Just a little note to say .... I am sure I am not the only one who misses your beans on toast videos! Hope you are well Dan. Greetings from Mexico .....
3:35 This is a really good point. When you design your "perfect narrowboat" to live on in your mind or on your computer, you picture hot summer days, sipping drinks and nibbling snacks in the welldeck while moored in some idyllic canal in the woods. In reality most of the year you'll be inside when not actually boating, drinking hot chocolate while watching TV. or doing DIY on the boat. You need to build the boat round that reality and it's good to listen to someone with practical experience rather than someone - like me - with a head full of daydreams.
Hope everything is going well for you. I saw another narrowboat vlogger go by your boat. I thought, I know that boat! Stay well and safe. We do care out here about you.
Hi Dan. We have a small Motorhome and until you live on o boat or van you can’t know how best it will suit you. Your video is more useful than you know. Keep em coming. Hope you’re keeping well, we had two Black and Tan Cavaliers and they are such wonderful dogs.
I don’t have a boat, I’m a virtual gongoozaler BUT if I did have a boat built from scratch I always thought I’d try and squeeze a Murphy bed in it. The kind of Murphy bed that has a desk attached to it so that during the day it could double as a tiny office/desk and at night when the bed is down all the “office” clutter is still on the desk underneath the bed. Well that’s my two pen’orth on the subject. Abel’s Ark looks much more comfortable for you than Tilly was. Hope you have years of contentment aboard Abel’s Ark. Cheers for now. 👍
Nice Video Dan. Been a fan for years one of the first narrowboat UA-camr I came across 5 years ago and just to let you know my house goes up for sale week commencing 8th March and I will be on the canal with my family. Thanks for all your videos.
@TBTR, I've been watching for years as well and have been on my 57' for about 20 months. I stay in a marina for the most part and see my neighbors with families but I can't imagine living with someone with such limited space. I'm a bit spoiled as I'm turning my boat into a 'man shed' as I need a bit of space for my hobbies. Mine is a traditional layout with a trad stern and a small engine room but I have a nice closet back aft. With my fireplace being up forward, I tend to run a small fan just at the foot of my bed to push cold air forward and encouraging the warm air to drift aft. I'm on my 2nd winter and it seems to work well. As I'm on shore power most of the time it doesn't really draw enough to cause power problems. I'm getting rid of my table and bench seating and putting in cupboards from my kitchen all the way forward except for the last 8' or so...just to where I have my computer monitor bolted to the wall. This will let me move my refrigerator and a new chest freezer just outside of the kitchen and still give me a bunch of space for food storage, dry coal and wood. I love my boat but it's imperfect. I'm 6'2" and my bed isn't. If Mrs was aboard with me it would be a problem. I'm fortunate to have a house as well and we're content for me to be there on the weekends and away during the week. That wouldn't work for everyone. It's blowing a gale right now and I'm getting bounced against the jetty. Canals, rivers and marinas flood and there has been a couple of times that I had to wade ashore in near freezing water. Taking 'the grim walk' to empty cassettes and having to fetch in firewood and coal is among the chores that are added to the normal domestics. You just need to be open to some compromises. I don't mind but some might, especially in the spring when the damn ducks will insist on marching on the roof at zero dark thirty or having to get up at 2:30am to coal the fire. I'll see you on the cut.
I agree. Put the bath all the way back, and have one open space - and I would add drapes do the bedroom CAN be sectioned off visibly if ever desired. Love the videos. I like your thinking, too!
I was thinking the same thing - open plan and have a rail on the ceiling around the bed - so could pull a drape across or around the bed when going to sleep - This would help w draughtiness.
Just love the idea of your new layout - what genius and great use of space. I'd be inclined to reduce well deck area drastically too giving even more space
Hi Dan totally agree with you one big open space would make the boat seem bigger and be easier to heat and live in, can't understand why boats have small corridors, they just make the boat look cramped. Keep up the good work , take care and stay safe.
Hi Dan Goox to see your life moving along with a partner now and that beautiful Cavalier. I had a dog just like him & envy you!! I do hope you and your partner agree on the layout changes All best of luck X
Thanks! Luckily there isn't much that would need doing if I pick up a smaller second boat... plus allowing a few months of "boat life testing" time... I could delay anything major until for a while and see if her thoughts change over time!
