Early days

This blog is going to be about the design, construction and fitting out of a brand new 60' narrowboat - to be named Calbourne. I'm hoping to produce a complete account of the whole construction and fit-out process. But first, a bit of history...

My family was introduced to canal boating in the early 1970's, after my older brother hired a boat from a company aptly called Just Boats.

A family holiday on another hire boat followed and we immediately caught the bug. Not long after that, my Dad's parents died and he inherited a modest amount of money - enough to buy a hull with an engine and steel engine room. The hull was delivered to a barn in Norfolk where, over the course of several months, my Dad built a cabin and fitted out the inside.
The boat - named Mary Roberts - was launched in June 1975. It was such an unusual thing in those days, that Anglia TV filmed the launch at Gayton!
We subsequently cruised hundreds of miles in her, including one memorable trip, where we travelled from Gayton Junction to Paddington Basin and back - in a week!

Remarkably, building a boat in a barn in Norfolk was newsworthy in 1975!
This picture was taken by the Eastern Daily Press.
Showing my dad and older brother David.

The finished boat about to leave the barn - Tibenham, Norfolk