Welcome to Wellbeing on Water with May! I am a solo female boater living and working full-time aboard my 62ft narrowboat home! On this channel I will be sharing my lifestyle from maintenance projects and things going wrong to the joy of an off grid life always on the move.
You'll also find health and well-being tips and tricks!
I love to hear from you, so please reach out and ask me questions. I'll do my best to answer them and stay in touch! Chat soon!
I always fancied living on a narrow boat, but wondered how I would manage locks and bridges on my own. Oh, wow. Got to give you 11 out of 10 for perceiving with swing bridge 193. Have you thought about a set of weights, one to build up your muscles and two to attach to the rope to give you more weight to help lift the bridge. Great work 👏 👍 😊
Idiots that have no idea on fitting boats wake up silly little girl just get a boat designed how you want will cost you more to convert rip out a sail away been a boat builder for nearly 55 years plus silly girl
Good luck with your future new boat. I'm sure you will have checked out with your accountant but please be careful you are not lumbered with a huge tax bill if the raffle exceeds market value. X
I thought your old boat was very nice there's a lot of work to do to get the new boat finished iv been thinking about a boat its good to see you boaters and the problems that come up condensation is a thought
Looks beautiful. The windows are amazing, just need to sort out the hatch as that looks like it needs finishing in a big way. Webasto's have a very good reputation. It would make great content.
For heating why not go for a sustainable fuel bioethanol burner. £73 online and portable so you can have it on the towpath, roof bedroom etc.... I got one last week and they are FAB!
I have tried that in my small caravan but found the fuel rather expensive. I remember how exciting I was until I actually used it during a winter. Another thing is, they produce moisture, just like burning any fuel without a flue/chimney. They are nice though, I light mine for real fire vibes every now and then for an hour or two, still nice to have but not as a main source of heating; imho.
@@human6.045 I get a total of 7 kw/h of energy, as heat, from 1 litre of fuel. Not the cheapest, but you get the 'real fire' vibes as you say and for me that is worth a few extra pence for that luxury. The portability is massive for me too :)
@@themadhatters8529 My issue is getting the fuel at the right price. I know some people can find it way cheaper than myself and locally to them, I have to order online and of course the higher ratio of fuel to water is better but more expensive. Some people don't realise there's water in it. If it's 70% rather than say 97%, there's 30% water in it. It still burns, not just as efficient. Glad it's working well for you, they are nice I'll agree; also handy in an emergency.
@@themadhatters8529 I have 95% and it's food grade, it still tastes disgusting and I wouldn't recommend drinking it, it's for making tintures. I also have highly refind perfumers ethanol but haven't tasted that, although it does smell somewhat better 😂
after watching many of your videos you have inspired me to start looking for a boat to live in full time as i want the freedom you have many thanks again
To raise the temperature of 1 litre of water by 1C, you need 1.16Wh. So if you want to heat lets say 25 litres of shower water from 15C to 38C you need 25 x 23 (38-15) x 1.16 = 667Wh, no losses included. A heat pump water boiler, we use Ariston Lydos Hybrid 80 litre, needs about 2/3 to 1/2 of that. If you have the space for it, I would go for it. Halving the power demand for hot water is something. Especially if the engine is not running. I have a bluetti AC200P, it was installed in the garden with three 270W modules to gain experience with solar power. If the AC output is switched on, without any load, it consumes 2.5%/h of the 2kWh battery. So by just switching it on, it drains its battery by 60%/24h. That was in the end the limiting factor to its usefulness. The AC200P is limited to 700W charging, but only if the device is cool, at 35C it is about 1/2 of that. I never got it beyond 500W charging. During the 3.5 months I used it, it delivered 150 kWh, about 1.4 kWh/d. I built a Victron solar power system for our house, 23 kWp with a 30 kWh battery. The efficiency of these components is on a whole another level compared with these all in one boxes. They are good for camping. Or in case of a blackout for a limited time. For a permanent solar power solution, if the space for solar modules is limited, they are just too inefficient. Let's not even talk about the price tag of these boxes. I used mine to experiment with solar power, which led to our Victron system. There is a reason why so many use Victron, there really is. The bluetti is now used for camping, where it works well.
