Buyer guide
40ft Narrowboat Layout Ideas That Feel Spacious
Layout ideas for owners who want a compact, design-led home afloat, with practical ways to shape space, storage, circulation and everyday comfort.
Read the guide →Behind the Build
Useful answers before you commission.
Ideas, decisions and craftsmanship from inside the Oakums workshop, with practical guidance about the choices that shape a successful new narrowboat.
Oakums journal
The thinking behind a better boat.
Practical guidance for anyone planning a narrowboat, alongside honest glimpses into the decisions that shape each Oakums build. Every article is written to help you move from research towards a clearer brief.
Buyer guide
Closed Bow Narrowboat Benefits for All Seasons
A sheltered bow can create calmer winter cruising, greater privacy and more usable living space for life aboard throughout the year.
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Open Bow Narrowboat Design for Better Living
A sociable forward terrace can strengthen the connection to the water without compromising the comfort, storage and engineering needed for life afloat.
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Off-Grid Narrowboat Systems for Life Aboard
Solar, batteries, charging, water storage and domestic demand need to suit how you cruise, cook and live rather than an optimistic headline figure.
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Solar Power for Narrowboats That Works Year-Round
Plan a quieter, more independent life afloat with suitable panels, batteries, charging support and realistic expectations for Britain’s changing seasons.
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Is Electric Propulsion for Narrowboats Right?
Understand battery capacity, charging, solar support, cruising patterns and the complete specification before deciding whether electric suits your life afloat.
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Narrowboat Technology Trends Worth Planning For
Electric propulsion, solar power, monitoring and better integrated onboard systems are changing life afloat, but every choice still needs to remain useful and maintainable.
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How Much Does a Luxury Narrowboat Cost in 2026?
Understand new-build prices, propulsion, interiors and the choices that create the difference between a costly finish and a genuinely resolved boat.
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Luxury Narrowboat Builders UK for Life Afloat
Choosing a builder means balancing design, propulsion, space, evidence and a clear route from first consultation through construction and handover.
Read the guide →Latest from Oakums
Follow current builds and launches.
See everyday progress from the Oakums workshop, recent handovers and new work taking shape.
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Then make the conversation yours.
Bring the articles, photographs and design ideas that matter to you. Oakums can connect them to a suitable range, current price and realistic specification.
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Let’s talk about your life on the water.
Tell us how you want to use your boat. Oakums will help you compare the ranges, propulsion choices, budget and route to ownership.