House Boats…

Houseboat living has been a lifestyle delight of mine for over a decade. It’s a way of life with challenges for refurbishment and design that is nothing like the world of bricks and mortar.

Having refurbished, lived on and designed, two large houseboats, one with a fibreglass hull and one made of steel, I have dealt with confines of space, material constraints and weight/balance issues, as well as creating a look in keeping with that very specific style of living.

Reality checks are always present with a moving property; ones where nothing can be assumed as level or even straight forward, increasing difficulty with build projects.

Damp and water are a key consideration when using materials.

Foresight must be given to longevity and the prevention of rotting fabrics, careful choice of materials, venting, heating and definitely insulation, and more.

Thinking about eco and environmentally friendly products are vital these days.

Sadly, pricing is such that this valued way of designing, building and refurbishing is costly; however, when working on a boat, some of these wonderful products are the very best materials available for such projects, and so become vitally important considerations.

Cork, recycled bottle insulation, wool and more are all fantastic for many reasons.

Dry dock, although hugely expensive, is a necessity and quite an impressive sight to see.