“Albatross” is our 12th parallel hybrid narrowboat, built on a 58’ 6” long Jonathan Wilson shell with a semi-trad stern style and reverse layout interior.
Matt intends to complete the Silver Propeller challenge with Albatross and decided that a Parallel Hybrid boat therefore best suited his cruising needs. He opted for the Hybrid Marine Shaft Clutch upgrade which allows the electric motor and diesel engine to operate independently or together by engaging/disengaging the motor from the propeller shaft, enabling silent electric propulsion, engine-driven battery charging (like a generator), or boosted diesel power. So if he is moored up and not cruising for a few days, but needs to charge his batteries, he is able to do so without spinning the prop and churning up the bank!
Like all of our recent builds, everything on the boat is monitored by our Ortomate system, which is accessible via a large 10” colour touchscreen display at the aft of the boat, and also via the customers’ mobile phones/tablets/PCs.
Designed with full-time living in mind, Matt’s boat is all about smart storage solutions, comfort and clever use of space. There is no traditional diesel fired heating on board, instead the boat uses a combination of 2 x roof mounted electric heatpump / air conditioning units (one in the galley/saloon area and one in the bedroom) plus a solid fuel stove in the saloon and an infra-red mirror heating panel in the bathroom.
At the rear of the boat is the galley, which Matt was instrumental in designing. To save space, Matt opted for a Hisense multi-function oven, which also doubles as a microwave and air fryer. There is a Qettle boiling water tap which also provides filtered cold water and a 2 zone induction hob (with bridging feature for larger pans). Under the Polaris Quartz worktops, there is a undercounter larder fridge, as well as a compact washing machine in the aft area. There is even a space specifically for Matt’s “Robovac”!
With the CRT’s new ‘Simpler Recycling’ initiative now in force, a food waste bin was installed in the worktop, and a large multi section recycling bin was installed in the aft area to allow Matt to properly segregate all waste.
The saloon area of the boat, features a L shaped dinette, specifically raised to allow for the PylonTech battery bank and a small freezer.
There is a Ekol Apple Pie Stack solid fuel stove and a multifunctional air conditioning unit that provides both warm air in winter and cool relief in summer.
The saloon also features a comfortable built-in curved sofa, which gives the advantage of a large amount of storage beneath the cushions. There are also some long and narrow bookshelves either side of the stove.
The corridor bathroom was designed to allow for guests to move freely whilst the bathroom is in use, while the offset porthole in the corridor/bedroom was a deliberate choice to allow Matt sufficient wall space to display his naval memorabilia.
In the bathroom, heating is provided by a Herschel infra-red mirror, which sits above a vanity unit. The rainfall shower features one of Matt’s own photos of Smeaton’s Lighthouse in Plymouth — a nod to his maritime background. There is also a Compoost toilet and room for towel storage.
The bedroom is a little different to our more recent builds as it was designed to include Ikea storage boxes under the 4ft double bed, at Matt’s request. There is additional storage space under the bed for larger items as well as two full sized wardrobes, an overbed cupboard and a smaller storage unit at the end of the bed. Like the saloon, the bedroom also features a multifunctional air conditioning/heating unit to help with comfortable sleep all year round.
As with all of our new boats, the fuel tank was filled with HVO at launch, which contributes to our boats starting out as environmentally friendly as possible – we are hoping that HVO will become more widely available on the canal network in time.
