Xavier Technical Specification

Xavier Dutch Luxemotor barge for sale

Xavier, a classic Dutch Luxemotor barge for sale.

This classic Dutch Luxemotor is located on a residential mooring in Gweek Classic Boatyard, in the heart of Gweek village at the head of the Helford Estuary in South Cornwall. 

The living accommodation is spacious throughout and it was completely refurbished in 2022/3 including internal plumbing and electrics.

This is a fully working barge and whilst is is currently located in an idyllic spot, with all facilities including boat associated trades, it can travel coastal waters to any residential location.

The large Well Deck sun room can comfortably seat 20 people and really extends the al fresco dining season.  This large canvas 'conservatory' warms up quickly and can be enjoyed on sunny days throughout the year.  In the Summer season side panels can be raised and it turns into an open area shaded from the sun.

Along with the Wheelhouse, the Well Deck enjoys panoramic views South down the Helford Estuary and North towards Gweek village green, shop and pub.  The situation is given a large degree of privacy from a small tree lined island to the East.  Each year the resident pair of swans nest just metres away. Kingfishers, little egrets, geese and all manner of wading birds are seen from the boat.

As previously mentioned Gweek's facilities include a very good privately run shop and general store, a pub, village hall and village green.  All these facilities are a 5 minute walk from the boat.  Gweek Boatyard Cafe is just next to this mooring.

The area is well served with cafes, pubs and leisure facilities and the beautifully situated riverside villages of Helford, Port Navas, Mawgan, Helford Passage and St Anthony.

Falmouth is a 25 minute drive away and Helston is just 4 miles or 10 minutes drive from Gweek.

Xavier's accommodation comprises of 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms, open plan saloon/dining/kitchen, a sun deck and separate Wheelhouse. The Wheelhouse is a perfect suntrap perched up high enjoying views over the estuary.  It can also double up as a supplementary 4th single bedroom.

Two of the double bedrooms are located in the main accommodation and the third double bedroom with kitchenette and en-suite shower and separate toilet are in the former captain's quarters.  This area provides completely self-contained guest accommodation and is accessed via the Wheelhouse. 

The Captain's quarters are currently let out as a successful Air B&B for the high season.

 

Last out of water survey: August 2022

At this time the over plating of the entire below water hull was carried out.  

Engine last used under own steam: 2022

Lease:

A 12 year renewable lease was purchased for £22,500 in February 2021. 8 years remain.

Council Tax Exemption

Xavier's fully functioning engine and controls mean that it is a fully sea-going vessel and so there is no council tax payable.

Mooring and other charges:

Mooring for the vessel of 30 x 6 metres including live-a-board charge and unmetered water £766 per month.

Sewerage £132 per month with two occupants plus guests.  This is pumped out by boatyard staff every two weeks.

Electricity is payable to the boatyard direct. The charge is reasonable and there is no standing charge.

Xavier is fitted with solar panels and batteries. This houseboat is self sufficient for electricity in the summer months.

Parking:  A parking space is available to each boat resident. An EV charger is currently directly hooked up to the boat's electrics and solar.

Income from 3 months Air B&B: £6,000

https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/1115196397296763849?viralityEntryPoint=1&s=76

This 1932 former sand barge plied it's trade in the Netherlands until 2005.  Soon after it was professionally converted by the owners of a thriving Dutch boatyard for their own use.

They chose to convert this barge and its sister ship due to the wonderfully spacious proportions that include a rare 6 metre beam, and for its beautiful lines.  Most barges are less than 5 metres across to allow access to continental canals but this was an estrurine and coastal barge so no such restrictions were needed and the full 6.1metres gives a wonderful sense of space inside.

Light floods into the saloon due to no less than 11 windows in the main living area plus a large sunroof.  Another rarely seen feature is that the saloon has been raised to a height where the panoramic waterside views can be fully enjoyed from within.  

The space underneath allows for exceptionally large water storage tanks and additional storage space.