Thanks for posting this. As far as I know this is the only video that proposes an open plan layout. And yet it is perfect. I have watched dozens of boat tours and always wondered why designers separate spaces when they have so little space to begin with. It just cannot be efficient!? Add the reality of OVER heating being the real challenge and open makes even more sense. I can see that families might want separation, and maybe socialites too. Couples, maybe, maybe not. But for the single person, open plan is surely a no brainer. Does anyone actually build canal boats this way?
I really like your pastel colours for the interior. Makes the boat look so much brighter and more welcoming than the brown wooden interiors which seem to be the norm.
Yes, I have always liked light interiors, dark wood seems to make things seem claustrophobic in my mind. My first (Tiny) boat had dark wood inside and pretty much the first thing on my to do list was painting it all light colours!
Greetings from the winter wonderland that is south texas. It is always great to hear from you. Loved the video. I like dreaming. Some dreams come true. Have a great day.
New viewer and subscriber. Your plan makes lots of sense. Extending view lines for interior spaces is critical in space management. You are right on track for those issues.
Hey Dan 🙂 I hope you’re well 👍🏻 I like the idea’s you have for the interior. It would be good to see it. Take care. Just superb photo’s, as usual 😯 brilliant.
Love those moorings. I spent six weeks there last summer. I keep a little motorcycle onboard and it’s the perfect location between Oswestry, Ellesmere and Llangollen. Regards to Dai when you see him next :-)
This is really interesting. I’ve got a 20ft yogurt pot on the Thames and would one day love to build a sail away narrow boat. I’d actually come to a lot of the same conclusions as you, in terms of 45ft length and reverse layout, possibly with an enclosed bow. I’ve never heard of a bathroom right at the front, but I understand your logic. Id be tempted to go for an enclosed bow, the bathroom right at the stern. That way you can easily pop for a “bathroom break” when cruising.
I designed my own boat (and am very pleased with it) but I have to say I never thought of putting the bathroom right in the bow. Interesting idea. I like the idea of a completely open plan boat.
Haha, well considering that when the boat was finally about to come out of the water for blacking... the third national lockdowns came in... I don’t dare even think about starting this work any time soon! I would genuinely be interested in starting from scratch with a brand new boat and slowly putting everything in place if I could get a decent price for the Ark!
Wish you well Dan in future Reno plans if they transpire. Ps: we have a copper container than keeps our kitchen utensils handy in our camper too. Always look forward to your vids young fella 🇨🇦 71+ Yorkshire expat.
i am planning my own solo boat 57ft . i have spent years on tour busses so i know my bed will a 6'6'' x 4' foot.. a removable solid frame between a full wardrobe and my bathroom wall (picture a huge single bunk) underneath is open storage (but getting to my point) with a curtain = no drafts. You will need an opening porthole for fresh air in summer.. thanks for video .. As open plan as you can and keep it simple..
Thanks! All is well! I was planning on posting another short film instead of this... but as has happened so often (especially recently) plans fell apart!
Now I have looked more of this vlog...one suggestion can be railway and maybe you can olace your desk under the railway all in your bathroom/wc ...are that possibe so change as you want your bathroom to the front. With fan in the hall for transport of the heat. Have a nice saturday 😀👍
I think you're right about moving the bathroom to the front. For a solo boater, one large flexible space is the way to go. It would be different if I had a partner. In that case I'd need a way to escape to a separate room from time to time.
I saw a UA-cam video where a fellow rigged a thermostat to his wood burning fireplace - it used dampers to adjust the vents to keep the temperature constant with needing him to constantly adjust things, it did take electricity to run but it might be worth it
Great to see you again and HELLO to Charlie, possibly the best ever addition to your boat life😆🌟👍. BTW what you were sharing is a lorra lorra work 😲 are you SURE!!! The only useful thing I could see would be taking out that kitchen cupboard. Having an eye level stove is fantastic. Don’t loose it !!! Enclosing the cratch would make a difference to the heat and you can still have it for storage! Maybe have a chat with the tight Yorkshireman !!😉 Anyway best of luck, 🫖🍰👏. Joan
Great vlog as always, really like the idea of putting the bathroom at the front of the boat. If it were me I would look at some sort of half/three quarters height divider between the bedroom and living room so you still get the light and heat flow but there would be some kind of separation between the two rooms.
