If you’re looking for an affordable way to become a boat owner then have you considered a project boat? We have project boats for sale to suit all budgets, and you don’t need to be an expert to take one on.

In March 2012 Lina Noyes bought a project boat from us with the intention of refurbishing it to live aboard. Lina (42) is a nursing assistant and has lived aboard various boats for 15 years. She says she was only “seriously” looking for a boat for sale for about a week when she saw what she wanted on our website: a 40ft cruiser stern narrowboat.

“I liked the shape of her,” says Lina. “I’ve never refurbished a boat before but I wanted to try it because it’s cheap and because I could do it to my own tastes; put my own stamp on her. I’m glad I’ve done it, and it adds value to the boat. Buying a project boat meant that I was almost able to buy her outright and there was no need for a bank loan.”

How long did the job take?

Well it’s not finished yet! But it’s taken four months to get her liveable, and I’ve been working full time and running another boat. My shifts vary so I worked on her whenever I had free time. If I was on an 8am to 2pm shift I’d come home, get changed and start work on the boat.

What were your most challenging moments?

It’s best to do a little bit at a time. Looking at the whole thing scared the living daylights out of me, so it’s best to think of it as bite size chunks instead of a meal that you can’t finish. Don’t be scared to ask for help from friends – then you get mates rates! Think laterally and be creative: I made a wardrobe that is also a bedside table.

What were your favourite bits?

The creativity, and working things out. Thinking how am I going to achieve this? I love woodwork; but painting is boring.

How did you create those unusual cupboard doors?

I cut 12ml birch ply in a wiggly line with a jigsaw and then drew the edges with a circular sander, sanding out the knots and getting creative. Cut deep to bring up all the layers, then just varnish them and add wiggly handles. The difficult part is hanging them.

Do you have any advice for someone considering taking on a project boat?

Think seriously about the time and the money. Time is a big consideration, things take longer than expected. You get more realistic as you go along. The advantage is you can do it up within your own financial restrictions.

Peggy says: Keep an eye on our website, as we often have project boats for sale to suit all budgets.

Peggy Melmoth
www.narrowboatwife.com

You may also like:
Living on a Boat: The Boatshed Guide (free) / What does project boat for sale mean? / Canal Diary 2012 / A slideshow of our boat of the moment./Blog Archive

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