Description

!!SELLER HAS COMMITTED ELSEWHERE AND IS MOTIVATED TO SELL!!

This boat is a ‘one-off’ build that has no comparison. A fully riveted (no fakes!) tug-style narrowboat that has been built to a standard, not a price. If you are looking for something special, this boat could be for you. She has a 1944 Lister JP3 in excellent condition which is coupled to a 25in 4-blade propeller. The PRM 500D2 hydraulic Gearbox will never be troubled with the workload.

Hot water is supplied through a Kabola Compact 7 is super quiet and ensures you will never run out of hot water. The water pump is a Esybox Mini which has variable pressure so switching on a second tap does not affect flow.

Electrical power is supplied by 800Ah @ 24v of lithium batteries with a 3rd generation 123electric battery management system. 700w of Sunpower semi-flex solar panels keep the power levels high.

Specifications

Construction

Nautilus is a 62 foot (18.9 meter) tug style narrowboat with traditional stern and has been designed to show reverence to the narrowboats of old while including modern and personal touches that recognise the needs of modern use.

From the exquisite bow through the oversized 14mm rivets and the 1960s bronze passenger ferry portholes to the long 17 foot swim hints at the quality of the build.

Hull plating of 12mm thickness, 6mm sides and 5mm cabin work. In order to avoid the challenges faced with normal grade steel, the builder chose to use the more expensive CR4 grade. This is primarily due to CR4 steel being supplied as flat sheets as opposed to rolled steel which is more difficult to work and often results in ‘waves’ along the cabin sides. Nautilus is perfectly straight. All steel was shot blasted prior to paint and painting included epoxy coating to all exposed interior steel.

The cabin and rubbing strakes are 100% genuine 14mm rivets and contribute to the beauty of the boat. The estimated 5,000 rivets were all heated, formed and hammered into place by a team of three.

All fitting are stainless steel with the external handrails being milled out of solid bar.

Beside the expected doors both forward and aft, Nautilus also boasts the luxury of four side hatches. Port and starboard hatches complement the engine room adding both light and ventilation. The galley harbours a port and starboard hatch, both of which have steps so are perfect for side access regardless of how you have moored. Even the hatches get special attention with rolled stainless steel edges and hidden welds so the timber work is well protected.

The windows and portholes are salvaged from a 1960s passenger ferry and include six large bronze windows, three each to port and starboard with several brass portholes leading towards the stern. To gather as much internal light as possible, a further four windows have been fitted as skylights making a total of 10 bronze ferry windows fitted.

Engine(s)

Nautilus is powered by a 1944 24/3 (JP3) Lister engine which was overhauled prior to being fitted and is well-suited to the design. The engine is coupled to a PRM 500D2 hydraulic gearbox with a 1.935:1 ratio. To assist in providing sufficient load to the JP3 and ensure appropriate speeds, a 25in x 23in x 4in propellor has been fitted. The estimated run-time is around 750 hours.
Fuel is stored in two stainless steel underfloor tanks that provide a total capacity of 60 gallons (274 litres). This is supported by a day-tank that holds a further 6½ gallons (30 litres). The day-tank is re-supplied with via an electric fuel pump.
Nautilus boasts a powerful 24v, 8hp bow thruster (Sidepower SE120/215T) that is perfectly suited to both canal and river work. A split-second touch is all that is normally required to get the bow pointing in the right direction.