32 July 2018 Canal Boat canalboat.co.uk
Silent Waters on test
the more usual 12v, as it’s more stable and
suffers less voltage drop. A 240v supply
comes from a Victron 5kw inverter.
The boat has a 95kgf Vetus bow thruster
to help with manoeuvring. Heating comes
from an Eberspacher diesel boiler.On the water
This is a big heavy boat with a vintage
engine and traditional controls, so
steering it is quite different from many
modern boats. There’s no getting away
from the fact that the engine is loud: from
the towpath you can hear the boat coming
a long way off, and at the helm you have no
chance of hearing what towpath walkers
are saying to you. But it’s one of those
noises that sounds right. An engine that
looks like that should sound exactly like
that.
The traditional controls include a
handle which you push for forward gear
and pull for reverse. In between is neutral,
which I struggled to find during our test.
Dave says it’s just a matter of getting used
to it. Then there’s a speed wheel to control
the revs. There’s clearly more to do than if
you just had a Morse control, but you soon
get the hang of it.
The Tim Tyler shell swims very nicely
and creates very little wash. It has long
swims so handling is excellent: the boat
responds very quickly to the tiller, and
because it’s rather deep draughted it feels
very solid and secure. The bow thruster
has enough grunt to help out against the
stiff breeze we had during our test.LENGTH: 66ft
BEAM: 6ft 10in
SHELL: Tyler Wilson
http://www.tylerwilsonboats.com
STYLE: Tr a d
FIT-OUT: Oak and teak
LAYOUT: StandardBERTHS: 2+2+2
ENGINE: Gardner 2LW
INVERTER: Victron 5kw
http://www.victronenergy.com
BOW THRUSTER: Vetus 95kgf
http://www.vetus.comSPECIFICATIONS Silent Waters £160,000
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Bourne Boat Builders
Teddesley Road, Penkridge, Staffordshire ST19 5RH Tel:01785 714692
[email protected] http://www.bourneboatbuilders.co.ukThis is a lovely boat which in many
ways seems contradictory, yet
everything works together well. You
don’t get a more traditional layout
than an engine room and back cabin,
yet the fitout gives it a modern twist.
There’s an engine dating from the
1950s, but an electrical system that’s
bang up to date. And Dave and his
partner Kay haven’t been afraid to
make their own choices, such as the
off-corridor bathroom, rather than
following current trends.
The price is £160,000 excluding theengine, which Dave already owned.
That’s a reflection of the size of the
boat, and the expensive lithium
battery system on board.
This boat is proof that a good builder
can cope with all sorts of
requirements, and can deliver exactly
what their customers want. This boat
is nothing like some of the other
Bourne Boats we’ve seen (indeed it’s
nothing like their second boat at this
year’s Crick Show) but has the same
high standard of fitout, and everything
works properly together.BOAT TEST
BATTERIES: Victron Lithium
24v 200Ah
http://www.victronenergy.com
£1500 each
SOFA: Elite Furnishings
http://www.elitefurnishings.co.uk
£varies
OVEN: Neff hide and slide
http://www.neff-home.comDESIGN AND DECOR
VERDICT
Saloon 12ft 8in Galley 8ft 8in Cabin 10ft Bathroom 6ft 2in Back Cabin 7ft 8in
Engine Room 6ft 6in