Dutch Luxemotors are the most sought after boats to convert.  They were built just when bargees in continental Europe were demanding a little more comfort, and in the hayday of water trade, they took pride in the external appearance of their vessels. 

Luxe motors are sleek and beautiful and the wheelhouse and former cargo hold in this vessel was converted with all the skill and know-how of its former Dutch owners to provide a new metal superstructure that is both unique and beautiful.

Xavier arrives in the UK after channel crossing in 2022

The Island next to the mooring

Swans and Geese return for Spring Nesting

 

Our regular pair of swans and some geese return in early Spring

We are privilidged to witness the resident pair of swans nesting just metres from our wheelhouse.  They normally choose a site on the highest part of the island to nest.  In 2022 they chose another site just metres away, but it was washed away on a high tide and they had to start again in their regular spot.

Swans back on the island.

I'm always worried that they will be disturbed by children or dogs, but so far, in the time we have been here, they have been left in relative peace. 

In Winter they tend to stay further up the estuary towards Helford, and in early Spring they start to venture back up to Gweek, peck the grass and inspect everything with a view, I think, to nest building.

Nine cygnets.

Just 8 next morning

Last Spring I was the first to witness 9 baby swans on the first morning that the parents took them out onto the water.  Unfortunately that evening the last two cygnets were struggling to get up onto the bank near the nest.  Possibly the tide was going out and whereas the others were able to mount the bank, the overhang appeared with the receeding tide and two were left in the water.  It got dark and I could not bear to watch any longer.  But in the morning there were eight cygnets left.  I think I was the only person to know that there had originally been nine.  Incredibly, all eight cygnets survived through Spring and Summer to be chased away by their parents in the Autumn.

Geese are frequent visitors in pairs and in greater numbers, but we have never witnessed a successful nest, or even seen a nest.  The swans do not allow geese to share a nest on the island.

Winter and Summer on the Lizard Peninsula

We are spoiled for choice when it comes to places to relax with a cup of tea - indoors or out.

In winter we tend to go to the West coast of the Lizard and in the Summer the East coast.

Sunny January afternoon near Mullion, East coast

A rather hazy sunset taken from the Polurian Hotel, Mullion a little later the same afternoon

In Winter when the sun sets early you can enjoy really spectacular sunsets over Mounts Bay and depending where you are you can see Mousehole, Newlyn, Penzance, Praa Sands, and Porthleven.

Poldu Cove, East coast just after Christmas 2025

Polurian Hotel east coast 4pm January 2025. 
The perfect place to spend watching the sunset from their panoramic sun lounge.

In Spring and Summer the sunsets are later and so you would really need to have a meal at the Polurian to watch the sunset.  Also Summer sunsets don't seem to have the drama of Winter ones.

In Summer we often go to the East coast.  Protected from the Southwesterly winds, our favourite beach is Coverack and favourite hotel is The Bay Hotel.

Having tea in the terraced garden of The Bay Hotel Coverack is pure bliss. Especially if you also have an ice cream at nearby Roskilly's farm before or after.

Xavier is moored on the Helford Estuary and this river almost slices through the Lizard promitory, demarcating it's northern boundary.

The Helford Estuary has the most delightful coves and inlets all lined with Helford's famous ancient oak woodland.

Port Navas quay reached by a footpath behind the yatch club.

Cornwall in January means daffoddils!

From Constantine to Mullion and across to Marazion, we are in the heart of Cornish daffodil country.  Nowhere else in Cornwall grows them in such profusion.  Bright yellow fields are commonplace from Christmas to the end of March. The feeling of seeing a brilliant yellow fields full of these gorgeous blooms in the middle of winter is so uplifting.

It probably looks like we are being very naughty picking someone elses daffodils, but the pickers have been in several times and what is left are the open daffodils that are not picked. 
We are on a footpath - mostly!

The commercial pickers come in before there is much evidence of open flowers. 
They pick them to sell when still in bud.

In fact flowers come out in profusion in January.  Not only snowdrops, but camellias are found in abundance, especially in Penzance.

An echium looking good in January

How are these nasturtiums surviving?

