Full review of the all new Brinks Serenade, a spacious 4 berth luxury boat you can hire on the Norfolk Broads from Wroxham based boatyard, Barnes Brinkcraft.
Just finished 7 days starting 28th may 2021 on this boat the review is spot on. For a first timer this boat is brilliant. Just remember to turn on and off the water pump when required to shower or wash dishes otherwise it will keep you up on the first night when it goes off every ten minutes lol, untill you reliase. Cooking is fine but a different experience when red colour blind.
hi robin we have just finished our first boating broads experience on swan radiance from richardsons and we are now planning a second holiday and we didn't know what boat to have next time but after watching this review we have now decided to go for this boat as we didn't really rate radiance as we had a few issues with her we have seen a few good boats at richardsons and are now looking at barnes brinkcraft
A very polished and professional review, Robin. If Barnes Brinkcraft aren't paying you they should be;) You have certainly wetted my appetite to book this lovely cruiser. Hope to see you on the Broads for a chat in the future.
NO I have never EVER been paid to do a review and I'd never accept such. I do not think the helm had poor visibility, you believe it does - that is objective. I am tired that so many assume I am just given all these boats to go and travel around on and then told to do nice reviews Barnes Brinkcraft began using my videos, on their website, alongside their boats without even asking if they could. I even had to email one chap after Western Light Blog to prove I had booked and paid with Herbert Woods. This is - was - a hobby, nothing more or less.
loved your blog as allways booked boat straight away . they should make you admiral of the broads ,this My third holiday I'm hooked and love it .like you i use trains (4) from south Shields & 6hours i need my fix every night watching your vids or i get Norfolkitis please Keep up the fantastic blogs i learn every day from you and My kid's have brill holls thank you very much
What a brilliant boat, used it in 2020 just before lockdown. I have a question not related to this boat or Brinks. Do you know of anyone who has done a review of the Broadway from Richardson’s ?
Hi Robin. Thank you for a very thorough boat review. love the double birth and the windows. looks a fabulous craft. I assume she will be pretty expensive to hire. Did you mention the dimensions? I can't remember, if you did forgive me, I'll have to watch it again as I always do with all your blogs.
Just having a 2nd watch I would miss the water sound from the exhaust when moored or on the move. Also that metal frame work on the rear of the helm seat needs covering up with padding if you trip nasty accident waiting to happen.
At last a new boat that can go under bridges. Think I would prefer a full sized oven to the combination microwave, otherwise very good boat. My ideal boat would be a brand new Blue Horizon type boat (can go under bridges and still have a fly bridge). Does this boat still heat the water as you motor along or is it just the imersion heater as shown on the blog? As always another great "Captain's Blog", can't wait to see the rest of this trip.
Water is heated by engine or immersion. Great for mornings where you can get hot water and not have to run he engine or in evenings for a shower before bed.
I don’t think it’s so bad personally. It’s more of a faff getting down from the overly complicated helmseat than seeing out. Also you can just retract part of the canopy and stick head out that way and then really do get great vision.
Robin, good review as always,one thing i would like to ask.Is the helm seating wide enough for two people,other boats of that class have two seperate seats side by side.
Right now comes dear old fashioned Nan's take on it all.. Robin I wish you had opened the fridge and showed what it was like inside, I do like to bring frozen food with me and I am hoping the freezer section is bigger than a postage stamp. Next, that oven, I dont think I could get on with it at all. How the devil do you cook a roast dinner, you need several shelves, even something like steak and kidney pie and chips you need two shelves. It is in my opinion a glorified microwave. You would need baking sheets so small because they have to turn. I was so disappointed. Lastly what windows in the boat actually open please? I do like a window open at night , do the windows open in the bedroom, and I know you said the windows in the bathroom were frosted but is there no blind or curtain? Well done for a magnificence review, hubby would be on the boat tomorrow. She is a stunning boat.
