Case study: hire boat
Evening Star: built for a lifetime of family holidays
A bespoke 58ft six-berth hire boat, built in‑house at our Stoke Prior yard for Whittington Wharf Narrowboats.
58ft
Cruiser Stern
6ft 10in
Beam
Six-berth
Hire Boat
Built in-house
By Crafted Boats
Whittington Wharf Narrowboats is a family-run canal boat hire business based on the Llangollen Canal near Oswestry, Shropshire. Its fleet gives holidaymakers the chance to cruise some of Britain’s most scenic waterways, including the Llangollen, Montgomery and Shropshire Union canals, taking in landmarks such as the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct along the way.
When it came to expanding its fleet, Whittington Wharf turned to Crafted Boats for a vessel that could stand up to the demands of weekly hire throughout the year, while offering guests a genuinely comfortable holiday afloat.
The client
The build
Evening Star is a 58ft narrowboat with a 6ft 10in beam, built entirely in-house at our Stoke Prior yard, from steel fabrication through to final fit-out.
As with all our boats, the hull was constructed from stock steel plate, with 10mm bottom plates, 6mm hull sides and a curved 4mm roof, giving the strength and stability needed for a boat that would see regular use across the season.
Power comes from a Beta 43 marine diesel engine paired with a PRM 150D2 gearbox, keel-cooled and fitted with a water-lubricated propulsion system. An Eberspächer hydronic diesel heater keeps the cabin warm via radiators to each room, with a heated towel rail in the bathroom, while a 450-litre water tank and 250-litre diesel tank give guests plenty of range for a week’s cruising without needing to stop for supplies.
Steelwork, engineering & technical specification
- LENGTH: 58ft
- BEAM: 6ft 10"
- BOTTOM PLATES: 10mm
- HULL SIDES: 6mm
- CABIN SIDES: 5mm
- DECKS: 5mm
- ROOF: 4mm with 75mm curvature
- BULKHEADS: 4mm
- BASE PLATE FRAMING: 100 x 50 x 6mm. (nominal 660mm centres for the 1st 10ft then 930mm centres)
- KNEES & STRINGERS: 60 x 60 x 6mm angle (nominal 660mm centres for the 1st 10ft then 930mm centres)
- CABIN ROOF BEARERS: 25 x 25 x 3mm box section. (nominal 450mm centres)
- CABIN ROOF HANDRAIL: Tee style integral handrail
- RUBBING STRAKES: 50mm x 13mm convex - four at bow, three at stern including two full length – all fully welded top & bottom.
- DIESEL TANK: Integral with hull. Main tank: nominal capacity 250 ltrs. Pressure tested with vent and flame guard and filler cap fitted.
- BALLAST: Concrete paving slabs placed on base plate as required by design and trim.
A Beta 43 Marine inboard diesel engine with PRM 150D2 gearbox matched to a suitable propeller. The installation included: keel cooling for engine, Aquadrive CVB 10.10 coupling, flexible mounts, Hospital exhaust silencer, two 95ah AGM starter batteries and four 110amp AGM system batteries, manufacturer standard control panel with Tacho/hour meter, key start switch, engine warning lights and audible alarms for low oil pressure and high-water temperature. Nakashima Marine Propulsion formally (MMP) water lubricated system installed.
Bilge pump and a single lever engine control fitted.
Water tank: Polypropylene. Minimum capacity 450 ltrs. one take off points. Chrome water filler.
Water supplied by one pump and delivered via concealed polybutylene pipework. 50 ltr calorifier tank (heated by the engine and / or the central heating boiler and 240v immersion heater).
Heating provided by a Eberspacher HS3 Hydronic diesel water heater fitted in the engine room with radiators to the cabin. Bathrooms provided with heated towel radiator.
The 12-volt low voltage services are provided via a switched fuse panel. The low voltage appliances include two water pumps, shower pump, automatic bilge pump, horn, tunnel light, cockpit and stern deck light, internal LED lighting.
240-volt electrics supplied via a shoreline input and Victron inverter /charger providing a protected ring circuit with ample double sockets, some with USB charging points.
Weed Hatch: Quick release type.
Forward Storage Locker with hinged steel hatch.
Gas Storage Locker containing two 13kg LPG cylinders with auto changeover gas regulator.
Bow cockpit lockers fitted on port & starboard sides. Starboard locker includes anchor fixing point.
Engine bay hatches Hinged steel with lift handle.
Silver chrome aluminium, single glazed, clamp-in windows fitted. Obscure glass in bathroom and toilet compartment. Folded steel cabin doors with magnetic retainers. Long folded steel sliding hatch at stern. Doors and hatch lined to match interior finish.
Ventilation fitted in accordance with current legislation, with due regard to appliances and use.
50mm dia. stock with tapered top, single bolt fitting. Balanced blade. Swans neck 38mm dia. with chrome / wooden extension.
