For sale to one very lucky owner is what we believe to be one of the nicest boats on the Thames :) A perfect live aboard vessel or cruising barge for 1-5 people and completely unlike anything else on the market.
Our Barge is to be sold on transferable moorings in the beautiful royal borough of Windsor and features full river frontage (not squeezed in on a jetty with no actual river views!), electricity hook up and full boaters facilities within a gorgeous historic town full of parks, shops, nightlife, and of course the home of the Queen... not to mention an easy commute into London for £600 pcm. (Subject to agreement with mooring owners. No cats/ dogs allowed)
'Twee Gebroeders' combines the history of a classic barge (originally a fruit and veg transporter around Amsterdam) we brought her over from Holland ourselves and had the entire Hull over-plated with brand new, blasted and primed 6mm steel then coated in epoxy paint (2015) so you have all the beauty and history of an actual original ship but the security of a brand new hull underneath you for less then the of a cost of a new-build replica. The welding was carried out to exceptional standards and we have photographs and receipts of everything that was done before the hull was signed off to British standards by surveyors for our insurance company.
She has a great layout that's also rather rare. The main accommodation starts at the bow and goes 3/4 of the way towards the stern... but she also has a self contained wheelhouse and aft cabin that is accessed through a completely separate external door, making the boat perfect for somebody who works from home and needs a studio/office, also would be a great annex for a teenager to hide away in or perhaps even a self contained unit to use for air bnb. (Presently being used as an office space and music room where singing lessons take place daily and as an extra place to put guests- a small but immensely pretty and useful space that even has a fun HOME CINEMA included!).
Layout:
Starting at the bow of the boat there is a storage locker for ropes, coal and boaty-bits and also access to the bow thruster making this boat even easier to manoeuvre and moor up.
Next is the front 'garden' with a sweet chill out area with a table and chairs that's perfect for having a glass of wine overlooking the river of an evening
MASTER BEDROOM
Inside the accommodation at the bow is the master bedroom. The master bedroom features:
*a fairy tail canopy over the king size bed
*a skylight on the ceiling where you can literally see the moon and stars as you go to sleep
*storage both sides and under the bed
*a chest of drawers
*a wardrobe
* a radiator (plumbed in to the wood-burning stove in the living room).
2nd BEDROOM
*Comfy double bed
*under bed storage
* a chest of drawers
* shelf storage space
* a radiator (also plumbed off the solid fuel stove)
*a bedside table to put a cuppa tea on :)
BATHROOM
Featuring:
*a 'real' ceramic loo (pump out toilet system, with a completely sealed and therefore smell free holding tank that holds around 500L of you-know-what!)
* a vintage hot/cold shower (with water heated by the stove and the electric immersion heater)
* a tiny and very water efficient bath - Doubles up as the shower tray) Don't knock it 'til you've tried it!! Even ,my 6ft 3 husband and I enjoy many a long hot soak in the winter while using hardly any water :)
* a wash sink and cupboard with vintage taps
*Hand painted Moroccan tiles that we imported specifically for this boat from one of the finest ceramic workshops in Marrakesh.
CORRIDOR
*Access to both bedrooms and bathrooms via the corridor, deep shelf cupboard storage along the entire wall
OPEN PLAN LIVING ROOM & KITCHEN
The heart of the home features:
* huge windows letting in tons of light and superb views of the river sunrises and sunsets
* a raised sofa area so you can actually see the river as you chill out (unlike house sofa's in barges that are often too low to actually see the water!)
* a sleek LCD free-view TV,
*under seat storage
*A covered book shelf and several large cupboards
*A beautiful cream enamel solid fuel stove with a back-boiler that's plenty warm enough to heat the living room, bathroom and both bedrooms (Ample wood/coal storage behind)
*A newly fitted kitchen with lots of cupboard space
* solid oak worktops
*a vintage butler sink
* more hand painted Moroccan tiles :)
*An energy efficient/ low water consumption washing machine
* A Waeko 24v large boat fridge/freezer and
*A Thetford Triplex 3 hob gas stove/grill and oven
MIDSHIPS STORAGE ROOM
Accessible via the living room cabin or via a hatch from the exterior midships area, contains an electrical fuse box and 1000L water storage tank and
2x Solar Panels on the roof to charge the bow thruster batteries
2nd EXTERIOR 'GARDEN' SPACE
*Long teak bench
*Entrance to main accommodation or aft cabin
ENGINE ROOM
* Trusty 104hp Volvo Penta 6 Cylinder engine
*Good storage and lighting
*1000L fuel storage tank
*Victron (Model: Energy, phoenix multi-plus 24v/ 3000/70amp) inverter
WHEELHOUSE
*Sturdy yet completely collapsible wheelhouse for easy weather protected or open top cruising
*Original steering wheel from 1922
*Comfy bench with storage inside
*Newly fitted bespoke curtains
OFFICE/ 3rd BEDROOM - AFT CABIN
The wheelhouse leads into the self contained aft cabin, a small but brilliantly designed space with brand new bespoke woodwork throughout featuring a
*Home cinema (projector housed on a bespoke shelving unit that can hook up to a laptop or mobile phone and projects a 50 inch picture on to the viewing wall)
*Single Bed
*Bench with storage
*Storage under stairs
*Beautiful vintage brass porthole windows
*Wooden skylight for even more light and again views of the moon and stars for anybody who sleeps over.
She has a brand new boat safety certificate and is ready to be licensed by the new owner and cruised off into the sunset :)
Twee Gebroeders is to be sold fully furnished (the buyer can take as many or as few of the furnishings as they would like).
She is big enough boat to live in very happily but also a small enough craft that she can be easily cruised by 1 or 2 people (and without needing a skippers license), the engine runs beautifully and she's extremely easy to manuvre- an absolute pleasure to take out on a sunny day, (or just lounge around in on the moorings!)
We've loved every minute of being on this boat, its been a joy to restore her inside and out but as one of us is a 3rd generation boat-builder and the other one is a 2nd generation property renovator... we're fixer uppers by nature and are ready for our next project! We hope The elegant external shape, quality metal work and unique and stylish interior will make a wonderful home or retreat to a single person or small family.
Our last 2 of our boats sold to the first people who looked at them so do get in touch if you're interested as we hope she will find her new owners soon and will make them as happy as she's made us.
Sacha and Ben Heath :)