Living afloat The story of the Luxe Motor MS Watergeus, the bakdekkruiser Escapade and how to convert a Dutch barge into a houseboat.
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Living AfloatLiving Afloat gives you free ideas on what you need to know about barges, how to buy them, how to convert them, etc.. (more...) Since I have worked on boats, many people helped me with information. Out of respect for them and because I was helped freely, I've decided to publish all information freely on this website! Another reason are the costs for buying and converting a boat. You better spend the money on your boat then on companies selling the information to you! There are photo galleries of barges and their mooring, interior pictures, reports on journeys on a barge, a guide for recognizing Dutch barges, ... If you are looking to sell or buy your barge, there is a 'for sale' section. Living Afloat tries to explain how to experience and enjoy the lifestyle of living on water!
This page contains photos and information of already converted barges and their look. Every single item of a conversions gets it own page:
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This section moved to another website, mainly in Dutch. Pictures have a great value on that side since they show details and full explanation! 
This section shows some pictures of barges and their mooring. Pictures are mainly taken in The Netherlands, Belgium and the United Kingdom.
This section is dedicated to the engine(room)s aboard barges. Often people remove the engine if the boat will be used for static use, such as a house boat. I don't recommend doing this. You don't win that much space and whenever the boats need to be moved, you need a tug or pusher.
You can learn a lot on how (not) to convert a barge, the way it must look is more a feeling or looking at some samples. 
Personally I like barges that have an original look from the outside. At the other hand, I must honestly say that I have seen conversions that were worth a lot. A completely different style but it works, it even looked great...
Wheelhouses used to be built in wood and were removable for passing some lower bridges. These days they are built in aluminium and can be raised or lowered by a hydraulic system. It is the area where the skipper spent most of his time.
Barge owners won't disagree on the fact how many paint is needed for their barge. A barge needs continuously maintenance and painting is a big part of it! This page shows some examples of typical paint schemes and some creative ideas.
Any barge has deck equipment. They make every day's use easier or they are needed for safe sailing. Examples of deck equipment are anchor winches, car cranes, cranes for lifeboats, masts, etc... 
Rudders are panels at the back or front of the boat which you can use to steer the boat and makes it move into a certain direction. Original rudders were in wood, later ones in metal. Modern ships have two or more rudders.
Many boats used to have a small cabin between the wheelhouse and the cargo hold. After the war most of these cabins were removed to create a bigger cargo hold. A few boats still have it, most of them house boats... 
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Last updated on:
Wednesday, 11 May, 2011 10:43 PM
(c) Frederic Logghe - Living Afloat.com 2005-2011 We are not responsible for, and expressly disclaims all liability for, damages of any kind arising out of use, reference to, or reliance on any information contained within the site. |