The half 3/4 door idea is a very good one. It should increase the heat transfer to the bedroom. I noticed this with sash windows in an old building, opening the windows so there was a 2 inch gap at the top and bottom created a conveyor effect cooling the room drastically. Much better than just opening one window fully, this just seemed to trap the heat. Dan you could test it out using a bath towel or cardboard (you’ll have plenty of that at work) to see if it works before you go to the bother/expense of construction. Dan love having you back watching & listening to you, the content is very interesting/relaxing keep up the good work. Congratulations on the life perfectly wasted video 145k views as of yesterday. Take care Dan
Thanks Dan, some interesting ideas there. I love open plan living, and the sense of space it gives. But one thing I've found I do like about having a separate end bedroom is that it stays a bit cooler than the saloon, and it's nice to have slightly cool sheets. Sometimes the coal stove is difficult to manage, eg if you overdo the coal because it's died down and gone chilly. Then it gets too hot for several hours, and I'd hate to go to bed in a room with that sort of heat. All that said, the benefits of open space would still win out over that heat issue.
I love vids like this as my mind is always buzzing about layouts. thank you Dan. might it be possible to show us a layout plan of your idea? I didn't quite get the bathroom bit - would that be the first room down from the stern? sounds a good idea for the driver in a hurry! do you think you will actually do this on Abel's Ark?
I don’t think I would do this on the Ark to be honest, but if somebody came along and offered me 30K for the Ark, I’d likely take it and then set about slowly fitting a narrowboat shell in this style. I will do another video soon and show a drawing of how I envision it being set up!
Hi Dan 😀 Very good vlogs...keep do more....I am from north of sweden and my first interesting is railway but I do like narrowboats. Maybe a better solution of the boat can be toalett in the place if your kitchen.
Hi again Dan 😀 If I were you ...I place your railway on the Wall above your desk...so when you yse it you fell the railway down from the Wall over your desk...two tableboan on hinch fells also so it stands on the floor.. 😀
What about a high quality Murphy bed. They occasionally use those in tiny homes in USA. Don’t forget though when you loose walls you also loose storage solutions. Cupboards need walls . If you go to library you maybe able to get a good book on topic . Living in small spaces. It may give you ideas you haven’t yet dreamt of. Take care Happy boating 😊
Interesting, sort of in depth insight into your boat home life. I suppose it's like buying any house, in that Kirsty and Phil also say there's always a compromise somewhere. You'll have a better idea than anyone of how you'd tweak things to make better use of the space you have, which makes me wonder how often you compare and think back to living on Tilly? Still, I will say that Abels' Ark is looking fantastic. I did focus on the desk though and wonder if you still journal by pen and notebook? Then follow up with the question of "what do you think of this years Special Edition Lamy Safari's?"
I think that the Savannah coloured pen is possibly the most standard Dan Brown, subdued earthy tone they could have made! I am still keeping a journal... in one of these bad boys... www.thejournalshop.com/blackwing-slate-notebook-pencil-12580
I often think about the Tilly years. I would love to go back and love on her as she used to be for a month or two, just to see if I was still fit enough and hardy enough for the very active and very rough and ready life it was... I think land life and then the Ark has made me soft though!
I’ve got a question about the beds, has narrow boater you know ever considered holding in heat by making the bed some variation of a four poster bed? This wasn’t on a boat but in a van someone was living part time in and I helped build the bed with a shaped and notched head and foot board so that they could tent a thick quilt over the bed in winter so they got the insulating effect without feeling crushed
Hiya Dan, nice video, I had a Coalbrookdale stove with back boiler in the middle of the saloon, gravity fed, with 2 small radiators, 1 in the bedroom and other in the bathroom.. kept my narrowboat nice and warm.. hope this can help someone.. thanks
I agree with the perfect boat, having the bathroom right in the very front. Only I'd go a little further and have a very short tug deck with no opening doors in front.
I have a similar sized fire and believe me when I say that when it's proper cold and I've been away, I need at least that sized fire. Oddly, I seldom get too warm but I'll let the fire tick over just as low as it will stand and stay lit most of the time. I've learned how to control the temperature fairly well.
