Dave Griffin a Derbyshire based stained glass artist.

Above - The space saving split doors leading from the bathroom into the engine room/utility area.

Above: Bathroom with colourful basin and accessories hand made in Mexico

Above & Below - Solid oak flooring being laid in the saloon and galley.

Above - Solid Oak bespoke made led light holders. Jan wanted to ensure that the lights lit up her collection watercolour & oil paintings that she'll be hanging on the cabin sides, Jordan came up with the idea of these small angled holders. The screws holes seen here have since been plugged with solid oak.

Above - Solid oak pigeon box linings.

Above & below: Jan & John moved on board in April so that they could put there existing boat onto brokerage. They commissioned Elite furnishings to make this sofa bed and pair of foot stools in a deep red, which, with the oak floor and Tongue & Groove panelling, creates a lovely warmth to the cabin.

Above & below: One of the final items made before Jan & John left us for a few months were these ingenious folding steps for the side hatch. A number of years ago Jan & John had a part share in a boat that had very similar space saving steps that Jan wanted to incorporate onto Honesty. Those steps folded completely, but as the Honesty steps are situated in the saloon, we came up with idea of keeping the bottom step in the normal flat position when closed, creating a small shelf when not in use for 80% of the time. The photo above is the steps in the closed position and the photo below is in the open position. Once again these are built in solid oak.

Honesty will be back with us for a week in August - where we'll be concentrating on getting the utility/engine room finished, the last major job to be completed.

Justin, Jane & Team

Welcome Aqua Bywyd - Sponsored Hire Boat No4

noreply@blogger.com (Aqua Narrowboats) — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 22:09:00 +0000

Well, a very belated welcome to Graham & Lynn the owners of the latest sponsored boat we are currently fitting out for our fleet.Aqua Bywyd (chosen by Graham & Lynn and meaning life in Welsh - following our Water Life boat name theme) is a 58ft, 4+2 reverse layout and will be launched in July. As with all our hire boats she is being built to five star standards and will include double glazing and granite worktops as Jeta before her. Here's a few photos of the build progress so far:

Above: Hull being fabricated.

Above: Cabin now in place.

Above & Below: Graham & Lynn spotted the Semi Cruiser stern we did on our last bespoke boat Tom Kitten and asked if they could have a similar stern on the hire boat which we were happy to accommodate. I think this will be a good choice for our hirer's too as it makes the stern a lot more sociable.

Above: With the steelwork complete the shell is craned onto a wagon at our shell builders and taken straight to the painters, S & G refinishers who sand blast the steel work and spray paint the boat with Two Paint Epoxy Paint for us.

Above: A couple of weeks later and the shell has been painted in our corporate colours and arrives at our workshop & base at Mercia Marina ready for the fitout to commence.

Above: Touch down in the water - the straps always stay on whilst the boat is fully checked as this is the first time she has seen water.

Above: The craning in of Bywyd was watched closely by her sponsored owners Graham & Lynn. They intend to sail off in her in four years time when she comes out of the fleet.

Above: A few days later the upgraded double glazed windows arrive and are installed to ensure the boat is water tight so the fitout can commence.

Above: Now watertight the wooden battens are installed - these battens are what the timber lining of the boat is attached too. Shortly after the battens were installed, the boat was spray foam insulated to ensure it stays warm and cosy all year round.

Above: Once spray foamed the whole cabin is lined which Oak veneered Plywood. The above photo was taken before all the timber bulkheads (dividing walls) have been installed. Notice all the wiring tails for both the 12v and 240v electrics have been installed too. At this point all the separate cabins are measured and marked out on the floor and any adjustments made and then the main fit out work commences.

Above: Galley installed - here the templates have been made for the granite worktops. Also the cabin sides and ceiling has been painted with white eggshell to provide a bright and modern look to the boats interior.

Above: Looking from the saloon backwards towards the galley at the stern.

Above: The sweeping stairs have been installed together with the cupboard that will accommodate a microwave initially and then possibly a washing machine when the owners take over the boat.

Above: Our trademark solid oak scroll surrounding the hatch opening leading into the sweeping stairs.

Above: Looking forward from the saloon towards the bow of the boat through the double and single cabins.

Above: The fixed double bed, since this photograph has been taken we've now built a floor to ceiling wardrobe. There will also be a dividing door between this bedroom and the saloon.

Above: The vanity unit has been started in the bathroom. This will have a granite worktop with inset basin.

Above: The shower cubicle has been started too.

Above: This is the front cabin that will contain two singles that will also convert to one double bed. This will also contain a floor to ceiling wardrobe as well as a second TV & DVD player, ideal as an additional living space in the evening if the boat is fully occupied. More updates to follow as work progresses on Bywyd.

I've still to update the blog with details of our next bespoke build that will be arriving with us shortly as well as an update of nb Honesty - hopefully i should be able to do this by the end of the week, as usual i've never enough hours in the day - hence why i'm posting this at 11 oclock in the evening!! Please check back again soon.

Justin, Jane & Team

Crick 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Aqua Narrowboats) — Tue, 24 May 2011 20:09:00 +0000

Just a quick post to say that I'm currently en-route to the Crick Boat Show with narrowboat Tom Kitten, we'll be on floating stand F39 so it would be great to see you there. I'll be updating my personal facebook page here with a few photos whilst cruising down - look forward to seeing you there.

Justin, Jane & Team

Aqua Jeta Launched

noreply@blogger.com (Aqua Narrowboats) — Sat, 14 May 2011 16:04:00 +0000

After a hectic week of putting the final touches to the boat Aqua Jeta our new sponsored hire boat was launched last Saturday 7th May. The first hirers were a newly wed couple on their honeymoon for two weeks which was a particularly special launch for the boat. They are currently on their way around the four counties ring and should be somewhere on the Shroppie as I type - so wave and say hi if you see them!

Here's a few photos of the boat a few weeks before completion and some others of the completed Aqua Jeta.

Galley - With granite worktops and flooring in place.

Saloon - woodwork completed but still requiring varnishing

Saloon - looking back towards the stern doors, Jeta is a reverse layout hire boat.

Above - The electrics cupboard in the galley - Ian & Lyndon our Engineers have made a fantastic job of the all the electrics, plumbing and engine installation. Everything, whether on show or not, has been meticulously installed, here all the switches and controls have been aligned perfectly - all our employees and boat build customers know how i like everything to be symmetrical, I'm sure they think i've some sort of disorder!

Bathroom - Granite worktop and semi recessed bowl in place. The wiring hanging down is for the under shelf lights in the bedroom which were passed through the bulkhead. Jordan our Lead Carpenter has crafted the Aqua waves out of solid oak and put them on the lighting pelmet (top left of the photo) to add interest and a bit of corporate identity!

Bedroom - looking forward leading onto the front deck, all done bar the varnishing.

Above - Solid oak handrail complete and in place. Rear apron also completed by Roy at Midway Upholstery. Deck board at this point were still in the workshop so the temporary ones are in place here.

