| 4 bladed prop for the 62ft Trad |
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| Prop Fitted |
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| Launched out of ballast |
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While having a conversation with a visiting customer the other week they said how
proud I must be keeping all these old traditions alive. I answered with the usual comment of “this is what I do, and
how I make my living!” But the more I thought about it, the less sense my keeping it alive made. Or am I actually participating
in destroying my own profession? Where am I going, what am I achieving in carrying on building things from a time now gone,
playing in fact to an audience that is getting smaller as time goes by!. Let’s face it, they didn’t build the
Queen Mary the same as the Titanic nor did they build the Queen Mary 2 the same as they built the Queen Mary. Things have
moved on, as have the Inland Waterways. As more state of the art marinas sporting the latest technology open up, it follows
that the time has come to present the narrowboat as more of a status symbol. Or should I say ‘more a thing you just
have to have’. But where is the young audience wanting / demanding one? And what would they want from one? Well they
wouldn’t want to be polishing all the traditional brassware each weekend, that’s for sure not when they can be
connected to wireless broadband via their laptops. You can bet your life for instance that Ford motors aren’t sitting
back on their laurels. No, they will even now be finding out just what it is their customers want in their next new car. So
why not our industry! Well it’s a cottage industry I hear you say. Try telling that to people like BW and all the developers
who have poured millions in to the waterways. Maybe you think I’m having a mid life crisis brainstorm, but I assure
you I’m not. Let’s go back to the new marinas I mentioned earlier, these places sport facilities unimaginable
only a few years ago. They now offer not only full boat cleaning facilities but full maintenance packages to boot. What’s
around the corner? Possibly second hand boats sold with a full service history, probably the need for a license to operate
a boat will one day be required. It’s called progress! Speaking of which, one boat I completed recently had a dishwasher
/ washer dryer / air conditioning, not to mention an electric oven and a microwave. Capable of providing 6 kW of silent power
from the invertors, times have certainly moved on. Does it overtax the batteries? Not when there are over 1000 amps available
from them not to mention 3.5 kW from the travel pack 9.5 kW in total. 240 amps of battery chargers all through an automatic
change over, with not even a button to press or switch to turn. Oh yes! It works fine, The owner lives aboard and there is
no landline to connect to, it just looks after itself. Now that’s progress! It has two custom made leather settees,
granite tops, hand painted galley and three tons of oak constructed in the traditional manner. But guess what, all the brass
wear was coated so no polishing required. Living the dream, not a slave to it and, by the way this is a narrowboat not a wide
beam. Then there’s last year’s Crick show entry IN-TUITION with its over head projector, air con, 2 bedrooms fully
hidden toilet through double acting door. Hand painted rear cabins, shutters to the windows, traditional galley and saloon
but guess what. Chrome fittings and it’s a semi trad. I have just finished a 62ft semi trad which is a reverse layout
with free standing furniture, there’s a custom built sofa bed in leather and even glass tiles in the galley. Add to
this a modern 6ft radiator in the bathroom which is fitted out utilising traditional carpentry in beech. The rest of the boat
is in oak but in a more contemporary manner. Sound as though he’s gone completely mad I hear you say. Well, before passing
judgment, Dave took some photos and has placed the pictures of the boat on www.wilsontylerboats.com I think you will like
what you see! Anyhow. Bringing this mid life crisis to a close, while getting back to the promised boatmans cabin fit out.
I am now going one better than that. I am just starting to fit out a 62ft trad with a Beta tug engine and boatman’s
cabin, the dogs bollocks in fact. The drawings will be on the club website and I will be going through it stage by stage,
photo by photo. Check it out now on the member’s only section to see where we are at. The brass wear will be coated
and shock horror she will sport a bow thruster. So while I am happy to teach traditional skills I also need a market place
to teach them and if that markets changing then that where I have to go. Being known for my traditional carpentry skills is
really nice but I’d like to think taking the industry into the future also got a mention.
Entitled 'Boatmans Cabin' Anthony 'M' begins his on-line, picture
by picture build of a 62ft trad. On line now in the members only section
From the Spring edition of TillerTalk;
DECIDING WHICH STYLE TO GO FOR
So you’re going to build a narrow boat! What’s it going to be?
Trad, semi trad or a cruiser? That’s three hurdles you have to cross before
you even start. Will it be a mid engine room, an engine in the back or one situated somewhere else? This is just something
else for you to think about, and you haven’t even started yet! With more decisions to make, will you keep it simple
or do you want all the comforts of a small house? Well the possibilities are endless. Let’s take a look at the boatman’s
cabin / engine room configuration. Great if you like the smell of diesel smoke wafting in your face all day. It no doubt seemed
a good idea buying that old dumper engine and strapping a PRM to the back of it. In my experience it won’t be long before
the other half starts moaning on about that smelly noisy thing. Not to mention making the bed up every night and sleeping
with your legs in a cupboard. Never mind, once out of bed and moving past the engine room, things can get better. So if this
is what you really want, meet her half way, put in a fixed double bed, fit a Beta tug engine, then all you will have wafting
in your face is the smell of the bread she’s baking on the Epping stove. Sure, you will need a bigger boat than you
thought, but take heart, you will have your nice shiny engine to polish not to mention the boatman’s cabin to escape
to when she throws the teddy out.
If that’s not your cup of tea, and you need a small area to work from because
you have to keep in touch with either the family or work, then an alternative must be found.
