When are you going to put the boat on the hard?

This is definitely the most asked question! We have looked into taking the boat out of the water, but the costs involved would ruin the project, storage charges are £250 per week, and while we are both working full time, there is no point in paying these fees to work on the boat 2 days a week. Apart from there being less mud on the hard, there are no extra benefits for us at the moment, as a lot of work can be done where we are for the time being.

What made you buy this boat?

Buying a massive boat was never our plan! After seeing her on eBay and discovering her history we just fell in love, and felt the urge to save a special piece of history

Why is Sarinda special?

Sarinda, was build in 1943, by Berthon Boats, Lymington, as a Harbour Defence Motor Launch, ML1392, 464 were made for WW2, and to date there are only around 20 hulls left world wide. If these boats do not get looked after then sooner or later there will be none left, our history is important and needs to be saved.

What is your day job?

We are camper converters, so we turn vans into bespoke campers for our customers, to suit their needs and layouts! Each van we build is totally unique and bespoke. We have been running our company for 11 years and we love what we do. Our website is www.creationcampers.co.uk

or check out our YouTube channel -

https://www.youtube.com/user/Creationcampers

When are you planning on launching?

Our only goal at present is to do the D-Day crossing, and we would love to be ready for the 85th Anniversary, on 6th June 2029.

How do you have WiFi on the boat?

We have a 4g router with an unlimited data sim and a external signal booster. The sim is £16 per month from Three, and the coverage is fantastic!

Why do Simon & Gemma get on so well?

We have worked together now for 11 years, and as well as being husband and wife, we are actually best friends, we love to have fun and enjoy life, so working together is really fun and rewarding, we work really well as a team and in small spaces as we are used to it with our day job!

What toilet do you have?

We have a Simploo compost toilet for now, as we cannot discharge our toilet waste, so it gets bagged up and taken home with us, it was the easiest solution, as emptying a chemical portaloo would of been difficult!

Do you have shore power?

No we dont have any shore power, we have installed a Victron system on the boat supplied by 700w of solar panels and 500w Rutland 1200 wind generator. At times we need more power we have a Honda generator to assist us, at the moment Simon is building a 12v DC generator to install on the boat, you can follow this build on our YouTube channel.

Do you have a water supply?

No! so we have to carry on our own drinking water, but we do plan on incorporating a rain water catchment system into the boat at a later date.

Does the boat float?

Yes, depending on the tide, we have a 10m tidal range, anything over 8.6m Sarinda floats, therefore we do have to work around the tides, and also for access to and from the boat, most of the time we can access the boat on foot (always wearing wellies!) but we also have a tender to get to and from the boat during high tide.

How can I help?

You can help us just by subscribing to our YouTube Channel and by watching our videos. We do also have work parties, were we ask volunteers to come and help us, you can follow our Facebook group for information on upcoming events.

You can also help us with becoming a Patreon and donating to our project, more information can be found on our Support Us page.

Why dont you move the boat closer to your car?

Sarinda is a large vessel, and she is now as close to the road as we can get her without risking her becoming stuck forever. The location gives us difficult working conditions, but she is in a good place, as the surrounding mud gives an extra layer of security!