After looking at lots of narrowboats for sale, here's a tour of our 57ft reverse layout cruiser stern narrowboat interior. I talk about the condition we got it in recently, what our plans are and I'll come back with some after shots of how we changed things.
Welcome to Our New Narrowboat
Welcome back to our narrowboat again. I thought I'd show your what out narrowboat interior looked like once we'd bought it. And what plans I'm going to do.
I'd love any tips and advice on what you would do as well, because I've spent about five nights on it, I'm now thinking maybe I don't need to do this or that afterall.
The key thing that you'll probably want to know about this boat is that it's a 57ft reverse layout narrowboat. And it was built in 2011. And with it being a reverse layout, that means the kitchen is at the back.
Narrowboat Kitchen
My first impression was the kitchen seemed quite small. Although since, we've used it quite a few times. Even cooked a roast dinner. And actually, I'm quite impressed with how spacious it now seems to be.
There is a space for a washing machine just under one of the units if we want to have extended canal holidays on it. And as mentioned before, we want to try and future-proof it for living long-term.
Oh, but luckily it's already got the water feed under there and the waste attachment.
Narrowboat Fridge
Now initially, we thought it came with a 240-volt fridge, But somebody's written on the back it's 12 volts. It seems to have been rigged up for that anyway.
But if we ever broke this, we've been looking at newer ones and they're about a thousand pounds.
So yeah, we're gonna look after this. It's got a couple of chips and stuff on it, but at that kind of price and it works at the moment, we're just gonna look after it.
Narrowboat Stainless Steel Undermount Sink
We've got a sink with a rinser just here and this is definitely something I want to replace eventually because it's very scratched and dull.
But in terms of the kitchen worktop, personally, I think this has seen better days.
So the first thing that I thought when I saw this was, rather than restoring it, was that I wanted to rip it out completely. But I've been convinced to leave it for now and just oil it.
Narrowboat Kitchen Worktop
And this is where the hob area is. And if you look closely, it's come away. It's wobbling. And this actually isn't attached properly to the kitchen unit.
So when I refinish the tops for this year, I'm going to fix the join. But it doesn't separate at the back at the same time and that's why I don't want to take it out and biscuit join it.
I'm just going to put a mending plate under there and a resin fix. So that's a job that will be coming probably in the next month or two.
Hob Work Space Saver
Now, this is some sort of work saver thing above the hob and I'm not overly keen. But at the moment, I do appreciate the space.
The edging is just some gaffer tape and I think this is some sort of like Fablon which also matches the fridge freezer. But if you take it off and put it away we have a four-hob burner.
Again this is something I wanted to replace because I thought it looked dated with the rest of it. But I know that once I've restored the worktops, it actually might look like a nice shaker kitchen.
Narrowboat 4 Burner Hob
We've since learned that this hob isn't the original Thetford one that was installed.
And the downside to this hob is that it doesn't ignite unless it's on a 240 vault. Unlike the oven. So I've got one of a USB lighter that I love.
Anyway, because I hate fire and the possibility of burning myself, I'm using the lighter when the inverter is not on, or it's not connected to the mains.
Tea & Coffee Set-Up
Now, we do love a coffee in the morning. So at the moment, I'm using a very basic coffee maker from home because I've got bags of ground coffee to use up.
You see, we now only buy coffee beans for one of those bean to cut machines at home, so that's why I'm just using this for now.
I do have a cafeteria - a stainless steel one, but I do miss just popping these papers in. It's just a lot less mess. And a kettle, which is a one cup kettle. It'll only boil one cup of boiling water at any one time again from home but that's just there if we're hooked up to the mains.
Collapsible Kettle
We also have a gas kettle that we use if we want to reserve energy. It's one of those collapsible ones. But for anyone who's seen quite a lot of our camping videos, we had a lot of this stuff anyway.
We still have the camper van, so technically, we've got three things of each thing now for home, here and the camper. But yeah, that is very useful to fold and put away.
Narrowboat Grill and Oven
We also have a gas grill and a gas oven. And this is the first time we've ever had an oven that's at a dog-friendly height.
So when we first got this boat, we thought we wanted to put this above the fridge freezer and have it more integrated. But at the moment, I quite like this.
And I like the idea of less hassle of moving it around. But we have noticed that Hans likes to try and paw the oven open. It looks like we'll have to keep an eye out on that.
Moving The Oven
Now, if we do decide to move the oven here, then I'll have to re-jig this configuration. At the moment, one of the cupboards has our plates and bowls and cups in and a backup hob espresso maker.
