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The interior of our new barge
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We loved the fine cabinetwork and excellent interior finish on "Moondance", our previous barge, and she worked well for our trip with our daughter and friends. Now that that's over however, we wanted something wider in the beam with accommodation just for us, a couple, and a more conventionally comfortable cabin for just one visiting couple. We found the "up and down stairs" nature of Moondance's centre-wheelhouse / aft cabin configuration tiring, the aft cabin undersized, and the wheelhouse itself, although very practical, not much of a place for sitting and socializing. We wanted something all on one level with a deck-level saloon and an aft cockpit. I've looked at more vintage barges than I can remember, and they never meet my requirements for a "yacht standard" interior finish -- so here we are with another modern replica. Moondance showed us a great introduction to barging and we were able to learn what we think important in a barge, and what less so.
After our big trip in 2010 we spent the summer of 2011 touring France by car, looking at all the possible cruising areas, and we have decided that we like the central area best of all, particularly the Loire valley. We wanted, in our new barge, more of a comfortable apartment than a long-distance cruiser, and we think we have found her.
We are planning to keep her for three or four seasons, so anyone planning their retirement well in advance is welcome to contact us with a view to a purchase a few years down the line.
The ORANGE line shows the shorter route we may take this summer, and the GREEN line shows a longer way round from Roanne to Briare. We'll make a decision on this in the spring.
