Description

PLEASE NOTE- THE TRANSFER OF THE MOORING TO THE NEW OWNER IS POSSIBLE BUT IS SUBJECT TO THE LANDOWNERS APPROVAL

We have lived on Calder on this mooring for nearly 10 years now and it’s been an experience we will always treasure. It's with a really heavy heart that we have decided to move on, we're still so conflicted about letting this space go but a young family now means we have decided to move onto land and offer this life to new people.

This stretch of the Avon is absolutely stunning, peaceful, yet well used and private yet accessible. In summer I can't imagine anywhere more idyllic to spend your time, we swim daily, head out on canoe trips downsteam or simply enjoy the large garden with friends. There's so much wildlife around you from Otters and Herons in the river to Owls and deer in the garden. It’s surprising that the habitat is so rich considering you're a 10 min bus ride to the centre of Bath.

The previous owners commissioned the construction of Calder in 2005 to their specific requirements and to suit the mooring where she still resides. This means she fits the space perfectly and is well set up for an all year round river mooring. For those that know the river they'll be aware that winter brings its own challenges but we're well set up here being moored to the bank with steel tubes that allow the boat to rise with the river.

The barge design makes for a very practical living space with the bedroom in the back cabin in the stern separated from the kitchen/ lounge by the wheelhouse, beneath which is the engine hole. Calder has been designed to maximise the internal space whilst keeping the exterior size of a boat to a minimum. Unlike a wide beam there is no well deck or cruiser stern that eats into the living space so despite Calder being 50ft in length she has as much interior living space as a 60ft wide beam.

During our time on Calder we have undertaken a complete refit of the living spaces and overhauled every element of the boat from the electrical systems, to engine, lockers, paintwork etc. We know every inch of this boat so if you have any questions at all, no matter how specific we can definitely answer them. We've always carried out work to a really high standard using quality materials and using trusted trades. We've put a colossal amount of time effort and money into Calder and we really hope it shows, its been a passion project in many ways.

We have also spent a lot of time ensuring the boat is as efficient as possible with low power consumption and well insulated. This means we have never needed a huge solar array or massive battery bank.

The hull has been surveyed twice under our ownership in 2021 (hull sides) and 2024 (hull sides and base plate). The steel has been found to be in excellent order with minimal pitting. Both survey reports will be available in full to prospective buyers. The hull sides have been epoxied and in most places it has had 5 coats. The base plate has 4 coats of blacking.

The boat has been docked at Sally narrow boats, Semmington dry dock and Bristol marina with all work to the hull carried out by professionals. All top side painting has been cared out by my partner who is a professional painter.

We have carried out far too many jobs to list but to the best of our knowledge no stone has been left unturned. We really have been through this boat from top to bottom. Below is a list of the major works we have completed and the timeframes.

Hull blacked in June 2017
Back cabin full refit July 2017
Bathroom full refit September 2018
Full topside paint job in August 2019 (under cover in wet dock)
New bespoke mahogany wheelhouse installed in August 2019
New solid wood kitchen September 2019
Full rewire February 2020
Full refit of wheelhouse November 2020
New engineered oak parque floor February 2021
Hull survey May 2021
Hull sides epoxied May 2021
Roof and decks repainted May 2021
Hull and base plate survey March 2024
Engineers survey March 2024
Hull sides epoxied March 2024
Base plate blacked March 2024
New hydraulic steering ram installed March 2024

Specifications

Accommodation

Wheelhouse

You enter calder through the bespoke mahogany wheelhouse that was constructed for us by Mark Prior (Mill farm engineering) in August 2019. The design is a one off with its most interesting feature being that the roof panels slide on dove tails that allow you to use them like a sunroof in warm weather. Mark is a builder and restorer of gypsy caravans and this shows with the beautiful detailing to the wheelhouse doors, lambs tongue chamfers and amber cut glass handles with brass fittings. It is fully collapsable so Calder pass under any bridge we have encountered on the K&A. It also has double glazing with 6mm toughened glass inside and out and fully insulated roof panels.

