Finding my Narrowboat

After an 18-month/two year search that included countless viewings of private boats and marinas, I stumbled upon a place selling ex-rental boats just a few hours from where I lived. Let me tell you, finding the perfect boat was no easy feat, especially since I had a very specific request – I was looking for a ‘two-bedroom’ home on the water. At the time, two-bedroom narrowboats were hard to come by, and each boat I viewed left me wondering if I could somehow make it work by transforming the space to fit my needs, but after pricing out the renovations, it was clear that the cost would be substantial.

I vividly remember a conversation from the boat show in Birmingham, where someone recommended considering ex-rental boats as they often came as ‘two-bed’ models. It was advice I kept in the back of my mind, and it turned out to be a game-changer. Enter Juniper. The moment I stepped aboard her, I knew I had found “the one.” She was almost everything I was looking for, and with a few updates, she would be perfect. Sure, her interior was a bit dated – the saloon was rocking a set of two speakers and a car stereo, but honestly, it was mostly cosmetic – or so I thought.

After having a full survey done (which I highly recommend), thanks to the thorough work of the marine surveyor, who traveled all the way from Kent to Leeds. To cut a long story short, the boat was in great shape. Being an ex-rental, it had been blacked every year and had received consistent maintenance, so with everything checked off, I was ready to make her mine.

On December 27th, 2023, Juniper officially became my boat.

Now, I will say that my previous experience with narrow boating was minimal. Sure, I’d hired a couple of day boats, and I was confident on the water, but the thought of owning Juniper and bringing her home had me nervous. I won’t lie – I was absolutely bricking it. The excitement of finally finding my dream boat was undeniable, but the responsibility of bringing her home was a whole new level of stress.

But that was just the beginning.

In a nutshell, Juniper is a 57ft, 1996 Colecraft cruiser stern narrowboat, with a traditional layout. Throughout the boat, the heating system runs on diesel central heating, which is powered by the same tank that fuels the engine. Originally, the boat had a gas central heating setup, but I decided to switch it over to diesel, and it’s been a much better fit for me. Not only is it safer, but my fuel tank is huge, so I’ve managed to get through my first full winter on board without a multi-fuel stove—and I didn’t run out of fuel!

I really liked the idea of having a larger outdoor space while cruising, as it allows for a more sociable experience and means I’m not stuck cruising alone. This turned out to be a great decision, especially since I’ve had my whole family onboard during the process. For me, the cruiser stern was an absolute must.

At the back of the boat, you enter directly into the first bedroom. Most of the electrical housing, boiler, and other ‘important’ utilities are tucked away in cupboards along what I like to call the hallway. The bedroom has the same storage setup as the rest of the boat, along with another sink, which I plan to remove and replace with additional storage.

Next, you move into the bathroom, which is fitted with a pump-out toilet, shower, and bath. Initially, the idea of a pump-out toilet seemed like a dream – the thought of having someone else empty it for you was appealing. However, in reality, I’ve found it to be more practical to have a cassette toilet with spares. Pump-out facilities are often few and far between, and when I’ve found one, it’s usually out of service.

The plan is to completely overhaul the bathroom (it’s hideous!) I am considering installing a walk-in shower, removing the pump-out toilet and its tank (which runs under the bed in the 2nd bedroom), and replacing it with a small sink. I’d also love to take out the cupboard and create space for a small washing machine. That’s the plan, anyway!

After the bathroom, you enter another bedroom which is being used as my bedroom, which features a fitted sink (soon to be removed and replaced with storage) and a cupboard just out of view. There is some storage space under the bed, which works for now, but I’m planning to improve it in the future.

From the second bedroom, you move into the kitchen. It’s small, but it works. The oven is a standard household model that runs off gas (which is the only appliance now powered by gas). There are currently four large gas bottles in the cruiser stern, so if one runs out, you simply switch it off, flip the valve, and open the second bottle – ready to go. I’m thinking of doing a post on this because, when it happened to me, I couldn’t find any information on how to do it, and it was pretty daunting.

As for the kitchen itself, there’s ample storage, a sink, and a small under-counter fridge-freezer.

The front room was pretty basic, with two speakers, some shelving (one of which housed a car stereo, now removed), and a very uncomfortable sofa. The brown carpet throughout was uninspiring, and the curtains… well, they were so bad they almost made me want to vomit!

There have been a lot of changes since these photos were taken, there’s along way to go but she’s finally starting to come together and feel more like home….enter ‘The renovations!’

Feeling slightly smug at the beginning of the process, but ever so grateful 🙂