And we'd maybe leave the position of the microwave, but that might also mean compromising on the size of the fridge freezer and I eat a LOT of fresh vegetables.
That actually might prove an issue for me!
Kitchen Cupboard Storage
I've also been impressed with the amount of storage that I've had underneath the sink. And this is where I keep all the pots and pans at the moment.
I'm also using large Curver plastic baskets. In fact, you'll see I bought these to do a veg rack, but I decided to go for the smaller ones.
And I've got cleaning products in here, so I do plan to do a few cooking videos for exclusive Patreon content
Storing Dry Food
Now, apart from having the fridge freezer for fresh fruit and veg, something that we always like to have at hand, just in case, is a cupboard full of dry food.
And to be honest, all we did was raid our camping food storage so nothing went out of date. And it's certainly not fine dining. But it's nice to have for emergencies, like chili con carne, chicken curry, etc.
It's also my herb cupboard and for oils as I like to make salad dressings to go with my fresh salads.
Extra Bits
Pretty much what you see, apart from the odd appliance, is what came with the boat. There's also this really handy cupboard on the wall for Canal and River Trust keys, although I wouldn't mind a spice rack here.
The utensil rack was already here as well, which suits me perfectly. Although I've brought all of these from home and I keep finding duplicates to bring.
And before I even start talking about what's inside the cupboards next to the cruiser stern, I just want to talk about the windows for a minute, because obviously, if you've seen from the outside, this is the least traditional part of this boat. And it's obviously had a change in its history and that is it's got uPVC double glazing.
And since, it's been changed, the architrave around the windows isn't the original. To me, it looks like soft pine and it's not been chamfered around. It's also got a few holes filled with wood filler, not in the right color which I want to change.
Ply Lining Painting Plans
I'm also not happy with the ash wood veneer that's obviously started to peel. And you can see water damage in that area from the windows.
They also tend to be on the windows that open, not the fixed ones. But the other thing that I had in mind was it's quite a dark area towards the top. So I would like to paint this area and there's a lot of screw holes dotted around from previous belongings that were there.
So I've got to ask myself, do I replace it and then paint it? It feels like a pointless exercise. I'm probably going to paint it first. Then try and fill any of the areas. I know it's a veneer - it could be tricky. Particularly on the joins. I'll just see how it goes, but I don't want to paint everywhere. I really want to keep a lot of the trim detail so it's not too stark.
Control Panel
Just past the narrowboat's main doors from the cruiser stern are some double doored cupboards on the left and right.
One has the control panel in, light switch, inverter, Webasto heater, etc. We also store dog food, etc underneath here.
The opposite is one for our coats, mooring pins and hidden calorifier underneath. The latter turns water that cools the engine into hot water for a shower and washing up.
Narrowboat Dinette
So once I've done some cooking in the kitchen, I sit and eat at a large L-shaped dinette.
And this also turns into a bed where the cushions become the mattress.
Underneath is also extra storage for anything we want.
Narrowboat Saloon
For the lounge area (AKA saloon), it's just past the dinette. We also have a bookshelf that we're removing to make a drop leaf desk mounted under the gunnels.
July 2021 Update: We've now removed the bookshelf and turned it into a DIY sandpaper storage shelf system in my workshop.
Then opposite that are some floating wall shelves that don't feel that stable, and plus, I can't really see a big use for them. So I'm going to take them down too to create more space.
Narrowboat TV
Just above the floating shelves is a large wall mounted TV. There was a 12 volt TV here before, including the bracket, but instead, we took it down and put our favorite type of TV on the wall with ambient lighting.
We don't watch it a lot in all honesty. More often than not, we put Alexa on and listen to the radio.
However, we may install a 12-volt TV in the bedroom.
Narrowboat Heating
We have 4 radiators throughout the boat, which I plan to update with modern ones. This works when we turn the Webasto diesel heater on.
But also, we have a Morso Multi Fuel stove. This is in need of sanding rust off and painting again. However, we've loved cooking on it with cast iron pansor sandwich hob makers.
We also burn offcuts or dried logs or coal and to be able to cook something while heat up the boat is very useful!
TV & Internet on the Boat
Where you can see the shelves and cupboard to the left of the stove, is our TV and internet hub.
Originally, it just had a TV aerial. But one of the first things we insisted on doing, is removing the back panel of the shelves and drill a hole above to thread through an internet cable.
We now have unlimited internet on the boat for £20 a month. But, I'll have to talk about our mast solution at a later date.
Where Do We Sit?
When we first got the boat, there was an IKEA lounge chair on there. And of course, we can sit at the dinette.
We do plan on having 2 arm chairs, so we can roll them out of the way for my morning exercise. And, generally, work at our desks.