The next few shots are of the completed boat

Above & below- All ready to go on the morning of hire.

Above - Stern doors. Engine control panel above the electrical cupboard - as a main dealer for Engines Plus we are now installing the Canaline range of engines into all of new hire boats.

Above - Galley, we went with a splash of red to add a colour theme through the boat.

Galley - Looking forward through towards the saloon.

Saloon - Complete with 19" LCD TV & DVD. Like all our hire boats the seating converts into either two singles and a double for maximum flexibility. It's also worth noting that the windows are all double glazed, meaning that condensation is greatly reduced.

Above & below- Glazed side hatch adding more light into the saloon and galley. The tables can be seen stored below the gunnels.

Above - As with all our hire boats we have added roman blinds to all windows for a cleaner and more modern look.

Above & Below: Bathroom - large custom made mirror with downlighters providing a feeling of additional space. The Aqua waves can be seen more clearly in the photo below.

Above & Below: Bedroom - which has an additional TV & DVD player.

Well done to all the team that helped out with the fitout - Jordan, Ben & Josh, our Carpenters and our Engineers Ian & Lyndon. The owners are thrilled with their boat so many thanks to all.

Now that Jeta is complete we'll be straight on with the fitout of Aqua Bywyd another sponsored hire boat being launched in July of this year. Here's a couple of photos (below) of her being craned into our base at Mercia Marina - the boat has already been spray painted and went straight to the painters premises from Colecraft. More about boat painting in my next up date.

Thats all for now.

Cheers Justin, Jane & Team

Aqua Jeta

noreply@blogger.com (Aqua Narrowboats) — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 10:58:00 +0000

Finally I have a few spare moments to update you all with the progress of Jeta, our latest sponsored hire boat. So many people have been asking about how progress is going, but i just haven't had chance to update the blog until now - so here's a few photos taken over a week ago now.

Above - Galley worktop templates fitted and ready to be taken to the granite suppliers.

Above - Engine control panel in place, the 240v and 12v circuits boards have also been installed inside the cupboard.

Above: Oven has been fitted and connected to gas supply pipe.

Above - sweeping stairs in place, this is slightly different to Aqua Leven as we've installed a full height cupboard to accommodate a compact washing machine once the owners take over the boat in four years. As this will contain a microwave in the mean time, we've installed a mesh grill to allow for ventilation.

Above - Our trade mark solid oak curved block on the corner of the hatch leading you into the boat.

Above: Galley looking from stern.

Above - Gas connections in place. The little green box is a 12v spark generator for the hob.

Above & Below Saloon - work has started on the seating.

Above - The solid oak capping's have been put in place on the cabin top.

Above - TV cabinet in place.

Above & Below - Vanity unit with worktop template, this will have granite on to match the galley.

Bedroom - Bed installed, this has an upgraded stainless steel waste tank situated underneath.

Above: Engine in place and just a couple of days off being fully commissioned.

Jeta has now been craned out of the water ready to be taken to a local company who spray paint narrowboats. As we work to tight deadlines we have decided to look a spray painting as an option for our boat builds. Having seen boats spray painted with the same Two Pack Epoxy finish the results are virtually flawless, the colours are also less susceptible to fading and the whole process is quicker than hand painting. Here's a few photos of the craning out.

All ready for her short journey to the spray shop. Whilst see is gone Jordan and the team will still be continuing with making doors and the movable seating cubes as various measurements have been taken.

I intend to go across to the spray shop next week so i'll update again with photos and mention a little more about the company involved.

Justin, Jane & Team.
Ps - We are finally up to speed with Facebook and have our own page that we also keep updated with various snippets from the business - just follow the link at the top of the page.

Tom Kitten complete & so on with the next build..

noreply@blogger.com (Aqua Narrowboats) — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 00:51:00 +0000

It's been all hands on deck (quite literally) during the last week as we prepared for the handover of Tom Kitten to owners Phil & Debbie on Saturday. Although we've a few small jobs (putting up a couple of coat hooks and touching in some small marks on the white cabin panelling) it didn't stop the handover on a very wet Saturday last weekend. Phil & Debbie have become good friends with Peter & Mel owners of n/b Eunoia which we built in 2009, and for n/b Tom Kittens' inaugural trip Peter & Mel are joining them on board there own boat for a weeks cruise down onto the River Trent. Say hi if you see them! Here's a few photos of the completed boat.

Above - Tom Kitten being watered and filled with diesel on the quay

Above - Final coat of two pack varnish to the cratch board and connections being made for the aerial.

Above - Jordan's custom built headlight, horn and aerial bracket.

Above - Tom Kitten's semi cruiser stern deck. The locker to the left is the gas locker, the one to the right is for storage only. Both of these extend down into the engine bay by a good 5" so they are particularly spacious gas and storage areas. The bonus of having a stern gas locker like this is that it's far easier to manoeuvre gas bottles in and out during changeovers compared to those normally positioned in the bow, especially if you also have to contend with a cratch board and cover.

Above - A little about the LED under gunnel lighting. Most of the photos below have been taken with the under gunnel RGB (Red, Green, Blue) LED lighting strips switched on. The LED's take a fraction of the ampage draw from the batteries compared to the halogen lights placed in the cabin roof throughout the boat. The lights more than adequately provide enough ambient lighting whilst watching TV or relaxing and we've all been impressed by their performance. The thin flexible strips are controlled by the remote control pictured above. They can be instantly switched to any of the colours on the pad - it has been suggested by one of the team that they can also be used as a romantic barometer, Green for 'I'm in the mood' and Red for 'Don't even think about it!' The lights have been sourced from Kuranda

Above - The completed galley, unfortunately the venetian blinds for the windows didn't arrive in time when taking the photos. Phil & Debbie are considering the installation of some shelving on the small bulkheads at the far end of the galley. They'll decide this after spending a few weeks on board to see if their needed first.

Above - The rest of the blinds for the saloon did arrive and were supplied and installed by Ned of Cabincare

Above - The black dinette cushions in place together with the upholstered removable back rest closest to the camera. i think i've explained in a previous post that this can be lifted out and placed on the opposite side of the seat creating a small sofa facing the saloon. The upholstery was carried out by Roy of Midway Upholstery in Lichfield.

Above & Below - The domestic styled hob and oven.

Above: Galley looking forward towards the saloon. The granite is called Star Galaxy which has silver coloured flecks that shine and sparkle in the light. The granite has been curved around the walkway into the dinette area.

Above - Ian has made a fantastic job of the wiring, plumbing, gas and mechanical installations on the boat. Together with the help of Lyndon our other engineer, the systems have been meticulosy installed even though a lot of their work is hidden out of view.

Above - Prior to finishing; Inside the electrical cupboard controlling the 12v and 240v circuits throughout the boat.

Above - The finished solid oak paddle steps. As these will get a lot of use and will be exposed to wet boots they have been treated with an epoxy resin and finished with a hard wearing varnish.