I think that anything that puts more space indoors is great, especially on some of the smaller boats where the wall at the front is barely 2 feet away from the tip of the bow. I’d quite like to see inside one, with the built in window too! Tilly had stable doors at the front which I used to really like... but then the front of the interior was only 15 feet away from the back door!
I wasn't sure about where you intended for the bathroom to go in your proposed floor plan (I'm one of those who probably needs a drawing) but I'd just like to say you've done a beautiful job updating the boat you already have, it's very *very* nice! Can I ask what material/stone/tile you used for your stove surround? It's 😍!
Hello, The fireplace is how it was when I bought the boat, I think that they are just a general large grey tile. I prefer larger tiles like that though, as the larger size means fewer joints and lines which makes it look “neater” in my opinion!
Would moving the bathroom change the balance of the boat? (water tanks, etc.?) That would be my thought as to why it's in the center vs. an end. Also: Having bathroom in center vs. megaroom could be a structural engineering/strength thing so it doesn't fold in half?)
@@mroberts2738 Well, the pipes would follow along the hull regardless. It depends on where the water heater is--which could be another factor. Many times they share a wall with the kitchen. I've since learned they usually put the water tank in the bow or under the beds, so it might take up too much low floorspace to put in a bathroom there.
Because I don't like to sleep on a flat bed I sleep on my couch. Will a 6 1/2 foot By 3 1/2 foot couch fit through the door on a narrow boat? I'd also use decorative large curtains for walls allowing for openers and heat distribution. So in the absence of the bedroom I'd have a work area. Also, it's not necessary to have a bathroom and kitchen sink, just the kitchen sink will do. This is all cost effective and practical for a single man on the boat. I'd also like a bathtub that would be great for a relaxing end of the day.
Just a little note to say .... I am sure I am not the only one who misses your beans on toast videos! Hope you are well Dan. Greetings from Mexico .....
Another superb video, and Charlie is adorable!
Charlie is absolutely the cutest pup. Thank you for sharing
3:35 This is a really good point. When you design your "perfect narrowboat" to live on in your mind or on your computer, you picture hot summer days, sipping drinks and nibbling snacks in the welldeck while moored in some idyllic canal in the woods. In reality most of the year you'll be inside when not actually boating, drinking hot chocolate while watching TV. or doing DIY on the boat. You need to build the boat round that reality and it's good to listen to someone with practical experience rather than someone - like me - with a head full of daydreams.
Hope everything is going well for you. I saw another narrowboat vlogger go by your boat. I thought, I know that boat! Stay well and safe. We do care out here about you.
Hi Dan. We have a small Motorhome and until you live on o boat or van you can’t know how best it will suit you. Your video is more useful than you know. Keep em coming. Hope you’re keeping well, we had two Black and Tan Cavaliers and they are such wonderful dogs.
I don’t have a boat, I’m a virtual gongoozaler BUT if I did have a boat built from scratch I always thought I’d try and squeeze a Murphy bed in it. The kind of Murphy bed that has a desk attached to it so that during the day it could double as a tiny office/desk and at night when the bed is down all the “office” clutter is still on the desk underneath the bed. Well that’s my two pen’orth on the subject. Abel’s Ark looks much more comfortable for you than Tilly was. Hope you have years of contentment aboard Abel’s Ark. Cheers for now. 👍
Good to see you Dan , a good insight into the practicalities of boat life
A change is allways of benefit. If the change works you won something. If it dosn't work you hav won something else. Experience!
Nice Video Dan. Been a fan for years one of the first narrowboat UA-camr I came across 5 years ago and just to let you know my house goes up for sale week commencing 8th March and I will be on the canal with my family. Thanks for all your videos.
Wow! Good luck! Thanks for tuning in over all these years!
@TBTR, I've been watching for years as well and have been on my 57' for about 20 months. I stay in a marina for the most part and see my neighbors with families but I can't imagine living with someone with such limited space. I'm a bit spoiled as I'm turning my boat into a 'man shed' as I need a bit of space for my hobbies. Mine is a traditional layout with a trad stern and a small engine room but I have a nice closet back aft. With my fireplace being up forward, I tend to run a small fan just at the foot of my bed to push cold air forward and encouraging the warm air to drift aft. I'm on my 2nd winter and it seems to work well. As I'm on shore power most of the time it doesn't really draw enough to cause power problems.
