Living afloat

The story of the Luxe Motor MS Watergeus, the bakdekkruiser Escapade and how to convert a Dutch barge into a houseboat.
Also containing one of world's largest house boat gallery

Wheelhouses on barges

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.

Outside pictures

General pictures

Wheelhouse of a Steilsteven

Simple and clean wheelhouse on a Katwijker

Raised wheelhouse on a converted clipper

A neglected wheelhouse on a Belgian aak

Wheelhouse on a Kempenaar built in the 70's

The letter 'C' of a Cummings engine aboard the Sarca

A common view on barges, life rings in front of the wheelhouse

A common view on barges, life rings in front of the wheelhouse

A common view on barges, life rings in front of the wheelhouse

Outside electricity and controls are nicely integrated in wheelhouse

Narrow wheelhouse on a Kempenaar. Wheelhouse can be raised or lowered.

Wheelhouse can be reached by stairs. Barge has sadly been scrapped. Nice painting on the front of the wheelhouse .

Nice painting on the front of the wheelhouse

Wheelhouse roof extended

Curtains in a wheelhouse is a typical sign of a house boat

A wheelhouse of a Kastje, been used as a house boat, but still looking like on a commercial barge.

An original looking wheelhouse on a Luxe Motor in London. Only the blue board needs repainting.

A top heavy construction, but offering a lot of space on top of the original accommodation

I haven't seen two of these wheelhouses around. Build in a L-shape.

Blinded windows

In the early days many windows in a wheelhouse were blinded or it was just a wooden panel instead of glass. This was for two reasons:

• Windows could break when lowering the wheelhouse
• Some skippers were afraid their vanished interior would be lighter because of sun light coming in.

Inside pictures

Traditional looking wheelhouse, wheel has been taken off (Photo: Scheepsmakelaar Fikkers)

Expensive traditional wheel (Photo; Scheepsmakelaar Fikkers)

A simple looking wheelhouse on barge. (Photo: Scheepsmakelaar Fikkers)

A rather typical wheelhouse for a house boat (Photo: Scheepsmakelaar Fikkers)

(Photo: Scheepsmakelaar Fikkers)

(Photo: Scheepsmakelaar Fikkers)

And how it should not be done (Photo: Scheepsmakelaar Fikkers)

(Photo: Scheepsmakelaar Fikkers)

(Photo: Scheepsmakelaar Fikkers)

A kitchen in a wheelhouse

In Amsterdam, while walking around, I discovered a kitchen made in the wheelhouse: