Brian justly proud of his boat Autarky.
BOAT REVIEW
New boat, historic hull Based on an 1899 hull and fitted with a Russell Newbury engine, 44ft Autarky has a strong working boat identity. Mark Langley climbs on board… Length...................................................................................................44ft Engine................................Russell Newbury DM1 Berths........................................................................................................2+2 Fit out: Granthams Bridge Boat Services: 01788 578661 WHEN APPROACHING SENIOR YEARS and opting for a third narrowboat, most boaters find a bespoke builder and commission a shiny new hull with an all-mod-con interior. At least, that’s the conventional route. But Brian Jarrett, owner of 44ft narrowboat, Autarky, is not your conventional type of guy. Having lived and cruised on both seagoing boats and two narrowboats, until recently he was the owner of the Russell Newbury engine company,
before selling it to Dave Bixter of Granthams Bridge Boat Services, who carried out his boat’s fit-out. With the intention of continuing his cruising lifestyle into his 80s and beyond, Brian decided he wanted a boat that was self-sufficient, didn’t require him to heave bags of coal around, shorter than his previous boat Kyle and also a touch easier on the legs when clambering around. Instead of commissioning a new hull, he was drawn to the lines of a semi-submerged 1899 BCN Joey, previously cut down to 37ft, which was at Granthams’ Hillmorton yard. With a new superstructure added, sensitive to the old hull, Autarky was born.
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Brian justly proud of his boat- bow decoration to be completed.JPG
Awaiting fit-out.
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A punt-like stern was added when the boat was previously shortened. The Hartshill bow, good at cutting through the water, was retained. The Hartshill bow is good at cutting through the
Having a keb aboard can be useful for clearing obstructions in locks.
The simple decor is sensitive to the boat’s working past.
Hull and superstructure Reeves & Sons boatbuilders did the hull conversion – which is no mean feat in itself. The BCN day-boat was 7ft 1in wide, so, to ensure it would fit through locks, it had to be trimmed down. This involved removing a 4in strip from the centre of the boat and pulling the iron plates back together. The boat had, at some point in its previous life, been shortened, and the stern pulled into an abrupt punt-like
shape to accommodate an engine. This was cut off and a new stern and swims welded to the iron plates – a task that can be quite a challenge, even for experienced boatbuilders. In the end, 27ft of the original boat was incorporated into the new craft. The length of the boat was set at 44ft, which is a good size to handle, and allowed good swim lengths to be fitted 12ft aft. It was only later that, during a hull survey for insurance purposes (usually required on a hull
Old meets new – the old rivetted hull with new gunwales.
water and was retained.JPG
over 100 years old), ‘soft spots’ in the iron were found. This entailed overplating on the baseplate, and a 12in-wide strip around the waterline. Had this been noticed earlier it would probably have been easier to rectify – but then restoring and converting older craft is not without its challenges. The superstructure is a neat affair, with a tug-like profile. The traditionally short deck backs onto the cabin, where a large hatch gives plenty of space to steer comfortably. Up in
The new stern skilfully blended into the old hull.
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Discreet solar panels sit on the top plank.
the bow, a fixed cratchboard has black canvas covers either side to protect the forward cockpit. There is no hatch in the foredeck, just filler points for the water tanks. The canvas covers continue aft, over a 7ft steel section of the superstructure, so giving the impression that there is a longer clothed hold – this works very well on a shorter boat. On the top plank, there is a pair of long, thin 60W solar panels that are unobtrusive and better mounted here than a hot steel roof. There are only two small portholes, plus three side doors, on the entire boat. However, there are a lot of oblong deck prisms set into the roof. This partly gives a traditional appearance (after all, working craft were not over-endowed with windows) as well as exceptional boat security. The roof handrails are the raised type, which are really more traditional than people give them credit for, and provide a superb handhold on the aft part of the superstructure. A pigeon box and mushroom vents are on the roof. There is also a bolt-down panel to enable the engine to be removed, if required. A few artificial rivets have been added in places, not for a pastiche appearance, but so that the original lines of rivets are preserved. The paintwork is simple at the moment, with light grey gloss and cream panels, black paint up to the gunwale and a single red band to the counter. Further decoration may be added in the future, but I think the plainer paint scheme suits the boat well.
Easy access into the lined forward cockpit.
The compact galley boasts a good amount of storage, while the Adriatic range gives heating and cooking by diesel.
Compact galley fits in a good amount of storage- Adriatic range gives heating and cooking by diesel.JPG There’s a long, slightly raised, single berth in the back cabin.
The washing machine and good-sized 12V fridge fit neatly under the countertop.
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The two sofas make generous single berths, while twin tables store on the cabin side out of the way.
Roof prisms give lots of natural light and are backed up by LED units.