I'm getting rid of my table and bench seating and putting in cupboards from my kitchen all the way forward except for the last 8' or so...just to where I have my computer monitor bolted to the wall. This will let me move my refrigerator and a new chest freezer just outside of the kitchen and still give me a bunch of space for food storage, dry coal and wood.
I love my boat but it's imperfect. I'm 6'2" and my bed isn't. If Mrs was aboard with me it would be a problem. I'm fortunate to have a house as well and we're content for me to be there on the weekends and away during the week. That wouldn't work for everyone. It's blowing a gale right now and I'm getting bounced against the jetty. Canals, rivers and marinas flood and there has been a couple of times that I had to wade ashore in near freezing water. Taking 'the grim walk' to empty cassettes and having to fetch in firewood and coal is among the chores that are added to the normal domestics. You just need to be open to some compromises. I don't mind but some might, especially in the spring when the damn ducks will insist on marching on the roof at zero dark thirty or having to get up at 2:30am to coal the fire.
I'll see you on the cut.
You should sign up to the Crick show, there will be numerous boat sellers there.
I agree. Put the bath all the way back, and have one open space - and I would add drapes do the bedroom CAN be sectioned off visibly if ever desired. Love the videos. I like your thinking, too!
I was thinking the same thing - open plan and have a rail on the ceiling around the bed - so could pull a drape across or around the bed when going to sleep - This would help w draughtiness.
Dan, Your proposed design layout is genius! Never saw a narrowboat with the layout you described, but it makes a lot of sense.
Loving your videos! Glad I found them. Not just “sort of”. ;)
Just love the idea of your new layout - what genius and great use of space. I'd be inclined to reduce well deck area drastically too giving even more space
Absolutely stunning camera work Dan. Thanks, really enjoyed your latest film. Regards from Greece.
Hi Dan totally agree with you one big open space would make the boat seem bigger and be easier to heat and live in, can't understand why boats have small corridors, they just make the boat look cramped. Keep up the good work , take care and stay safe.
Hi Dan Goox to see your life moving along with a partner now and that beautiful Cavalier. I had a dog just like him & envy you!!
I do hope you and your partner agree on the layout changes
All best of luck X
Thanks! Luckily there isn't much that would need doing if I pick up a smaller second boat... plus allowing a few months of "boat life testing" time... I could delay anything major until for a while and see if her thoughts change over time!
I enjoyed this video. The still shot around 9:25 is just stunning!
Some great ideas especially for those considering a narrowboat lifestyle.
Great vlog Dan as always, start with the kitchen and see how u get on 1 change at a time .
Great video Dan, we don't see enough of you.
Your boat is looking great Dan. . Loving the colours. The panels behind the stove with that wooden edge. I think it really works .
This is the ideal narrowboat body. You may not like it, but this is what peak narrowboat performance looks like.
Interesting mutterings Dan, glad to see you're all well in these dark times... :)
Ah that was good timing with the tractor cutting the grass😉always great to c u and yr goings on...take care...⛴🚣♂️🐕
Very interesting. A "studio" open layout with central fireplace is a very interesting approach. Have you ever seen anyone else do that?
as usual a very well and informative video but now its time for another cooking LIVE video :) :) take care young Dan stay safe and well
Great vid, Dan. We had a tri-colour cav called Timmy. He was the best dog ever.
Lovely to hear you again. Very fond of your vids. Good health and happiness to you. X
Thanks for posting this. As far as I know this is the only video that proposes an open plan layout. And yet it is perfect. I have watched dozens of boat tours and always wondered why designers separate spaces when they have so little space to begin with. It just cannot be efficient!? Add the reality of OVER heating being the real challenge and open makes even more sense. I can see that families might want separation, and maybe socialites too. Couples, maybe, maybe not. But for the single person, open plan is surely a no brainer. Does anyone actually build canal boats this way?
Could you have a fold up bed? Like hinged at one side and folded up into the side wall of the boat?
Your boating vids are always the highlight of my day
I really like your pastel colours for the interior. Makes the boat look so much brighter and more welcoming than the brown wooden interiors which seem to be the norm.
