After viewing many narrowboats for sale, here is a tour of our 57ft reverse-layout cruiser stern narrowboat interior. I describe the condition we found it in, what our plans are, and I’ll share before-and-after updates as we complete the work.
Welcome to Our New Narrowboat
Welcome back to our narrowboat updates. Now that we own this boat, I wanted to show the interior and outline the improvements we plan to make. Having spent several nights on board, my perspective has already changed on a few things—some projects now feel less urgent than I initially thought.
The boat is a 57ft reverse-layout narrowboat built in 2011. As a reverse layout, the galley sits at the stern, with living spaces and sleeping quarters arranged forward.
Narrowboat Kitchen
My initial impression was that the kitchen felt small, but after using it regularly—including cooking a roast dinner—it feels much more spacious than I expected. The layout is efficient and practical for narrowboat living.
There’s room for a washing machine under one cabinet, which is helpful if we want to take longer canal holidays or future-proof the boat for full-time living. The necessary water feed and waste connections are already in place, which made that an easy option to consider later.
Fridge
At first we thought the fridge was a 240-volt unit, but someone has labelled it as 12-volt and it appears to be set up that way. Newer narrowboat fridges can be expensive—around a thousand pounds—so we intend to look after this one for now. It has a few chips but works well, so replacement can wait.
Undermount Sink and Worktops
The stainless steel sink with a rinse tap is serviceable but scratched and dull. The worktops have also seen better days. Initially I wanted to replace the tops entirely, but I’ve been persuaded to leave them for the moment and treat them with oil to improve the finish.
There is a join near the hob that’s come away and isn’t secured properly to the unit, causing some wobble. When I refinish the tops I’ll repair the join—probably with a mending plate and resin rather than full replacement or complex biscuit joining—so it should be stable and look much better.
Hob Work Space Saver
There’s a removable work-saver surface above the hob that increases usable counter space. It’s secured with tape and a lining that matches the fridge front; it’s not my favourite look, but it’s useful. Removing it reveals a four-burner hob underneath, so we have flexibility depending on how the kitchen evolves.
Four-Burner Hob
The hob in place isn’t the original Thetford unit. It won’t auto-ignite unless on 240-volt power, which means we use a USB lighter when not connected to shore power. Since I’m cautious around open flames, I prefer the lighter for controlled ignition when the inverter isn’t running.
Tea & Coffee Setup
We love our morning coffee. For now we’re using a compact drip coffee maker from home because we have ground coffee to use up, and a small one-cup electric kettle when hooked up to mains. We also keep a collapsible gas kettle for conserving electricity—very handy and easy to pack away.
Oven and Grill
The boat has a gas grill and oven set at a low, dog-friendly height. We considered moving the oven to sit above the fridge for a more integrated look, but for now I prefer it where it is. The oven’s current position is practical, and moving it would mean reconfiguring cupboards and potentially reducing fridge space—which could be an issue since we eat a lot of fresh vegetables.
Kitchen Storage
There’s good storage under the sink for pots and pans and we use plastic baskets to keep things tidy. I originally bought larger baskets for a vegetable rack but settled on smaller ones that work well for keeping dry goods and cleaning supplies organised. I plan to make some cooking videos as part of exclusive content, so efficient storage is useful.
Dry Food and Pantry
Alongside the fridge for fresh produce, we keep a cupboard stocked with dry food from our camping supplies. It’s not gourmet, but it’s very practical for emergencies and quick meals like chili con carne or curry. That cupboard also stores herbs and oils for dressings and salads.
Extras and Window Trim
Most of the appliances and fixtures came with the boat. There’s a handy wall cupboard for keys and small items; a spice rack here would be ideal, though. The utensil rack was already fitted and suits our needs. The windows have uPVC double glazing which is not original to the boat. The surrounding architrave looks like soft pine and has been filled in places with mismatched filler—this is something I want to tidy up.
Ply Lining and Painting Plans
The ash veneer ply around the windows has started to peel and shows some water damage. The damage is mostly around opening windows rather than the fixed panes. I’m considering whether to replace the ply or paint it. For now I’ll paint and fill problem areas first, then decide if replacement is necessary. I want to retain as much original trim detail as possible so the finish isn’t too stark.
Control Panel and Storage
Just inside the main stern doors there are double-doored cupboards. One houses the control panel, light switches, inverter and the Webasto heater; underneath we store dog food and other supplies. The opposite cupboard contains coats, mooring pins and the calorifier, which uses engine heat to warm water for showers and washing up.
