Wednesday 13 May 2009

Dreaming part II - making your boat live-a-boardable

Following on from my posting yesterday I started to ponder the changes I would need (?) to make to turn Waterlily into a live-a-boardable boat.

The reason being I was reading someones blog (sorry can't remember who it was) and they mentioned ironing. Now that's a definite thing we cannot do as our little inverter will only give us 150w . The next thing had to be some form of washing machine - therein would be our problem as we do not have space. Bruce on Sanity seems to wash regularly so it may be there are small or portable devices that we may be able to use - or we might just have to buy Sanity from Bruce when Sanity two is afloat !!

I cannot think of much else we would need, it all depends on what we would need rather what we would want, washing machine being a good point as when I was a kid my mum used the launderette, might be difficult to find but an option - that and hand washing with a mangle or spin dryer.

So its decided then, we'll either buy Sanity or use launderettes !

Nev

4 comments:

Keith Lodge said...

Hi Nev.
Ironing, what on earth is that??? It is something we do not bother with. I have an iron and it is a small one that runs off of our inverter. As for the washing machine, we have that as well as a tumble drier, they are both compact versions. Candy do a nice compact washer, which we can run off of the inverter, but choose to run it when the generator is running. We had a 4Kw generator fitted when the boat was being built. It was forward thinking on the washing machine and drier front, because the laundrettes are few and far between these days, and when i am in 80's, I do not want to be lugging washing to these places, so we had it fitted for the future. I usually wash once or maybe twice a week. Another consideration with a washing machine, is the amount of water it needs to work. The Candy does not use much, but I know of friends who are forever filling up their water tank due to the washing machine. The one thing you have on your side with using Waterlily is the fact that you know what you would do different, if you had another boat.
As for Sanity, well make Bruce a good enough offer and you never know LOL. Jo

Bruce in Sanity said...

I'm always open to offers!

It can be quite hard to change a holiday boat into a liveaboard, but folk do seem to manage it. My next Building Sanity Again post should have some discussion of our further thinking on the washing machine front. There are worktop sized ones, but you have to do the stirring yourself with them.

All the best

Bruce

Debbie said...

Hi Nev, we have a small Zanussi washer. We had it bought for us by my Mum. The only problem was that we had fitted out the kitchen and there was nowhere to fit the machine. We eventually decided to put it in the wardrobe in our bedroom! Its in a space that probably would have ended up full of non essentials so its worked out really well. There is still plenty of hanging space above the machine. Debbie Nb Tickety Boo.

Nev Wells said...

Jo,

Thanks for the comments and advice. Getting such info from people who are living on the cut is very helpful.

Bruce, what is the build time for Sanity Again. It would be good to keep stepping up but time and cost will be important as you might imagine!

Debbie,

I am impressed the wardrobe space was sacrificed. I'd have to say I'd give up my wardrobe space for a washing machine and I think this might be an option on Waterlily - thanks for the tip !

Nev