Yes, I have always liked light interiors, dark wood seems to make things seem claustrophobic in my mind. My first (Tiny) boat had dark wood inside and pretty much the first thing on my to do list was painting it all light colours!
Greetings from the winter wonderland that is south texas. It is always great to hear from you. Loved the video. I like dreaming. Some dreams come true. Have a great day.
New viewer and subscriber. Your plan makes lots of sense. Extending view lines for interior spaces is critical in space management. You are right on track for those issues.
Hey Dan 🙂 I hope you’re well 👍🏻 I like the idea’s you have for the interior. It would be good to see it. Take care. Just superb photo’s, as usual 😯 brilliant.
Love those moorings. I spent six weeks there last summer. I keep a little motorcycle onboard and it’s the perfect location between Oswestry, Ellesmere and Llangollen. Regards to Dai when you see him next :-)
Haha, it is a great place, I’ll pass on a Hello for you!
Hi dan hope your coming back
This is really interesting. I’ve got a 20ft yogurt pot on the Thames and would one day love to build a sail away narrow boat.
I’d actually come to a lot of the same conclusions as you, in terms of 45ft length and reverse layout, possibly with an enclosed bow.
I’ve never heard of a bathroom right at the front, but I understand your logic.
Id be tempted to go for an enclosed bow, the bathroom right at the stern. That way you can easily pop for a “bathroom break” when cruising.
So glad to see you again Dan.
Dan the man is back . Yes moving the fire place and the galley around a good idea , but nothing too drastic as i like your layout as it is :-)
I designed my own boat (and am very pleased with it) but I have to say I never thought of putting the bathroom right in the bow. Interesting idea. I like the idea of a completely open plan boat.
If I had your boat I would not change a thing, it is laid out just as I would want it, but that is only my opinion. Nice to see you back.
Great video Dan. Do you think you will go ahead with your ideas? And in the next video Dan takes a sledgehammer to his bathroom walls!
Haha, well considering that when the boat was finally about to come out of the water for blacking... the third national lockdowns came in... I don’t dare even think about starting this work any time soon!
I would genuinely be interested in starting from scratch with a brand new boat and slowly putting everything in place if I could get a decent price for the Ark!
Love the snoring Charlie 😂
Wish you well Dan in future Reno plans if they transpire. Ps: we have a copper container than keeps our kitchen utensils handy in our camper too. Always look forward to your vids young fella 🇨🇦 71+ Yorkshire expat.
Hello Dan, an great video with some of your interesting thoughts about living on a narrow-boat. Regards Greg
i am planning my own solo boat 57ft . i have spent years on tour busses so i know my bed will a 6'6'' x 4' foot.. a removable solid frame between a full wardrobe and my bathroom wall (picture a huge single bunk) underneath is open storage (but getting to my point) with a curtain = no drafts. You will need an opening porthole for fresh air in summer.. thanks for video .. As open plan as you can and keep it simple..
Nice one Dan good to see on here mate 🦢✌️
Hay Hi. Was wondering when we would see you again. Always a pleasure. Hope you are well and enjoying life.
Thanks! All is well! I was planning on posting another short film instead of this... but as has happened so often (especially recently) plans fell apart!
Now I have looked more of this vlog...one suggestion can be railway and maybe you can olace your desk under the railway all in your bathroom/wc ...are that possibe so change as you want your bathroom to the front. With fan in the hall for transport of the heat. Have a nice saturday 😀👍
Have you run your ideas past any boat builders? It would be interesting to get their take on the layout you described.
I think you're right about moving the bathroom to the front. For a solo boater, one large flexible space is the way to go. It would be different if I had a partner. In that case I'd need a way to escape to a separate room from time to time.
Nice little doggy
That pup's snore is HILARIOUS! Are your floors bamboo? I really like the look of them.
Haha, it’s hilarious until you are trying to sleep! The floor is just some kind of laminate, but yes very unusual pattern with the small thin strips!
Good to see you've found time for real life in between trading excitement 😀
What a crazy month it has been!
thanks for your thoughts, good one
I saw a UA-cam video where a fellow rigged a thermostat to his wood burning fireplace - it used dampers to adjust the vents to keep the temperature constant with needing him to constantly adjust things, it did take electricity to run but it might be worth it
Nice video . Please share more !
