Vlog 345: Gifts of the Gabs

About three months ago, I visited Gabs Heneghan who had just bought a compact widebeam barge and was about to rip out the interior and completely refurbish it to her own spec. Mid-way through the process, I have been back to see how she’s getting on and whether the project is going according to plan.

The boat she bought is a 9.5-feet wide, 40-feet long steel barge named “Butterbusk”, with a wheelhouse at the stern. It had already been partially fitted out for liveaboard use but that wasn’t completed and Gabs wanted to remake the whole thing anyway not least because she needed to access the bare steel walls and ceilings in order to add efficient spray foam insulation.

Whilst she would be doing most of the work herself, there has also been help from Gabs’ parents and a smattering of friends with particular expertise such as carpentry. The electrical wiring will be run through the boat by her but the battery system will be created and connected by a specialist.

So far, the design is roughly proceeding to plan but at a slower pace than hoped for due to various life events. There have been some small changes to the layout as work has got underway as well, which are described in this video.

Gabs and her dog Fiadh are now living aboard and facing winter with no running water, electricity or heating so the new stove is a key element to be fitted as soon as possible.

With the idea being to have it finished by Spring 2025, I will hopefully return to see “Butterbusk” – probably renamed by then – in its final glory.