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Before you start down the road to purchasing a Replica Dutch Barge there are a few things worth considering first.
Any good Replica Dutch Barge is going to cost you in the region of £200,000.00 regardless of builder. Replica Dutch Barges are intended to be sea going vessels and are built to the Recreational Craft Directive (RCD) category C or B to allow them to do that.
The cost of building a boat to meet these relevant standards is the main reason for the high prices these vessels command.
So do you intend taking your new boat to sea?
If the answer is yes then a Replica Dutch Barge is probably for you but it would be foolish to think it is possible to acquire one for less than the suggested amount.
If the answer is no then you would be better to look at alternative designs these would cost you far less than a Replica Dutch Barge.
If your intention is to take your boat to Europe alternative designs are still more than capable of this without the need for you to actually sail it there yourself!
If you intend to use your boat to cruise the UK waterways all but the smallest Replica Dutch Barges are very restricted to the waterways they can cruise. Being that they were originally intended for coastal and estuary work in Holland they are very unsuited to the UK system.
What do you intend to use your new boat for?
If you intend to live on board your new boat then a Replica Dutch Barge might not be best suited to this. Granted a Replica Dutch Barge does have very elegant lines but at the end of the day it is a replica of a working vessel your living space is squeezed into what is intended to be the vessels hold. The shape of this space is not best suited to accommodation and free standing furniture. If you are happy to live in a space that is very obviously a boat then this is fine but if you would prefer a more modern “apartment” style layout then alternative designs may be better suited to your needs.
The boat above is an example of an alternative design to a Replica Dutch Barge, it is designed for the European and UK inland waterways network but not to be taken to sea. The saving in cost over a Replica Dutch Barge of similar size and specification would be in the region of £70,000.00, if you would like to find out more click the picture above.
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