Design, Planning & Ad-hoc Technical Support For Self Fit-Outs

For the pursuers of perfection, your journey to a beautifully finished canal boat—whether a narrowboat or widebeam—starts with professional planning and expert guidance. We bring you award-winning design, 20 years of liveaboard experience both on-grid and off-grid, and a reputation for building the most bespoke and technically enhanced canal boats.
Whether you’re just starting or halfway through your build, we can provide the support and technical expertise you need. These services are proudly provided by our partner, The Creative Pontoon Ltd, ensuring you receive the highest level of design and support.

For those difficult times when wisdom and experience become invaluable! Escape from Facebook’s and YouTube’s self-proclaimed experts. Instead, lean on an experienced, knowledgeable, and impartial team of designers, builders, and fitters for information and advice regarding:

• Canal boat living
• Different buying options: New, used, sailaway, etc.
• Off-grid living: Information and logistics
• Canal boat shells/hulls and customisations
• Propulsion systems
• Electrics & plumbing equipment and configurations
• Fitting out techniques & processes
• Planning & project management
• Specialised supplier details
• Painting
• VAT

Our support service is run remotely via pre-booked telephone or Zoom meetings, with prices starting from £65 per hour. You can book calls for as little as 15 minutes, making it convenient to get the expert guidance you need, when you need it.

We’re here to help with expert advice, ensuring your project runs smoothly—without the pitfalls of misinformation or guesswork.

At The Fit Out Pontoon, we know that design is the key to success. Our comprehensive design services are tailored to meet the specific needs of your canal boat project, whether it’s a sailaway or a refit. We offer three distinct design packages:

• ‘ESSENTIALS’: Focused on the foundational ‘footprint’ of your canal boat, this package includes a Design & Planning Consultation and concludes with a detailed 2D plan view layout featuring key aperture dimensions like windows and mushroom vents.
• ‘ALL-IN-ONE’: Ideal for managing the entire project, this package covers everything from plumbing, heating, and electrical service locations to a comprehensive specification and a finished exterior paint scheme. It ensures that every trade has the detail they need to execute their part of the build.
• ‘SUPREME’: The ultimate design package adds side view interior details for full visualisation of the internal space. This saves significant time in purchasing, project management, and production, ensuring your project runs smoothly and efficiently.

Each package is crafted to suit different stages of the build, but they all have one thing in common: they turn your vision into reality with precision and expertise.

If you’re looking to design a narrowboat or widebeam layout, drawing to scale and at a size that’s usable is invaluable. Whether you are buying a fully fitted boat from a boat builder, buying a sailaway to fit out yourself, or even refitting a canal boat, our fully customisable canal boat plans will propel your project from concept to reality.

• 6ft 10” Narrowboats & 9/10/11/12ft & 12ft 6” Widebeams
• 20ft to 72ft lengths available in 1ft increments
• Standard Bows & Enclosed Bows
• Trad, Semi-Trad, Cruiser, Square, 8ft & 10ft Eurocruiser Sterns
• 3x pages including side views, end views, & plan views
• Itemised key with explanations to prompt detail required
• Scaled equipment sheet with the most commonly used items
• Printed on 17” wide heavy-duty paper, @ 1:25 Scale – length to suit the boat
• Discount automatically applied on multiple orders
• All orders rolled, protected, and posted in heavy-duty parcel tubes

Click Here to get ordering your custom DIY Design Plans – Just £44.95 per set!

• Proven Experience: We’ve helped 200+ self-fit customers design and refine their narrowboats and widebeams.
• Tailored Services: Whether you’re fitting out a sailaway or doing a complete refit, our services adapt to your needs, ensuring a seamless journey.
• Attention to Detail: Our perfectionism ensures that every aspect of your build is meticulously planned and executed.
• Comprehensive Support: From planning to technical support, we offer hand-holding throughout the entire process—giving you the confidence to deliver a professional result.

At The Fit Out Pontoon, we believe that perfection starts with design and planning. Our designs aren’t just about making things look good; they’re about ensuring functionality, comfort, and compliance from day one.