Privately Built Privately Builtj

GENERAL DESCRIPTIONThis houseboat was built privately by myself and another boat owner. I have a 43 year history in building and using sailboats and he was the owner and restorer of two Christ Craft Roamers and a 55 foot Chris Craft Constellation. Design decisions were done in concert. The boat was begun in June 2017 And completed in June of 2018 with the exception of engine installation and controls. My building partner sickened and died after June of 2018 and installation of engine and associated controls were undertaken by Philadelphia Boat Works, a large and long-established dealer and repair service. As stated in the opening title, this boat has not been registered or titled. Registration and titling are obtained through Pennsylvania Fish and Game. ALL receipts for the building are present and of course go with the boat.SURVEYThe boat underwent a full scale marine survey on September 13, 2018. The Survey was summarized as: "The subject vessel was found to be a well constructed, appointed and comfortable vessel. The vessel is well-kept. and is considered to be suitable for it's intended use." Some minor deficiencies were noted and these were corrected. The survey noted that no radio is installed but a portable-handheld will be supplied with the boat. The survey also noted that accessory switches were unsuitable. These were all replaced with the recommended switches. A complete copy of the survey on PDF is available via email when requested. The vessel is currently insured by Geico Marine Insurance.The boat was trucked from Philadelphia Boat Works to Fox's Grove Marina in Essington, PA about 2 miles south of Philadelphia International Airport. The boat arrived via Sterling Boat Transport (a professional boat mover) on a flat bed and was removed by the yard's TraveLift and put into storage for the winter in September of 2018. It was not launched because of my wife's sudden heart condition and surgeries. During the following spring we decided that the boat was just too much for both of us (we are in our eighties) and we decided on a sale.DESIGN GOALSThe boat was designed to be a river cruiser. Vertical dimensions above the waterline were kept modest to permit passage under low bridges. Vertical clearance above the water is about 7 feet. The flat bottom and scow bow were chosen to facilitate overnight grounding when desired. (See images 1 through 5). Ground tackle was designed to be used with a windlass and all rodes to store below the foredeck. The windlass was not installed and there is currently no ground tackle supplied.POWERThe boat is powered by a new Honda 25 hp outboard. Emphasis on NEW. The engine has NEVER been used. It has been run only as a test after installation by Philadelphia Boat and to winterize prior to being transported to the yard for winter storage. The engine is bracket-mounted for convenience in handling and has power tilt. All engine and steering controls were supplied and installed by Philadelphia Boat. (See Images 6 & 7). Tankage, (12 Gallons) and filters are contained within a large deck box on the after deck, protected from weather and view. (See Image 7a).Mooring is facilitated by a number of 10 inch dock cleats through-bolted to a sturdy rub rail and through-bolted to backing blocks below decks. (See Image #8) . Both fore and after decks are surrounded by iron pipe railings with gates port and starboard and facing fore and aft. All are through-bolted to backing blocks below decks. (See Image #) A sturdy boarding ladder is fastened to the transom. (See Image #9). The boat was stored for the winter on 10 sets of cribbing to provide well- spaced and flat support. (See Image #3). The cribbing goes with the boat.Windows port and starboard are acrylic and do not open. Windows on the fore and after bulkheads and in the cabin doors are vehicle safety glass and do not open. Opening of the sliding hatches and cabin doors provides excellent ventilation. Cabin walls and cabin top are fully insulated.On the cabin top are navigation lights port and starboard, an electric horn and a searchlight on the starboard side. (See Image #11)ACCOMMODATION AND MECHANICAL PLANTEntrance to the accommodation is via sliding hatches fore and aft and doors fore and aft. (See Image #12). The height of the cabin top from the deck is only about 3.5 feet so there are excellent views forward and aft from each deck. The two bronze opening ports on either side of the after doorway provide light and air to the head and galley. Entrance to the cabin interior is by staircases fore and aft, protected by railings (painted white for night use). See Image #13). Both staircases are easily pulled out on sliders to access the mechanical equipment under fore and after decks. Access is through doors normally concealed by the staircases.Under the foredeck are two interconnected water tanks containing a total of 40 gallons of fresh water. These are filled from deck ports and drained via valves and hoses connecting to the tanks and through hulls. The water heater is located under the foredeck and feeds the galley sink and the shower. Batteries and battery switches are located beneath the after deck.Bilge pumps are located beneath the sole and are reached by removable covers running fore and aft and easily lifted and removed. All pumps have remote float switches operating bilge pumps.HELM STATION(See Image #14). There is ample room at the wheel for a swivel chair and we planned an office type chair for this function. There is space alongside the cabinet for a large chart storage box.GALLEYThe Galley is to the starboard side and sits by the after staircase. See Image #15) It offers a refrigerator with freezer and a Microwave. A two burner Origo stove was planned for the counter space next to the staircase. A sink with hot and cold water faucets is situated next to the microwave in this picture.THE HEADThe Head is to port just to the right of the forward staircase. It is closed off from the cabin by a door. (See Images #16) Lavatory is a Porta Potty used IN the shower, (visible in Image #13 along with the cushions for the deck boxes which are throwable PFDs) The Porta sits in the shower and is used there to conserve space. Visible to the right is the vanity. The shower has an outdoor shower head with a chain pull to conserve water. When the chain is released the water flow stops. Se Image #20. There is considerable shelf storage space on the back of the wall alongside the vanity.ELECTRICAL CONTROLSLocated in the galley cabinetry is the fuse box and the Inverter. Also visible is the switching gear to transfer from shore to battery power and vice versa. (See Image #21.CABIN LIGHTINGThere are two wall sconces (12 volt) in the cabin and an overhead fixture over the chart table. See Images 22 & 23)FURNISHINGSThere are none at this time. Our plan was to use standard furnishings. This gave the greatest flexibility and made each area multi-use. They were to be. arranged as follows: Starboard 1. A love-seat Sofa Bed between the galley and the helm station. 2. Possibly a floor lamp in this arrangement. Port 1. A wine rack will fit in the shelved cabinet on the outside wall of the head. 2. A bar was planned to sit directly above the wine rack 3. Next to the wine rack the first of two small bookcases were planned. 4. The bookcases were to be separated by a gel-fueled fireplace. 5. This arranement would continue up to the navigator's station in the port bow. 6. The navigator's station would have a small fold-down desk and some book shelves.DEFICIENCIESDeck Coating.The decks are planked with plywood and resin covered. On top of that was a nonskid deck coating from Jamestown Distributors calledTotal Boat TotalTread Non-Skid Deck Paint. The boat was covered all winter but had to be uncovered in late spring to allow other boats to be launched. It was uncovered for two months and exposed to rain and sun and this was the result. (See Image #X) This will need to be scraped and sanded. There is no apparent damage to the deck itself. Needless to ay I don't recommend this product.Bright Work.The varnish around the windows will need to be sanded and re-coated. it has faded from the sun.After Cabin Door.The inside handle came loose and I took it away to get a new Allen screw. At this time I cannot locate the handleCabin DoorsThe cabin doors were not built according to my specifications and should be more robust.One of the shore power connections was damaged recently by person or persons unknown. This is the only identifiable damage of this type as of this writing. This can be seen in Image #1` as an white-outlined rectangle