Not a "Noddy" boat

I have lost myself in"Rick Steins  French Odyssey" . The slow, simple pace of barge life, the honesty of fresh, regional produce, and the undeniable vantage point of stunning scenery and delightful villages spilling along banks of canals has been responsible for countless hours spent in front of the TV.

In it, he refers to the plethora of hire boats clogging the canals as "Noddy Boats"..... But we all have to start somewhere!! We just didn't expect taking such a GIANT leap.

Hire Boat:

Fibreglass, lightweight, not to big, single engine, manoeuvrable, simple to drive.....

 Just as well since you need NO qualification to drive one, need NO experience and have absolutely NO understanding of the waterway rules. ...

"Madeline" the Boat

Length:  13.5 m
Hull:  Steel
Engine:  Twin diesel
Fuel tanks:  2 x large
Extras:  "Bow thrusters"

........we are talking heavy: 17 tonnes of inertia, complicated to handle and BIG.

 May I add at this point that a necessary manoeuvring skill, among many, is the ability to spin on your own axis. This is an ABSOLUTE requirement in marinas where boats are jammed like sardines in a tin  ..a mooring option to be avoided where possible!!! 

Oh, and trying spinning when your controls are NOT located in the centre of the boat, but towards the back.

Instructions:

Everything you buy these days comes with user instructions, spelling out inexhaustible detail, over unwanted pages of minutia, "how to" do anything. And, then there's the handy "Quick start up" guide.

On board "Madeline"?..... NOTHING!!!! No technical manuals, no clue how this baby is configured,
no specifications of equipment on board, no wiring diagrams, ..........zip!! ....   Unless you can read Dutch and interpret the table stuck inside one of the cupboards.