The wheelhouse interior has been fitted out by Ed Barnard wood works and ARC makers in mahogany (they have been responsible for all the furniture etc in Calder) and birch ply counter tops. There's a large boot rack, fold down bench and concertina cabin doors that fold back out the way to allow full access to the wheel house doors. There's a very generous head height of 2050mm which allows you to sit on the counter tops and enjoy the view of the river. The ceiling panels are also birch ply painted with a blue and gold border.



Engine hole

I'm quite particular about these spaces so I've spent a lot of time and effort making the engine hole on Calder really neat and tidy with everything accessible and easy to work on. Our mechanic and heating engineer have frequently told us what a pleasure it is to work in the space!

Accessible via two steel hatches in the wheelhouse floor is the engine hole. This is a very large space which makes maintaining the engine and electrical systems a dream. There's a temperature trigged clean agent extinguisher installed.

A full rewire was carried by Sustainable technical services Ltd 2020 which involved stripping out all the old wiring and carrying out a completely new installation. All the wiring is correctly speced and run in conduit on steel tray. Everything has been very neatly done with good access for any required on going maintenance.

The battery bank is Leoch 360ah AGM with separate starter battery for the engine. They are around 3-4 years old. There is a 660W solar array that maintains their level.

The Eberscpacher Hydronic 3 D5E CS is also fitted within the engine hole. This was installed by Dan of Holland Boat Ltd in October 2021. It is controlled via a Nest which is supported by a 3 mifi, this allows you to control the heating from your phone. This is a brilliant feature as it means you can switch the heating on an hour or before getting home to ensure the boat is warm for your arrival!

The washing machine is within the engine hole but is accessed with the door in the bathroom. This can be run by the inverter but we always use it with the generator as it puts unnecessary strain on the batteries.



Back cabin

The back cabin was completely refitted in 2017 shortly after we purchased Calder. We completely reconfigured it to allow for maximum space and storage. It is trimmed out in dark stained solid Ash with birch ply walls and engineered oak parquet floor. There are two large wardrobes either side of a clothes rail behind which is the access panel to the weed hatch. The steps down into the back cabin are constructed of 18mm bitch ply with solid ash treads and also double up as storage with two large draws and a bin.

Bespoke Ash and birch ply revolving porthole shutters mean you can make it pitch black in the cabin so it is a great space to get some rest in!

The double bed is stoutly constructed and has a very large storage area below accessible via two removable panels on the side of the bed. It can also be accessed by a large panel on top of the bed. To prevent damp the bed base is vented and two 0.3Kw fin rads are fitted inside the storage area beneath. This has the added benefit of warming the mattress in winter!

The headboard is an antique art deco item above which are two double USB ports on either side for reading lights and charging phones.

The radiator cover is also constructed of ash with solid brass perforated grill and a 1Kw radiator within accessible via a lifting shelf. The entire unit can also be removed without needing to dismantle half the room.

The prop shaft runs through the bedroom and is accessible via two large hatches which allow for the maintenance of the three bearings blocks and flexible couplings. Access to the stern tube and gland is via another hatch below the clothes rail. There is a welded bulkhead that provides a separate bilge here with its own automatic bilge pump.



Hall and Bathroom

From the wheelhouse you drop down into the main living space. Immediately on the right is a cupboard that houses all the electrical components and displays. Below this cupboard is an access panel within which is the 3k inverter, temp switch for the hallway radiator, nest hub and sundry other hardware.

The steps are made from 18mm birch ply with solid mahogany treads and house three large draws for storage. The radiator is the same construction with copper tube drying rails and lifting shelf for access.

Head height in the main living space is 2000mm which is really generous for any live aboard boat!

The floor is the same as the back cabin which is a quality engineered oak parquet.



Bathroom

Immediately on the left is the bathroom which was completely stripped out and refitted in September 2017 as the second major job we undertook after purchasing Calder. We started by laying a bespoke encaustic tile floor and installing a full size antique cast iron roll top bath. That was no easy job but was very much worth it! The walls are all birch ply trimmed out with mahogany strip wood and brass hardware.

