Back again on shelves. I have covered this in part with other articles, but I wanted to do a whole piece highlighting some of the beautiful custom and made to order shelves we have made and could make for you. Below I describe some different styles and sample pieces, along with some photos of each to show you what can be done.

I’ve often said, making use of vertical space in a boat is key to making the best of the room in your boat. Shelves, cost-effective and attractive, are ideal to do this. Whether it’s angled walls, where our Ellie Shelf and Fixed Angle Shelf rule supreme, or bulkheads where the straight vertical space can be used for any type of shelving. Under gunwale too, shallow but handy, and can be easily fitted out with our Bespoke Under Gunwale Shelving
When I think shelves, I think books.

We have built libraries for houses and boats. With these Ash and Oak libraries, we had plenty of space to play with and a budget to use some high quality hardwoods which are both beautiful and durable. Adjustable shelving makes them versatile as well.

With this sapele library, we had the opportunity to a wealth of shelving in this boat library. There’s a combination of large and small shelving so that the client could house their extensive collection of books and graphic novels. We used space on bulkheads and under the gunwales to really pack in the storage. For something roomy but a little simpler, this ply shelving has a very modern feel to it and offer lots of room.

Shelves work well doubled up with other storage. Cupboards beneath are a classic alcove storage solution.

These were solid oak and then hand veneered (cold pressed) slab doors to make this beautiful cupboard shelf combo.

I really love this bulkhead shelving, where we combined adjustable shelving above with wicker storage baskets below. You can hide away lots of stuff in the baskets and display your treasured belongings above.

S is for Shelves

For something a little more unique, I am a huge fan of live edge timber. You can read a bit more about live edge timber and why it’s so special in my “What Wood – Live Edge” article, but the tiger oak shelves we made are a wonderful example. There is just so much character to them. It’s not just the undulations of the edge, but the rich colours and patterns of the grain.

Another favourite of mine is the London plane desk and shelf. This was a piece of timber I acquired speculatively at a timber yard while buying some other bits, and it sat for several years waiting to find a home.

I have also included another desk/shelf combo, but this one in solid oak. The scalloped edges are all hand carved and are inspired by work I did on a vardo, which had this style of decoration on a lot of the surfaces. The decoration adds a lightness, while the thickness of the oak gives it a robust and solid feel.

Whatever you need, we can make it. Get in touch, and we would love to design something with you.

S Is for Shelves is part of the A to Z of Narrowboats series.

A wheelhouse is one of my favourite jobs. There is lots of interesting designing to resolve, the job itself is complex joinery and the finished article is an impressive and beautiful piece that is going to be around for potentially longer than me.

It also means a good two months pottering in the workshop, which is my happy place. Machining great piles of timber (there is around 1-2 cubic metres of timber used in a large wheelhouse), cutting joints and more sanding than I really care to think about.

The general process, once overall outline and budget have been established, is to begin with measuring and templating the space. I make a 3D model of the relevant area on my laptop so I can build the wheelhouse in CAD later, and the finer details of the angles and undulations of the surface are captured in template. This is done by shaving, scribing and cutting lots of strips of scrap wood (ply, MDF, sterling board, whatever is to hand) and screwing them together.

Transporting the template to the workshop allows me to replicate the wheelhouse base as it will be and do as much work as possible offsite. Before this, I must design every element of the wheelhouse. As each one is unique, and made of many unique parts, this takes around a week.

By carefully creating everything virtually first I can resolve many potential issues before they happen. I can see how all the part will fit and make sure everything works as it should. Additionally, it allows me to make a comprehensive materials list and cutting list, even to size all the windows ready for production.

There are 200–300 hours of manufacturing in a wheelhouse, so it’s important to be as efficient as possible. Having my advance list means I can group jobs, getting them processed as quickly as possible. This might be 2 days simply machining parts, a couple more cutting all the elements of the windows. With an audiobook on in my Bluetooth ear defenders I am a cloud of dust for a couple of weeks.

