Description

See www.dutchbargevictoriaforsale.com Victoria is a much loved, elegant historic Dutch barge. She is 23 meter long with a 4.5-meter beam, 1.1 meter draft and 3.1 meter air draft. She has been lovingly and meticulously maintained and had an excellent survey during her haul out in dry dock in May 2022. The wheelhouse and accommodations are spacious, including a full-size kitchen, two cabins with en suite bathrooms and generous headroom throughout. Victoria is ready for new owners to step on board and continue cruising the inland waterways of Europe.

Cruising
The present owners have lived on Victoria year-round for seven years, cruising extensively in France, Belgium and the Netherlands. They have taken Victoria from Roanne in Central France, down the Rhone through Lyon and Avignon, across the Canal du Midi to Toulouse and down the Garonne to Bordeaux. They have sailed Victoria to Strasbourg and Nancy, down the Marne and the Seine through Paris, along the Canals des Bourgogne, Loing, Briare and Vosges, the Canal Entre Champagne et Bourgogne and the Canal Lateral de la Loire. They took Victoria up the Oise and the Canal du Nord, along the Somme and the Meuse rivers, all over Belgium, and extensively through the Netherlands, including to Rotterdam, Gouda, Delft, Haarlem, Amsterdam, and as far north as Den Helder and Groningen. They have spent the last four winters on board in Bruges, Belgium.

History
Victoria’s riveted steel hull was built in Zwartsluis, NL, in 1910. First used as an inland cattle transporter, she was then converted for use as a shrimp fishing boat. The hull was converted by the Sipma Brothers boat builders in Harlingen, NL, in 2001 with a new steel superstructure, cabin top, and side rails added. Barges converted by the Sipma Brothers have a beautiful and distinctive look. The steel workmanship is superb throughout. The first owners of the converted barge spent 18 months at the shipyard working with Dutch carpenters and skilled craftsmen to complete the interior floor plan and finish. The boat is entirely insulated.

Exterior
The sweep of the hull and cabin top give this barge aesthetically pleasing lines. The ample deck space allows for a clean and uncluttered cabin top. The wide, non-skid decks with side railings provide a safe and secure way for crew to move forward and aft while underway and when handling lines in locks. The covered back deck, accessed from the door to the wheelhouse, is simply splendid. It has an octagonal table with four chairs which can be augmented with additional chairs to comfortably seat 8. The canopy was professionally made in 2022 and is in excellent condition. The side panels (with windows) can be lowered for protection from the rain or cold, and provide the opportunity for al fresco dining throughout the year. Finally, forward in the bow, there is a rope locker and a laundry room with a full-sized washer (new 2021), a separate dryer (new 2023) and a sink with hot and cold running water.

Interior
Victoria has large windows throughout the wheelhouse, galley and cabins, as well as three wooden butterfly hatches, all of which give the interior a light and airy feel. The merbau wood floors with cherry inlay in the interior of the boat were professionally installed. They were refinished in 2022/2023. Tasteful overhead lighting makes the boat truly warm and inviting at night. The white interior walls have a tongue-and-groove look and are accented with mahogany trim.

The forward area in the boat contains the master cabin which has a walk-around queen-sized bed with storage underneath. There is ample storage in cabinets and hanging lockers built in on either side of the bed. The master cabin contains an ensuite bathroom with sink, toilet and shower. There is also a coat closet with adequate room to store the vacuum cleaner, ironing board and other items, as well as coats.

Moving aft from the master suite is a hallway with a large pantry amidships and more built-in storage and shelving along the side of the hull. The large galley/dining room is equipped with a four-burner electric cooktop and oven, microwave, double sink, built-in refrigerator and freezer. For anyone who enjoys cooking, this galley is ideal and unique for barges of this size. The hand-crafted drop leaf dining table with four French cane-seated dining chairs add to the ambience of the room. We have comfortably served as many as eight at this table. The galley counterspace doubles as a serving buffet.

Moving aft down a hallway with built-in cabinets and shelving, there is a separate guest room with two single beds and an ensuite bathroom with a sink, toilet and shower. The guest bedroom also contains built-in drawers, shelving and a hanging closet which can be used for storage when there are no guests. An added feature converting the doors of the closet into a desktop allows this suite to have a multi-function purpose – private guest room, home office, crafting area. Having the guest room and ensuite completely separate from the master suite provides privacy and is a very attractive feature of this boat.

Four stairs (with storage under the staircase) lead up to the large wheelhouse. The wheelhouse is very comfortable for entertaining and with the large windows, one gets a 360-degree view from this area. The upholstery was professionally redone in 2021. An area rug accents the warm feel of this room. The wheelhouse has a 41-inch Samsung television that slides out of view into a built-in cabinet. Two circa 1910 wood upholstered chairs provide additional seating to the L-shaped built-in settee. There is a large amount of storage beneath the settee. The settee can easily be made up into an extra bed.

Specifications

Accommodation

Wheelhouse

Master Cabin

Galley

Galley

Back deck

Guest Cabin

Wheelhouse

Engine(s)

Scania DS11