Rebuilding your boat from scratch with no previous experience, using reclaimed material, on a limited budget, and using technology not many suppliers can install is tough. On top of that we've had to come to terms with the fact that we spent £184,000 on a boat from Thames Solar Electric,…
We lifted all the ballast blocks, cleaned up all the sawdust and sprayfoam dust (which would have held any water or damp down there, stopping it from evaporating off easily), then used a wire brush to clean up patches of rogue sprayfoam and rust. The base of the boat had…
Most narrowboats have a base of treated 18mm marine plywood laid across the boat’s steel transverse bearers or “ribs” as I like to refer to them. However, we’re all about longevity, sustainability, cost-saving, time-saving, materials reuse and insulation in our rebuild… a tall order! Firstly, let’s look at why we…
Once the floor was up and the cladding was off the bow wall, I could see the insulated stainless steel water tank in the alcove at the bow end. The ceiling and walls of the alcove were covered in spray foam insulation, but the floor had been left as bare…
After the 400+ days trying to get Thames Solar Electric to do the right thing, at the end of 2022 we committed to stripping out the boat and refitting it ourselves. This presented a number of challenges; The funding was secured from family, not something we’re happy about but it…
By Natalie Bartlett