Assembling all the parts often throws up unexpected problems to solve. Even a full 3D model never completely prepares you for all real life applications. But up it goes, and once the base, windows and wall plate are in place, the roof can begin.

Making the curved pieces of the roof is something of wonder in itself.  My technique, which I must admit was inspired by Gilberto Marqueti who I used to work with, involves a bandsaw to cut rough ribs and then (post planning) shaping on the spindle moulder with a guide wheel and template.

Using only the ringfence on the spindle moulder, with a 4″ block spinning at 3000rpm is a little intimidating at first. But set up correctly and with an auto feed to assist, it is safe and gives remarkable results.

One of the most time-consuming parts of the roof is cutting all the halving joints that hold the sections together. There can be 30-60 of these, each with (of course) two halves to cut. I use an internal guttering system to allow the roof sections to remain separate but watertight. The channels in between are a matching wood, with an aluminium gutter insert. This is carefully shaped (I put it on two supports and sit on it) into a perfectly matching curve.

Structure complete, trims are added, ironmongery fitted, and all the fine details are done.  The roof is clad and edged, I use Vekaplan S with aluminium trims on the side.  I can then test out every element of the structure in the real world. Finally, it is time for oil.

I sand everything as I go, this is the best way to get a good finish, so once I have dismantled it all and removed all the ironmongery etc, I give it a final wipe down and start applying oil. The exact process depends on the species of wood used and the desired finish, but I typically like to start with a penetrating oil.

There are multiple coats to apply, and this process will stretch over another week. In the meantime, the glass will arrive and once it’s all finished and dry, the glazing begins. All the units are placed in, and the glazing bars glued and nailed to keep it secure in perpetuity.

Glazed, oiled and as complete as can be, all the parts go to site. This can be anywhere in the network, but hopefully a spot with reasonable access and a good local café! The wheelhouse is then rebuilt onto the boat. With luck this required minimal fettling, but it can still take up to a week to complete.

And that’s it, that’s how I build a wheelhouse. Check out the “what wood” articles if you want to know a bit more about the materials used and do, of course, get in touch if I can help you build something like this for your boat. It would be my pleasure.

First off, while we do make fully custom kitchens, a lot of what we do is “off shelf”, with just a few tweaks. Standard carcasses fit well in boats. While a true bespoke kitchen is great, you can get a similar effect for a lot less.

Some interesting features to look out for in kitchens are various storage solutions like:

Kidney carousels and ¾ carousels for corner cupboards

Pull out worktops (great for boats!)

Plinth drawers, to really maximise space

“Wine Cellars” in the bilge, a bit of a Cluett Carpentry boat special

Wall cupboards and shelving normally need a bit more adaptation to fit the sloped walls of a narrowboat but can look very nice when done well. I like to utilise offcuts of the worktop to make shelving, tying it all together in a cohesive theme.

Speaking of worktops, have you considered stainless steel tops if you want a professional kitchen feel? Or how about elements of live edge timber or something more rural and warmer. Reclaimed wood is gorgeous for doors and panels if you want to go really rustic. 

I make all our carcasses with birch ply (incidentally, another interesting worktop option!) though rigid MFC carcasses from the big-name suppliers will probably last long enough, all things considered. 

Whatever your style and budget, there is so much you can do with your kitchen, and in a smaller space like a boat it really is key to make this heart of the home pull its weight. 

Under the bed, doors or drawers give access to the front, but what about the back. Here is where a gas strut ottoman style bed is great. Lifting for easy access, it makes it easy (easier) to get things in and out of the back space. This is perfect for camping gear in the winter and heavy gear and boots in the summer.

A built-in cupboard is great, particularly if you can get some hanging space in there. Hanging space is great, but make sure it is wide enough. A pet peeve of mine is rails where the clothes stop the doors closing. If you can’t get 55cm depth, then consider spinning the rail 90 degrees. It reduces access a little, but in a shallow space that’s fine, and you can now get full width hanging.