Above & Below - The saloon area, the seats convert to form either two singles or a double and have been supplied by Elite Furnishings. In both the saloon and dinette areas the under gunnel lighting gives off a fantastic reflection on the stainless steel radiators, something i couldn't quite manage to capture in these photos.

Above - The diesel corner stove and TV cabinet.

Above - The Saloon looking towards the galley at the stern.

Above - ...And again with just the under gunnel lighting on.

Above - The mirrors installed on the bathroom bulkheads create an illusion of extra space.

Above - The vanity sink with curved granite worktop in Star Galaxy to match the galley.

Above - The extra large 900mm quadrant shower cubicle.

Above - More under gunnel lighting in the bathroom too!

Above - The shiney chrome finish on the double glazed portholes look fantastic with the halogen downlighters reflecting on them.

Above - Phil & Debbie decided to go for a domestic china bowl macerator toilet. The controls to the left are the electric flush buttons and tank gauge level indicator. The stainless steel towel raditor has been sourced to match the rest of the radiators, all of which are controlled by thermostatic valves.

Above & Below - The front cabin with kingsize cross bed. The round upholstered pads on the bed are known as 'Bungs' and are placed in the portholes at night for privacy. The chrome step lights can also be seen here, these are controlled by the light switch on the cabin side which also controls an outdoor light situated in the cratch over the outside deck.

Above & Below - The cubby hole lights work a treat, creating just enough light to check the time in the night without disturbing your partner.

Above - Looking through from the bedroom into the bathroom and saloon beyond. Another mirror has been added above the dressing table.

Above - The bedroom in girly pink mode...

Above - ....or in green 'I'm in the mood' mode..

Above - ....or as in the majority of occassions red 'Don't even think about it' mode!

As mentioned above handover day was last Saturday, which typically was the worst day for rain all week, but i still managed to take a few photos of Phil & Debbies first trip out of the marina.

Above - Phil, Debbie and Daughter Hayley reversing off our mooring. Tom Kitten will be moored in Mercia for a year until being moved closer to home.

Above - Steady as she goes....making the turn towards the marina exit.

Above - Cruising past Eunoia built by us in 2009, Peter & Mel are joining them on their first journey out.

Above - And off they sail....

Above - ....followed closer by Peter on n/b Eunoia.

That concludes the blog fitout of Tom Kitten, thanks to all our team Jordan, Ben, Josh, Ian and Lyndon for all their hard work, as ever the team have done us proud. Thanks also to Phil & Debbie for their valued custom.

I'll shortly be commencing the blog for the fitout of our next sponsored hire boat Aqua Jeta which is currently being battened ready for sprayfoaming this wednesday.

That's all for now

Justin, Jane and Team

Nearly There

noreply@blogger.com (Aqua Narrowboats) — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 14:56:00 +0000

Just a quick photo update of the narrowboat fitout on Tom Kitten as she nears completion. Apologies for the quality of some of the photo's, these were taken as the sun was setting and the light fading.

Above - Doors finished apart from varnishing of frames

Above: Ben laying the solid Oak floor.

Above - Side doors and frames completed, just need chrome pull handles.

Above: The toughened glass shelves added to the Cubby holes either side of the cross bed.

Above: Bedroom with oak floor finished except for the addition of the final trims.

Above: Looking through from the bedroom into the walk through bathroom.

Above: Drop down flap for the cross bed now in place - the bed when made up will be King size.

Above: Bathroom

Saloon: The upholstery has arrived hence the installation of the upholstered back rest - Don't worry Debbie the covers have only been removed for the photo!

Above - Stove has been tested and run and works a treat.

Above - TV/DVD now in place but still needs to be connected. The TV pulls out so it can be viewed at differing angles.

Above: Saloon.

Above: Looking towards the galley at the stern.

Above & Below: The desmo legs have been installed. The upholstered back rest pictured here lifts out and can be placed on the opposite side of the seat - effectively turning the seating to face the saloon area, great if you have guests.

Above & Below: Galley looking forward towards the dinette and saloon. The granite splashbacks are to be fixed within the next week and will complete the galley.

This week as well as progressing with the fitout of Tom Kitten, we've also started with the fitout of Aqua Jeta a new sponsorship boat in our hire fleet. As we have recently become a dealer for the new Canaline range of marine engines all our new hire boats will be powered by these engines. We have just taken delivery of Jeta's new engine which is now sitting in our reception area - this is a canaline 42hp with a PRM 150 Hydraulic gearbox . Photo below.

That's all for now.

Justin, Jane & Team

Tom Kitten Update

noreply@blogger.com (Aqua Narrowboats) — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 13:51:00 +0000

Well we're approaching the last few weeks of the Tom Kitten fitout and this is the time when everything starts coming together. Roy 'The Cratchman' has been, measured and delivered the upholstery as he's also 'The Upholsteryman' too, he'll return to measure the cratch cover when the cratch board has been fitted. Steve 'The Mattressman' has also measured the crossbed for the split mattress. Ned 'The Blindman' (as in curtains) is coming across today to meet Phil & Debbie (the owners) to discuss window dressings, which from seeing the fabric will look stunning when fitted.

We've still quite a few jobs to complete, our next major job is to start the task of varnishing, Ian one of our Engineers will then be able to finish off the final fix electrics. The solid oak floor will be laid shortly after and then the task of machining up and fitting the oak trims will start. I realised whilst doing this update that i've never added the layout plan of the boat - so here it is followed by photos of the progress since the last update.

Above: Tom Kitten is a reverse layout with forward cabin and aft galley.

Above: Jordan has been working hard on the making the door linings for the steel stern and bow doors. Both sets are Stable doors, allowing the tops sections to be opened independently of the bottom halfs. Phil & Debbie wanted two small portholes in the top section of the stern doors to allow a little light through. To ensure that they look good from the inside Jordan has had to make some bespoke porthole liners, which can be seen lying on the top section of the door linings above.

Above - The tiny liners before being installed. It is amazing how such small items take so long to make even with our speedy carpenters and industrial tooling,by the time the oak has been planed down, jigs made and measurements taken producing two liners like these could take the best part of a day to complete.

Above & Below - But well worth the effort once installed.

Above & Below - Bottom section of the steel bow doors before and after the oak and ash lining has been custom made to fit.

Above - Work has started on the two stern cupboards being fitted above the worktop. Here you can see the cupboard sides being templated up.

Above: The righthand side cupboard will contain the circuit breakers for both the 12v & 240v systems. The apertures above the door will contain the Beta instrument panel, Remote control for the Victron 3000w Combi Unit, Victron 602 battery monitor and the water level gauge.

Above: The cupboard to the left will be a general storage cupboard, the small door above drops down and is designed to be accessed when on the cruiser deck - it will be used to store boatings guides, binoculars and sunglasses and possibly even a G & T! (summer permitting)

Above - Shortly after with the doors installed. The granite splashbacks will continue across the sides of these cupboards.

Above: The solid oak window liners has been installed.

Above: The built in TV unit has been started....

Above: .....and nearly finished, complete with a lovely chunky piece of solid oak on the top.