None of this is new by the way, it’s just the pressure of the world we
live in today, and technology is great isn’t it? You now for instance not only need some where to put the mobile phone
while you’re at the tiller you also need a spot for the iPod. It’s not all doom & gloom though! All I’m
saying is, get it sorted from day one, buy the shell but build it right, right from the start,
If it’s sorted from day one, it will be as easy as pie. Somewhere for tools,
ropes, mooring pins, somewhere to store the tiller when not in use, oil, antifreeze and so on.
So it’s the small house then! Well in that case, sit down at the table
with the other half and get an A4 pad and write it all down, room by room, cabin by cabin and don’t miss anything off.
You have to also consider the plumbing, the electrics, the cupboards, the mirrors, the tiling, the washing machine and dishwasher.
The list may appear endless, but it’s one you have to make if the project is to be successful.
If it’s a solo attempt at
building your narrow boat, you may get away with just scribbling a few notes on the back of a fag packet, but you really need
to know your trade to do that.
Remember though, the more you put in the more power you will consume, and it
all has to be fitted in somewhere, not to mention the costs and the time needed to install it all.
Once you are sure your list is complete, you’re ready to go or are you?
If for instance, your pad is full or your pen has run out you probably need a
wide beam or a Dutch barge!
Trad / Semitrad / Cruiser, it’s your call! Trad with a back
cabin, engine room may give you
a bit more area, but they can be very difficult to fit and a bit cramped to get in and out of. Semi trad & cruiser stern
give you an area that is a lot more sociable and you can simply nip down a flight of steps and you’re in. However, neither
offer the comfort of the trad back when the weathers bad. You pays your money & you takes your choice as they say! Finishing
off this article, the best way of successfully building your boat is to keep things under control at all times. You now need
to start contacting suppliers and getting advice on what equipment you need. But remember, always read the manufactures specification
because people will often tell you equipment will do the job you require but it won’t. This is a very important point
as you will be very disappointed after perhaps a year’s work only to find something’s not up to the job you fitted
it in for. In my next article all usable dimensions and some detailed drawings will be provided for various rooms in the layout
of a narrow boat.
On Green Issues, from the Winter edition of TillerTalk;
I would just like to start my TillerTalk
contributions by clearing up the misconception that the cabinet maker’s trade is responsible for the world’s deforestation.
I am often asked the following question; “how many trees did you need to build this boat?’ The more beautiful
it looks, the greater is the perception of the amount of wood used. Bollocks! All
the wood used in the construction is put together in the most economical manner. Every section is cut up and machined by me
right down to the 6mm (1/4 inch) parting beads, even the smallest piece of wood is saved and glued up to make a port liner
for instance. Twisted timber is dealt with by laminating to straight section and made up to larger sizes as required.
Making panels for cabin sides may seem a wasteful method
of construction but its far more attractive and allows the grain to face the correct way, more importantly it also allows
you to cover 12ft of cabin from one sheet of plywood rather than just 8ft going the wrong way. This brings me on to sheet
materials and the real misconception. Man made plywood/chipboard/MDF, these are the products responsible for mile upon mile
of disappearing woodland which is cut down purely to chew up and turn in to particle boards. Oh yes, your supplier will happily
tell you its all FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) marked, but he will keep quiet about the percentages. The truth is only
20 to 35% is traceable and thereby monitored from source by the FSC. All this may come as a shock to you but it’s a
fact. So, next time you’re on a boat lined out in MDF veneer with MDF bulkheads, all fitted in the most wasteful way,
just remember you are probably standing in a small wood, cut down by an underpaid workforce.
Plywood’s and block boards are not all doom
and gloom. Quality plywood such as birch and single sided veneers / double sided block board all have a clean bill of health.
But everything that has the correct paperwork comes at a price.
Going back to solid wood, all my suppliers are 100% FSC and carry
their own PEFC. (Program for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) This means every piece of timber purchased by the supplier
has a custody number and is traceable by the FSI (Sustainable Forest Initiative schemes) Cabinet makers are in fact probably
the tree’s best friends. After all, designing things so that the smallest bits of timber are utilized, even if it has
to be glued together, can only be good for the environment. On your search for supplies think about reclaimed wood! You would
not believe the amount of solid oak tables and sideboards I have salvaged from Council dump-it sites. It might be stained
dark or even painted but it will cut up and sand. All B&Q’s sell saws, sanders and the like at sensible prices.
After all, if your boat is your dream then why not spend a bit of time reclaiming timber. The reclaimed timber is helpful
to the environment, can often be a talking point’ and there is a lot of it about, so much of it in fact, even the bigger
hardwood suppliers are doing it. One supplier has just been awarded a contract for supplying reclaimed timber to the Cutty
Sark Conservation Project. One last point, the UK government, through the CEPT (Central Point of Expertise in Timber), has
stated that for government contract only timber that is legal or ‘legal and sustainable’ can
be specified. The government is introducing
a new procurement policy from 2009 allowing only independently verified ‘legal and sustainable’ timber. Common
sense is top of the list when it comes to building the interior of your narrowboat. Both timber and quality plywood’s
are realistically priced so shop around for prices and always check just what you are getting for your money. Oh’ yes,
If you are keeping the boat warm with off cuts thrown on the fire, something’s wrong, so work out a different design.
After a month’s cutting, machining and fixing at my place of work I might just have enough left to keep the stove going
for an hour.
Next Time; Fitting out starts in
earnest, and most of the really good stuff, including fitting out a boatman's cabin, gets ported over to the members
only section.
