Living afloat

The story of the Luxe Motor MS Watergeus and how to convert a Dutch barge into a houseboat

Barges & their coal cabin

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...

• A coal cabin in detail
• Barges with a coal cabin

A coal cabin could be used as an entrance to the cargo hold. Then it remains on the boat and has a functional use when living on the boat.

The spits Marie-Galante has used it coal cabin as entrance to the cargo hold. The hold has been made higher, the same height as the coal cabin.

A coal cabin in detail

The following pictures were taken aboard the spits Reginald. This boat, built in 1927, is still sailing commercially.

Coal cabin seen from the front

Coal cabin seen from the side

Coal cabin seen from the inside of the cargo hold

Barges with a coal cabin

coming soon...