Nymphea |
|
| Career (France) | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Nymphea |
| Owner: | European Waterways, LTD |
| Operator: | European Waterways, LTD |
| Port of registry: | Vermenton |
| Route: | River Cher in the Loire Valley |
| Launched: | 1921 |
| Christened: | Nymphea |
| Status: | In service |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Commercial passenger vessel |
| Tonnage: | 80 tons |
| Length: | 24.5 m (80 ft) |
| Beam: | 4.20 m (13.8 ft) |
| Height: | 3.15 m (10.3 ft) |
| Draught: | 1.0 m (3.3 ft) |
| Decks: | 2 |
| Installed power: | 10kva Hawher Siddeley |
| Propulsion: | DAF 615, 120 hp |
| Speed: | Maximum 14 knots |
| Capacity: | 6 passengers |
| Crew: | 3 crew |
| Notes: | Holds 3 tons of water, 1 tons of fuel |
The Nymphea was built in 1921 to carry cargo along the canals of Europe and is a classic Dutch design with shallow draft. She presently serves as a luxury hotel barge, owned and operated by European Waterways.
She originally carried hops and barley to a brewery in the north of Holland from Rotterdam and returned with bottles and barrels of beer. One round trip per week. The owner had 7 children and lived in the bow cabin with his wife, and at maximum, 5 of them at a time.
She was first converted in 1978 to carry 20 scouts in hammocks. She was converted to a hotel barge in 1985.
The barge has traveled from Holland to Bordeaux on most of the French waterways. She pioneered barging on the southern Canal du Nivernais and the River Seille. She has also been to Barcelona and Monte Carlo by sea. When moved in 1990 to the River Cher, she was transported at 82 km/h on an enormous trailer.
In 2005, part of the Rick Stein's French Odyssey for the BBC was filmed onboard.
She presently plies the River Cher.
Nymphea currently has 3 double cabins allowing her to carry up to 6 passengers. She also has separate crew quarters which house the crew of three. Deck plan The crew consists of the captain and pilot, chef, and tour guide.[1][2][3]