Cockpit and saloon Zip-open sections in the front cloths allow for entry into the forward cockpit, giving access when raining – as on the day of our visit – without letting too much water into the cockpit. Unlike most boats, the cockpit floor is at cabin level, draining via its own bilge sump and pump. This means that it is an extension of the cabin – useful on a smaller boat. There are pitch-pine plank seats either side, which contain the stainless steel water tanks (780-litre total capacity). There is also storage, which serves as an ideal place to dry waterproofs, as well as good LED lighting. Reeves & Sons have welded small upstands on the inner edge of the gunwales, which mean that the canopy sides have a solid base to mount against, preventing water coming in from a strong wind or leaky lock gate. It also prevents the all-too-common practice of having canvas resting on the gunwale itself, which can be
treacherous underfoot. You can also see the skill of the welders in combining modern steel with the riveted iron of the old hull. The interior of Autarky reflects its owner’s use of solo cruising for long periods, while allowing for visits from family and friends. As you enter the cabin, you have full standing headroom in the centre – around 6ft 1in, which is less than many modern craft. The advantage of this height is that it does not require the boat to have a deep draught or a bridge-clobbering tall cabin roof. The first part of the cabin has two long settees, which take advantage of the sloping roof above (under the ‘false clothed’ part of the cabin) as you don’t need full headroom over a sofa. The settees were designed to be a little higher than normal so that, when sitting, the knee is kept from bending to beyond 90 degrees, which makes getting up easier than more conventional lower seats. These are exceptionally
comfortable places to sit and stretch out, and for dining, a couple of tables sitting on desmo legs can be put into place to allow up to six to eat in comfort. The tables are stowed against the cabin roof side when not in use. There is a lot of longterm storage under the berths, which is easy to access – helped by being a little deeper.
Galley You might think that a boat with only two portholes and three side doors (one of each in the galley) would be very dark – but even on the miserable autumn day of our visit, Autarky was light inside. This is due to the superb prism roof lights, as well as the white centre ceiling panels and light oak woodwork of the cabin linings. LED lighting is controllable around the boat, giving good general and task lighting. The galley is a centrecorridor format, which makes the most use of the small space. To starboard is a deep Belfast
sink, set into an Iroko worktop (reclaimed laboratory benches). Underneath are a 12V fridge and Candy washing machine, as well as further storage. To port is the diesel range: a Dickinson Adriatic. These stoves are very expensive new, but Brian managed to find a secondhand one at a very reasonable price on a yacht on the south coast. Running from diesel, it has a hotplate as well as an oven. It also has a 5kW output for domestic heating, which runs central heating in the rest of the boat, as well as heating a coil in the calorifier, plus space heating in the main cabin. It is very easily controlled and produces no mess, unlike solid fuel stoves. The external flue might not be as traditional as a coal stove, but it still fits in well with the boat. The range is surrounded by white tiling, which enhances the stainless steel finish of the stove. Under the high worktop to port are three large self-closing drawers. These are far more
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The hefty single cylinder Russell Newbury DM1 engine in centenary colours is ideal for this boat and has been offset to create more walkway space.
There is tool and spares storage under the floor to the port of the engine.
The bathroom has been designed as a wet room, which drains into a sump. The curved cupboard hides the calorifier.
practical than simple cupboards, as they allow full access, rather than meaning you have to grope around the back, feeling for ‘lost’ items. Brian is determined to carry on boating for as long as possible, so thinking through how to make life easier in the future has been a key part of planning the boat.
Bathroom The walk-through bathroom is entered through a frosted glass door, made specifically to match the boat. This allows light to enter the bathroom from both ends (there is a second glass door to the engine room) and makes it
quite spacious. The entire floor is composed of ceramic tiles, with a decent, noticeable slope to a centre drain point – this is a true wet room. The shower sump also drains the galley and bathroom sinks, via a Whale Gulper pump. The shower unit is mounted to port, against a curved cupboard, the lower part containing the calorifier. The waterproof wall boarding, which is skilfully curved around the cupboard, makes the whole space easy to clean. Heating pipes under the floor ensure the tiles dry quickly. There are also a large radiator and a good-sized
sink, with mirror above. Dominating the bathroom is the large composting toilet. There is no way of hiding its bulk, as it does take up a lot of space. Brian felt that, as you get older, moving cassette toilet tanks (around 20kg-plus when full) is not a good idea – and a pumpout toilet is not ideal for yearround use. The composting toilet should produce the minimum amount of waste, and not need special disposal facilities. Some composting toilet units are much smaller, but this tends to be achieved by separating urine from the rest of the waste;
The composting toilet is huge compared to other units, but is working very well without odour.
The neat header tank by the steerer’s feet gives gentle warmth, without the need to lug bags of coal to power a range.
