“We had Serenade 1, the oldest of the 7 boats in this class which were put into service between 2017 and 2019. The battery mangement system is excellent and removes almost all worries about available power, as well as the need to run the engine at unsociable times. The inverter provides 240 volt power for multiple uses and there are no gas appliances on these boats. Brilliant!
Diesel fuel economy was also very good, helped by the slippery, low wash hull design, and engine noise is very muted. Boat handling is decent, although it's not easy to judge where the stern and the starboard side are due to reduced visibility from the helm. I found the fly by wire engine control quite hard to get used to, as there is a delay before the system responds. When mooring in a stiff wind, this made small corrections a bit tricky to judge.
We like the general spaciousness in the cabin, the galley set across the width, rather than in a corridor, the split roof, and the general amenities. Because we're not as agile as once, the step up to the helm was a bit of a mountain and getting on and off the boat when moored side on was a challenge now and again - of course, this is tide dependant to an extent.
All boats have some compromises, but Serenade has only a few, offset by the many plus points. We very much enjoyed the boat and the top drawer service from Barnes Brink craft.”
“Considering I just wrote a review and then posted it funny that it then said "where did you get this from" So here I go again....Beds hard, duvet and sheets too small for bow bed. Smelly loo's with yellow toilet water. Cold so had to wear clothes in bed. Lucky we're not big people, wouldn't get in the loo in the Bow end. Nowhere to let the dogs run. Book again no.”
Dear Lynn
Thank you for taking the time to post your review again. I’m sorry you found the beds hard and were cold overnight. Serenade has onboard heating, and we’ll check that it was working and that the instructions were clear.
The toilets flush with river water, which can occasionally have a colour or smell. Flushing through usually clears it; if it doesn’t, our team can come out and investigate. I’m sorry this affected your stay.
The bow toilet compartment is compact, and I appreciate it wasn’t comfortable for you. There are plenty of good places to walk dogs around the Broads; we walk our own dog locally and are always happy to suggest places to stop.
Thank you for explaining what fell short. I’m sorry the holiday left you feeling you wouldn’t book again.
Yours Sincerely
The Team at Barnes Brinkcraft
“Serenade 2 was a nice boat, could be a very nice boat. We were a bit disappointed with how it was presented.
Understand that hire boats get bashed about, but both sides of the stern were in pretty bad shape. The brush/seals on the electric sliding roof were also in bad shape which meant we spent the evenings plagued by mosquitoes luckily we came prepared with a tennis racket zapper. We also found that the toilets tanks had been pumped out but had not been flushed through with Elsa’s blue. This meant that our first day and morning were seriously marred as the boat filled with an awful sulphurous Stink as soon as the toilets were used and everyone from then on until we could get the tanks flushed through at another boat yard. Brinks of course refunded us the money that this cost at the end of the holiday.
We found the lithium battery and solar set up in the boat to be a real game changer allowing you to use your 240 volt devices without the worry of having flat batteries in the morning.
Was not expecting to have the issues that we did when hiring an “Elite fleet” boat, but despite this we still and a great weeks holiday and would hire again from Barnes Brinkcraft as I am sure that this is not the norm.”
Thanks for the feedback, Jerry. We’re pleased Serenade worked well for the three of you overall, although we’re sorry to hear you didn’t find the driver’s seat comfortable. We’ll pass that comment on to the team.
All the best,
The Team at Barnes Brinkcraft
“We had a really enjoyable week on the boat and would definitely book again. The 240V electricity was a great bonus, and the bow thrusters made manoeuvring much easier. The living area was perfect for four adults, and although the kitchen was compact, it had everything we needed, including a good-sized fridge. The rear bedroom also had excellent storage.
We did experience a fault with the boat halfway through the week, but the customer service was outstanding. One phone call and an engineer arrived within the hour, with the problem fixed and us back on our way within two hours.
A few things could have been better. The beds were much firmer than expected, the bathrooms were a little smelly at times, and the front bedroom was very small with limited storage, making it better suited to children. The windows also needed frequent cleaning to keep the view clear, and visibility from inside the boat was quite limited unless the roof was open.
Despite these minor niggles, we had a fantastic holiday. A little more information and better photos on the website would have helped us choose a boat that better suited our needs, but overall it was a great experience and we’d happily book again.”
Hi Rebecca, thank you for such a helpful and balanced review. We’re really pleased you had a fantastic week aboard Serenade, and particularly glad our engineering team could get you back underway quickly when you had a problem.
Your comments about the website information and photos are useful too — choosing the right layout makes a big difference, so we’re continuing to work on making that easier. It’s great to hear you’d happily holiday with us again.
All the best,
The Team at Barnes Brinkcraft
“Spacious, had everything we needed but driving wasnt easy, very poor visibility and difficult to steer. Was only two of us think it would have been much easier with another adult.”
“Well maintained boats and very clean on arrival! The team are always on hand to help and are super friendly: we had such a lovely week on the Broads. Highly recommend”