Dinette
Adjacent to the kitchen is a large L-shaped dinette that converts into a bed using the cushions. The base offers additional storage, which is handy for bulkier items and seasonal supplies.
Saloon
The saloon sits forward of the dinette. There was a bookshelf installed that we decided to remove and repurpose elsewhere; that space will become a drop-leaf desk mounted under the gunnels. A pair of floating shelves felt unstable and unnecessary, so those will come down to create a cleaner look and more usable wall space.
TV
We mounted a large TV with ambient lighting above the former shelving area. We don’t watch television constantly—often we simply use voice assistants or the radio—but the screen is useful for occasional viewing. We may add a dedicated 12-volt TV in the bedroom later.
Heating
Heating comes from four radiators connected to the Webasto diesel heater; I plan to update these to more modern models. We also have a Morso multi-fuel stove that needs some rust removal and repainting. It’s excellent for cooking on cast-iron pans and for burning offcuts or dried logs, which helps heat the boat while preparing food.
TV & Internet Hub
The shelves beside the stove now serve as our TV and internet hub. We removed the back panel and drilled a discreet hole to thread the internet cable through. We pay a small monthly fee for unlimited internet, which makes working from the boat much easier—more on our mast and antenna setup in a future post.
Seating
We currently have an IKEA lounge chair and the dinette seating. Our plan is to add two armchairs that can be moved aside for morning exercise and to create a comfortable workspace near the dinette, which doubles as my desk.
Bathroom (The Head) Walkthrough
The bathroom is a walk-through design, which we hadn’t used much on hire boats before. The mixer tap currently leaks at the handle and I’ll likely replace the whole tap rather than attempt a cartridge repair. Under-sink storage contains Speedfit plumbing, which is reassuring and makes maintenance easier.
Cassette Toilet
The boat uses a cassette toilet. We like the flexibility of carrying a spare cassette and emptying at Elsan points when needed. Access to the cassette is through the bedroom, under the bed, so it’s straightforward to remove and dispose of waste responsibly.
Shower Tray
A pre-purchase survey revealed a cracked shower tray, which we insisted be repaired before completing the sale. The shower itself is a good size with adequate warmth and water pressure, and a pump evacuates the water efficiently. The tray isn’t very deep, which helps conserve water—something we appreciate while cruising.
Bedroom
In this reverse layout, the bedroom sits at the bow. The carpentry here is lovely. We have a comfortable small double bed with a hybrid spring and memory-foam mattress that is better suited to the boat’s ventilation and moisture conditions than our Tempur mattress at home. There’s a breathable membrane beneath the mattress and ample storage under the bed, including two large drawers.
Bedroom Storage
Overbed lights are very useful for reading, and the wardrobe space at the foot of the bed includes a double-door unit on one side and a single-door cupboard on the other—plenty of room for clothing and essentials.
Dog Bed
Our dog Hans has claimed a cosy spot in the bedroom walkway near the front door. It’s not the most conventional arrangement, but he loves the little nook and often chooses to nap there, so we’re leaving it as his space for now.
Water Pump and Tank
The water pump sits under the steps leading to the stern doors. That compartment could double as occasional storage for items that don’t mind a bit of damp. Pipes run under the well deck where the water tank is located—however, that area isn’t directly accessible to us.
The Well Deck
Outside, the double-glazed front door opens only from the inside for security. The well deck offers useful storage for hosepipes, oil containers, cleaning buckets and fenders—practical items that live well in that space.
Engine
I’m still learning more about narrowboat engines, but this boat has a Canaline 38 horsepower diesel engine. It is water-cooled and therefore does not have a greased stern gland. The engine sits at the stern, and the unit has relatively low hours on it—around fifty—with much of its time spent in marina berths.
Gas Bottle Storage
Gas bottles live in metal lockers on the cruiser stern; we have two bottles so we can swap one out when the other runs low. Currently the only gas appliances are the hob and oven. The lockers also store wellies, spare rope and other deck essentials.
What’s Next
I hope you enjoyed this interior tour and a preview of the projects we have planned. If you have questions or suggestions based on your own narrowboat experience, please leave them in the comments and I’ll reply. We have a number of renovation and maintenance tasks coming up and will share updates as we progress.
Narrowboat Art
Since buying the boat we’ve commissioned specialist canopies for the front and back and created artwork inspired by the boat. Some of those pieces are available for sale through our shop.
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