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they also have to be emptied frequently. The large Envirolet unit on board has a fan fitted to help draw air through, so drying out the waste. Many systems fail to work, as they are too soggy for aerobic decomposition to occur, so can make the boat smell like ‘damp woodland’ throughout. However, by running heating pipes under the toilet (including those to/from the engine and calorifier), plus installing two other fans – one of which is turned on during cruising – the water content is removed. Brian also adds a scoop of accelerator mixture every now and then, which contains enzymes and bacteria. After four months of living aboard, a quick check showed around 1cm of compost in the tray, so it’s been a great success. And there’s no smell!
Engine room Pride of place in the engine room is a Russell Newbury DM1– not surprising, given Brian’s previous involvement with RN. This 9hp single cylinder engine is not in the usual dark green livery, but the Manchester Red centenary colours for the 100th year of production in 2009. The engine is mounted slightly offset by 5in, to give greater space to pass by. The PRM 260 gearbox has an unusual 1.5:1 ratio, allowing it to swing a 20in Crowther prop. Cooled by twin skin tanks (so allowing it to run hard up against a bank, if required), the engine also heats the hot water, and, through a heat exchanger, can warm up the cabin. This busts the myth that small traditional engines don’t run hot enough
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The electrics are logical and well installed.
The back cabin features a drop-down double berth plus lots of storage. Copper pipes give background warmth.
to produce useful heat. The engine is fed via a day tank, which holds enough to supply the engine and diesel range for three days. The main fuel tank is a U-shaped 1,200-litre unit that takes up some of the space under the furniture in the back cabin. The filler cap is inside the port door, which means that it is secure when left, avoiding fuel theft. There is a useful calibrated float gauge on the tank. A 90-amp alternator is beltdriven directly from the flywheel to give a good ratio of speed to the alternator – useful when the engine is running around 400rpm while cruising – and has made the engine 9in shorter than a conventional mounting. The charge is into a set of 2V 680Ah traction cells (plus conventional start battery), giving large storage from the engine – topped up by the solar panels (through a Victron MPPT controller). As the alternator takes around 2hp, the engine is started and allowed to run for a few minutes before the alternator is switched on. This definitely puts the engine under load until the batteries are up to around 14V, meaning slower cruising first thing in the morning or a wait of about 30 minutes. The Adverc charging system makes sure the alternator gives its best output – essential
with the true traction batteries. Domestic 230V electrics are provided by a shoreline connecter in the engine room for the odd times when moored in a marina. Most of the time a Victron Multiplus 3000/120 combi will give up to the 3kW of pure sine wave power required by the washing machine. The 12V batteries are monitored with a Merlin Smartgauge, which is more accurate than a simple voltmeter. To port of the engine is a lot of space under the floor to keep tools and spare parts out of the way.
Back cabin The back cabin is the main
sleeping accommodation and is not a replica of a working boat’s, but a far more pragmatic space. To starboard a long, raised side bench makes a comfortable single berth. There is also a drop-down wide double berth, with cupboards above – making the whole port-side a long bank of cupboards. The space under the forward part of the berths is taken up by the fuel tank, though there is still plenty of room. The floor is raised, but the use of a single-lever throttle and gear lever, rather than separate pushpull gear change and speedwheel, means that the reduced headroom is less head-bashing
than many back cabins. Doors separate the engine room from the cabin, though these swing open to give good access forward – needed when heading to the toilet during the night. Heating is by a pair of 22mm copper pipes, which lead to a large header tank aft by the steerer’s legs. Brian no longer wanted to lug 25kg bags of coal around, so the lack of stove in the aft cabin is made up for by the warmth from the header tank. Four shallow steps also make a much easier climb up to the stern, aided by the large hatch. Access to the weedhatch is thankfully though a deck hatch, rather than requiring the more traditional crawl under the counter.
Underway The single cylinder engine has a distinctive note, and a very sweet sound. At tickover, especially under the alternator load, the DM1 blows smoke rings until it is warmed up; however, the exhaust is remarkably clear after that. Vibration is almost non-existent, with plenty of power in reserve for tidal waterways – though Autarky’s engine is probably nearing the limit of go-anywhere capability, despite the massive torque of the 1.3-litre cylinder. The tiller is a good height and the long swims give superb handling as well as very little wash. The bow cuts the water well, and the single lever engine control makes the boat arguably easier to control, as long as you don’t rush gear changes.
WW’s Verdict As a self-sufficient boat for one man and his dog, Autarky certainly lives up to its name. Using a 100-year-old hull to form the basis of a new boat requires far more work than most of us could ever contemplate. But Brian is a very experienced boater, who knows what he wants. The result is a craft that perfectly meets his requirements. What’s more, it has been achieved for the cost of a bog-standard, low- to mid-range 57ft boat.
The modest length of Autarky is almost all useable cabin space – so has the feel of something much larger. As well as being extremely practical, a homely feel has been created without the excess of traditional embellishments that some boats have. While not for everyone, it is a fine piece of craftsmanship, with a top-notch engine, fittings and layout. We wish Brian all the best for many years of cruising on Autarky.
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