Maybe a diagram of the floor plan of your ideal boat
Great to see you again and HELLO to Charlie, possibly the best ever addition to your boat life😆🌟👍. BTW what you were sharing is a lorra lorra work 😲 are you SURE!!! The only useful thing I could see would be taking out that kitchen cupboard. Having an eye level stove is fantastic. Don’t loose it !!! Enclosing the cratch would make a difference to the heat and you can still have it for storage! Maybe have a chat with the tight Yorkshireman !!😉 Anyway best of luck, 🫖🍰👏. Joan
Great vlog as always, really like the idea of putting the bathroom at the front of the boat. If it were me I would look at some sort of half/three quarters height divider between the bedroom and living room so you still get the light and heat flow but there would be some kind of separation between the two rooms.
The half 3/4 door idea is a very good one. It should increase the heat transfer to the bedroom. I noticed this with sash windows in an old building, opening the windows so there was a 2 inch gap at the top and bottom created a conveyor effect cooling the room drastically. Much better than just opening one window fully, this just seemed to trap the heat. Dan you could test it out using a bath towel or cardboard (you’ll have plenty of that at work) to see if it works before you go to the bother/expense of construction.
Dan love having you back watching & listening to you, the content is very interesting/relaxing keep up the good work. Congratulations on the life perfectly wasted video 145k views as of yesterday.
Take care Dan
I think Able's Ark is a great boat and Charlie is so cute.
Thanks Dan, some interesting ideas there.
I love open plan living, and the sense of space it gives.
But one thing I've found I do like about having a separate end bedroom is that it stays a bit cooler than the saloon, and it's nice to have slightly cool sheets.
Sometimes the coal stove is difficult to manage, eg if you overdo the coal because it's died down and gone chilly.
Then it gets too hot for several hours, and I'd hate to go to bed in a room with that sort of heat.
All that said, the benefits of open space would still win out over that heat issue.
Nice 1 Dan keep em coming
I love vids like this as my mind is always buzzing about layouts. thank you Dan. might it be possible to show us a layout plan of your idea? I didn't quite get the bathroom bit - would that be the first room down from the stern? sounds a good idea for the driver in a hurry! do you think you will actually do this on Abel's Ark?
I don’t think I would do this on the Ark to be honest, but if somebody came along and offered me 30K for the Ark, I’d likely take it and then set about slowly fitting a narrowboat shell in this style. I will do another video soon and show a drawing of how I envision it being set up!
@@SortOfInterestinggreat, thanks. hope that's something you could get to do this Sumner
Hi Dan 😀
Very good vlogs...keep do more....I am from north of sweden and my first interesting is railway but I do like narrowboats. Maybe a better solution of the boat can be toalett in the place if your kitchen.
Nice video loving the dog.👍
Hammock. Super-comfy when you get used to it, and stows readily.
Great to see you Dan, as always stay safe
Thanks! You too!
Hi again Dan 😀
If I were you ...I place your railway on the Wall above your desk...so when you yse it you fell the railway down from the Wall over your desk...two tableboan on hinch fells also so it stands on the floor.. 😀
Hope your ok
Keep well
What about a high quality Murphy bed. They occasionally use those in tiny homes in USA.
Don’t forget though when you loose walls you also loose storage solutions. Cupboards need walls .
If you go to library you maybe able to get a good book on topic . Living in small spaces. It may give you ideas you haven’t yet dreamt of.
Take care
Happy boating 😊
What are u doing now? Miss your vids.
Useful video Dan, nothing is pathetic..
Interesting, sort of in depth insight into your boat home life. I suppose it's like buying any house, in that Kirsty and Phil also say there's always a compromise somewhere. You'll have a better idea than anyone of how you'd tweak things to make better use of the space you have, which makes me wonder how often you compare and think back to living on Tilly? Still, I will say that Abels' Ark is looking fantastic. I did focus on the desk though and wonder if you still journal by pen and notebook? Then follow up with the question of "what do you think of this years Special Edition Lamy Safari's?"
I think that the Savannah coloured pen is possibly the most standard Dan Brown, subdued earthy tone they could have made!
