Tug style Narrowboat 'Ten (Fwd)'

As she was when I first came across her

In the last couple of years, I seem to have spent as much time looking after Aries as finishing the fitting out so I decided, reluctantly, that it was time to downsize to a new boat that would be very low maintenance.

It will be my 75^th birthday present to myself and with a bit lot of luck will be finished and delivered by my birthday in April? That would probably make it the only narrowboat I know to have ever been finished on time though!

Why 'Ten (Fwd)'?

Well, firstly, it will be my tenth boat.

Secondly, as fans of 'Star Trek, The Next Generation' will know, 'Ten (Fwd)' is the Bar on Picard's Enterprise and while I may not be able to stock Klingon Ale or Blood Wine, I'll do my best to have some english ales and single malt scotch whiskies that are 'out of this world'.

Finally, in 1979, when I had my first canalboat, the RomCom film 'Ten' was made, starring Dudley Moore and Bo Derek. It was about obsession, which I've come to understand through my boats and boating.

So, I came across the ready made Cauldon Boats Tug shell at Brayzel Narrowboats, due to a previous customer having to drop out.

It took a while to come up with a specification and layout that would work for me but eventually I settled on electric propulsion with solar panels and a small diesel generator for emergency recharging. The layout (from the stern) is a modern representation of a traditional boatman's cabin with single berth, followed by shower/W.C./washbasin then open plan galley/saloon with 'occasional' twin berths that pack away under the 'tug' deck. Externally, the front doorway is being enlarged and two more portholes added.

The galley will be all electric and heating will be diesel. So, she'll be gas free and as environment friendly as reasonably possible, utilising solar power or shoreline mains for recharging in preference to the diesel generator.