– How did we come to buy a Piper replica Dutch barge? –
On reflection this resulted from a coming together of three separate strands of our lives.
The first probably goes right back to my early teens when I first discovered the magic of boating during a holiday on the Norfolk Broads. After many further Broads adventures we eventually hired our first narrowboat. At the end of a very eventful holiday which included sinking, running aground, and a steep learning curve in relation to stream, we emphatically decided never to touch a steel boat again. Several years and more boating holidays later we bought our first narrowboat! A few years later we decided to buy a larger narrowboat to gain more space and include family and friends a little more and also moved our mooring to Brighouse basin in West Yorkshire. Whilst there we watched a number of Sagar replica Dutch barges come slowly to life, and having been helplessly soaked to the skin on the stern of our narrowboat on many occasions, I began to look covetously at their warm dry wheelhouses. The seed was sown.
The second strand also started with rain which dampened our British summer camping holidays with small children. This encouraged us to venture into France which subsequently became our regular annual family holiday destination and over time generated a love for the country, its people, culture, and climate. A number of British people in those days were settling in France and we began to wonder: could we ever contemplate living in France ourselves?
The third strand emerged as we came closer to retirement from busy professional lives. As we considered the opportunities presented by this new chapter in our lives, we contemplated cottages on the Yorkshire moors and coast, and property in Derbyshire with land or woodland to occupy us.
The vision of the Sagar barges was still in our minds however, although sadly their workshops were by then closed, and the three strands began to entwine. Why not consider a floating property, in France, which could enable us to write the next chapter as a big new adventure.
Following hours of research and drooling on the internet, we toured boating centres and areas in France where we could view traditional Dutch barges for sale. We saw many beautiful boats but began to appreciate their vintage, and especially that of their equipment. Aware of our personal limitations in engineering knowledge and skill, we began to think of a new build. We started to investigate boat builders in Britain but were left with nagging doubts about either their approach, design, or build. Eventually we got to see a Piper Dutch barge at Crick boat show, visited the Biddulph works, and within weeks booked a build slot. The main factors for us were Piper’s extensive experience of designing and building boats, their links with France, their own experience of cruising their boats, and their reputation for excellent after sales support. As the build progressed we were also impressed by the knowledge and skill, and commitment to quality work and customer support, of Piper’s workforce, which has continued to be evident in the 6 months since launch.
Taking ownership of a brand new shiny barge was a mixture of excitement, pride, and apprehension at the prospect of handling something significantly bigger, heavier, and more pristine than anything we had ever cruised before. We were very grateful for a familiarisation day spent on Havelok with Peter from Bisham Abbey Sailing School, and as our experience grew so did our confidence, despite the occasional knock and scrape.
Our intention now is to enjoy the River Thames during the spring and then head off for France in early summer. We have discussed this with our insurers, contacted a pilot to skipper us across the Channel, and begun to research the equipment and resources we will need for the trip. We continue to feel a mixture of excitement and apprehension but keep reminding ourselves – it was adventure we were looking for!
Mathew and Helen Littlewood
DB ‘Havelok’