The toilet is an Airhead composting loo that vents via a 12v extractor fan out through the river side hull. The solids chamber only needs emptying every 1-2 months depending how much time you are spending at home. The liquids bottle is usually every week. The composting barrels are on the land and are filled and then left for 2 years before they are fully composted and can be used in the garden. During which time the spare barrel is filled. This has proved to be a very effective system which requires no water, no power (or extremely little) and no maintenance.

The washing machine is accessible via a door in the bathroom and I have also installed a panel behind the toilet that gives access to the front of the engine incase pulleys etc ever needed to be replaced in the future.



The Kitchen/ Galley

The galley was completely refitted September 2019. The cupboard are all solid pine and were reclaimed, reconfigured and repainted. New walnut workshops were fitted with 'waterfall' ends with matching upstand above which is metro tiles.

We do a lot of cooking and value storage so we made it a really practical space. The 3 huge draws in the island and large corner cupboard provide ample storage. There is a shoreline 12v fridge/ freezer, belfast sink and Belling farmhouse LPG cooker. Inside the corner cupbaiord we installed a Morco on demand boiler which always turns out piping hot water to the shower and sink faucet. We’ve always found this a superior set up to a calorifier and it’s pretty economical on gas.



Lounge/ Saloon

We tried to make this space as open as possible so it can be set up however the new owner/s prefer so there is no fixed furniture. The only fixed feature is the large book shelves that span the width of the boat beneath the cabin doors to the front deck. The central section also doubles up as a ladder to provide access to the deck.

Below the gunwales is T&G whilst above is panelled and trimmed out in mahogany. The same engineered oak parquet runs throughout. The shutters are made of mahogany and birch ply by Ed Barnard wood works (as is both sets of stairs and back cabin shutters).

The stove is a Charnwood Country 8B which has a 6Kw back boiler. This provides all the heat for the saloon/ galley and also all the hot water for the four radiators. It works in tandem with the eberspacher.

We have a large sofa bed (IKEA FRIHETEN) which has lots of storage as well as providing a second double bed for when we have guests staying. We're happy to include this in the sale of the boat if the new owner/s want it or equally happy to remove it.



Decks

Beneath the front deck is a large vented gas locker which is also used for storage, beneath that is the space that houses the flexible rubber water tank. Being flexible the capacity is not specified but its is big.

The rear deck has a large hatch that gives access to the top of the fuel tank with shut off valve and the hydraulic steering ram.



Mooring

The mooring is around 1/3 of an acre of river bank that we have made entirely secure with fencing around the proximity so it’s perfect for dogs. It’s a short 6 minute walk from Newbridge P&R where there is ample parking. The land is privately owned by our Landlady who has ket it in her family for a long time as a bit of a nature reserve. There is no public footpath along side the river so the access path is only used by the 6 other tenants.

We have spent a long time developing the mooring and making it a really practical and enjoyable place to live. There a large pontoon along side the boat accessed via steps that runs down from the bank. Above this is a large deck with seating that juts out over the river giving amazing views over Calder and down the river. Below the deck is where the Honda generator lives which provides power for the washing machine and any tools that we use for maintainance.

The mooring itself has lots of grass, shrubs and trees with a firepit, outside bath and two large storage sheds. There is a bountiful apple tree on the mooring and many others nearby as well as huge blackberry bushes down the track just outside the gate.

We have always had ducks and chickens so there is a really solid run with hen house although we don't currently have any birds. Next to this are two large vegetable patches that have sun almost all the day so we've always found them to be very prolific.

There are also steps down to the river where there is a small bay/ beach area for easy access for swimming and on boarding canoes/ kayaks.

Construction

10 - 6 - 5

Engine(s)

Engine is a BETA BF2803 which is a 5 cylinder so very smooth, the power plant is based on the extremely reliable japanese manufacturer of Kubota. It is coupled to a PRM Hydraulic gearbox.

Both engine and gearbox have been meticulously maintained with regular oil and filter changes etc. The engine start perfectly every time and has never been anything but smooth and reliable for the nearly 10 years we have owned Calder.

On top of the regular scheduled maintenance we have carried out sundry other jobs like installation of additional fuel filtration, flushing out of skin tank and fitting new coolant houses etc, new stainless exhaust, new belts, new starter solenoid, new lift pump etc etc

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