The external hull sides and base plate coated with bitumastic coating up to the top rubbing strake. The internal cabin bilge painted with bitumen.
All external surfaces primed and finished with two-pack gloss finishes. Slip resistant finish to decks, gunwales and coach roof. Single coachline.
Bow Fender – Rope V bow fender.
Stern Fender– Rope Tipcat & button fenders.
Bow tee stud x 1, stern dollies x 2, centre roof ring. Steel boat pole and plank retainers. Horn and LED tunnel light fitted. External TV aerial wired to 1 internal outlets.
Interior fit-out & accommodation
- FLOORS: Laid in 25mm. (treated) Far Eastern plywood laid on treated bearers, covered with vinyl strip flooring.
- HULL SIDES: 9mm laminate covered plywood (Smart Ash Light M6305)
- CABIN SIDES: 9mm laminate covered plywood (Smart Ash Light M6305)
- CABIN ROOF: 6mm laminate covered plywood (Whitewood M3866)
- FRONT BULKHEAD: 9mm laminate covered plywood (Smart Ash Light M6305)
- REAR BULKHEAD: 9mm laminate covered plywood (Smart Ash Light M6305)
- INTERNAL BULKHEADS: 15mm laminate covered plywood (Smart Ash Light M6305)
- TRIMS: light hardwood (Ash)
- MAIN INTERNAL COMPONENTS: 15mm laminate covered plywood (Smart Ash Light M6305)
- SHOWER ENCLOSURE: (Yang Marble F2273)
Treated timber battens fitted and the internal hull sides, cabin sides and coachroof coated with flame retardant spray foam insulation (nominal 25mm thickness).
The galley incorporates an LPG free-standing cooker with oven, grill and four burner hobs with extractor fan. Microwave. Refrigerator with ice box.
Base units under post-formed work tops with inset single bowl stainless steel sink, drainer and mixer tap. Steps to stern deck with sliding hatch over, wet locker. Cupboard to house electronic appliance and controls etc.
The bathroom includes a rectangular shower compartment with glass door, thermostatic mixer valve and an electric shower emptying pump. A vanity unit with postformed work surface, semi-recessed basin and mirror. Electric macerator toilets connected to remote polypropylene toilet tanks and pump-out system. Extractor vent.
Rear cabin including a fixed single berth and a moveable single berth enabling conversion to a double berth. Wardrobe. Mid cabin with fixed double berth & wardrobe.
‘L’ shaped dinette /double berth. Folding bench seat. Low level cupboard with TV and Radio
TV aerial point. Ceiling mounted and low-level LED lighting. Chrome finish internal fittings. Mirrors in bedroom and bathroom. And curtains and blinds fitted.
Bow and stern fenders fitted, and three mooring lines supplied.
One life ring, one boarding plank, boat pole, boat hook and shaft.
Three fire extinguishers and a fire blanket fitted internally.
Smoke and CO2 alarms fitted.
Built as a six-berth hire boat, Evening Star needed to work equally well for couples, families and larger groups, so we designed its layout with this flexibility in mind. Two configurations are available, a rear cabin with a fixed single berth and a second single that converts to a double, and a mid-cabin double with its own wardrobe, giving guests the option that best suits their party.
The saloon features an L-shaped dinette that converts to a further double berth, along with a low-level cupboard housing the TV and radio. The galley is fitted with a free-standing gas cooker, four-burner hob, microwave and fridge with ice box, all set beneath post-formed worktops with a stainless-steel sink and mixer tap. In the bathroom, guests have a rectangular shower with thermostatic mixer valve, a vanity unit with semi-recessed basin, and an electric macerator toilet.
Throughout the boat, laminate-covered plywood linings in a light ash finish keep the interior bright, while flame-retardant spray foam insulation and chrome-finished fittings add to the sense of quality guests expect from a well-appointed hire boat.
Design & Features
Built to work hard
Unlike a private cruiser built for the owner’s use, a hire boat has to perform reliably for hundreds of different crews each year, many of them new to boating. Evening Star was built with this in mind, from the robust AGM battery bank and Victron inverter system to the folded steel doors and hatches designed to withstand daily use.
The two-pack gloss exterior finish and slip-resistant deck surfaces are built to cope with a full season of comings and goings at the wharf, while the straightforward single-lever engine control and clear instrumentation make the boat easy to handle for first-time skippers.
A bespoke narrowboat build
The Crafted Boats difference
Evening Star shows how our fully bespoke, in-house build process can adapt to different purposes to meet the needs of private owners or the specific demands of a commercial hire fleet. From steel fabrication to the final coachline, every part of the boat was built to Whittington Wharf’s specification, giving its guests a comfortable, dependable base for exploring the Shropshire and Welsh waterways for years to come.