Above: Saloon with dinette and galley beyond.

Above: The small set of 'Knick Knack' shelves have been installed to complete the bathroom vanity unit. We'll be installing a towel rail between the unit and shelves.

Above: Looking through from the bathroom into the front cabin.

Above & below: Ben has finished making the oak panelled cupboard doors in the bedroom, these have now been hung.

Above: Handles have been installed too.

Above: Solid oak trims for the cubbyholes either side of the bed have started to be fitted. These will have small toughened glass shelves for an alarm and glasses etc, they will be lit by a small LED light so they can be switched during the night without waking up the person lying next to you - saves an elbow in the ribs! Thats all for now on Tom Kitten another update will follow shortly.

We've recently taken delivery of our next project which will be a sponsored hire boat named Aqua Jeta. Jeta will be a 50ft reverse layout fitted to our normal 5 star hire boat standard. The boat already has 12 weeks worth of hire boat bookings and will be launched in April. Here's a couple of photos of the narrowboat being craned in at our base in Mercia Marina.The narrowboat build blog for this boat will follow shortly, we're currently awaiting delivery of the windows so we can start putting in the ballast.

Thats all for now....

Justin, Jane & Team

Aqua Narrowboats.

Bespoke Boat Build

noreply@blogger.com (Aqua Narrowboats) — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 12:05:00 +0000

Hope you all had a relaxing Christmas and New Year, we're not officially back at work until tomorrow 4th but i've popped into our office at home to quickly update the blog - don't tell Jane, i'm supposed to be taking down the Christmas decorations! Lets hope that the New Year brings some milder weather than of late, the marina is still frozen in with the ice in some places 4" thick. A slow thaw i think unless there's a cold snap in between? Anyhow work continues to progress well on our latest bespoke boat Tom Kitten, here's a few photos on the progress just before Christmas.

Above - Jordan's granite worktop templates ready for me to drop off with the suppliers, the granite chosen is one of the most expensive finishes - so no pressure on Jordan to get it right!

Above - Granite arrives and fits perfectly, well done Jordan! Although we template ourselves the weight and awkwardness to fit this amount of granite means that we ask the suppliers to fit it (and take the consequences of damaging it!)

Above - Ian has now installed the taps and connected the hob.

Above - Unfortunately the over mount sink chosen by Phil & Debbie won't fit in the depth of worktop we'll have left when we've installed the granite splash backs, therefore they opted for an undermount sink but in the same black finish - very smart.

Above - Hob installed - just needs to be tested.

Above - All the appliances in the galley are integrated for a cleaner look.

Above - This washing machine is a new slim depth model, at only 40cm deep it makes it easier to fit on a boat where the slopping hull sides usually mean a standard 60cm deep appliance would protrude into the walkway. Even better the model still has a 6kg capacity.

Above - Ian has made a great job of installing the stainless steel radiators chosen by Phil & Debbie. You can also spot Ian's handy work in the corner of the photo where the gas isolation points for the oven and hob have been installed, these will be covered with a magnetic wooden panel for easy access.

Above - Work to the dinette is nearly complete. This photo was taken a couple of days after Jordan had started work on it. Like we've made on previous boats, the bench seat nearest to the camera will have a reversible back rest so it can be turned to seat people facing the saloon.

Above - Nearly there, the back rest has been removed and is currently at the upholsterers. This is the dinette set up in the bed position. A access point has been installed on one side (hence the hole!) this means that smaller items can be accessed quickly without the need to remove the top of the seat.

Above - We decided that the table would make a nice visual centre piece in the boat. Therefore instead of using one piece of wood i asked Jordan to come up with a design that would bring together the Ash & Oak fitout. Here's the result and it looks superb - it hasn't been varnished yet but the top has solid oak edging with ash between and an oak centre with alternate grain pattern.

Above - The diesel stove hearth is taking shape, the majority of this task was given to Josh (our apprentice) with Ben providing guidance and help if needed. Although Josh has been helping out with all our boat builds since he started with us, this was his first major task on a bespoke boat build.

Above - Ben carried out the tiling whilst Josh was on his weekly college day release. The diesel pipe and controls were also installed by Ian.

Above - Josh finished off by cutting and installing all the hardwood capping's - well done Josh! Now this is complete the flue can be marked up and a hole cut through the roof. Once working, the stove will also blow warm air into the bathroom - the little black switch on the right hand side panel operates the fan speed.

Above - The shower is a large 900mm quadrant as this is larger than usual we've had to reduce the cupboard behind to accommodate it. Here Jordan has installed the tray and mermaid panels, hence the blue keep off tape!

Above - With the help of Ben the doors have been installed, as this is a larger width shower, the door has had to be cut into the trim on the sloping roof. This can just be seen in the top left hand corner of the photo.

Above - The shower taps installed, the only other thing left is to provide hardwood capping's to the external areas of the back boarding and install the cupboard door and shower pump switch.

Above - The s/s towel radiator has also been installed as has the porthole liner. The black hot air blow vent from the stove can be seen underneath the cupboard door aperture.

Above - The pigeon boxes just require chrome fixings and another coat of of varnish before they are finished

Above - Shower faucet installed.

Above & below - As a feature point Phil & Debbie wanted the granite work surface in the bathroom to be curved. As with the galley Jordan had the task to template up. A small set of shelves will be installed at the end of the thinnest section to support the granite and make it work visually.

Above - Granite installed, this is the same finish as the galley, the next task is to install the tap and cupboard door.

Above - Ben has been working hard on the front cabin. Here the stainless steel toilet tank has been installed under the cross bed.

Above - Nearly there, the cabin pictured looking in through the bow doors. The corner cupboard has also been made and installed.

Above - Instead of using a curved piece of veneered plywood to form the cupboard around the porthole, I prefer that solid wood is used so that it becomes a feature of the cabin. Particularly as it is the last piece of woodwork seen when the customer falls asleep in the cross bed below! This task was delegated to Ben and what a fine job he has done. He has painstakingly cut and fixed small strips of solid oak together to form the curve. He's then sanded and finished it by hand to ensure a smooth and even surface. Here it is on his bench before being installed.

Above - And here it is in place, well worth the extra effort.

Above - The solid oak capping's have now been made and fitted. Ben is currently making the paneled doors for the cupboards, hence the blue numbered pieces of masking tape.

Above - Ian has installed the small stainless steel radiator in the cabin and it fits in perfectly. Jordan has made and installed the finial to the step post that can also be seen here - comments have already been made to what it resembles........it's a acorn of course!

Above - As the chrome radiator is fairly small in the bedroom Phil and Debbie also requested the installation of a fin rad. This has now been covered with skirting and Ben has made some bespoke vents out of Solid Ash.

Above - The oak window liners have arrived - these are out sourced as we don't have the time to make these ourselves. I'll post a picture shortly of them being installed.

Above - Ian's work in the engine bay is complete and what a neat and meticulous job he's made. The Beta marine engine is fully commissioned and is running. We'll run the engine for a number of hours to make sure everything is ok and tested properly before being handed over.