Hi Mo, Let me see now you've certainly asked a great deal here. Firstly the Fridge, it is standard household fridge with the usual household type, two star freezer compartment. So yes, you would be able to get a few small items in their to keep frozen. I did not open the fridge because I would have showed all the items in there and I like to show the boat 'clutter free' which means everything of mine is packed away and moved around the boat as we travel and why on average preparing for the review, dusting all the surfaces, cleaning all the windows inside and out - even using Mr Sheen on taps and sinks to make them sparkle takes a few hours (and now you know some of my secrets haha) ... I raised the point generally with Barnes Brinkcraft about their choice of electric galley but having spoken with their customers increasingly people who hire these high end boats are tending not to self cater like in the past, and when they do they want the connivance and speed of what they are used to using at home. The issue in the past has been about battery capacity to run such - they seem to have that sorted. Even in luxury off shore boats, the galley is getting tiny - just as many new build apartments have a two burner electric hob, no grill and a small oven - because a great number of young professionals no longer actually cook at home either using delivery companies like Deliveroo to Uber Eats to get restaurant food in, or go out to eat. ... As to the windows you will be pleased to hear that a great number open - in the aft cabin the windows above the 'cut out' windows slide fully back, both sides - in the saloon the windows within the sliding canopy also open - and in the aft heads you get a sliding window. But forward you only get the small inserts to the 'port holes' open - the same for the forward heads. However you do benefit with the opening hatch in the front of the boat over the berths. ... As with most new boats the glass in the bathroom is just frosted, but it is not that stick on 'fake frosting' but proper etched. I really have no idea why this seems to be an issue to people because you simply cannot see through it, even at night you would not see through it other than the outline of a blurred body and who will be seeing you showering on the Broads anyway I wonder, the odd lone dog walker at night wandering down the moorings - or stern on you'd have to be pretty unlucky to have someone in the next boat in a position whereby they could see that part of the boat and someone in the shower. ... I think therefore, this is a case of you cannot please all of the people all of the time and Barnes Brinkcraft are trying to get people from (and sorry to be all media sounding here) 'Demographic' to their new boats and experience the Broads as a holiday. Most of these people are going have the boat for a short break, not a week, most of them will be happy to and want to eat out and not cook on the boat some might come from other waterways like the Canal system or Thames, but what the real hope is attracting people who have never been on a boating holiday to give it a whirl - and give them all the comforts of home with little or no compromise like being told 'sorry you cannot use your hair straighteners on the boat'.
I appreciate your detailed response and am pleased to hear that the fridge is a proper fridge. Unfortunately, I am old school and catering for the family comes as a norm, the option of eating out being a treat may be once in the holiday. Takeaways, ready meals etc do nothing for the waist line or your health and it is shame that the oven could not have been a standard oven. I am hearing what you are saying about, as I would put it 'kids today' ( I have several grandchildren) and what their expectations of catering are. So I can fully understand Brinks' stance on this one. I just love all of the solar panels and think that all boats should have them. She is certainly a stand alone boat and Brinks must be very proud of her. So pleased to hear the windows open. Thank you once again for taking the time to reply.
Personally, give me a full size LPG 4 burner hob with grill and oven any day on a boat - but the other point one has to consider is the safety aspect of gas and its storage on a boat - and the yearly checks and certificates that have to be issued for each boat and the dwindling number of qualified people to call upon in the marine world to do this. Going all electric makes sense, and perhaps the fitment of a full size fan assisted electric oven is too much both in cost, size and how one runs such since if you use a generator people complain about the noise of this running both on the boat and the exterior noise it causes. The Solar panels look nice - but really only add up to a few amps per hour to put back into the batteries, but the two alternators can re-charge them at several hundred amps. This means less run time to recharge the batteries. At the end of the day it is nice to see boatyards trying new approaches and innovations and consider how far we have come from 12v hair dryers, Black & White TV sets and dim lighting with batteries not making it through the night..
Hi Robin. I've hired this boat after watching your review and other videos. I didn't see you use the mud weight and didn't see a switch at the helm. I assume the switch is at the helm, is it on the touch screen somewhere? Also I've hired two boats previously, both with manual mud weights (Regal Star the first year and Swan reflection the second year). How do you know how far to drop the weight,? With manual it was easy to know when it was on the floor and how much extra rope to let out before tying off. This is much more pricey than my previous hires but I was sold on the twin helm seat and quiet engine. Some photos show a single seat on the website so I've emailed the boatyard to ensure I get the twin seat Do you know if the Serenade boats are all updated to twin seats at the helm now? Many thanks in advance.
