Boat #5 - Hull by Dave Clarke / Fitout by Darren Roberts

And another in the criterea from Nottingham Boat Sales at £59,995, though this exact boat pictured just went under offer.

Technical information:
Wooden flooring throughout. Spray foam insulation. Standard steel plating 10-6-4
Fully RCD compliant, High quality finish and specification.

Main Cabin:
Open plan, solid fuel stove with tiled surround. Two full length wardrobes. Large chromed designer central heating rad. Two double power points, L shaped dinette can be installed.

Galley:
Corian style worktops incorportaing sink & drainer. Shorline 12v fridge, Stainless steel 4 ring hob , eye level oven & grill. Space for microwave. Side hatch & breakfast bar with two stools

Bathroom:
Full width cross bathroom. Corner shower unit which has been fully tiled. Hand wash basin with storage. Thetford cassette toilet. Two storage cupboards with shelving.

Bedroom:
Fixed double with drawers under and cuboards above. Full size double wardrobe. Extra storage under stern steps.

Engine Bay:
Isuzu 42hp diesel engine. Skin tank cooled and linked to calorifier.

Heating:
Stand alone solid fuel stove. Webasto diesel central heating for radiators and hot water. Hot
water also from engine.

Electrics:
12 & 240v Sterling combi 1500w inverter & battery charger

Additional Information:
Washing machine can be added under the rear deck steps should you prefer to have your own facilities on board.

And you get £5 change from your £60k ... bargain !

Boat #4 - Standard Narrowboats

The fourth boat in the 'New Boats for Under £60k' is the 50ft cruiser stern Cygnet, available from Nottingham Boat Sales.

Technical info:

Plate thickness: Base 10mm / 6mm below gunwales / 5mm cabin sides / 4mm roof. Cruiser stern with handrail. Gas locker with new cylinder and bubble tester, no well deck. Approximately 725ltr stainless steel water tank, Jabsco Paramax water pump. Integral diesel tanks. Spray foam insulated. Lined in Ash throughout. 5 layers of high quality paint, to create an outstanding finish.

At £55,500 and ready to cruise, it's an interesting option, despite being 7ft shorter than the other boats in this category. The trade off is a more complete spec, a better finish and it comes in £4.5k under the target price.

The smart part of this boat's design is the lengthways full width bed and a stubby bow without seating. This is where the space saving is made to avoid comprimising the interior layout.

Bedroom:

Fixed king size double bed with luxury mattress. 3 large storage compartments with locker lids. Full-length wardrobe with adjoining desk.

Bathroom:

Fully fitted luxury walkthrough bathroom with Thetford Cassette toilet (electric flush and swivel bowl), full vanity unit with washbasin, fully tiled 800mm quadrant shower enclosure with thermostatically controlled mixer and tiled bathroom floor.

Heating:

Solid fuel stove with tilled surround and 55ltr Surecall calorifier, heated by engine and immersion heater.

Galley:

Fully equipped galley located at center. Fridge freezer under worktops, Gas hob, grille and oven unit. Copious amounts of storage with Formica work tops. Stainless Steel sink with mixer taps. Tiled floor.

Main Cabin:
 Fully carpeted. Light open living area with 2 Side hatches.

Engine:

Barrus Shanks, 45hp diesel with hydraulic gearbox, water-cooled with skin tank and linked to the calorifier. Twin alternators.One for start battery and one for leisure batteries. Finished in red international bilge paint to create a clean well kept engine bay.

Electrics:
12v & 240v systems.
40 & 110 amp alternators.
3 x 110amp leisure batteries, 1 x starter battery.
1600watt inverter / charger unit.

Additional Info:

Gas leak detector integrated in LPG system, for self-checking your gas system.

Boats are supplied with a cruising kit, 3 x good quality ropes, 6 x side fenders, front and rear fenders and 100ltr diesel

Full 1 year warranty.

What makes this such a clever boat is that space isn't sacrificed by a lesser length. The advertising blurb points out that being a 50 footer, the reduced length can save around £500 a year on licences and mooring costs, though my calculations tend to approximate the saving at £285.59 per year, give or take.

Wanna see a nice cratch ?

I wandered upon this pic in my travels. I can't remember the boat or any details, but I think it was out of the for sale area of the apolloduck website. I could be wrong.

I like how this cratch works, both in the traditional way and folded down as a table. Just a good idea I may save for later on.