That's all for now as i need to get on with the task of taking the Christmas decorations down before Jane realises i've escaped!

Happy New Year to all!

Best wishes Justin, Jane and Team.

Honesty December Update

noreply@blogger.com (Aqua Narrowboats) — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 16:24:00 +0000

As it's been so busy here I've found it difficult to keep up to date with blog entries and not had chance to post the photos of Honesty before she left for painting back at Norton Canes. But here's a few pics of the progress we made before Jan & John sailed her back. I was lucky enough to tag along with Jan & John on a recent visit to Norton Canes to check progress on the paintwork as well as look at the control mechanisms they have installed for the speed wheel and gearshift control - pictures of the visit are at the bottom of this post. We'll start work again in the new year to complete the rest of the fitout. For those that want to have a closer inspection at the work we've done, Honesty will be exhibited at the 2011 Crick Boat Show.

Above - Jan has finished the oak worktops in Danish Oil, the cabinet doors were installed just before Honesty left - see a few photos down.

Above - Galley still work in progress, the fridge was installed shortly after taking this photo. This now sits where the plastic bags are on the floor.

Above - Ben has done a fantastic job of the solid Oak door. Jan has commissioned a local artist to make a piece of stained glass for the top section of the door which should look stunning when fitted.

Above - This and the following photos were taken at Norton Canes - here's the nearly complete galley. We'll be installing two wall cupboards with downlighters either side of the door. These will also have stained glass inset into each door.

Above - Galley doors fitted - Jan will be painting these and adding some fabric to screen the fridge and microwave at the far end. The same fabric will also be used on the porthole bungs - these bungs have been made by Jan and can be spied uncovered on the photo before (on the curved shelf under the worktop). She has filled these with a special secret material to prevent condensation and retain as much heat as possible (patent pending!).

Above - The stove was utilised whilst on the cruise back to N C.

Above - The bathroom vanity unit with taps, sink and upstand installed. The sink is hand made in Mexico and creates a splash of colour.

Above - Norton canes have fitted the mechanism for the both wheel and gearshift controls. The surrounding woodwork is still to be primed.

Above & Below- Honesty at Norton Canes Wet Dock in her primer coats.

That's all for now!

Justin, Jane & Team

Tom Kitten Update

noreply@blogger.com (Aqua Narrowboats) — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 12:46:00 +0000

The team have been working hard over the last month to make good progress with Tom Kittens fitout. The 60ft boat will be a reverse layout, front cabin with cross bed and the galley at the stern. A quick specification list includes; Semi cruiser stern, Beat 43 with hospital silencer, Webasto central heating to stainless steel designer radiators, Kabola diesel stove with ducted piping blowing warm air into bathroom, galley with curved cabinets and granite worktops & integrated appliances, dinette with reversible seat to face saloon, Bathroom with large 900mm quadrant shower and vanity units with granite tops, macerator toilet to stainless steel remote tank, bedroom with cross bed and arched cabinet over porthole, three pigeon boxes, double glazed windows throughout, remote controlled RGB led under gunnel lighting and solid oak floor..

Above: With the sprayfoam finished, Lyndon completes the wiring tails.

Above: Jordan and Ben (our carpenters) commencing the lineout, which will be Ash & Oak. The cabin roof and side lining will be painted with an off white eggshell, allowing the ash grain to show through.

Above: Upper cabin sides and roof lined. Wiring tails brought through for switches and light fixtures.

Above: Ben & Josh (our apprentice) have made a fantastic job of the eggshell paint.

Above: Bulkheads starting to go in - this is the bulkhead between the front cabin and bathroom.

Above - Looking through the saloon towards the stern. The pigeon boxes in the roof have started to be lined with solid oak.

Above: Looking form the bathroom through to the front cabin and bow deck beyond.

Above: Beta 43 sat in reception ready for installation. Quite a few of our customers coming in have dribbled over it! This will be a job for Ian (our new engineer) as Lyndon is already installing two other engines currently.

Above: Ben is working on the front cabin which now has the framework of the bed installed, together with the late addition of two arched storage shelf's either side of the bed. These will have glass shelf handy for an alarm clock or book etc, both will also be lit with a downlighter.

Above: Jordan has started on the galley and also completed a solid Oak paddle step.

Above: The bathroom vanity unit being fitted. This will have a granite worktop with basin sat on top.

Above: For the last few days Ian has been confined to the cold engine bilge installing the webasto and calorifier. The two filters at the bottom of the photo are for the diesel supply for the engine (larger of the two) and kabola diesel stove (small red one). Ian has been meticulous in making sure the pipework is neat and tidy - he'll be shortly welding a step in place over the filter housing's to ensure they can't be damaged when engine checks are carried out.

That's all the latest news for now on Tom Kitten.

I'll be introducing another boat to the blog in a few weeks time, this is 50ft cruiser stern boat currently being built at Colecraft. The boat is another Sponsored boat that will be launched into our hire fleet in April. She has been named Aqua Jeta by Tina & Nigel the boat's owners. Following with our hire boat theme Jeta means life in Alabania!

Justin, Jane & ever expanding team (& no, not just waist size!)

A NEW ARRIVAL

noreply@blogger.com (Aqua Narrowboats) — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 20:45:00 +0000

Well it's been a hectic few weeks to say the least. As well as fitting out Honesty we've also taken delivery of our next bespoke fitout shell. This is a 60ft Colecraft shell with semi-cruiser stern - so we welcome narrowboat Tom Kitten to the Aqua Narrowboats blog.We hope you enjoy following the progress of the fitout with Phil & Debbie, Tom Kitten's owners.

Above & Below- a few days before delivery Colecraft put the finishing touches to the shell.

Above & below - Tom Kitten arriving at Mercia Marina ready for fitout watched tentatively by owners Phil & Debbie.

Above - Phil & Debbie the proud owners.

Above & Below - As this will be a winter fitout we were keen to get the main paintwork on the cabin before the colder weather sets in. We expect a few scrapes and scratches during the fitout but these are far easier to deal with when the boat returns into the dry dock in December than a full paint job in freezing conditions!

Above - at the same time as painting Tom Kitten we've also been re-painting a Sagar Directors Launch built 21 years ago. This is one of only two built to the same specification and has proved to be a very technical paint job to work on with individual recessed panels along the length of the boat together with steel mouldings. The launch will be coming back into the dock next week for finishing - i'll try to upload some photos of the finished boat when time permits.

Above - Tom kitten in her finishing coats, the colour is a very elegant dark grey with cream coachline. The chrome double glazed windows have also been installed apart from the door and side door windows which will be installed as the fitout progresses. The ballast has also been installed and the majority of flooring laid too.

Honesty Update

Jordan has been working like a Trojan to get the fitout of Honesty completed as far as possible before she departs for painting at Norton Canes in late October. Jan & John, the owners are thrilled to bits with the progress so far.

Above - The back cabin is virtually finishing apart from a few trims and the installation of the stove. Jan and John have opted for a compact diesel stove, which can just about be made out wrapped in plastic. These thick, solid oak steps all lift off to provide access to storage within the risers.

