Nick Burnham picks out four of the best river cruisers and unearths a number of boats that are ideal for sedate river cruising and family fun
This month we’re taking Find Me A… for its annual trip onto inland waters for a relaxing sojourn up the still and dappled rivers and waterways where the willow trees gently kiss the surface and the only waves are from friendly ramblers on the towpath.
For inland use, a different set of priorities swing into play. There’s no use for huge turbo-diesels, and little need for a planing hull. Priorities instead are effortless, low-speed running, directional stability and easily accessed decks for going alongside locks and riverside pub pontoons.
Low air draft can sometimes be helpful too, for limboing under bridges. Choices here encompass a handily sized 30-footer from one of Britain’s most respected builders, through to a rock-solid Dutch-built steel boat.
4 of the best River Cruisers
Haines 36 Sedan
Built: 2021
Price: £285,000
Norfolk builder Haines builds two versions of the Haines 36 that launched in 2021; the Offshore, for – you’ve guessed it – and this Sedan, which is specifically built for low-speed inland and coastal use. A unique feature of all Haines boats is the small brass plaque tucked inside one of the locker doors with the names of the people who built that actual boat.
Skylights flood the owner’s cabin with natural light. There’s a double guest cabin too
Interior
An ingenious trick of the Haines 36, and indeed its smaller 32, is aft saloon doors that fold completely out of the way, rather than simply sliding to one side, creating a full width opening between the saloon and cockpit. A reversible backrest at the aft end of the settee takes full advantage of this to create a sociable but very sheltered aft-facing seat.
There are three layout versions; a single-cabin model that puts the owner’s cabin forward on the lower deck and the galley down too, or you could opt to have the galley up in the port forward corner of the saloon and utilise the freed up space on the lower deck for a second cabin. This could either be fitted with bunk beds or a double that runs transversely beneath the forward end of the main deck, which is what this boat has.
Exterior
The Sedan and Offshore look mostly identical, but whereas the pulpit rails extend right back to the cockpit on the Offshore version, the Sedan rails stop just aft of the windscreen, making the regularly needed side-boarding much easier. Big, chunky steps in the cockpit make deck access helpfully easy too.
Performance
Haines offers a choice of a single 59hp, 115hp or 150hp engine for the Sedan (the Offshore has up to twin 220hp). This boat has the midrange 115hp Nanni, which gives about 9 knots flat out and cruises very comfortably at 6 knots.
Versatile saloon can be specced to include a portside galley, as shown
Seakeeping
The Sedan and Offshore share the same semi-displacement hull, the only differences are beneath the skin, where the Offshore has additional strengthening to cope with larger engines and the higher speeds that they produce. A long, shallow keel aids directional stability and this boat has a very neat stern thruster integrated within it. The keel extends lower than the propeller and links to the rudder, offering a useful degree of protection against grounding.
Haines 36 Sedan specifications
Length: 36ft 0in (11.0m)
Beam: 12ft 4in (3.8m)
Draft: 3ft 1in (0.9m)
Displacement: 7.5 tonnes Fuel capacity: 360 litres
Engine: Nanni 115hp diesel
For Sale: Bray Marine Sales
Broom 30 HT Coupé
Built: 2016
Price: £134,950
For may years one of the oldest and most loved yards in the UK, Broom had a reputation for building big, traditional, high-quality aft cabin cruisers. But at the Southampton Boat Show in 2012, it launched two smaller and more contemporary aft cockpit cruisers, the 30 and 35 Coupe, in a bid to attract younger customers at a lower price point. It wasn’t enough to save the boat building business, which closed in 2018, but the boats themselves remain highly sought after.
Well-appointed below-deck galley hasn’t sacrificed quality in the search for cost-saving
Interior
The 35 was a twin-diesel deck saloon boat built with coastal and offshore cruising in mind. The 30 Coupé was aimed more at inland cruising and was initially launched as an open-cockpit model with all of the accommodation on the lower deck. A simple layout featured a single cabin forward with an offset double bed, and then a saloon with L-shaped seating to starboard and the galley and heads opposite. Twin overhead hatches throw light and air into the saloon. Given that this was the cheapest Broom by some margin at launch, it was gratifying to see that the interior fit and finish had not been compromised.
Exterior
Although the original 30 Coupé was an open cockpit model, complete with folding arch and windscreens, Broom later launched the HT version you see here, which puts a smart, open-backed wheelhouse over the forward end of this space, extending well aft. The actual cockpit layout itself is unchanged, the hardtop simply provides a lot more shelter and a lot less canopy.
A large, sliding roof means that you can still open this area to the elements. Side-boarding steps are built into the topside engine vents and the dark grey hull colour was another nod to modernity, along with flush glazing and deck hatches.
Performance
A strictly displacement cruiser, Broom simply fitted a single shaft-drive 60hp Nanni diesel that would head-butt the boat’s natural maximum displacement hull speed of 8 knots and slip along very nicely at a river-friendly 6 knots, sipping just a gallon per hour.
