Additions & Updates

Since collecting the boat in December 2022 and bringing her back to Alvechurch Marina, we've made a lot of changes particularly to the interior to give it a more homely feel, but also to make life more practical on board. For example, we've added shelves/carousels in cupboards,, added some greenery, changed the mechanism of the pull-out cross bed, added an additional Soundbar and Blueray Player in the bedroom, made a switch to remotely switch the heating on-off from our mobile phones...., to name just a few things.

This is where we'll show you some of the additions/changes we've made to Spirit of Discovery.

Electrics and Heating

We've made significant changes to the electrical system and heating system since we picked Spirit of Discovery up from Hanbury. We've installed solar panels on the roof and a solar controller, as well as installing some pre-wired USB sockets to assist in charging devices like our walkie-talkies.

We've also made a WiFi enabled switch that will switch the Webasto Heating system on/off using our mobile phones...., ideal for pre-heating the boat before you arrive on colder days/nights.

Shelving & Accessories

We do have a decent amount of storage space onboard but as it's configured out of the factory, it's not the best way to use the space. We've since had time to make and install shelves inside the cupboards so we can maximise the space as we see fit.

We've also installed two carousel's in the galley.

Branding & Lighting

Spirit of Discovery Narrowboat finally gets branded. We're still waiting for decent weather so we can get our boat sign written on each side. However for the moment, we've created some decals for the hard-to-paint areas (back of the boat, and roof). These have now been applied, so Spirit of Discovery now has some identity (if not fully).

Another important addition we've added is deck lighting. We very quickly realised that around dusk, at nighttime and in tunnels, the dark blue deck didn't work in our favour,. So, we added some deck lighting. We're able to switch this on and off remotely using our mobile phones; great on dark nights when we need to board the boat safely.

Bow Doors

The bow doors on Spirit of Discovery are wooden and stained. However, the staining was pretty awful! So we decided to paint the bow doors the same colour as the coach panel; fleet grey.

Decking

To enhance the look and durability of the Stern deck and Bow deck, we've installed TEK-DEK. This is a great alternative to wood decking. It has the same traditional look as wood but is virtually maintenance, free. Its non-slip and very easy on the feet. Its made from pure virgin PVC and is UV stabilised. TEK-DEK are the original synthetic teak manufacturer with over 20 years of production and supply experience so we were confident we were making the best choice. We decided to template and fit the decking ourselves. TEK-DEK supplied adhesives, applicators and loaned us a roller to ensure the deck was fixed well.