“This boat has good and bad points. We were very impressed by the battery and inverter power, which is clearly a superior setup. The batteries were charged up while cruising and easily lasted throughout the following 12 hours or so, even when using the kettle, toaster, cooker, hob, hairdryer etc. We needed to run the engine to heat up the water, as there was no immersion. We were also impressed that we had wi-fi throughout our holiday and the little TV was good. The boat handles pretty well and has a bow thruster. Other than the helm bench seat, the seating area upstairs is very low so isn't comfortable for long periods of time. The interior is dated but adequate. The kitchen was quite good, with an induction hob and good sized oven. The seating in the salon is quite high and there is a bar along the front for a foot rest, which gave us a few bruises! We also had to be careful if using the stairs from the salon to the upper helm, as the hatch was very small. The layout is slightly strange and has clearly been adapted to accommodate additional berths. We were 3 up with a small dog so were not unduly affected as we used the 2 proper double cabins. The one in the middle of the boat is quite claustrophobic with limited light and the bed is small for a double. The forward cabin suffered from extreme condensation so was damp when it was cold (we were fortunate that the weather was pretty good for September). The single bed (which we did not use) which is squeezed in the corner of the forward cabin was soaked on at least 3 of the days of our weeks hire. We also experienced horrible toilet smells when the ensuite toilet was used during the night, particularly when we first started our holiday and after pump-out, possibly due to leaking seals in the holding tank or pipework, or the No Smell Filter (if fitted) was long overdue a replacement. Overall, however, we had a good holiday and adapted to the shortcomings of this boat.”
Thank you for your candid review, Vivienne. We’re pleased you enjoyed your holiday and that Melody’s battery setup, Wi-Fi and kitchen impressed.
We’ll investigate the damp single bed and put right whatever is causing it. We’ll also check the toilet system—the unpleasant smells you described aren’t something we expect our guests to put up with, and we’re sorry these affected your stay.
Thank you for highlighting both the good points and the areas needing attention.
“We had a long weekend booked and what a fantastic weekend Barnes Brinkcraft were fantastic from start to finish will definetly bo booking again next year.”
Great to hear you had such a fantastic weekend, David. A few days on the Broads can work wonders, and we’re really pleased the team looked after you from start to finish.
We’ll look forward to welcoming you back next year.
All the best,
The Team at Barnes Brinkcraft
“What a fabulous company to book with. We have been holidaying on the braods with a diffrent company for 11 years and this was our first holiday with barnes brinkcraft. What a pleaseure it was. The boat was consiodered by them as a mid range but far exceeded our expextations. Clean and comfortable efficiant collection and drop off. We have already booked next years holiday. Hopful ly or go to boat yard for the next 11 years.”
Hi John, thank you for such a lovely review. We're delighted your first holiday with us exceeded your expectations, and it's fantastic to hear Melody made such a good impression.
The fact you've already booked for next year really means a lot to us. Here's hoping we can be your Broads boatyard of choice for many years to come.
All the best,
The Team at Barnes Brinkcraft
“The boat was very clean on arrival. There was enough room for 6 adults. We did spend most of our time up top as the weather was great. I would highly recommend the Melody and a boating holiday for anyone looking for a very peaceful and relaxing holiday. The staff at the boatyard were very helpful and friendly. This is the third time we have had a boating holiday.”
“Loved the melody 2, had a wonderful week cruising the northern broads. Visit lots of nice pubs with excellent vegan options. The only negative is that it was just to hot. Can't really blame the boat for that though.”
Thanks for the lovely review. We're so pleased you enjoyed your week aboard Melody 2 and found plenty of good pubs along the way.
As for the weather... we'll happily take the credit for the sunshine, but perhaps not quite that much of it! We hope to see you back on the Broads again soon.
All the best,
The Team at Barnes Brinkcraft
“We had a great time. There were a couple of issues with the boat which I did mention on our return including:
The fridge not having any holders in the door which reduced the amount of things we could put in.
The glass panel on the left side of the windscreen almost fell out when we had to lower to go under bridges.
There were knots in the rope on the back left side which made it difficult to moor on one occasion, we weren't able to undo as they had been in there for some time.”
“We had an amazing holiday. The boat was clean, comfortable and well equipped. The goody bag containing tea, coffee, biscuits etc was a bonus as was the bottle of Prosecco given as my husband was celebrating a significant birthday. The team at Barnes Brinkcraft were all friendly and helpful. We would have no hesitation in booking another boating holiday.”