Sliding roof makes for a
saloon that feels more airy than its dimensions suggest
Seakeeping
A small keel and a big rudder are ideal for low speed inland cruising, offering good directional stability with easy direction changing and a usefully tight turning circle.
Broom 30 HT CoupÉ specifications
Length: 30ft 0in (9.1m)
Beam: 10ft 5in (3.2m)
Draft: 2ft 6in (0.8m)
Displacement: 5 tonnes
Fuel capacity: 160 litres
Engine: Nanni 60hp diesel engine
For Sale: Tingdene
Westwood A405
Built: 2016
Price: £310,000
A development of the preceding A390 and designed by Andrew Wolstenholme, the A405 was launched by this low-volume builder in 2015 as a traditional aft cabin cruiser. Although very similar in concept, and indeed with only mildly tweaked exterior styling, the A405 was a major departure internally from the previous model.
Generously proportioned aft cabin has its own ensuite and a large transom window
Interior
Inside it was all change. Gone was the A390’s old-fashioned teak woodwork – in its place was lighter hardwood with a modern satin finish. This was the yard’s avowed step into the 21st century. But for all the modernity, this is still a traditional aft cabin layout, resulting in tremendous accommodation.
As ever, the aft owner’s cabin is the big selling point, complete with its generous ensuite, but guests won’t feel short-changed by the decent bow cabin with its own ensuite. The privacy this set-up offers is unrivalled at the size. A very modern-looking galley opposite a comfortable dinette is also on the lower deck, leaving the saloon on the raised main deck between them.
Exterior
The raised aft decks (instead of sunken cockpit wells) of aft cabin boats are inevitably more exposed, but actually Westwood did a pretty good job of protecting this area with solid coamings and a high windscreen, plus canopies to completely enclose it. The A405 has a larger bathing platform with improved access to deck level compared to the A390. Tweaked window lines and bonded windows also help make it more modern.
Performance
The single Volvo Penta D4-300 300hp diesel is far smaller than you would expect in an offshore boat of this size, which would typically have two larger engines (twin 370hp D6s are on the options list). None the less, we achieved a heady 18 knots when we tested an A405 with this engine on Lough Erne, although an easy 8 knots felt more appropriate.
Satin wood cabinetry and cream fabrics make for a very fresh looking interior
Seakeeping
A lough isn’t ever going to present the most challenging of sea conditions, in fact the most notable aspect of helming this boat was the noise or rather lack of it. When piloting from the aft deck, you’re a long way from the engine, situated beneath the saloon floor, making for very serene progress.
Westwood A405 specifications
Length: 41ft 0in (12.5m)
Beam: 13ft 0in (4.0m)
Draft: 3ft 3in (1.0m)
Displacement: 10 tonnes Fuel capacity: 1,028 litres
Engine: Volvo Penta D4-300 300hp diesel engine
For Sale: Boat Showrooms
Aquanaut 1350 AK
Built: 2002
Price: £210,000
If you’re really serious about your inland cruising, and particularly if you plan to live aboard and cruise Europe, then you’re probably going to at least consider purchasing a Dutch-built steel boat because, among other advantages, they are absolutely rock solid, super tough, and able to ward off the hard knocks from unforgiving lock walls or uncontrolled hire boats.
Ensuite owner’s cabin is aft and incorporates all the storage you could wish for
Interior
But that’s not the only advantage of steel build, the other big bonus is an enormous amount of flexibility in the construction because they’re not constrained by the fixed mouldings and bulwarks of a GRP boat. As a result, companies like Aquanaut build a huge amount of variations.
The Drifter range is just one of five model lines and is available in five sizes between 10-15 metres. Those five sizes are then split into AK or AC variants, AK referring to the fact that it’s aft cabin (AC is aft cockpit), which means that the accommodation on board is massive! The ensuite owner’s cabin is aft, guest cabin forward along with the galley, heads and (converting) dinette, and between them on the main deck is the saloon.
Exterior
The painted navy hull and cream topsides give a classic and elegant look, while wide, low side decks layer on practicality. As well as a folding mast, each section of windscreen folds down, allowing the boat to limbo beneath surprisingly low bridges. The hull is 5mm thick; the superstructure and deck are 4mm thick.
Performance
Performance is perhaps not the right word when considering almost 20 tonnes of boat powered by a single Vetus Deutz 164hp diesel, but it’s a well-judged and economical engine for the sort of inland work that this boat is perfectly designed for. Expect 9 knots flat out and a 7-knot cruise.
Spacious saloon makes a great home from home for long term liveaboard cruising
Seakeeping
Again, seakeeping is something of a misnomer, but that weight and strength make for a very steady ride inland, although all steel cruisers have a propensity to
roll a little should you venture
out to sea. It’s not a boat to be blown around by every puff of wind, but be aware of how much heft you’re trying to arrest when the time comes, and allow plenty of space to stop!
Aquanaut 1350 AK specifications
Length: 44ft 9in (13.7m)
Beam: 14ft 4in (4.4m)
Draft: 3ft 11in (1.2m)
Displacement: 18 tonnes Fuel capacity: 1,200 litres
Engine: Vetus Deutz 164hp diesel
For Sale: Bray Marine Sales
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