So What Is Paul Building For Us?

The Pen Maker's Boat Mk 2 - Narrowboat Ernest is taking shape!

So here's the vision... A full length (or there abouts) trad tug. Think quite industrial looking rather than Rosie and Jim.

Our inspiration boat, only no false rivets on Ernest

Stern Counter - 

3 to 3'6" - nice upsweep, simple weed hatch access system.

Boatmans Cabin - 

10'6" - Traditional layout but extended. A properly dimensioned one is about 8'6" and has a much narrower bed hole, ours should end up close to 4'6" and leave room for a couple of skinny wardrobes before you get to the engine room doors. At the moment rather than oak coloured scumble glazed panelling we're thinking of a lighter ash colour and substituting the brightly coloured roses and castles for a more muted pallet. Porthole to starboard side and a bulls eye in the cabin top. Most likely will be a traditional boatmans stove/mini range but we've had diesel fittings added to the under floor 450L tank in case we go for the diesel version. A long engine room and 50hp motor need a big prop so Paul will be fitting a 2" lorry prop shaft to connect the engine and sizable 24" compensated (over sized paddles) propeller that's being made by Crowther right now. 

Engine Room

6'6" - There's room to make changes if needed here. We went for a longer than needed engine room in case we ever had a longer engine, seemed logical to me. As the engine excl gearbox (which sits about half way through the floor) is only 34" long there should be loads of room for making decisions as we go. Now some of those are... central engine room doors which if they're all opened up will give the back of the boat a much more open plan feel. Possibly 25' down the middle if the workshop has the same. Other options are using the space for a separate generator, having lots of storage and maybe housing the hot water tank. The engine room will also have a small pigeon box for light and ventilation in the cabin top and matching doors with lift hatches both sides.

The Pen Maker's Workshop

8' - I must say, we're quite looking forward to this bit. Not finalised any dust control systems yet but there are options! The least they'll be is step-over door thresholds to stop bits blowing along to floor from one area to the next. Deb will be setting up business in here too finishing traditional board games and making ornaments and puzzle type things using a scroll saw and, if there's room, a band saw. This space will have  a cabin top prism for light when the doors are closed (there will be loads of powered lighting for working) and matching doors to the engine room and the plan is, that when the moorings are deep enough, we'll just be able to open the engine room doors and workshop doors on the towpath side and have the pens all displayed in displays built into the door linings. 

So that's the end of the industrial bit of our home, next onto the living bit and how we may be able to marry the two parts together.

The other style that we're planning on which will hopefully marry up with the industrial side is a Victorian/Steam Punk slant. Hopefully we'll pull it off ok.

Shower Room - (no not heads, we're not at sea)

7'6" - The SteamPunk/Victorian theme starts here. These are only Ideas to give you a flava so no plans are fixed.

So we'll have a shower cubicle, either swivel glass screen or a curtain with suitable Victorian theme. A composting loo (well a pre composting loo - keeping it simple, Tapatahi remember! A simple white hand wash basin either on an antique wash stand or as part of the structure below.

The plan is that this is just about big enough for a dressing space so we'll be having cupboards in here. To keep the industrial elements I'll be building (well putting together) pre cut scaffolding tubes (possibly painted) into a rack like system that pre built 18mm ply boxes will slide into and fix onto. As we make them we can decide what box has what function. Some may have drawers, some maybe just a hinged cupboard door and the top ones probably top hinged, caravan style. k

Now there's a very good reason for choosing this box type system. Debs sister and other half have recently bought a rather large CNC router/milling machine. Its about 10' x 5'. With some guidance we should be able to email them the design, order a stack of ply and get the magic machine to do it's thing. Our very own flat pack!

The bathroom will have two very nicely machined solid brass drop back portholes and I'm planning on an extraction system linked to the kitchen using a 12v bilge blower. Flooring will probably be something like black and white diamond shape lino.

Galley

7'6" - Not as big as we're used to but hopefully enough and lots of storage. Two full height larder units with a mixture of cupboards and drawers. Possibly using the same tubing shelves. Built in cooker, washing machine (in their flat pack boxes) and ceramic round bowl sink  (in it's cupboard box) to port, The second larder unit, 12v fridge and hopefully an antique low dresser or art deco drinks cabinet to starboard. Brass drop back portholes and a decent sized dog box in the cabin top.

Lounge

12' - roughly. We're trying to get this area as flexible and open planned as possible. From the galley, a small multifuel stove with a fireside chair opposite it. His and hers sized armchairs and probably something like a barley twist legged drop leaf table. Four drop back portholes and another set of side doors about in the middle. Hopefully from the milling machine we'll also get a library steps/stool that can be used for dining and access to the side hatch. 

Clever init? chair flips over into steps!

Under the deck

9'6" A close to floor level bed hole (possibly slide out). in front of that will be a 1000 litre water tank and storage accessed from the deck

Bow

4' with just the gas locker.

Well that's the rough idea, lets see how close we get! No doubt there will be loads more to come. 

Here's some pics from Paul's facebook page of the actual hard work bit. here's a link to his page, great pics this week of a rather rotten bow thruster tube. Paul's Facebook Page

It was at this stage that I called Paul and had a minor melt down. I realised that working to the internal height of Lois Jane's 6'5" wasn't going to suit this style at all. Paul had previously stated that he was going up to the max on the cabin side panels and then adding ladder handles on the top as well, so we'd been warned!

Never mind, re measured and by the time we'd arrived at 9 the next morning a plan for dropping the whole cabin top between 2.75 and 3" was in place. Thank gawd we chose the right builder"