19' Thiel Escargot Houseboat (2009) - NUTSHELL

Nutshell is a small, trailerable canal boat. Based on the Escargot design, it sleeps three, with a smally galley and porta-potti enclosure. The Escargot canal boat filled all my requirements for a small, low-powered trailer boat. Falling into the “Shantyboat” category, many have been built very cheaply and quickly. However, once I started the project I was consumed by a desire to make nice, neat joins and clean finishes so she took about 800 hours over one year to complete.

Built to a low budget, used Oregon scaffold planks were used for the frames (so some nails, holes and splits had to be avoided) with 1/2″, 3/8″ and 1/4″ marine plywood.

It has a 12v LiFePo battery and 220W solar panel for lights and charging sockets.. The only major changes to the plans were to raise the cabin top by 6″, build a slightly different rear sliding hatch (but keeping the front hinged hatched) and adding an outboard. We have no canals here in Tasmania, but many rivers to which my MV Nutshell can be towed.

There is a small gas cooker using disposable propane bottles, a cooler box and and electric submersible water pump in a plastic jerry for the sink. The outboard fuel tank is housed in a plastic crate on which is fitted a swivel “captain’s” seat to save space. A bimini was modified to fold forward and be secured for towing but provides good shelter for the cockpit when opened. She cruises at 5 knots but is very noisy in a chop and can be a handful when the wind picks up!