IT'S NOT HOW BIG IT IS .. IT'S HOW YOU USE IT THAT COUNTS

I've been writing about mid length narrowboats. I think this is the first time I am writing about Sea Otter boats. 

What makes Sea Otters different from all other narrowboats is that they are alloy and not steel. In aussie terms ... they are a tinnie.

And being alloy ... Sea Otters up to 31ft are light enough to be towed on a trailer by a 4WD because of a water ballast system. Clever huh !

The Sea Otter story began with an 18 footer, which evolved into a 21ft production boat. A great endorsement to the joys of Sea Otter ownership is the original 18ft 'Marionette'. It is a cute little thing. Still owned by the original owners who have absolutely no intention of ever selling it. 

And here is a link to Sea Otter's 21ft original boat test/review by Waterways World magazine (June 2006). 21ft ?? Now that's a design challenge.

21ft Layout

The 36ft is the newest on the range. I remember hearing some time back that Sea Otter had financially gone under. Though the website remained. And a little over a year ago I heard about the new design. Shortly after I received the June 2011 issue of Canal Boat magazine which reviewed it. And it was obvious that Sea Otter was back ... or hadn't gone anywhere at all. 

So whatever rocked the company ... it didn't put them down for the count. 

31ft Sea Otter (Layout 1)

31ft Sea Otter (Layout 2)

A trailerable boat provides the ability to cruise the navigable waterways of Scotland, Wales (Mon and Brec), England, France, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany,  Hungary, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia,  Sweden and Ukraine. That's a lifetime and a half of holidaying and venturing if you live in that part of the world.

In brief ... the advantage of a tinnie narrowboat is:

1. Low maintenance

2. Low cost of ownership

3. Trailerable (to 31ft)

4. Longevity

5. High resale value

The down-side is their intial cost. A standard 27ft - 31ft boat (before options) is £55-60K. A pump out loo is a £2,385 option for those that prefer a hands-off approach to waste management.

A trailer might be a consideration for the avid road venturer ... also allowing on-land 'mooring' ... errr parking ! Otherwise Sea Otter's towing service (or other boat towing company) provide that. 

Some clever marketing by Sea Otter at Crick Boat Show

The most benefit of Sea Otter ownership is derived by continuous ownership (and use) of a boat over a long period of time.