I am still keeping a journal... in one of these bad boys... www.thejournalshop.com/blackwing-slate-notebook-pencil-12580
I often think about the Tilly years.
I would love to go back and love on her as she used to be for a month or two, just to see if I was still fit enough and hardy enough for the very active and very rough and ready life it was... I think land life and then the Ark has made me soft though!
I’ve got a question about the beds, has narrow boater you know ever considered holding in heat by making the bed some variation of a four poster bed?
This wasn’t on a boat but in a van someone was living part time in and I helped build the bed with a shaped and notched head and foot board so that they could tent a thick quilt over the bed in winter so they got the insulating effect without feeling crushed
Great vlog, have to tried pricing out the move ? Would it be massively expensive ?
Hey dude when will you continue with the model railway vids?
Great vid Danny boy 👍
good vid dan keep posting vids on the cut
Hiya Dan, nice video, I had a Coalbrookdale stove with back boiler in the middle of the saloon, gravity fed, with 2 small radiators, 1 in the bedroom and other in the bathroom.. kept my narrowboat nice and warm.. hope this can help someone.. thanks
Should have drawn out a narrowboat plan of what you were talking about :-)
Dan! Where have your youtube videos been at?
I agree with the perfect boat, having the bathroom right in the very front. Only I'd go a little further and have a very short tug deck with no opening doors in front.
Possibly a Smaller fire Lit for more hours ? ( same Stove but less fuel at a time ) 1 log rather than 2 logs etc.
I have a similar sized fire and believe me when I say that when it's proper cold and I've been away, I need at least that sized fire. Oddly, I seldom get too warm but I'll let the fire tick over just as low as it will stand and stay lit most of the time. I've learned how to control the temperature fairly well.
What do you think about narrowboats without well decks? Less storage space, but, more living space.
I think that anything that puts more space indoors is great, especially on some of the smaller boats where the wall at the front is barely 2 feet away from the tip of the bow.
I’d quite like to see inside one, with the built in window too!
Tilly had stable doors at the front which I used to really like... but then the front of the interior was only 15 feet away from the back door!
Enjoyed this video Love Charlie
Fantastic!
I wasn't sure about where you intended for the bathroom to go in your proposed floor plan (I'm one of those who probably needs a drawing) but I'd just like to say you've done a beautiful job updating the boat you already have, it's very *very* nice! Can I ask what material/stone/tile you used for your stove surround? It's 😍!
Hello, The fireplace is how it was when I bought the boat, I think that they are just a general large grey tile. I prefer larger tiles like that though, as the larger size means fewer joints and lines which makes it look “neater” in my opinion!
I like the bathroom in the bow.
Where are you Dan? I haven't seen any of your stuff for a long time
Would moving the bathroom change the balance of the boat? (water tanks, etc.?) That would be my thought as to why it's in the center vs. an end. Also: Having bathroom in center vs. megaroom could be a structural engineering/strength thing so it doesn't fold in half?)
I also thought about if it’s the “home builders” habit to not put water on outside walls due to freezing pipes.
@@mroberts2738 Well, the pipes would follow along the hull regardless. It depends on where the water heater is--which could be another factor. Many times they share a wall with the kitchen. I've since learned they usually put the water tank in the bow or under the beds, so it might take up too much low floorspace to put in a bathroom there.
Where have you gone Dan? Hope you're OK. No vids for ages
Because I don't like to sleep on a flat bed I sleep on my couch. Will a 6 1/2 foot By 3 1/2 foot couch fit through the door on a narrow boat? I'd also use decorative large curtains for walls allowing for openers and heat distribution. So in the absence of the bedroom I'd have a work area. Also, it's not necessary to have a bathroom and kitchen sink, just the kitchen sink will do. This is all cost effective and practical for a single man on the boat. I'd also like a bathtub that would be great for a relaxing end of the day.
Have you considered selling what you have and building all a new as you so desire ? Oh cut the snoring dog part out ( Charlie) !
Yes, I think I’d sell the Ark if I could get about 30k then start again from scratch!
That roof looks like prime real estate
lots of people don't enjoy there life sounds to me you do nice boat bit better than tilly
Where are you Dan? We’re missing you!
Hi Dan. You ok?