Do make sure that the cupboard isn’t encroaching on the bed too much. As a tall person, I feel like a battery in a remote when the walls are snug at my head and feet. You are taller lying down somehow, so a proper 1900mm is best, but still allow for overhang at the foot end if at all possible.

Another neat trick for beds is a lift up edge to make it a little wider where you need it. Experience has taught me that a “French Double” (a 120cm wide bed) is quite cosy for two adults.  Especially when you are losing 10cm under the gunwale.

Bedside tables are not practical, however this did lead to the creation of the first Ellie Shelf which makes for an easy bedside table for whoever has the wall, or just yourself when sat ready in bed. Likewise, it’s good to capitalize on the Under Gunwale Storage. It doesn’t cut significantly into the room, but it gives you so much extra space for books and knick-knacks.

We spend a lot of time in our beds, so it’s worth getting the space right. Careful planning and thoughtful cabinetry can turn a small, cramped space into a luxurious pad to relax in.

Disclaimer: The following is purely opinion and represents my personal experience with boats I’ve seen over my years working on the waterways. I am not a surveyor, and neither I nor Cluett Carpentry Ltd accept liability for any decisions made in purchasing a boat. Remember, buying a boat is Caveat Emptor, and it’s strongly recommended that you get a full survey before any purchase.

I’ve seen hundreds of boats in my working life. Here are my thoughts on what to look for to get the best start in a life afloat.

Finding a Boat

Get on Apollo Duck and the marina websites to compare what’s out there. You’ll get a good sense of the market and what your budget will get you before you even set foot on a boat.

Don’t be too firm on essentials until you’ve lived on a boat. Is that trad stern you’ve set your heart on really what you want? Personally, I find them awkward for practical usage—give me a good cruiser stern any day, but everybody is different.

Be wary of outliers. Project boats (especially with wood or GRP tops) and older hulls can seem like bargains, but there’s a reason they’re cheap. Often you’ll spend more than you save within a year and have a boat worth less than you’ve spent. A sound hull, decent engine, and metal cabin are the real non-negotiables for me.

Anything older than 30 years and you’re potentially into overplating territory. If it isn’t done well, then the hull may still be rotting away, with water trapped between two skins of steel. Even over plated, an older boat will have significantly less value than a newer hull, which is worth considering before putting a lot of resources into refitting.  

Hull age, length/beam, price, and engine should be the first things listed on any ad. A little “much beloved home, selling with a heavy heart” is fine, but it’s not really relevant. BSS is BS and, in my opinion, not worth the paper it’s written on for determining a boat’s viability. It’s not like an MOT for a car—it guarantees almost nothing for you. Many rotten boats still have a BSS, it is no kind of guarantee!

Finally, unless you’re prepared to spend twice as much and take three times as long as planned, be very careful when considering a project boat or sail away. If you can do the work yourself, great. If you’re paying someone, it’ll cost far more than buying a boat that’s ready to go and just needs minor alterations.

Viewing a Boat

First off, red flags:

• Damp smell
• Mould
• Wet/damp cabin bilge or very rusty bilge (i.e., was wet often/recently)
• Spongy/bouncy floor

Be very careful of a boat with any of these. If you’ve got a hull rusting from the inside and a rotten subfloor, or black mould on the back of wall linings, it’s potentially time for a full refit. Very expensive and a lot of work.

If you’re tall, check headroom before viewing. If you’re bending over to move about, question whether that’s sustainable.

Beware of “small jobs” left to do on cheaper boats. These ring alarm bells—small jobs often take much longer than expected and turn out expensive. If they’re that small and easy, why hasn’t the seller done them?

Buying a Boat

You’re ready to make an offer. I feel people rarely pay the asking price on a boat. Don’t go crazy, but it’s worth trying for a bit off.

Expect the seller to take you out on their boat either before or after a deposit is paid, but before the out-of-water survey. You’ll see the engine running and get a sense of the boat in action, plus it’s crucial for the seller to show you how everything works—electrics, heating/hot water, isolators, and more. Boats aren’t uniform, and if you don’t find out now, you may spend ages wondering how things work.

