Types of Boats

Houseboats

A houseboat is a boat designed or adapted for use as a dwelling, meaning it's essentially a floating home. They can range from small, single-family homes on pontoons to larger, more luxurious vessels with multiple rooms and amenities

A static houseboat tends to be either purpose built, converted from a dumb barge, or a former commercial boat where the engine has been removed or is no longer in working order.

A purpose built static houseboat is normally built on a steel pontoon or platform, and are invariably box style in shape, and on one or two floors. Rooms are set out like a new build home, normally with uniform head height throughout. These static houseboats are also wired and plumbed as a normal house.

A dumb barge, or lighter, can be and indeed is usually converted as a purpose built static houseboat. The difference is the hull which is high and boat shaped, the norm being the inner hull converted to bedrooms and bathrooms, with a structure built on deck as a second floor housing lounge, kitchen and dining area. Some people like to build another half level on top of this as a master suite or second lounge, with open doors to a terrace. This would give your static houseboat character, space, and take advantage of some outside space.

The other option as a static houseboat is a commercial boat such as a trawler, tug or coaster, where the engine is no longer serviceable, or indeed removed completely. The benefit of this is a character home with all the outside appearances of a working boat, with the inside and all the spaces available converted to a beautiful home, the best of both worlds for your static houseboat!

Dutch Barge

Dutch barges are many peoples idea of the ideal cruising houseboat.

Firstly they tend to be between 70 and 120 feet in length, and between 12 and 20 feet wide, and therefore provide a good amount of living space, with level headroom of at least 6 and a half feet.

Secondly, wheelhouse aside, Dutch barges tend to be on one level throughout making conversion a relatively easy process. In their working lives Dutch barges were normally used to carry materials along the waterways, and so the design was usually for one large open hold to maximise carrying capacity, again ideal for conversion to a houseboat.

Thirdly, Dutch barges tend to be flat bottomed and relatively straight forward to navigate, making them easier to take along inland waterways of the world, where other cruising boats sometimes have trouble due to a deeper draft, making a Dutch barge ideal for a travelling lifestyle.

Cruising Boats

Motor Cruisers make good houseboats because they are already fitted out to live on. You can live on it all week then go cruising at the weekend. A cruiser boat, generally referred to as a cabin cruiser, is a type of motorboat designed for leisure cruising and often includes accommodations for overnight stays. They are typically equipped with a cabin, galley, and at least one berth, making them suitable for longer trips

Tug Boat

Tug boats are the unsung powerhouses of the boating world, There are two main reasons why a tug boat will be bought:

Firstly they are good reliable and strong workboats, ideal for commercial work in most areas. A good working tug can command a good price because of its capabilities.

Secondly, with work and imagination they can become a very nice comfortable liveaboard houseboat, retaining the character of a tug boat in shape whilst providing surprisingly comfortable living accommodation.

There are two main choices when using a tug boat as a houseboat. The first is to keep the engine, and update the crews quarters as the accommodation, and maybe build a further structure above deck. This can create a comfortable living area, and obviously you retain the ability to move the tug boat under its own power.

The second choice, and one that opens up an amazing living space whilst retaining the outer character, is to remove the engines from the tug boat completely and convert to a static houseboat. Removing engines, gearboxes and tanks from a tug boat can create an almost cavernous space to create accommodation of character, and if a larger tug boat even on two levels. This is obviously hard work and needs to be done properly, however at the end of it your tug boat could provide the large character home you dream of.

Narrowboat

If you ask people, when they think about houseboats, what the first thing that comes into their heads is, a large percentage will say a narrowboat.

With memories of family holidays, or TV programmes, it seems that we all have some experience of a narrowboat.

For a large family there are obviously some space issues. However for a single person, a couple or even a small family, a narrowboat offers surprisingly comfortable accommodation. The average narrowboat will tend to be between 45 and 80 feet long, and around 6 feet 10 inches wide. There are also what are called widebeam narrowboats, which work on the same principle as a narrowboat, but are between 11 and 13 feet in width.

Narrowboats tend to have a very shallow draft, and together with their narrow beam are perfect to access the shallower and narrower waterways of the UK, meaning that you can gain access to the vast majority of waterways in the UK. Like a Dutch barge they are all on one level, and therefore are easy to convert and live upon. And all the home comforts of a house are available, so if you want central heating, a dish washer, a bath, a full sized toilet or oven, or whatever else, you can have it.

Commercial Boats

Firstly, people or businesses are always on the lookout for a commercial boat to add to or diversify their current business. Be it a tug, a trawler, a coaster, or any other commercial boat, there are always people looking to put these back into service if the price is right.

Secondly, people looking to completely change their work and home lifestyle will look to a commercial boat to achieve this. This could be fishing, pleasure trips, restaurants, club houses, diving or many other money earning opportunities that can be achieved by purchasing a commercial boat, with the added benefit of being able to live where you work should you choose to do so.

Thirdly, people will buy a commercial boat and convert it to a houseboat, where they can benefit from a huge amount of living space for their money, so a commercial boat can potentially become a massive affordable luxury home, whilst retaining the character and shape of a commercial boat.

For example, an ex commercial boat of say 120 foot in length will provide massive living space in the hold, more in the crew quarters, further space in the wheelhouse, and the opportunity and potential to build above deck should all that not be sufficient.

Rarely can you get so much living space at such an affordable price in comparison to a house, without a huge mortgage, making a commercial boat a very affordable and tangible alternative in the search for affordable, large, luxury accommodation!

Commercial boats tend to be built robustly, and due to stringent insurance, trade and health and safety conditions, are usually very well maintained. Therefore a commercial boat can provide the solid foundation for the houseboat of your dreams.

Here you can find more boat types

boat types