The sides of the boat are made from 10mm thick steel plates. They can easily take the knocks that are inevitable when navigating the narrow (or broad) canals of England and Wales, without damage.

Inevitably, a bit of paint may be lost, but the big advantage of shared ownership, is that twelve owners can afford to have the boat dry-docked every winter and re-blacked and (if necessary) repainted.

See also: base