Although we mainly look at new, privately owned boats, it’s good to occasionally see what is happening within the hire fleets. With this in mind, Phil Pickin took a trip to the Trevor Basin to see a new boat entering the Anglo Welsh fleet.
YOU would be hard pushed to find a more iconic location to look at a new narrowboat than that provided at the Trevor Basin on the Llangollen Canal close to the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct. And despite the rather damp conditions, it was good to get an opportunity to have a look over one of five new boats to enter Anglo Welsh’s fleet this year. Fitted out by the company’s own team of fitters at Silsden on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal, Coral will be based at Trevor for the foreseeable future, so if anyone wants to find out more, you’ll find a link at the end of this article.
Coral is one of Anglo Welsh’s Gem Class boats that are 60ft in length and provide accommodation for up to six people (4+2). This range of boats has a cruiser stern and reverse layout, which has, according to the company, proved to be very popular with hirers over the past couple of years as it provides flexibility. As a result, this is the fourth boat built with this layout. Others are located at Whixall, Monkton Coombe and Bradford on Avon.
The specification
Powered by a Kioti 42hp engine from Canaline fitted to a Newage PRM 150 gearbox, Coral is painted in Anglo Welsh’s unusual, and very smart, dark green livery and, being a cruiser stern boat, has a significant amount of space at the stern. Ideal for holiday hire, assuming the weather is kind! Access into the boat is easy with plenty of room on the steps, which bring you into the galley. This is, as you might expect, modern and well laid out with just about everything a group would need during their time aboard.
The windows are large, with black frames which, even on a damp and overcast day, provided a good amount of natural light. Coral is fitted with a fridge, a Toshiba microwave, a domestic-sized cooker and a stainless steel sink and drainer inset into one of the smart grey worktops. A radio has been fitted into one of the under-worktop units, and I’m not personally a fan, but I’m sure that it will come in handy for some. As you might imagine, the floor covering in the galley will be easy to keep clean while also looking good.
Dark carpets cover the floor in the living area, which is fitted with a large L-shaped dinette that has been upholstered with fabric to match the carpeting. A very large table should provide plenty of space for a family to eat in comfort, and a large TV screen has been fitted high on the end wall. The area is heated by a large white radiator that should easily be able to keep the occupants very comfortable.
Moving forward down a short corridor, you find the first of two bathrooms, both of which are well equipped and surprisingly large. Fitted with somewhat unusually square windows, the bathrooms enjoy plenty of natural light, which is backed up by a number of inset LED lights in the ceiling. A good-sized shower area has been created along with some very handy storage shelves behind the door. Large mirrors over the wash basins help to provide the impression that these already large bathrooms are even bigger than they really are.
The next room is a double berth that can, I understand, be converted into two singles if required. The bedrooms have two large windows, heating controls and a USB charging port fitted into a shelf above the bed. Facilities to charge electronic devices are now essential in all boats, so it’s good to see that this hasn’t been overlooked.
Forward of this bedroom, with its bed set to the starboard side of the boat, is the next bathroom, which is identical to the previous one, both of which have wardrobe areas that are accessible via doors in the corridor. However, in the forward bedroom, with its bed set to the port side, there is an additional wardrobe next to the forward doors. Given that Coral is a hire boat, it was fully kitted out with bed linen and cooking equipment, as can be seen in the photos. One of a number of features that stood out during my brief visit was the amount of storage on offer. With up to six people potentially staying on board, you need plenty of space for clothing, etc, and it seemed that the team at Silsden have done just that in making full use of the space on offer.
The net result
It would be unrealistic to compare Coral to a bespoke narrowboat that would cost significantly more. This is a boat that has been built to provide holiday accommodation over a long period of time, and as such, will be subjected to more wear and tear than your average private boat. But having said that, this is a very comfortable boat. The standard of finish of the woodwork was as good, if not better, than that you might find on many private boats. For many, the opportunity to own their boat is unlikely to come to fruition, but despite this, they want to enjoy their holidays afloat, so it is good to see Anglo Welsh providing them with a comfortable holiday home on the waterways. In doing so, they are providing a good introduction to the potential boat owners of the future.
All in all, I was impressed. I’m lucky enough to look over a lot of new, bespoke narrowboats, some of which have eye-watering price tags, so it’s good to see a boat that is achievable to a wide range of people, even if it is only for a week or two.If you want to find out more about Coral and other boats within the range, visit: www.anglowelsh.co.uk/gem-class-narrow-boats
