Coffin Dodger

Coffin Dodger is a 57ft bespoke narrowboat, launched in November 2022 and designed, built and fully fitted out by Bluewater Boats for her owners, Karen and Paul.
As Coffin Dodger was to become their full-time liveaboard home, making the very best use of the available space was particularly important. After visiting us in 2021 and viewing several of our boats in build, Karen and Paul chose our short bow design, allowing more of the boat's 57ft length to be dedicated to valuable internal cabin space.
Because we fabricate our own steelwork, we can tailor our hulls to suit individual requirements rather than working around a standard shell. Hull design, layout, materials, electrical systems and engineering were all discussed and developed with Karen and Paul before the final design was agreed.

One of Coffin Dodger's standout features is her bespoke square stern with integrated U-shaped seating.
Designed as part of the hull, it creates a fantastic outdoor entertaining and dining area – and has proved spacious enough for Karen and Paul to even enjoy Christmas dinner on the stern!

Once the steelwork was complete, Coffin Dodger was fully shot blasted to remove mill scale and surface contaminants and provide the correctly prepared surface for her protective coating system.
A two-pack epoxy primer was spray applied to the superstructure, with two-pack epoxy blacking below the waterline for long-term protection of the hull.
Later in the build, Coffin Dodger moved into our dedicated paint workshop, where high-build finishing primers and undercoats were applied, together with non-slip finishes to the roof, gunnels and stern deck.
The superstructure was finished in Alexseal two-pack acrylic topcoat, followed by a protective clear coat providing exceptional gloss, colour stability and additional resistance to UV, abrasion and the everyday scratches and marks encountered while cruising. The finish can also be polished and buffed to help rectify minor scratches and tree damage.
The distinctive signwriting was designed by Karen and Paul and then brought to life by our local signwriter.

Following installation of the ballast, flooring, battening and spray foam insulation, we marked the proposed layout directly onto the floor.
Karen and Paul were then able to physically walk through their future home before the interior fit-out began, ensuring the positioning and proportions of each area felt right.
We also worked through the positions of the electrical equipment, sockets, TV aerials, Wi-Fi, solar and other services before progressing with the lining, bulkheads, cabinetry and engineering.
Throughout the build, Karen and Paul visited regularly and were involved in the many decisions that turn a boat into an individual home – from materials and cabinetry through to furnishings and the final exterior colour scheme.

Coffin Dodger is a true example of our complete in-house approach to bespoke boatbuilding.
From the fabrication of the steel hull through to the carpentry, bespoke cabinetry, electrics, plumbing, engineering and painting, the boat was built and fitted out by our own Bluewater team.
Keeping the complete build under one roof means each element can be considered as part of the overall project, while allowing our customers to remain closely involved as their boat progresses from steelwork to finished home.

Following her launch, Coffin Dodger was exhibited by Bluewater Boats at the 2023 Crick Boat Show, giving visitors the opportunity to step aboard and see the finished boat for themselves.
Since then, she has become a very well-known and recognisable boat on the canal network, with Karen and Paul travelling extensively and becoming familiar faces to many fellow boaters along the way.
You may also recognise Karen and Paul from some of our YouTube videos. They very kindly help us at our boat shows each year, chatting to visitors and sharing their own experience of having a bespoke narrowboat designed and built by Bluewater.
They still pop in from time to time at the workshops to catch up with the team and, of course, have a look at the latest boats we have in build.
What began as a customer and boatbuilder relationship has developed into a genuine friendship, and it is always lovely to welcome Karen and Paul back to Bluewater.

On completion, Coffin Dodger was inspected by an independent marine surveyor and certified in accordance with the applicable Recreational Craft requirements.
From her space-saving short bow and bespoke U-shaped stern seating to her carefully planned liveaboard interior and high-quality two-pack paint finish, Coffin Dodger demonstrates what bespoke boatbuilding means to us.
Designed around her owners, built from the steelwork up and completed entirely by the Bluewater team, Coffin Dodger went from being one of our show boats at Crick 2023 to becoming one of our most recognisable Bluewater builds out on the canal network – and, most importantly, Karen and Paul's home on the water.