Description

Aquarius is back up for sale due to buyers not being able to secure financing.

We are selling our spacious Narrowboat Aquarius, after living on board for over five years. The boat was purchased as a project owing to the sound hull and engines, and has since been extensively renovated and fitted out for live-aboard cruising. She is very comfortable and reliable as a result. We both regularly work from home, so wanted a boat which was able to provide enough electricity, heat and comfort all year round. All the systems on board have been designed from the ground up to accomodate this, using best practices and quality components throughout to ensure safety and reliability. If you're looking to live off grid then this boat enables you to enjoy boat life without compromise.

During the past five years, the electrics and plumbing have been completely re-fitted, new furniture and doors fitted throughout, a new kitchen fitted, a new floor fitted in the main living area, the engine room bilge has been completely overhauled, degreased and painted replumbed, radiators added to back boiler system and generator cooling circuit, security upgraded, cabin reinsulated, re-decorated . . .the list goes on!

The large battery bank (675ah) combined with a large solar array (735w) and very powerful10kw inboard diesel generator (quiet!) mean that the boat is able to provide plenty of energy, = plenty of power for laptops, charging devices etc and very quick heating times for hot water, (15-40min depending on ambient temps) as well as a good charging rate for the batteries. A powerful generator means you can easily power all domestic devices, including an automatic washing machine which we have recently installed.

The boat was last removed from the water for blacking in August 2017, the sides AND bottom were blacked. The hull has been well maintained and the steel (10mm bottom, 6mm sides and 4.5mm top) is in excellent condition.

Entering through the front there is a cratch with cratch cover. The cratch houses two gas lockers for 13kg gas bottles. The bow of the boat also houses an integral water tank of 700 litres. This lasts us (two people) at least two, and upto to four weeks. Aquarius has an unusually high headroom of 6'6" which helps create a spacious atmosphere, and would be ideal for taller people as high headroom boats are hard to come by.

The front lounge/kitchen area has a solid pine floor fitted three years ago, it has a lovely color and warm feel. Through the front doors is a sofa with storage underneath which expands outwards into a double bed, or by removing the rear cushion is a single bed. The steps lift upwards to provide storage, and pull out in order to give access to a large under-bow area for further storage.

The stove is a Chelsea Villager Duo multifuel stove, with a 5kw output. It's in excellent condition, and the seals have been recently replaced. The stove is connected to a back boiler system feeding two radiators, one in the main living space and one in the cabin. The back boiler system is gravity fed and so requires no electricity to run, and is a really effective way to distribute heat from the stove throughout the whole boat, without using precious energy. This is our sixth winter on board, and we can definetly vouch for this heating system as a great way to stay warm and dry.

The kitchen area includes a 4 hob gas burner with oven, a shoreline 12v fridge with small freezer compartment, and soft close kitchen draws which pull fully out outwards utilizing the whole depth of the units. (no things stuck in the back of cupboards that you can't reach!) The kitchen area also houses the controls for the generator, and the smartguage battery monitor. There are two fan operated vents for extraction. The worktops are solid beech.

Moving on the bathroom, there is a compost toilet with integrated vent and fan; having used a chemical toilet in the past the compost toilet (we think) offers a far superior solution and has really been a game changer, especially if you are cruising. There is also a shower with thermostatic temperature control, (easy to set and keep the right temp) a sink unit with storage underneath and a radiator that heats up whenever the generator is running. There is also an extractor fan.

The cabin features a double bed with storage under, a large chest of drawers, as well as hangers for clothes, and shelving. The second radiator is fitted on the wall, along with a header tank for the back boiler system.

There is also an inspection hatch which allows access to the cabin bilge.
The engine room is a good size providing plenty of space to store bicycles. It houses the engine for propulsion (Beta Marine BV1505) and the Beta Marine 10kw generator, running from a Beta 35 engine.

There are six Trojan t105 deep cycle batteries providing a total of 675ah of capacity. Not only is this a very large battery bank, but the batteries are quality units designed for domestic use and will last much longer than the typical "leisure" batteries found on boats, which are simply not designed for liveaboard use (we know becuase that's what was originally installed). All charging duties are handled automatically by the Victron charger and charge controllers. The Victron Easysolar 1600 handles charging, inverter and 240v distribution. This is a quality unit, and is reliable, efficient and safe.

Key systems information:

Built by Ward Marine of Boston, 1991, steel construction, 10mm bottom, 6mm sides, 4.5mm top

Engine: Beta Marine BV1505 38hp engine, with PRM 250 Gearbox. (highly reliable and regularly serviced)

Beta Marine 10KW Generator (operated from kitchen panel)

700L water tank

675AH domestic 12v battery bank, using deep cycle trojan T105 batteries

Separate engine/generator starting batteries.

735w Solar power, from Panasonic HIT panels.

1600w pure sine Victron Easysolar Inverter, incorporating Victron Bluesolar MPPT 75/50 Solar charger, and 70A battery charger, and 240v mains distribution.

50l Calorifier (hot water tank) fitted with 3KW domestic immersion heating element and expansion tank. (heats a whole tank of water within 15-40 min) In our opinion this is a great way to get hot water, it is quick, provides really hot water for 24h and your batteries charge while the generator is running. The water will also heat up when you're cruising, using excess heat from the engine. The issues with other water methods of heating water are: long times if just using excess heat from engine: Webasto and Eberspacher units use a fair bit of electricity, and most gas boilers are low pressure and/or can only heat the water a certain amount above ambient.

New Whale water pump recently fitted with accumulator tank for smooth running.

240v sockets throughout the boat, with a switch for the inverter in the kitchen area.

12v sockets throughout the boat, also many USB sockets for charging devices, including quick charge USB sockets.

LED lighting throughout the boat.

Modern, efficient inverter oil heater to provide quick heat (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Inverter-5096-Portable-Paraffin-Heater/dp/B009LKYC4A)

Excellent hull survey report when we bought the boat in 2014, available on request.

Specifications

Engine(s)

Looking into Engine room, generator is out of shot on right

6 x Trojan t-105 deep cycle batteries

Victron Easysolar 1600 unit

detail of stern gland and propshaft

Beta Marine BV1505 (Beta 38 Engine)

Generator

Accommodation

Equipment

Built by Ward Marine, 1991, steel construction, 10mm bottom, 6mm sides, 4mm top.
Engine: Beta Marine BV1505 38hp engine, with PRM Gearbox. (highly reliable and regularly serviced)
Beta Marine 10KW Generator (operated from kitchen panel)
700L Water Tank
675AH domestic 12v battery bank, using deep cycle trojan T105 batteries
720w Solar power, from Panasonic HIT panels.
1600w Victron Easysolar Inverter, incorporating Victron Bluesolar MPPT 75/50 Solar charger, and 70A battery charger
50l Calorifier (hot water tank) fitted with 3KW immersion heating element.
New Whale water pump recently fitted.
240v sockets throughout the boat, with a switch for the inverter in the kitchen area.
12v sockets throughout the boat, also USB sockets for charging devices, including two quick charge usb sockets.
LED lighting throughout the boat.
Oil heater to provide quick heat, runs from paraffin or heating oil.