Finally, and most importantly: you absolutely must get an independent surveyor of your choice to do an out-of-water hull survey. A full survey (rather than just hull) is great but check what it covers. No fault of the surveyors, but some people think a full survey covers more than it does. If you aren’t paying specifically for detailed electrical inspection, you’re probably not getting it.

Final Thoughts

Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Lead with your head, not your heart. Boats are an emotional purchase—much more so than houses—but a cute interior may be hiding trouble for later.

There are lots of great folk on the water, but also some rogues, so speak to a range of people and get all the advice you can. The boating community is welcoming and friendly, and lots of people will help you out just to be kind.

Good luck finding the perfect boat. May you have many years of happy cruising ahead of you.

Generally, we work with BB/BBB grade. The grade tells you what to expect the faces to look like. In this case, the better face is BB. This means that there may be some knots and also some well-fitted plugs.  It is possible to get B/BB grade birch ply, but the paper thin veneers they face it with (so-called “artisan” grade) are horrible. They chip easily and if you sand them, they come pre-sanded, you quickly sand through to the next layer which is pinkish and stands out like a sore thumb. For this reason, I prefer to use a lower grade face and accept a greater level of imperfections. Where clear face timber is needed, e.g. a high-end birch ply cabinet door, it is possible to cut out what you need. 

Birch ply cuts well and sands easily. The edge grain is, I think, quite attractive. It is clearly ply, not solid wood, but I don’t think that needs hiding. Where we want to cover it, then a redwood pine lip works beautifully and matches in well. It will also take finishes in a similar way so looks like it was always part of it. 

Birch Ply Finishes

Speaking of finishes, I like to oil or varnish birch ply, sometimes with a stain beneath. It’s not a material I tend to paint, unless it’s being used as part of something else, e.g. a fill panel on a shaker door. It has a modern scandi look and is best embraced for what it is.  The edges don’t paint well and will always look like ply if exposed. 

Compared to other plywoods, it is much nicer.  There are far fewer voids, so the edges are nicer. It has plenty of layers, and they are well glued.  The face sands well and finishes well. Cheaper plys, like WBP or shuttering grade, will have a lot more voids, fewer layers, a rougher face and are often more warped and twisted.  It is quite resistant to water damage, better than MDF, but not as good as marine ply. The trouble with marine ply is that it is not a furniture grade ply (it’s also very heavy!) so the faces don’t typically finish well.  For furniture, birch is king. 

There are limits to how flat a piece of Birch Ply will stay. While it is generally more stable than an equivalent sized board of solid wood, if you make unsupported pieces, e.g. a large slab door, too large then they are likely to warp with time.  I have been to a few jobs in the past where they have asked me to try and rescue warped doors that somebody else has made without adequate forethought. While not impossible, it is not easy to do and so best avoided.

Pros

• Cheaper than solid timber
• More stable than solid timber
• Attractive face
• Works well
• Few voids
• More durable than most other sheet materials
• Takes a stain well
• Doesn’t expand and contract as much as solid wood

Cons

• Can warp if large pieces are unsupported
• Edges don’t paint well
• A grade face is hard, or impossible, to come by except by cutting out of lower grade stock
• Not as durable as solid timber

Historically, cedar was used a lot for clothes chests and lining wardrobes, as it is naturally repellent to moths. While not so important to us now, the smell of cedar is still extremely pleasant and using it as a drawer box is a great application. I also think it makes a good choice for a solar roof box, where it can be left outside and last or many years, even untreated. 

Cedar – Treated or Untreated

Left untreated, cedar will turn a lovely silver grey. This can be postponed by using a protective oil, particularly one with a UV protective element to it.  The natural colour of cedar is a pinky red.  It is kind of the colour I would expect redwood pine to be (redwood pine is yellow and looks like pine, no red to it).  Both it’s natural colour and weathered colour are quite attractive, and it can be considered a low maintenance wood. 

