Share in narrow boat Cheddington

There is a share for sale on	Cheddington

Type of scheme	Private
Number of sharers	12
Year of construction	2000
Home mooring (2014)	Swanley Bridge Marina on the Llangollen Canal (Probably changing 2015)
Length	59'
Engine Type	BetaMarine 43 installed March 2014
Berths	2 + 2 + 2
Change over day each week	Friday
Are pets allowed	NOT Allowed
Is smoking allowed INSIDE the boat	NOT Allowed
Booking System	The booking procedure is easier to operate than describe! For booking purposes, the twelve shares are arranged as six pairs. A booking chart for the following calendar year is circulated in agreed priority order in late summer before the owners’ annual meeting. Each owner in turn can choose up to two weeks (separately or as a fortnight) in the ‘high season’ (mid-April to mid-October inclusive), and one week in the remainder of the year. After setting aside agreed weeks for winter maintenance (usually January), the remaining weeks are booked on request with priority reversed from that used for the previously-booked weeks. Each pair of shares moves up one place (each owner effectively moving up two places) in each subsequent year and after a year at the top drops to the bottom; the order within the pair is then reversed and the six year cycle begins again.
Priority for school holidays	Up to three shareholders may opt for "school holiday" preference shares (referred to as ‘special’ shares), for which they pay a premium of 25% on the running costs each year but get first choice of the school holiday weeks available. Currently (2013) there are THREE shareholders with this status on the boat.

General comments about the boat
Cheddington has a Graham Reeves hull and a John Milburn fit-out. Cheddington has a semi-trad rear deck with room for the steerer plus two and contains lockers with gas bottles, windlasses, mooring pins etc. Moveable deck boards give access to the engine bay, weed hatch and batteries. Steps down (over the 240v inverter) lead to an en-suite (pump-out loo and wash basin) with useful hanging and cupboard storage and the master bedroom with double bed (extendable to 5’), storage beneath, cupboards above and a full height wardrobe. Beyond the privacy door is the gas central heating boiler (concealed by the opened door) and the bathroom to the left with corner bath, shower and full width mirror, radiator, wash basin, pump-out loo, storage and extractor fan. Next comes the galley which has a good area of worktop, numerous cupboards, oven/grill, fridge, microwave and ceiling extractor fan. A glass-fronted see-through cabinet is also fixed to the ceiling and an opening hatch prevents overheated cooks on fine days and has proved to be the best place to feed the ducks. Moving further towards the sharp end is the dinette, an L-shaped settee around an extendable table which is easily convertible to a double bed with further storage beneath. The saloon has 2 large comfortable armchairs which convert to beds and a ‘modesty’ curtain. There is a flat-screen Freeview TV with DVD (new in 2014), freesat box and dish, radio and, for additional heating, a solid fuel stove. This area also has a full height wardrobe and drawer space. The folding French-window style doors lead to the well deck which has a large seating area and three lockers for hoses, coal, mops etc. and the brass water tank filler cap.

Pictures of the boat






Specific details for the share offered
Size of share as a percentage or fraction	There are no shares advertised for sale on this boat on boatshare at present. This page is just a template for any potential advertiser to re-use
Price in UK pounds
Reason for selling
Pre-booked weeks included
Holiday entitlement with share offered here.
Running costs for 2014
Contact details for vendor
Search terms

General Comments by vendor
Cheddington is now a strikingly handsome boat in fine order throughout. She was completely re-painted in January 2014 by Sally Tooze of Willow Boat Painting ( http://www.willowboats.co.uk where you can see more pictures of Cheddington). In March of 2014 a new BetaMarine 43 engine with PRM150 D2 gearbox and Python drive were installed by the engineers at Swanley Bridge marina ( http://www.swanleybridgemarina.com ) and the whole drive train and propeller assembly re-engineered for peak efficiency. This has resulted in an extremely smooth and manoeuvrable boat that is a pleasure to steer. The mechanical upgrades come with a five year warranty which should keep routine maintenance costs to a minimum. The distinctive artwork on each side always invites comment and is a good conversation starter. The Buckinghamshire village of Cheddington was the scene of the Great Train Robbery, which is also sometimes referred to as the ‘Cheddington Mail Van Raid’. The picture (re-created after the original during last winter’s re-paint) certainly seems to stick in fellow boaters’ memories and ‘Ched’ is quite famous on the waterways as a result. The syndicate of owners is self-managed and extremely friendly and efficient. There is a dedicated website service for news and general discussion, and all owners gather in the autumn for lunch followed by an AGM. There is a comprehensive Syndicate Agreement and procedure for transfer of share ownership. Currently moored at Swanley Bridge marina on the Llangollen branch of the Shropshire Union canal, it is likely that this year’s AGM will decide on a new location for 2015 onwards. The home mooring has changed relatively frequently which has given owners the chance to cruise on most of the waterways network. This share currently has ‘special’ status which means it gets priority booking of school holiday weeks. Last year the bookings procedure was modified in order to make more of these weeks available to the special shareholders. The share is available for purchase as a special or an ordinary share. We have enjoyed many happy holidays on Cheddington and offer this opportunity for you to do the same. Please don’t hesitate to email me bobcoles@talktalk.net for any further information.