1991 Mike Heywood UK: 48ft Trad Stern Narrow boat for sale in UK

Description

ReggaeMuffin – 48ft Trad Stern Narrowboat Built 1991 by Mike Heywood | Thornycroft Diesel Engine (surveyed in September 2025, available upon request) Imagine waking up on the water, opening the side hatch to feed swans, and ending the day watching a film from the projector cinema while the boat gently rocks — that’s everyday life aboard ReggaeMuffin. SUMMARY * 48ft Traditional Stern Narrowboat * Built 1991 by Mike Heywood * Thornycroft Diesel Engine * Solar panels for off-grid living * Eberspacher diesel central heating * Fixed bed * Guest double in saloon * Projector cinema setup * Boat Safety Certificate to June 2027 * Steel hull repainted February 2025 ReggaeMuffin is a charming and comfortable 48ft traditional stern narrowboat, thoughtfully set up for full-time living but also perfect for continuous, relaxed cruising. At this length she is wonderfully practical — easy to handle solo or with your partner/family, simple to moor, and able to explore the entire UK canal network (nowhere it’s off limits!). The boat has been arranged as a cosy floating home with clever storage, good natural light, and personal touches that make life aboard feel both practical and special. When you come aboard on the bow and enter the boat from the front, you’ll have the living room, kitchen, bathroom, bedroom and finally, the enclosed engine bay. Let’s walk through it together: BOW The bow offers a spacious outdoor area that can easily be set up with seating to create a peaceful spot for morning coffee, sunset drinks, or simply watching canal life wave past. There’s plenty of room for additional outdoor storage boxes or, if you’re like us, a collection of plants (making it easy to create your own little floating garden!). It’s our favourite space to live in warmer months, and a lovely place where many joyfull moments aboard ReggaeMuffin are spent. SALOON/LIVING ROOM Entering from the bow you step into the bright, welcoming saloon, a sociable living space designed for relaxing, hosting friends, or simply feeling safe at home. The room centers around comfortable L-shaped fixed seating, with generous storage underneath — perfect for everyday items as well as useful extras. Within this storage you’ll also find spare paint used for ReggaeMuffin, meaning when it’s time for a touch-up you already have the correct colours ready to go. The seating easily converts into a 2nd double bed for guests, making it ideal for visiting friends or family. A folding dining table on the port side allows the space to transform easily between dining, working and relaxing. When the table isn’t up, there’s plenty of room — we even used this space to practice yoga every morning (though only 1 person a time, it’s a narrowboat at the end of the day). At the forward bulkhead you’ll find shelving and 2 practical storage steps (to keep your shoes organised), while a corner cabinet on the starboard side provides a lot of additional storage. A barometer, a traditional clock, and a porthole-like mirror add a lovely nautical touch to the space, while the largest central heating radiator of the total 3 in the boat keeps the cabin warm and cosy in colder weather. There are also fittings for a projector and 40‘’ roll-up screen (which usually lives in the bedroom but can me moved super easily), allowing the saloon to become a surprisingly immersive onboard cinema when desired. GALLEY Moving through the boat, the galley is compact, yet very functional and well designed for everyday cooking and living. Between the living room and galley there’s a wooden, 2-level shelving separation perfect to store food or kitchenware, that also allows seeing through and makes the area seem more spacious. The kitchen features include: * 12v fridge * Generous work surfaces * 4 ring gas hob, oven and grill * Storage cupboards and shelving * Stainless steel sink with drainer and tiled splashback * Multiple shelves, spice racks, and a hanging rack for up to 4 wine glasses * 24v plugs for extra appliances A side hatch with a ladder provides additional natural light and ventilation. It’s is one of our favourite features of the boat — it’s the perfect place to chat with neighbours on the towpath, step directly outside from bed, or even feed the swans and ducks that paddle up to say hello. BATHROOM The bathroom is the coolest one you’ll ever see in this type of narrowboat! It is spacious for a boat of this size and includes a full-size, house-like shower with enough headroom for giants (6’5”), making it comfortable even for the tallest occupants or guests. It also includes: * Large mirror up to the ceiling * 2 towel rails, perfect for a couple * Enough shelving for all your toilet and cleaning products * Hidden, roll-out Porta Potti