About Maddison
What's On Board
Maddison is an 8 berth 62ft cruiser stern narrowboat. A Cruiser Stern means she has plenty of room at the rear of the boat to gather and chat whilst keeping the helmsman company.
Inside she has a light and airy feel with two single beds at the rear with a handy private toilet compartment. Going forward there's a fixed double bed with pull out "jumbo" storage drawers beneath. Beyond this is the bathroom with a second toilet, full size thermostatically controlled shower (I have to say it's very good) plus a vanity unit with giant mirror and plenty of storage areas for towels and your personal effects.
Moving forward she has a dinette that converts into a double bed, again with plenty of under seat storage. After this is the galley (kitchen) with a full size cooker, ample prep area and under counter domestic fridge / freezer. The ample seating in the lounge area also converts into two single beds.
Bedding & Bathing - We provide everything you need aboard Maddison. Duvets, pillows & covers are provided plus bath and hand towels for each person on board. We also provide all the toilet rolls you could ever need and in the event you need to use the forward single beds, we provide sleeping bags.
Tableware - Maddison is equipped with cutlery and tableware including cereal bowls, mugs and a selection of glasses sufficient for 8 people. Have a look at our inventory for a detailed list.
Galley - (it's just a kitchen on a boat...)
We provide tea, coffee & sugar as a starter. Full sized gas cooker with 4 burners, double oven & grill.
Stainless Steel sink / drainer and large work surface with under unit cupboards & drawers.
Kettle, range of pans, casserole dish, oven glove, colander, mixing bowl and jug, cooking utensils, teapot, cafetiere, chopping board.
Kitchen Roll, Tea towels, washing up liquid & sponges. Bin liners, dustpan and brush.
Bathroom - Full size shower cubicle with bi-fold glass door (no nasty shower curtain here) and thermostatic temperature controlled shower.
Full size electrically operated maceration toilet.
Vanity basin with under cupboard storage and large mirror above.
Ample storage for towels and toiletries. By the way, loads of toilet rolls are provided at the start of the hire period. So that's one thing less to carry back from the shop.
Shower & Toilet cleaning products.
Additional Toilet - There's a second toilet located at the rear of the boat in a cloakroom with a vanity unit and mirror. No waiting to use the loo when the skippers in the shower!
Lounge
LCD TV with Freeview reception. The TV accepts USB or Hard Drives.
Loads of under-seat storage in jumbo pull out drawers.
Wardrobe hanging space and half height cupboard.
Removable table to accommodate eight people dining, playing games or just sitting with drinks.
Dinette or Double Bed - This is a four seater dinette table area for dinning or for the kids to entertain themselves at a table. This area also converts to a double bed with bedding and jumbo drawer storage beneath.
The Dinette made up as a comfy double bed.
Fixed Double Bed - is always made up for you and is located next to the main bathroom and shower.
Two Rear Singles - Have their own TV and access to the rear wash-room / toilet
So what about the other facilities on board?
Heating
Maddison was designed to keep us, as a family, comfortable aboard. So the heating is provided by thermostatically controlled gas fired warm air system throughout the entire boat. This ensures that all the boat benefits from a quiet, cosy environment, even when evenings begin to cool down. No loud diesel heaters aboard Maddison.
Electrics
12 Volt DC Supplies
All the lighting on the boat is 12 volt LED and runs from a bank of batteries that charge up during you daytime cruising. There are also 12 volt cigarette lighter sockets should you need to use an in-car power supply for phone charging or something similar. Whilst NB Maddison is your floating home from home, you need to remember she is still a self contained boat. That means that there isn't a never ending supply of electricity. The batteries aboard Maddison need charging for about 6 to 7 hours each day by the engine during your daytime cruising.
240 Volt Power
The boat also benefits from a 240 volt inverter and has UK standard domestic socket outlets throughout the boat, so you can use laptops in case you need to do a little work while afloat and charge your phones or tablet.