 

Installation of Solar Panels

Julian always requires a project and when we are not renovating a house, or helping our children with building projects, he thinks of another idea to make our life on the boat even better, or to increase efficiency in some way.  Currently he is putting his mind to solar panels.

Oh dear, our panel supports are ready for sun not rain!

Our power on the boat comes from shore power electricity that we pay through the boatyard (no standing charge so it works out pretty reasonable), and oil that powers most of our radiators.  A few of the radiators are also electric. We have an electric car.  So as we are in a sunny spot, we want to make the most of this free power and are working out ways to install solar panels in a that won't detract from the look of our beautiful boat.

Julian starts by fixing the solar panel supports onto the roof of the captain's accommodation with magets!

We don't want to make holes in our boat so Julian has done the maths and calculated that solar panel supports can be fixed by powerful magnets.  By doing a lot of the work ourselves, we hope to save money and the solar people can focus on installing the panels, wiring and the batteries.   

Installation complete.

The solar company we used is the same one that our son used for his solar panels.  They are called Batteries and Solar Ltd from Plymouth and we have found them to be reasonably priced and very knowledgeable.

Very unobtrusive.

Our solar panels make electric almost free in the summer and we can even charge the car on them in the best of weather. 

The amount of electricity that is being generated can be seen on a phone app and it's quite interesting and satisfying to see the free electricity being absorbed by the panels.  There was a little bit of tweeking to get the maximum efficiency to begin with, but they are working very well.

Captain's accommodation renovation.

We want to get some money back after all the expense of the past year, but first we have to spend some more! 

We love the old skippers quarters and we feel it would make the most enchanting guest room and Air B&B accommodation.  So we plan to roll our sleeves up once more, don the facemask and get cracking!

First job is to take out everything that is not part of the final layout and start sanding the floor.

The floor is stained a dark colour.  We need to remove all that and then seal it with Osmo wax oil.
Finally we must cover it to ensure does not get damaged during the forthcoming programme of work.

A panel from the former high bed area repurposed as a wall.
Precision cutting was required to ensure that the pannels remained intact.

We spent a lot of time on the skippers accommodation to make it a comfortable place for guests.  We even considered moving in there ourselves, but it really is self contained and works better as a guest room.

The same same wall shown in place behind TV.  New kitchenette is on the right. 
One of the etched sliding doors closed to the left.

New flushing plumbed in loo and a vintage small sink.
Closed by another of the original etched sliding doors.

On the other side of the lobby,
with another etched sliding door is the shower room.

A small kitchenette enables the captain's accommodation to function like a hotel room.

One of the problems we had to overcome in this space was that is was split level.  If we wanted a kingsized bed, the bed had somehow had to straddle the step without looking odd.  

We spent ages puzzling over this wondering how it would look.  Anyhow, we bought an antique bed of similar age to the other original 1930's fittings.  One that had a high footboard.  All we had to do was reposition the footboard so that the bed base remained level whilst the bed straddled the step.

This is now tried and tested over a year's rentals with no problems at all.  The overwhelming reaction from guests apart from enjoying the views and the comforts is that is is so much more spacious than they imagined!

Split level, but the bed is tailor made to remain level!

We carpeted the raised area, and completed the painting of walls and ceiling that had been refurbished and re-insulated.  Other furniture was sourced and soft furnishings and curtains complete the look.

We love the comments that we get from our fully functioning Air B&B.  Guests have their own entrance through the wheelhouse.  The wheelhouse is also their own private space to enjoy watching the tides and the wildlife and the comings and goings of the boat yard and rivercraft.  We have out own lovely welldeck with its protective canopy and we spend a lot of time in there throughout the summer and the cooler seasons because it is an absolute sun trap.  Guests come and go, we each have enough privacy, but there are also chances to say hello and be sociable depending on whether we open or close up the sides.

Guests walk along the gunnels to the wheelhouse

View from the wheelhouse

Steps into wheelhouse

Exterior of captain's accommodation

Wheelhouse

Wheelhouse

Position within the boatyard.