toilet (and a spare cassette) to optimise space * A central heating radiator so you never have to step out of the hot shower into a cold room * Hand wash basin on a custom oak wood with beautiful resin decoration simulating flowing water The layout keeps everything practical while making it look beautiful. BEDROOM At the stern is the cosy bedroom, centered around a fixed double bed, allowing for a comfortable and permanent sleeping area (so you don’t need to convert it to seating every single morning and evening!) The projector hangs over the head of the bed, and 40‘’ screen can be easily rolled up and down at the feet, creating the comfiest movie-night setup in bed. Next to the bed you have the central heating radiator to keep you warm and cozy throughout the night (and the heater can start with a timer, so you can wake up to a warm boat even in winter — you can’t do that with a fire!). Storage has been thoughtfully incorporated. There is a huge under-bed storage, currently housing: * The spare toilet cassette * 2x diesel cans (20L and 25L) * A large toolbox with useful spare parts for the boat * Spare 12V lighting and other onboard essentials to help you as new owner, should you want to look after the boat yourself in the future The bedroom also features a deep wardrobe with two hanging rails and shelving, with space for two peoples clothes (over 200 items - we were not minimalistic here!). For atmosphere in the evenings, the cabin includes under-gunnel multicolour LED lighting with remote control, allowing you to change the mood of the space instantly. The stainless steel calorifier (hot water tank) is located in the wardrobe and professionally fitted by a certified marine Engineer in February 2025, with a 1 kW immersion heater as an alternative power source for hot water. A perk about having the calorifier there is the wardrobe stays warm and dry so your clothes won’t get mouldy, as it usually happens in many boats during the cold, wet winters in the UK. ENGINE ROOM The stern engine room houses the reliable Thornycroft diesel engine of 42 hp, known for its durability and straightforward maintenance. Also located here is a cupboard giving access to the 2.5 kW Sterling combi inverter charger, electrics and fuse panel, keeping systems tidy and accessible inside a deep cupboard where you can also store the broom and other utensils. The traditional stern layout provides the classic narrowboat steering experience and maximises interior living space. Three 140 Ah leisure batteries and an isolated starter battery, all less one year old, as we replaced the whole set in May 2025. SYSTEMS & TECHNICAL Survey conducted in September 2025 and available upon request. ReggaeMuffin is well set up for comfortable off-grid living. * 12 V and 240 V electrics * Combi 2.5 kW inverter charger (you’ll never trip the fuses even when you’ve got 2 people WFH like us!) * 650 W solar setup providing excellent off-grid capability, with solar charger and bluetooth connection so you know at all times the status and charge of the batteries * Eberspacher diesel central heating, with timer that you can tune to come on automatically to fit your schedule (and get the boat warm before you get up or come back home from work) * Calorifier with 1kW immersion heater (professionally fitted by licensed marine engineer in February 2025) * Projector and cinema setup for living room and bedroom — better than any onboard TV system * Variety of mooring pins, ropes, chains. Large anchor, extra fenders and life ring Boat Safety Certificate valid until 6 June 2027 As an extra: we’re leaving 6x lifejackets and 2 captain hats — for safe adventures aboard with your friends and family! WHY WE LOVED LIVING ON REGGAEMUFFIN ReggaeMuffin has been more than a boat — she’s been a genuinely comfortable floating home and mode of adventure, taking us to Wales and back. Some of the things that make her special: * Large shower and maximised bathroom space with roll out toilet * The practical 48ft length, making cruising, mooring easy and solo handling * Reliable engine with strong power and easy handing, even in very strong winter flows * The side hatch lifestyle — morning coffee, watching the canal life drift past, feeding swans * Cosy film nights with the projector and soft coloured lighting * Surprisingly good storage throughout, including the generous under-bed area * A layout that separates living space and sleeping space, making the boat feel larger than its size She’s equally suited to someone looking for their first liveaboard boat, a solo cruiser, or a couple wanting a compact but comfortable floating home.

Boat details

Price

GBP 34999

Location

UK

Year

1991

Category

Narrowboats

Make

Mike Heywood

Length

48.0 ft

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