On-Board Electrical Appliances
IMPORTANT - A hair dryer is provided on the boat. We can't allow the use of your own as domestic high power appliances will damage the 240 volt inverter.
2 x TV's. One is located in the forward lounge area and the other is located above the rear single beds.
DAB / FM / Radio. With Bluetooth connectivity.
Domestic 240V under counter fridge / freezer with 60/40 split respectively.
Other Equipment
We provide everything you need aboard the boat including lock anti vandal keys (known as Handcuff Keys) boat poles, water hose, windlasses (to operate the locks), mooring spikes, piling mooring hooks and a hammer. See the complete boat inventory below.
Starting Your Cruise
At the start of your holiday we'll give you and your crew a comprehensive handover which includes a full walk-through of the boat’s features and necessary safety precautions.
If you're a novice boater or just want a refresher, we'll take you out onto the water and provide practical tuition on the canal. Guiding you with boat handling and giving you the confidence to have a wonderful canal holiday!
Make sure you watch the Boater's Handbook video as a taster of how to handle a narrowboat.
LICENSING & BOAT SAFETY
Commercial Boat Licence - Narrowboat Maddison has a Commercial Licence issued by Canal River Trust (CRT) licensing authority, satisfying their strict conditions for Hire Boats and Safety.
Handover Audit Certificate - We also provide a Boat Handover Audit Certificate which has been approved by Canal River Trust, to ensure you are given the correct level of instruction at the start of your cruise to enable you to remain safe and be confident in handling our boat and ultimately enjoying your holiday afloat.
Commercial Boat Safety Certificate - Maddison holds a Commercial Boat Safety Certificate. This certifies the boat has been examined by a qualified examiner to a higher level than non-commercial private boats.
Commercial Hire Boat Insurance - Maddison is covered by a commercial insurance policy specifically for self drive holiday hire or bare boat charter as it is sometimes called.
River Canal Rescue - Maddison is covered by Gold Membership of this breakdown service. It's much like the RAC of the inland waterways.
BOAT INVENTORY
SAFETY
4 x Fire Extinguishers
1 x Fire Blanket
2 x Fixed Smoke Alarms
2 x Fixed CO Alarms
1 x Life Ring
1 x Boat Hook
1 x Boat User Manual
Life Jackets
KITCHEN
Large / Small Pans for eight
Large Small Plates for eight
Oven Trays
Serving Bowls
Rectangular overn-proof dishes (Suitable for Lasagne etc)
Kitchen Tongs & Serving Spoons
Water Jug
Cups & Glasses for eight
Cutlery for eight
Tin Opener
Kettle
Teapot
Cafetiere
Tea, coffee & sugar
CLEANING
Washing up products
Tea towels
Disposable cloths
General kitchen & Boat cleaning products.
EQUIPMENT
1 x Set Boat Keys + Float (Boat security and Ignition)
1 x Services Key + Float (Access canal-side water and amenities)
2 x Windlass (Used to operate the lock paddles raising and lowering the boat)
2 x Ground Pins (For mooring where no fixed mooring points are provided)
1 x Hammer (Knock those Ground Pins in)
2 x Piling Hooks ( Used to moor against Armco canal Pilings)
1 x Tiller Bar ( Steering)
2 x Boat Poles
Pearsons Canal Guides (Contains navigational information and canal-side amenities)
Torches
1 x Small Tool Kit
2 x Umbrellas (Just for show. Its always sunny on the canal !!! )
1 x "In Use" Gas Bottle
1 x Reserve Full Gas Bottle. (When emptied, you should replace this at your expense please)
2 x TV's. TV at the back of the boat plays DVD's also.
1 x DAB /FM Radio with Bluetooth connectivity.
1 x 240V Hair-dryer (Please do not use your own as this will damage the 240 volt inverter)
8 x Folding Camping Chairs
1 x Folding Camping Table
1 x Wheeled Shopping Trolley