Note, I'll be working at the dinette table! Anyway, let's go to the bathroom, shall we?
Walkthrough Narrowboat Bathroom (The Head)
Now, this bathroom is a walk-through bathroom and we've never been on one of these on a hire boat.
The tap is currently leaking at the handle, which I'll need to repair. I'd tried to unscrew this to replace the cartridge and think it's easier just replacing the whole thing.
Under the sink also has additional storage and Speed Fit plumbing. I felt in control when I saw that.
Toilet Cassette
The toilet on our boat is a cassette toilet. We've been on hire boats before where we've looked for a pump-out and we've not been able to find them. #
Albeit, it was Christmas week, but we like the idea of this where we can have a spare one just in case which we have since bought.
To access the cassette, we go into the bedroom and get to it under the bed. Then we can find a Elsan point to dispose of our waste.
Cracked Shower Tray
When we had a survey done just before we bought it, there were a few things that needed to be done. We knew about a leaky tap and stuff, but I didn't expect a cracked shower tray.
So I insisted on that getting done before I committed. And there were a few other things that needed to be done to get the four-year boat safety scheme as part of the sale. More again on that in another video.
And the shower is a very good size. There is a pump here to pump the water out. It's not the deepest of shower trays, but it just gives you enough to not waste too much water, which is what we quite like.
It's also really nice and warm. The pressure is perfect. I've got no complaints about this shower.
Narrowboat Bedroom
With ours being a reverse layout, the bedroom is at the front of the boat. And I love the carpentry in here. So you can see the bathroom door is on the left and this is our small double bed.
We've actually got a Tempur mattress at home that we love. But one of the things that the manufacturers say is you need to have them well ventilated and they can't be in damp spaces. So that was completely out for here and we decided to compromise with a part spring part memory foam mattress.
Underneath, we still have a breathable membrane underneath as well, so we'll keep an eye out on that but it's very cozy and it's me that gets the squished side at the end.
Bedroom Cupboard Space
Just under the overbed cupboards, we have really useful lights.
We also have more storage under the bed and 2 large draws.
Then, at the foot of the bed, we have a double door wardrobe on one side and a single door one on the other.
Dog Bed
"But where does Hans sleep?" I hear you ask.
It's not the best place to put, but right now Hans is loving just sleeping in the walkway, in the corner of the bedroom next to the front door.
He loves this small cozy space. And every now and again, we find him just go to his bed just to chill out. So, we're going to leave that there for now.
Water Pump and Tank
Under the steps leading to the back door is where our water pump is.
I suppose this could also be used for some storage regarding things not needed very often. *And things that won't matter if they get wet!
And the pipes lead towards under the well deck where our water tank is. (Note: we can't access this area).
The Well Deck
So let's have a quick glance outside. The double glazed front door can only be opened from inside.
There's also storage, where we keep our hose pipe, oil containers.
Oh, and cleaning buckets!!
Narrowboat Engine Stuff
I'm still yet to take a narrowboat engine maintenance course, so I won't be covering this in full.
But what I can tell you is that it has also has a Canaline 38 horsepower diesel engine. It also doesn't have a grease stern gland as it's cooled with water. I'll report back once I fully learn this, unlike my husband!!!
The engine stuff is at the back of the boat.
It also only had about 50 hours on the engine, and spent more time in a marina.
Gas Bottle Storage
And finally, the gas bottles are in their own metal lockers. We have two and they're on the reverse of the boat on the cruiser stern.
When one runs out, we can swap for the other. Although we've not need to yet.
It's also worth noting, the only gas thing we have is the hob and oven. We also keep wellies and spare rope in these!
Watch This Narrowboat Space!
So hopefully you enjoyed this narrowboat interior tour and the many barge holidays we have in store for you!
However, if you've got any questions, feel free to let me know below and I'll do my best to answer.
There's definitely a few upcoming projects to do on renovating and fixes.
Narrow Boat Art
Since purchasing, we've now paid for a specialist canopy on the front and back.
It's also been the subject of narrowboat art which is now for sale in my Etsy shop.
You can find even more narrowboat pictures in my etsy shop overall.
You Might Also Like
- Our buying a narrowboat experience
- DIY boat fender hangers
- Replacing a leaking waste basin on a narrowboat
- Installing narrowboat window privacy film
- Changing a narrowboat mixer tap
- How we sold our first house and bought a narrowboat (and another house)
- Narrowboat hire for our honeymoon
- Insect O Cutor Nomad Fly Killer Review - tested on our Summer narrowboat holiday
- Our favourite narrowboat recipes
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