Above - Jordan has hand crafted a liner for the roof prisms which also contains a recess for the LED spotlight. All of the back cabin will be scrumbled by renowed painter & signwriter Dave Moore.

Above: The Engine Room - not in the traditional sense as the engine has now been boxed in, creating a far more practicle and usable space. The opposite side of the cabin will also be boxed in hiding the battery bank, washer and seperate inverter and charger. The large work surfaces created by boxing both areas in will also be used as bunks for future visits by Jan & John's grandchildren.

Above & below - the bath, shower and wetwall is now in place in the bathroom. To stop any water ingress on the edges of the sheet below the gunnel, Jordan has managed to curved the 12mm thick panel so water doesn't sit on the flat sheet edge.

Above - All the side doors are virtually complete, here the door and hatch surround in the saloon has been lined with a solid oak.

Above & below - Work has begun on the hand built galley complete with solid oak worktops.

Above - The saloon and galley now have all the oak trims fitted. We'll be fitting the oak porthole liners shortly. The slate for the hearth has also arrived and been installed, the stove (under the sheet) will be installed shortly.

Boatman's Cabin & Bulkheads

noreply@blogger.com (Aqua Narrowboats) — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 18:44:00 +0000

The bulkheads on board honesty are now in place plus progress on the Boatman's Cabin is moving on at a pace too. The early stages of the boat fitout always take shape quickly and it's quite easy to think that the build will be completed in a matter of a few weeks. This false sense of completion is mainly due to the quick visual changes that take place with the interior layout changing rapidly. In reality the time consuming elements are in the detailed woodwork, extensive electrical systems and sometimes complicated heating or plumbing systems - items that are not visually obvious of progression. This is why over the next few weeks our post updates may slow down a little. But for the time being here's a few photos of the progress since the last update.

For this boat we're putting in studwork bulkheads to enable us to hang heavier doors which are more suited to the style of boat.

Above - The birch ply is attached to the battens.

Above - The airing cupboard will be situated in the corner of the bathroom and will contain the Calorifier as can be seen here.

Above - Just checking that the bath still fits!

Above - Jordan and his helper Josh have been making good progress with the Boatman's Cabin.

Above - Cupboard doors and drop down bed in place.

Above - Jan & John want simple, clean lines and therefore opted for a shaker style trim for the panelling.

Above - Before the wardrobe bulkheads are fitted in place.

Above - The drop down table in situ as well as the wardrobe bulkheads at the far end of the cabin. The bench opposite the bed 'ole is now in progress.

Above - The solid oak T & G is now in place in the saloon.

Above - The T&G continues onto the bulkhead.

Above - Our engineer Stuart has returned from annual leave and has started installing the water tank. This will be followed shortly by the plumbing system installation.

Thats all for now... Justin, Jane & Team.

Narrowboat For Sale

noreply@blogger.com (Aqua Narrowboats) — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 13:01:00 +0000

We currently have one of hire boats for sale details below:

The boat can be viewed most Saturdays during the hire season - but just give us a call before you visit to make sure she is not out on a two week hire.

Cheers Justin.

Norton Canes Build - Sprayfoam & Lining

noreply@blogger.com (Aqua Narrowboats) — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 16:28:00 +0000

The fit out of n/b Honesty is progressing well. The team are not far away from completing the line out and the first fix electrics. Here's a few photo's of the progress since the last update.

Above: Jan & John, the owners of the boat, spent a late Sunday evening taping up in preparation for the sprayfoam company arriving on Monday morning. As the name suggests the foam is sprayed on, therefore anything and everything, other than what's being sprayfoamed, has to be masked over.

Above: All ready to go for the sprayfoam insulation

Above: Once the sprayfoam is complete the masking tape is pulled off the face of the timber battens. This reveals a smooth, flat surface to enable the ply boards to be attached.

Above: As Honesty is a Traditional stern boat virtually the whole length of the shell has been sprayfoamed. On most cruiser or semi traditional stern boats the engine bay is separated by a steel bulkhead and, as it's not part of the main living space, the area is normally left uninsulated.

Above: Even the space under the well deck is insulated and lined. Here you can see Jordan installing the Birch veneered ply in place - not a job for those suffering from claustrophobia!

Above: The cabin roof being lined.

Above: The ply cabin roof lining in the engine room and back cabin are routed to provide a Tongue and Groove timber effect. All the Birch ply throughout the main cabin will be painted with an off white eggshell, the Boatmans cabin will be scrumbled by Dave Moore. The huge pile of cable is where the main 12v and 240v distribution panels will be situated - Stuart, our electrical engineer, has so far got through about 400mtrs of cable!

Above: The Boatman's Cabin in the making. The masking tape on the floor provides a rough guide to the layout.

Above: This will be the bathroom, stepping up into the engine room followed by the Boatman's Cabin.

Above: The hull and cabin lining is nearly complete. The areas left here in the saloon will be lined with solid oak Tongue & Grooved boards.

Above: A good tidy up by Jan & John at the end of the week makes all the difference.

Above: Looking through the Bow doors - the masking tape here forms the outline of the galley cabinets. The layout of the boat will be: forward galley followed by saloon, bathroom, engine room and Boatman's cabin.

That's all for now another update to follow in a couple of weeks time.

Justin, Jane and Team

Norton Canes Fitout Commences

noreply@blogger.com (Aqua Narrowboats) — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 19:06:00 +0000

We're pleased to announce that we have started the fitout of a beautiful Norton Canes shell lovingly crafted by Graham Edgson & his team. This is Graham's 100th shell and we are very privileged to have been asked by the owners, Jan & John to fitout this special shell that will be named Honesty. Here is a few photos of the progress so far.

Above & Below- Honesty arriving at Mercia having been cruised back by Jan & John from Norton Canes. The boat has an Hydraulic Drive powered by a Beta 43, this allows greater use of space as the engine can be off set.The engine itself will be boxed in to create a usable cabin space for the occasional guest stopping on board. The lack of prop shaft will also provide greater head height in the Boatman's Cabin that we'll be creating.

Above/below - On the fitout quay. Once the cruising ballast (drums filled with water) were removed by John the boat sits high in the water - the boat will drop down once the fitout commences.

Above - Once cleared of water drums the fitout commences with the installation of floor.This is normally a straight forward job, but with the addition of the boatman's cabin with removable floor panels, and an engine room with a diesel tank built into the base plate, greater care is taken is ensure everything fits as it should.

Above - The small apertures in the centre of the board are finger holes to lift the removable panels needed for additional storage.

Above - The hydraulic drive system, with a conventional propeller shaft system the shaft would extend through the back cabin into the engine room. This would mean that the floor would have to raised at least 4" above the height seen in the photo, which would have reduced the head height.

Above - Looking forward, the engine room with off set engine. Although we don't have to work with the height of a propeller shaft, the floor in this and the rear cabin, has to be raised slightly higher than the rest of the boat. This is to allow for the height of diesel tank pictured in the centre of the above photo. The black pipe going up to the cabin roof is the breather pipe, the filler pipe is situated in the gunnel.