No the winch controls are (at least on this first build) at the bow so you can operate them there with your foot. Yo will know how much to let out when the chain goes limp indicating the weight is in the mud, then allow as much chain out as is required to avoid dragging of the weight. This can be a bit of a guess work in a boat where you have no idea how much water depth you have, but I generally allow '3 seconds' extra deployment and then sit and wait if the boat is staying put. A anchor watch App on your phone can be handy too. I have no idea what the new build boats that followed this feature so far as seating, sorry.
Thankyou very much for your reply, very helpful advise. I'm advised by Brinks that the Serenade fleet all have the twin helm seat now. If I find the winch controls have changed from your hire boat I'll report back here. Not due to go for several months yet but very much looking forward to it. Your blogs are very interesting and relaxing to watch, thanks again Captain Robin.
Cracking review nice looking aquafiber always thought these type of craft needed a low slung arse. Mind you instead you stated when luxury matters more like when luxury costs a Fckin fortune for a week 😆
I’m so happy we can go on boats again for a holiday
Just finished 7 days starting 28th may 2021 on this boat the review is spot on. For a first timer this boat is brilliant. Just remember to turn on and off the water pump when required to shower or wash dishes otherwise it will keep you up on the first night when it goes off every ten minutes lol, untill you reliase. Cooking is fine but a different experience when red colour blind.
Just booked this boat for summer 😁
Wow, i dont think there could be a better boat!
Fab review too 👍👍👍
hi robin we have just finished our first boating broads experience on swan radiance from richardsons and we are now planning a second holiday and we didn't know what boat to have next time but after watching this review we have now decided to go for this boat as we didn't really rate radiance as we had a few issues with her we have seen a few good boats at richardsons and are now looking at barnes brinkcraft
A very polished and professional review, Robin. If Barnes Brinkcraft aren't paying you they should be;) You have certainly wetted my appetite to book this lovely cruiser. Hope to see you on the Broads for a chat in the future.
NO I have never EVER been paid to do a review and I'd never accept such. I do not think the helm had poor visibility, you believe it does - that is objective. I am tired that so many assume I am just given all these boats to go and travel around on and then told to do nice reviews Barnes Brinkcraft began using my videos, on their website, alongside their boats without even asking if they could. I even had to email one chap after Western Light Blog to prove I had booked and paid with Herbert Woods. This is - was - a hobby, nothing more or less.
This boat looks the bees knees! Gonna keep it in mind for the future :) nicely produced video as always thanks
Great work as ever Robin, big thumbs up from us
Hes back,Hi rob hope all is well with you and the family,and hope to see more uploads from you this year :-)
loved your blog as allways booked boat straight away . they should make you admiral of the broads ,this My third holiday I'm hooked and love it .like you i use trains (4) from south Shields & 6hours i need my fix every night watching your vids or i get Norfolkitis please Keep up the fantastic blogs i learn every day from you and My kid's have brill holls thank you very much
Thanks for your kind comment. The blogs that I filmed in this boat follow soon.
Good review it gives a real feel for the boat before you fork out for a premium priced boat.
Remember having a family holiday on the Broads late 60s early 70s. The boat we hired was Brinks Ricarda. I wonder if this boat is still in operation?
What a brilliant boat, used it in 2020 just before lockdown.
I have a question not related to this boat or Brinks. Do you know of anyone who has done a review of the Broadway from Richardson’s ?
Very good review; esp the part about the 'bridge' issue. "The God's" indeed being with you... regarding Potter Heigham !!
Great review. So going to have to hire that.
Hi Robin. Thank you for a very thorough boat review. love the double birth and the windows. looks a fabulous craft. I assume she will be pretty expensive to hire. Did you mention the dimensions? I can't remember, if you did forgive me, I'll have to watch it again as I always do with all your blogs.
She is 39ft long and 12ft wide. 6ft 10" air draft
Stunning boat!
Hah i used to work at Barnes Brinkcraft, i've cleaned this very boat many of times
Just having a 2nd watch I would miss the water sound from the exhaust when moored or on the move. Also that metal frame work on the rear of the helm seat needs covering up with padding if you trip nasty accident waiting to happen.
