Columbus
Columbus is our 3rd boat and follows in the tradition of her predecessors; she is finished to a very high standard and has innovative features to make living on board stylish, comfortable, and convenient. Columbus was voted Favourite Boat at the 2015 Crick Boat Show.
Columbus can sleep up to 6 (2+2+2) people allowing your family and friends to enjoy the pleasures of cruising our canals. A large capacity battery bank means that you can moor up and not need to run the engine or connect to shore supplies for a couple of days while still using all the onboard facilities.
Exterior
Columbus is traditional tug built on a Tyler Wilson shell with a traditional red and black colour scheme.
The forward tug deck has the tunnel lamp and two brass lamps to light the deck; these and the navigation lights can be switched from either outside or inside the boat. There are two self switching shoreline points, one at the bow and one at the stern.
The gas locker is in the bow and access to the weed hatch is at the stern.
Interior
Internally Columbus is finished in tongue and groove below the gunwhales and on the ceiling; above the gunwhales are white panels with solid oak surround. All fixed furniture is solid oak and internal lighting is touch–controlled LED throughout; multi–coloured LED lighting under the gunwhales lets you set the mood.
Columbus has a conventional layout. Entrance from the rear is down a well laid out staircase into the master bedroom.
The 6′ 3″ by 4′ bed has a pull out extension that creates an even bigger bed and/or means you don't have to sleep under the gunwale. It also has an assisted lifting system to access the large storage area underneath.
Forward of the bedroom is the walk-through shower room. This has a large quadrant shower with black laminate walls and an infinity shower tray. Between the shower and the cabin sides are a combination of half-depth and pull–out full depth shelves. There is also a basin housed in a corner unit and a macerator toilet.
The spacious galley features 30mm thick granite worktops and breakfast bar. It is fitted with a large fan assisted gas oven, gas hob, extractor fan, large fridge with freezer compartment, washing machine, and a 6 place-setting dishwasher.
The saloon is roomy and well laid out. It features a media system with 24v & 12v sockets. A bed settee provides seating for up to 4 people. There is a heated cupboard at the front for coats, hats & shoes.
Underneath the tug deck is a second bedroom, complete with storage space and built with comfort in mind.
Columbus has Beta Marine 50 engine, a PRM gearbox, and a Vetus 95kgf bow thruster.
The high capacity domestic battery bank is made up of four 160Ah Lithium Batteries wired to provide 320Ah at 24 volts which allows all of the onboard facilities to be used for a couple of days without recharging. The discharge profile of Lithium batteries means that virtually all of the power is usable (by comparison, conventional batteries require charging at about 50% capacity). Additionally, the recovery rate of lithium batteries is much faster than conventional batteries; the battery bank can be recharged from flat to fully charged by running the engine for a few hours.
The engine charging system consists of two 24 volt 100 amp alternators; the landline charging system is a Victron Quattro 24 volt 9Kw inverter 120 amp charger that provides 240 volts throughout Columbus and 24V & 12V at the media station.
Heating is provided by an Eberspächer 8Kw diesel boiler which can be controlled remotely via a smartphone app allowing you to turn the heating on from home so that Columbus is warm when you arrive.