Above - Engine room with floor laid, the voids to the left of the photo will house a battery compartment and a washing machine. These will be boxed in, as will the engine, therefore this space will have a centre corridor with bench seats either side - containing the engine on one side and the washing machine and batteries on the other.

Above - The rest of flooring is laid, just a small section is left to complete underneath the well deck where the water tank will rest on. The timber templates around the portholes have also been installed, once battened and sprayfoamed the birch veneered ply will cover these (and the look through). A router will then be used to follow the inside edge of the template creating the same sized hole in the birch ply. The ply will be painted by Jan & John and then solid oak porthole liners installed. (This process will be easier to explain with photos later!!)

Above - The timber to fix the roof lining has been installed.

That's all for this update but just a quick Thank You to all those customers (& potential customers) that came to see us at Crick, we had a great time and have come away with quite a few holiday bookings and potential new boat builds (fingers crossed!). Thanks also to Peter & Mel for once again allowing us to display their boat at the show and thanks (last but not least) to Lyndon, Vaughn & Stuart for lending a hand to cruise the boat down to Crick - for me it was good to escape the office for a few days!

Justin, Jane & Team.

Aqua Leven - Hire Boat No4 - Completed

noreply@blogger.com (Aqua Narrowboats) — Wed, 19 May 2010 14:02:00 +0000

Aqua Leven being launched on Saturday May 17th 2010 - The Owners Philip & Anne (+ Philips Mother)managed to get down for a quick inaugural cruise before she went straight out on hire for two weeks on the Leicester Ring. Champagne and a cake expertly iced by Philip, what more can you ask of a Sunny Saturday morning!

Here are some photos of the finished boat which has been awarded five stars from Visit Britain.

Notice the seating can quickly be arranged as a mini dinette, great when just two are on board - saves having to pop the tables away after a meal!

We didnt want the microwave to take up valuable worktop space so we decided to place it under the stairs The inset hob also has a glass lid allowing an additional food prep area. The windows in the rear doors have worked really well and have provided additional daylight into the galley - i had some small blinds made from the material left over from the Roman Blinds.

A custom made mirror creates a feeling of additional space in the bathroom. Both this area and the galley have Amitco flooring laid for the greater wear and tear of a hire boat.

Additional TV with DVD player in the front cabin. Stable doors provide greater safety for children and pets whilst on board. Foam cushion pads on the large bow lockers create a comfy retreat on a summers evening - ideal for a G & T or perhaps a bottle of Ale!

After a quick cruise down to the Willington Winding hole, Anne and Philip can't wait to get on board in June for there first of many happy weeks on board. Look carefully and you can spot me on the Tiller...a rare event nowadays as most of my time seems to be spent in the office. Although i'm looking forward to cruising Eunoia down to Crick next week - I'm taking the Coventry & Grand Union Canal route - so shout Hi if you see me!

If your going to Crick over the Bank Holiday Weekend we'll be on Stand F39, so pop by.

Justin, Jane & Team.

Aqua Leven - one week and counting!

noreply@blogger.com (Aqua Narrowboats) — Fri, 07 May 2010 19:16:00 +0000

Well it's been a while since my last update but the fitout of Aqua Leven has been progressing well. We are currently a week away from the first rental and everything is on target for a steady last week. We've still a few items to finish off but everything will be completed for next Saturday. The carpets and soft furnishing will be on board for the middle of next week and these make all the difference to the look of the boat. But for now here's some photos of the boat nearly finished!

Philip and Anne our first Sponsored Hire Boat owners are thrilled with the boat and can't wait to get on board to enjoy her. Here's a few photos of the progress...

Below - Galley with granite worktops

Below - Windows to stern doors

Below - Saloon area with seating that can be converted for either two singles or a double berth.

Below - Bathroom with matching granite worktops. A large mirror will be mounted on the bulkhead.

Below - Bedroom, the shelving above he bed will have a couple of chrome spotlights. Two separate the bathroom corridor from the bedroom and saloon creating greater privacy.

Below - Paintwork just about finished, just some anti slip painting needed to the front well deck.

Below - Rear apron installed, this extends to clip onto the side of the main cabin to provide a visual barrier - safer for kids and pets.

Hope you like the boat, and if you've already booked the boat for your holiday's, i'm sure she'll provide many happy holiday memories.

We'll be exhibiting a bespoke boat build at the Crick Boat Show over the May Day Bank Holiday, we'll be on mooring F39, it would be great to see you there!

Cheers Justin, Jane and Team.

Aqua Leven Update

noreply@blogger.com (Aqua Narrowboats) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 18:18:00 +0000

Just a quick update on the fitout progress of Aqua Leven. The boat is now fully lined, bulkheads for the rear steps, eye level oven, galley and bathroom are now in place. We'll be painting the cabin ceiling and sides in a white eggshell finish similar to Eunoia - this will give a bright and fresh feeling inside the boat. The rear doors onto the cruiser stern will have windows installed, as will the side and front doors providing even more natural light. The wiring tails are all in situ and will be connected to the consumer unit of the next week.

Above - Seating area in progress, once complete the seating will form either one double or single beds.

Above - galley units in place.

Above - Rear sweeping steps making access easier.

Above - View looking to the front of the boat towards the bathroom bulkhead.

Above: Front bedroom, this will also have sweeping steps.

Above - 42hp Isuzu engine with PRM150 gearbox. The hospital silencer can just be seen at the top left of the photo, we have lots of comments on how quiet the boats are - this is mainly due to the exhaust we fit. The engine will be connected to the diesel and keeling cooling tanks over the next two weeks. The Calorifier is also situated in the engine bay and will be connected to the engines cooling system to provide an additional source of hot water when the engines running.

Moor updates to follow over the next few weeks.

Our Latest Newsletter

noreply@blogger.com (Aqua Narrowboats) — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 17:53:00 +0000

HIRE BOAT No4 - AQUA LEVEN

noreply@blogger.com (Aqua Narrowboats) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 14:19:00 +0000

A belated Happy New Year!

Well, 2010 is set to be another busy year for us, work has already commenced on our 4th hire boat, Aqua Leven, which we took delivery of just before Christmas. As well as this boat we'll also be fitting a beautiful Graham Edgson (Norton Canes) shell with traditional Boatmans cabin and a 60ft Colecraft, with a more modern reverse layout. We've also got another interesting project that we're currently investigating but we'll let you know further details if and when the idea is a viable one!

So to hire boat number 4 named Aqua Leven (following on with our Water Life theme - Leven meaning 'life' in Dutch - although apparently Leven is also a seaside town near Fife!). The boat will be our first boat to be offered as a new Sponsorship boat, meaning that it will be owned privately but run in our hire fleet providing the owner with a return on it's rental. The owner also gets to enjoy time on board too - ideal if someone wants to own a boat but can't justify the expense for a few weeks on board each year.

