47ft Cruiser Stern Narrowboat

Description

So I’ve got this 47-foot cruiser stern narrowboat, Montrose, sitting moored at Caen Hill Marina in Latheron, Highland. It’s a bit of a piece of the old-school narrowboat world — built by Herford Marine back in 1982, and I’ve had it since the early days.

It’s a solid 1984 boat, but the last thing I did was have the hull surveyed properly in September 2023 — report’s available if you want to take a look. After that, the whole hull and gunwales got a full epoxy coat, two layers of 2-pack, which gave it a really solid feel.

Inside, it’s pretty well put together: a full shower room with a quadrant shower, vanity, storage cabinet, and a pump-out toilet with a decent tank. The kitchen is tiled, with new worktops, and has a stainless sink, a 240v fridge/freezer, and a two-burner gas hob. There’s also a log-burning ‘boatman’ stove — good for chilly nights.

The main saloon has a folding table and two chairs, and the bench seats can fold up or be pushed together to make a double bed. There’s under-seat storage and two wardrobes — a bit of a hidden space. The master bedroom has a double bed with storage underneath, and the galley area is all set up with the basics.

The boat’s powered by a recently serviced BMC 1500 diesel engine — 10 hours since the last service in April 2025, with new anti-vibration mounts, a R&D shaft coupling, and a fresh 3-blade prop. The engine runs smooth, and it’s got a decent setup with 4 leisure batteries (total 440Ahr) and a 100Ahr starter battery. They’re all kept charged — either by the 50Ahr alternator when the engine’s running or by a 190Ahr solar panel. Shore power is the go-to for charging, and there’s a 5kW diesel air heater that’s been fitted.

Water’s heated by a gas boiler with 7-litre storage, and the whole thing runs on 240v from shore power. All the lighting’s 12v and powered by the leisure batteries.

Hull is 10/6/6, with polystyrene insulation. The cabin height is 6ft 2ins — plenty of headroom. No side hatches, just the front seating area and a bow thruster that’s not there. The pump-out’s on the port side, mid-boat.

Water tank holds 700 litres, fuel tank is 200 litres. It’s fully insured for both business and residential use, and I’ve not seen any real issues — nothing major to worry about.

It’s currently being used, and I’m happy to show it around or let you see it in person. The survey report’s available, and it’s a solid, well-maintained boat with a lot of character.

Price is £35,995.50 — I’ll be honest, it’s a bit of a deal for what it is, but it’s not just about the price, it’s about having a boat that’s been looked after and still feels like it’s living its own life.

If you're thinking of getting into the narrowboat world, this one might just be the right fit.