Mothership Marine recently handed over a Sailaway Plus, the Narrowboat ‘Whisper’ to owner Craig. She’s a 57’ semi trad. She will be fitted out in Gloucester with the help of a friendly handyman.

A ‘sailaway’ is not a new concept, variations of this theme have been built for a very long time. At a minimum, a sailaway would consist of a primed shell with a motor and windows and doors fitted to make a watertight unit. Variations of this include ballast, insulation, battening and perhaps a floor and wall lining. These would fall under annex 3 of the RCD. (Recreational Craft Directive, now superseded by the RCR, the Recreational Craft Regulations).

With the introduction of solar electric boats it is more difficult to offer sailaways because of the complexity of the component parts and the regulations the build must adhere to.

Mothership Marine devised the concept of the Sailaway Plus. It offers owners the chance of getting an excellent boat with all of the technical complexity taken out. Also, there are things that a builder can do easily in a fully fitted workshop that’s difficult to do elsewhere. We leave the fun bit of building to you and sincerely hope the project could be completed in a season.

The Sailaway Plus includes the following: full paint job, finished electrical fit out (solar panels, battery, motor, generator, control systems, all domestic wiring), hot and cold water systems, highly finished internal lining, shower, toilet, stove and plumbing ready to accept sinks.

If you’re a tradesperson or just very handy and want to save a few thousand pounds this might be a great option for you. In addition, many people might enjoy this kind of challenge and seeing the fruits of their labour and creativity.

Mothership Marine recently handed over a Sailaway Plus, the Narrowboat ‘Whisper’ to owner Craig. She’s a 57’ semi trad. She will be fitted out in Gloucester with the help of a friendly handyman. The images and specification below show just what’s included in a Mothership Marine Sailaway Plus fitout.