The drawbacks of cedar, other than being soft, are it’s relatively poor dimensional stability and it’s cost. As it has a tendency to move with humidity/moisture content changes, it is not so well suited to fine furniture. It doesn’t sand up as nicely as some woods, and its softness means hard paint or varnish finishes are more liable to cracking. It does take an oil well.

Pros

• Extremely rot and insect resistant
• Light
• Attractive colour and weathers nicely
• Low maintenance
• Repels clothes moths
• Smells great

Cons

• Soft and weaker than other woods
• Expensive
• Not great for painting or varnishing
• Not suited to fine furniture

MDF and mrMDF are less resistant to water ingress and quickly become soft if allowed to get wet.  It is not suitable for floors, though I have noticed a worrying trend in chip board subfloors and that is even worse! If you want to be extra safe, then avoid using it for walls and bulkheads.  That said, much of the “wood” you see on narrowboats walls is typically veneered board and a relatively small proportion of that is veneered ply. That means the bulk of it is MDF with a thin veneer on top. 

There is a wide range of veneered MDF readily available. In comparison, you will struggle to buy anything other than oak veneered ply, and this is 2–3 times the price.  Veneered sheet material has been used in furniture making, including high-end furniture making (I have made some beautiful cocobolo drawers with veneer, you could never afford to do that in solid!) for a very long time. If the material is well sealed (e.g. spray lacquer on all faces) then water ingress in standard conditions, this includes boat interiors, shouldn’t be an issue. It shouldn’t be used for work tops or areas where it will have excess water exposure. Generally though, if your boat is so damp that MDF is falling apart as soon as looking at it, then you have bigger problems to worry about. 

MDF or mrMDF

Veneered MDF with a hardwood lip allows you to make very attractive furniture at a lower cost than solid timber, while still building something that is going to last.  It also allows you to hand select specific veneers and create your own materials. This is helpful where rarity/expense of timber (e.g. rosewood) or mechanical issues (e.g. slab doors) mean that you otherwise couldn’t produce what you want. 

Where MDF, in this case mrMDF, comes into its own is for stability.  It is a very homogenous material, so doesn’t warp or twist in the same way a solid wood or even plywood slab does. This means it is ideal for creating large slab doors. Once these are spray lacquered the change in moisture content will be almost zero, and they will not warp, twist, expand or contract. 

If I am making slab doors (or even sometimes a faux shaker door) then I like mrMDF. I am not convinced that it is significantly more water-resistant than plain MDF, but it cuts and sands better, and it is much easier to paint. Regular MDF fluffs up as soon as paint touches it, meaning that multiple primer coats are required. 

It’s easy to work, easy to shape, and it’s pretty cheap compared to other materials. It’s also much nicer than the all-pervasive chipboard we fill our homes with. Not only that, but it’s not solid wood, not even ply, but it has a time and a place

Pros

• Cheap
• Easy to work
• Very stable
• Comes in a wide range of pre-veneered boards
• Takes a paint finish well

Cons

• Not durable, if used incorrectly or not sealed it won’t last
• The dust from machining is unpleasant
• Considered a cheap, low grade material
• Softer than most woods and plywood so can dent more easily
• Not suitable for high wear areas

It’s a timber we use quite commonly and is one of my go-to timbers for external joinery. Oily, heavy and strong, with a distinct smell when cut, Iroko is excellent for a number of projects. 

What wood – Iroko – Like Teak

Known as African Teak, this is a great alternative to the traditional boat building timber. It is extremely durable and resists rot and insect attack. Even untreated, it will last well outside.  It is striking how the colour changes with time, starting out as often quite a light blonde, then darkening with exposure to light. It ends up a dark nut brown, though may silver with time if left unprotected.

Not only that, but it is tough, making it tough to machine and can blunt blades quicker than softer timbers.  It’s natural oiliness, that gives it such excellent protection from rot and bugs, also has drawbacks.  The dust produced is very harsh and additional safety steps may be required when working with it. We have good extraction on the machines at the workshop, but I will still use a barrier cream if I am machining up a quantity of it.  Splinters from Iroko, which are common, tend to suppurate.

Additionally, the oily surface means it resists other solvents, meaning that it doesn’t take paint well.  Care should be taken when gluing, as glues will not always penetrate the surface as readily as other timbers.  There are specialist glues available for Iroko which we use in certain applications. 

As a joinery timber, it is not bad, with fairly good dimensional stability and an average amount of moisture related movement. This means items made from it don’t warp or stick too much, though some movement is inevitable, as wood is wood. 

An Overview,

Pros

• Extremely durable and resistant
• Very Hard
• Relatively Cheap
• Attractive Nut Brown colour when exposed to light
• Widely available in England
• Low maintenance
• Machines well
• Comes in long, wide lengths of straight-grained timber

Cons

• Heavy
• Tough on blades
• Appearance change over time may be undesirable
• Doesn’t paint well
• Can be tricky to glue
• Toxic dust when machining
• Can be brittle
• Splinters are the worst

Essentially, it is where a tree is milled with the outer part left on, instead of being chopped into neat rectangular boards. This style of milling is seen a lot in river tables, invented by Greg Klassen in 2011, and has taken the world of furniture by storm. However, you don’t need gallons of resin to enjoy the beauty of live edge timber. 

It varies greatly in price, but it’s cheaper than you might think. Many large pieces can be comparable in price to buying a mid-range of worktop, and are the same price or cheaper than the same quantity of solid wood. Given the amount of timber you are getting is remarkable.  That said, some of the really special and highly sort pieces can command high prices.

There are two elements that make any piece unique. Of course, the shape of the edge will always be different from piece to piece, and trying to find a form to suit a purpose (or vice versa!) is a pleasure. Also, the grain and patterns of the wood are unique. Granted, this can be said of any timber, but species and specimen of live edge timber are often chosen for their highly decorative and intricate patterns, making them stand out more than just the natural grain pattern of a tree.

Live Edge Timer

Burrs, large knotty deformed balls on a tree, are highly prized and produce amazing slabs. This timber is also prized for turning and veneers. It is very highly figured, appearing like a little universe of knots and twists in the wood where pressure and stress, sometimes fungal infection, have caused abnormal growth. 

Fungal infection, while it sounds unpleasant, can also result in other wonderful effects in wood. Brown oak is caused by the fungus Fistulina hepatica, known as the “Beefsteak Fungus”. This gives a deep brown colour into some or all of the timber. Then, when quarter sawn, you may get tiger oak. This is where the medullary rays of the grain are highlighted by this milling technique which, along with the discolouration, make some fantastic patterns.

Spalting in wood is also caused by fungal activity in timber, the after effects of which are seen as dark lines and patterns.  This is common in ash, beech and maple and looks incredible. It can affect the structural integrity of a slab, but typically we are using live edge as thick pieces where mass makes up for any decrease in strength.

It should be noted, the high amount of character is going to make these pieces unstable. If they were milled down to thinner sections, they would twist and warp wildly. However, as thick slabs they will remain flat, so it is always best to use a piece that has been dried to near the desired thickness. Machining a lot of extra material off a piece may lead to it moving again after it has stabilized with time. 

Finally, there are a host of beautiful exotics available as live edge. Species such as Tanga Tanga, Bocote, Parota, Padauk and more.  There are so many to choose from. Whether you want to go with us to the timber yard and select a piece together, or let us choose the perfect piece for your project, there are endless options

Pros

• Beautiful and unique
• Often relatively affordable
• Makes a wonderful centrepiece
• Range of different timbers mean there is something suitable for every situation
• Just a joy to work with and make things from

Cons

• Often not suitable for delicate work
• Flaws can affect structural integrity
• Some pieces are very expensive
• Each piece has to be chosen individually