The fitout on Aqua Leven is already well underway, the boat has had the windows,ballast, flooring, battens, sprayfoam, wiring tails and lining installed. Bulkheads are currently being cut and fitted. The boat will be our first reverse layout in the fleet, this layout was chosen after numerous requests for our hirers. I think it will prove popular choice, we've already had 6 weeks booked and it's only been on the main website for a week. I'll try my best to keep the blog updated with the fitout. Here's some photos of progress to date;

Above - Windows in place.

Above - Josh our new apprentice helping to cut back areas of sprayfoam insulation.

Above - Tidying up afterwards

Above - Roof panels being temporarily held in place with 'sprags' Above - Wiring looms in place and cabin side paneling in place. The fitout is in Oak.veneered ply and solid oak.

Thats all for now...

Justin, Jane & Team.

Open Weekend

noreply@blogger.com (Aqua Narrowboats) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:25:00 +0000

Mega Update

noreply@blogger.com (Aqua Narrowboats) — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 16:35:00 +0000

We'll it's been a while since my last update, if only there were more than 24 hours in a day!

Two weeks ago we were proud to be able to hand over the keys of n/b Eunoia to Peter & Mel for a week's snagging cruise. They couldn't wait to take her out for the first trip and all went well. Eunoia is now back for a week so we can finish off a few trims and service the engine. The boat has also had the sign writing added this weekend - photos below. Peter and Mel will be collecting the boat next weekend to head off towards the IWA Festival at Redhill Marina where Eunoia will be on show.

The sign writing was completed yesterday (Saturday) - the faint lines are chalk marks these will be wiped off once fully dry. Peter & Mel kindly agreed to have our logo included.

Although this is our 5th boat, this is our first bespoke narrowboat hence the No1. Martlet of University College Oxford.

Mike Norton's steady hand - don't rock the boat! Above: Peter & Mel tentatively taking Eunoia out for the first time.

Watch out for the gunnels!

Reversible dinette backrest so guests can be accommodated within the saloon area.

Cabin with cross bed during construction. We decided to add an upstand on the step side of the bed to stop the mattress and bedding getting dirty when entering the boat.

Above: Eunoia whilst being painted in the dry dock - Craig applying the second of three top coats. The boat has had five coats in total, including the primer coat and undercoat.

Above: Pete adding the cream antislip roof coat.

Above: Eunoia during paint preparation work. We also had narrowboat Budlaw in for a repaint at the same time - more on this work on a future update.

Many thanks to the our team who have worked hard to create a fabulous boat for Peter & Mel, and thanks to, to Peter & Mel for giving Aqua Narrowboats the opportunity to build Eunoia. We hope you have many happy years whilst cruising the system!

As mentioned at the top of this post n/b Eunoia will be on display at the IWA festival taking place at Redhill Marina (just off J24 on the M1) over August bank holiday weekend. As well as the team from Aqua Narrowboats being on board and Peter & Mel will also be there to welcome guests and answer queries from a customers perspective.

Hope to see you there!

Justin & Jane - Aqua Narrowboats

Bulkheads & More...

noreply@blogger.com (Aqua Narrowboats) — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 17:12:00 +0000

A quick progress report, these photos were taken a couple of weeks ago so things have moved on either further than the photos below. The galley units are now in place and awaiting the team from Plan It Granite in Burton on Trent to template them up. The boat has also moved into the Dry Dock for painting, so when i get chance I'll update the blog again.

Above: The pigeon boxes are now complete and have had a first coat of vanish.

Above: All the windows are now in place including the side hatch and bow door windows (below). To match the portholes these are also double glazed.

The solid oak panelling is now mostly complete and the porthole liners have been installed. The framing has really brought out the crispness of the white oak veneered panels. We'll give these panels another coat of eggshell at the end of the build as they will inevitable be marked when carrying items in and out of the boat.

Above: The major bulkheads are now in place, this is the view from the saloon forward through the walk through bathroom into the sleeping cabin beyond.

Above: half bulkhead that will divide the galley from the Pullman dinette.

Above: Saloon area.

Above: Eye-level oven installed in a galley unit. Above the oven will be a storage area for pots and pans. Underneath will be a 240v fridge. Above: Both 12v and 240v circuits starting to be connected to separate distribution boxes.

The cutouts above will accommodate the engine panel and the Victron Combi panel.

Above: We wanted to maximise the space in the galley so we decided to bring the stair bulkhead back towards the stern. Unfortunately this interfered with the hatch so we came up with the idea of creating a solid oak packer to lead you into the stairwell whilst accommodating the profile of the bulkhead below...with a bit of thought most problems can be solved and resolved!

Back to the grind stone now I'm afraid! I'll update the blog again when i get chance. We thoroughly enjoyed helping out on the BMF/CBA stand at Crick, we even managed to get a bit of a sun tan! Thanks to all those that dropped by to say high and book in work your support is appreciated.

Justin, Jane & Team.

Narrowboat Build Update

noreply@blogger.com (Aqua Narrowboats) — Wed, 20 May 2009 18:28:00 +0000

Progress with our bespoke boat build has quickly gained pace, Peter & Mel hope you're happy with the progress so far!

Once the internal ballast, floor and battens were in place the next job was cut out the porthole apertures. We decided to cut these ourselves to provide a bit of flexibility with the internal layout. We are fortunate enough to have a Plasma Cutter so once a jig was set up the window apertures were completed within a couple of hours.

Below: Jig still in position just after plasma cutting. Below: Job done - net, clean and accurate. Once the porthole locations were cut out these were masked up together with the face of the timber battens. Wilsons Sprayfoamers then got on with the job of insulating the boat. The making tape is removed once the job is done, leaving a clean surface to screw to. After a tidy up the layout of the boat is marked up with masking tape on the floor. This provides a visual guide to our customers to make sure that they are completely happy before the main fitout work begins. Once we had the thumbs up work has progressed quickly. The next main job was for Stuart to install the first electrics for both the 12v and 240v circuits. Below: The double glazed Portholes installed, these will soon tarnish - but we'll remove them when the boat is painted. We'll then take the opportunity to polish and possibly laquer these to ensure they stay bright. Cabin sides and top lined in Oak veneered ply. Our customers want a clean and bright look to the boat, so top sides and roof are being painted with a off white Eggshell. As opposed to the paint being flat, the grain of the wood will be allowed to show through creating an attractive finish. Below: Before painting begins. Below: Just one more coat to add once the bulkheads have gone in. Notice all the cables for lights, sockets and switches. Stuart is installing two way lighting so the lights can be turned on and off from different ends of the cabin. Below: The pigeon boxes provide light and ventilation through the cabin roof. Taken before Jordan lines these with oak. Below: Nearly there, Jordan made a superb job just a little more oak to be added to the porthole lids. That's all for now, lots to get on with... We'll be on the British Marine Federation Stand at the Crick Boat Show over this coming bank holiday weekend, it's also the open weekend at Mercia Marina, so hope to see you there! Justin, Jane & Team.