Yes I was told that would be hard to 'box in' but will have a better solution on number two in the class. 5 are planned.
At last a new boat that can go under bridges. Think I would prefer a full sized oven to the combination microwave, otherwise very good boat. My ideal boat would be a brand new Blue Horizon type boat (can go under bridges and still have a fly bridge). Does this boat still heat the water as you motor along or is it just the imersion heater as shown on the blog? As always another great "Captain's Blog", can't wait to see the rest of this trip.
Water is heated by engine or immersion. Great for mornings where you can get hot water and not have to run he engine or in evenings for a shower before bed.
Thanks for a great review.
Glad you enjoyed Jim
Hi Robin, I am thinking of hiring this boat but am really short and concerned that the visibility from the drivers seat will be really poor for me
I don’t think it’s so bad personally. It’s more of a faff getting down from the overly complicated helmseat than seeing out. Also you can just retract part of the canopy and stick head out that way and then really do get great vision.
Robin, good review as always,one thing i would like to ask.Is the helm seating wide enough for two people,other boats of that class have two seperate seats side by side.
Yes it is wide enough and comfy for two to sit together at the helm.
Daft question, Robin you mentioned magnetic pans, are they supplied, you mentioned that you need to use magnetic pans. I love my induction at home.
Yes the ones supplied all work with the Hob in question.
Right now comes dear old fashioned Nan's take on it all.. Robin I wish you had opened the fridge and showed what it was like inside, I do like to bring frozen food with me and I am hoping the freezer section is bigger than a postage stamp. Next, that oven, I dont think I could get on with it at all. How the devil do you cook a roast dinner, you need several shelves, even something like steak and kidney pie and chips you need two shelves. It is in my opinion a glorified microwave. You would need baking sheets so small because they have to turn. I was so disappointed. Lastly what windows in the boat actually open please? I do like a window open at night , do the windows open in the bedroom, and I know you said the windows in the bathroom were frosted but is there no blind or curtain?
Well done for a magnificence review, hubby would be on the boat tomorrow. She is a stunning boat.
Hi Mo, Let me see now you've certainly asked a great deal here. Firstly the Fridge, it is standard household fridge with the usual household type, two star freezer compartment. So yes, you would be able to get a few small items in their to keep frozen. I did not open the fridge because I would have showed all the items in there and I like to show the boat 'clutter free' which means everything of mine is packed away and moved around the boat as we travel and why on average preparing for the review, dusting all the surfaces, cleaning all the windows inside and out - even using Mr Sheen on taps and sinks to make them sparkle takes a few hours (and now you know some of my secrets haha) ...
I raised the point generally with Barnes Brinkcraft about their choice of electric galley but having spoken with their customers increasingly people who hire these high end boats are tending not to self cater like in the past, and when they do they want the connivance and speed of what they are used to using at home. The issue in the past has been about battery capacity to run such - they seem to have that sorted. Even in luxury off shore boats, the galley is getting tiny - just as many new build apartments have a two burner electric hob, no grill and a small oven - because a great number of young professionals no longer actually cook at home either using delivery companies like Deliveroo to Uber Eats to get restaurant food in, or go out to eat. ...
As to the windows you will be pleased to hear that a great number open - in the aft cabin the windows above the 'cut out' windows slide fully back, both sides - in the saloon the windows within the sliding canopy also open - and in the aft heads you get a sliding window. But forward you only get the small inserts to the 'port holes' open - the same for the forward heads. However you do benefit with the opening hatch in the front of the boat over the berths. ...
As with most new boats the glass in the bathroom is just frosted, but it is not that stick on 'fake frosting' but proper etched. I really have no idea why this seems to be an issue to people because you simply cannot see through it, even at night you would not see through it other than the outline of a blurred body and who will be seeing you showering on the Broads anyway I wonder, the odd lone dog walker at night wandering down the moorings - or stern on you'd have to be pretty unlucky to have someone in the next boat in a position whereby they could see that part of the boat and someone in the shower. ...