Hi may glad you have found your forever home to. . I see you were moored up behind us outside crick yesterday to. . Would of love to have met you to. . Lots of love golden eagle
I think the powder blue paint job may be giving your spectacles a bit of a rose colored tint; not necessarily a bad thing 😀. Also, instead of thinking you need an inverter, step back and see if you can manage with DC power only. BHP=brake horsepower which is total engine horsepower before subtracting for losses due to friction and accessories. In other words, the actual power delivered to the prop will be less than BHP. Lastly, if you’re thinking of totally gutting the new boat, why not simply do that to your current boat?
This boat is just 4.5 years old. Newish steel and pretty much a new engine, so those two things alone will make it a solid purchase for years to come if looked after. I'm not sure how good the steel bottom and/or engine and gearbox is on May's older boat, it could be ready for a lot of expensive work like overplating etc in a few years time or so, which can be a right pain...inconvenience plus £'s, lot's of £'s. Most narrow boaters would like the 'newst' boat they can afford, for a few reasons. I also think May want's to create her 'own' nest, by the sound of things...little ducklings and all that 😂
Hi May, my questions would be “What is the Shell/Hull origin? Has it been surveyed? When and how last blacked? How big and what is water tank made of? All of this depends on price of course… also bear in mind “you have a hell of lot of work to do to make it a real home… the upside is starting from scratch it will be “to your design and layout”… Remember it’s not only a potential home but at the end of the day “it’s a boat” and therefore it must “behave/steer/ballast” like a Narrowboat… hope it all goes well for you! 😊
Oh. And just remember about water filling.. if you start from fresh with a small investment you can have unlimited water. If me and my wife manage to struggle so much and put a lot of savings away you can do it also. Around 3k paid for this water filter from water freedom and it’s a game changer.
Dear may .my only advice when buying a new boat is when you step inside a boat does it give you the feeling that you are home.?? Always look at the positives and negatives about the boat.you are interested in..?? The reason I have said that is that for over sixty years of living on narrow boats I have talked to many people about Thier boats.. I have had people saying that they never felt at home on Thier boats.and wished that they had looked at more boats before they bought the one they had.?? Others would say that they wished they had used their heads instead of Thier harts when they bought Thier boats.as the one they had did not suit Thier needs.. So with this being said I senserly hope that you find a boat that suits all of your needs over the years I have had many narrow boats I found that the longer they were the more I filled them with things I did not really need. Anyway keep yourself safe and well.in looking forward to seeing what boat you decide on.
Looks great what a lucky find . As you say ,it will save a lot of time rather than starting from scratch and not fitted out too much , for you to put your own stamp on it . Moving those ‘ Partitions ’ might also involve moving the Electrical fittings already in the wall. Which might turn into a bigger job . On the old sea going ships they always sleep in a Hammock. I would have thought on a Narrowboat where space is at a premium they would be used a lot more . Looking forward to seeing how it all turns out. 😊
As always May a beautifully presented Vlog. Sounds like fate to me regarding the boat. Blank canvas re the way you would want to put your stamp on it for your lifestyle. Exciting times for you. Great to hear George’s involvement in the boat and life going forward. Good to hear you know what you want regarding aspects of the boat, particularly, very importantly the insulation . I do hope that you get the boat that is right for you and you are able financially to achieve that. It’s certainly a really lovely, ready to go boat. Whatever happens good luck, I really hope it works out for you. I will follow with great interest May. Thank You for sharing.
