Camper Boat Conversion

[HMS BELUGA]

Hi forum users,

I have just joined, both the boat owning community and this forum. I have purchased a 15 foot cabined motor boat. It has a 1980's Johnson 20hp outboard and the boat is surprisingly spacious.

I live in Cornwall in the UK, in a place called the Roseland peninsula. I am lucky as where I live I am between the cornish coast and a large estuary with beaches and pubs along its length.

What I would like to do is to transform my little day boat into a "caravan of the water" if you like. The cabin is big enough to sleep two, and there is plenty of storage for a few nights worth of camping.

My question is: "Do you know of any good threads on this site, or if not, have any of you tried yourselves to turn such a small boat into a camper?"

I have been thinking of building and fitting a light weight roof rack for sleeping bags ets, (light things only) and have come up with a design to turn the cabin into a double bed. But what other accesories would make sense in what is essentially a small boat with big potential.

Any help on this project would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks,

Henry

[gonzo]

I use nets that look like small hammocks to hang things. They keep sweaters, towels, etc. dry and in place. Tupperware (or whatever brand) containers are also great to keep stuff organized and dry.

[HMS BELUGA]

Cheers mate, hammocks are a good idea, but what about technical bits n bobs, like stereo and camp stove? do you think it will be too rocky to cook on, or too many explosive things in a small boat?

[gonzo]

For a small boat, the little camping stoves that screw on top of the tank are fine. You will be cooking in the cockpit, so I don't thing there is much of a problem with flamables. It would be a good idea to do it as far from the fuel tank as possible and to close the tank vent.

[HMS BELUGA]

Thank you, dou you have any experience of leisure batteries, and car stereos being fitted to this size of boat. Was thinking of having a battery that I took off and charged, but perhaps the charge wouldn't last long enough for music?

Any thoughts?