I think therefore, this is a case of you cannot please all of the people all of the time and Barnes Brinkcraft are trying to get people from (and sorry to be all media sounding here) 'Demographic' to their new boats and experience the Broads as a holiday. Most of these people are going have the boat for a short break, not a week, most of them will be happy to and want to eat out and not cook on the boat some might come from other waterways like the Canal system or Thames, but what the real hope is attracting people who have never been on a boating holiday to give it a whirl - and give them all the comforts of home with little or no compromise like being told 'sorry you cannot use your hair straighteners on the boat'.
I appreciate your detailed response and am pleased to hear that the fridge is a proper fridge. Unfortunately, I am old school and catering for the family comes as a norm, the option of eating out being a treat may be once in the holiday. Takeaways, ready meals etc do nothing for the waist line or your health and it is shame that the oven could not have been a standard oven. I am hearing what you are saying about, as I would put it 'kids today' ( I have several grandchildren) and what their expectations of catering are. So I can fully understand Brinks' stance on this one. I just love all of the solar panels and think that all boats should have them. She is certainly a stand alone boat and Brinks must be very proud of her. So pleased to hear the windows open.
Thank you once again for taking the time to reply.
Personally, give me a full size LPG 4 burner hob with grill and oven any day on a boat - but the other point one has to consider is the safety aspect of gas and its storage on a boat - and the yearly checks and certificates that have to be issued for each boat and the dwindling number of qualified people to call upon in the marine world to do this. Going all electric makes sense, and perhaps the fitment of a full size fan assisted electric oven is too much both in cost, size and how one runs such since if you use a generator people complain about the noise of this running both on the boat and the exterior noise it causes.
The Solar panels look nice - but really only add up to a few amps per hour to put back into the batteries, but the two alternators can re-charge them at several hundred amps. This means less run time to recharge the batteries.
At the end of the day it is nice to see boatyards trying new approaches and innovations and consider how far we have come from 12v hair dryers, Black & White TV sets and dim lighting with batteries not making it through the night..
hi brilliant boat, what would recommend for 6 people with the same quality and goes under wroxham
I’ve no idea really because been a long time since hired a boat. I’d say something maybe like a Broadsman from Richardson’s
Hi Robin. I've hired this boat after watching your review and other videos. I didn't see you use the mud weight and didn't see a switch at the helm.
I assume the switch is at the helm, is it on the touch screen somewhere?
Also I've hired two boats previously, both with manual mud weights (Regal Star the first year and Swan reflection the second year).
How do you know how far to drop the weight,? With manual it was easy to know when it was on the floor and how much extra rope to let out before tying off.
This is much more pricey than my previous hires but I was sold on the twin helm seat and quiet engine.
Some photos show a single seat on the website so I've emailed the boatyard to ensure I get the twin seat
Do you know if the Serenade boats are all updated to twin seats at the helm now?
Many thanks in advance.
No the winch controls are (at least on this first build) at the bow so you can operate them there with your foot. Yo will know how much to let out when the chain goes limp indicating the weight is in the mud, then allow as much chain out as is required to avoid dragging of the weight. This can be a bit of a guess work in a boat where you have no idea how much water depth you have, but I generally allow '3 seconds' extra deployment and then sit and wait if the boat is staying put. A anchor watch App on your phone can be handy too. I have no idea what the new build boats that followed this feature so far as seating, sorry.
Thankyou very much for your reply, very helpful advise. I'm advised by Brinks that the Serenade fleet all have the twin helm seat now. If I find the winch controls have changed from your hire boat I'll report back here. Not due to go for several months yet but very much looking forward to it.
Your blogs are very interesting and relaxing to watch, thanks again Captain Robin.
Cracking review nice looking aquafiber always thought these type of craft needed a low slung arse. Mind you instead you stated when luxury matters more like when luxury costs a Fckin fortune for a week 😆
This cost many thousands to build and countless hundreds of hours just to figure the helm seat out so that needs to be paid for through hire fees
Superb choice Odd parents learn to fly :)
Got a rent this boat once Covid19 and the lockdown is over
How come you are boating alot alone? Are some boatyards not fun y about single person boat hire
Some are. Some not. Richardsons are ok as are Barnes if experienced. I'm back afloat tomorrow on Bronze Gem.