I wouldn’t make the whole bed flip up - I would put in drawers that are accessible when the bed is closed, and make the part closest to the wall flip up in case you need to inspect anything/clothes fall down the back of the drawers. It would be much easier to access the clothes and much easier to build, and you could even have narrower drawers stacked on top of one another to make storage easier and more practical. I would also take note of how Adam and Lauren have their wardrobe, and do a wardrobe across the bathroom wall, especially if you have to one day accommodate George’s clothes as well. If you want to have a stove (I honestly think a small, efficient wood burner would be better on this boat than an aha) I wouldn’t put the kitchen next to bathroom. I would make that the lounge seating area with a fire and the beautiful hatch opposite it, then have the dinette then the kitchen at the back, with a small utility area near the entryway for your electrics and coat/boot storage. I don’t think this boat has enough room for you to have a little person on it for very long. So if that is a priority then i would keep looking for a longer boat that will give you the space to have a second bedroom.
38 bhp, Brake Horse Power. Expansive spray foam insulation does a pretty job of keeping the cold or heat out while also being a good noise absorber. For condensation you could keep some large rechargeable silica gel packs tucked away in your bins and hidden spaces. My sons car had an 2 inches of water inside after some heavy rains. I vacuumed the water out, but it was still very damp inside, I placed some large silica gel packs I bought online to dry it out and they did a good job after a couple of days the carpet was no longer damp. The windows at the now of the boat look nice and it would be great if you the bow without having to climb over the bed (or each other). Maybe two beds that fold up on either side during the day, and then fold down to make one big bed for nighttime. I have been looking at small (20' and under) travel trailers for myself. The two big "wants" for me are a wet bath, and a King size bed.
@@elelegidoriginal A wet bath involves water LOL. No some of the small travel trailers and RV's out here come with wet baths. They are basically a one piece fiberglass bathroom, where there are no seams for the water to leak out. The sink, shower, and toilet are molded as one room. So you don't need a separate, shower, toilet or sink. They save space, are easier to clean and you don't have to worry about water leaking out of the shower ruining the walls.
That’s a pretty boat! You could have a look at how beds are fitted in caravans. They have limited width as well and some of them have sliding/extending beds.
Sometimes the stars just aline and fate falls in your lap..! The boat found you…! It’s was meant to be…! It’s a beauty too..! Looking forward to seeing what you do with her… ⚓️🛟
If you took everything out and foam isolated the entire inside, would that make the boat unsinkable? I saw a video of a poor guy who's boat sunk. Thanks
A new boat is of course, in better condition than an old boat, hull, engine and other stuff. Listening to your plans, maybe adding a little person, having more renewable energy, future proofing it, for me, this calls for a wide beam. Little persons become bigger quite fast, solar modules need space. A narrow boat is just fine for one person, two is already a bit tight, three makes it cramped. 10 years later, that little person wants their own room, if you have 10 years at all. If no longer little person has friends visiting, it gets even tighter. I became a single dad when my daughter was 11 months old, now she is 22. I have no idea where the time went, but it went there quickly. You will reach the limits of a narrow boat fast.
Thanks for the advice. Nothing is for certain, ill cross those bridges if they come to me. Plan B is get a tiny 20ft for a tiny person, they can have their own boat!
A properly spray foamed boat does not need any extra insulation. It should be 25mm thick all over. Air gaps do not cause condensation, they promote air movement which prevents mould and condensation. The boat is a sail away that is not finished, so a fail away 😂. Lots of them around, people think fitting out a boat will be fun and easy, it ain't.
I live on a spray foamed narrow boat and get no condensation on or behind the walls. It is always warm in Winter. If I was going to upgrade anything it would be the windows, with double glazed thermal break, not cheap but stops condensation on the glass and frame in a morning. You will need a stove, the Webasto is good but you can't really run it all day and night, they use around 12ltrs per 24hrs so around £85 per week in diesel! 😮. They are supplementary heating.
Whoa whoa! I went for a wee and came back to see James! I wondered what was happening lol Seems like this boat was meant to be to me 🙏🏽✨ All the best 💜
