Technical · the practical Maria

What keeps Maria moving.

A riveted 1931 hull, a Mercedes-Benz V6 and the systems that turn a working barge into our travelling home.

Maria seen in full from the bow, showing her long riveted hull and wheelhouse
25.02 mLength
4.76 mBeam
216 hpMercedes-Benz main engine
1,500 LFresh-water capacity

Built to work · rebuilt to live aboard

The practical side of Maria.

Maria still carries the proportions and riveted hull of a Dutch cargo vessel. Inside, the machinery, power, heating and water systems allow us to travel and live aboard for months at a time. Her essential figures are gathered here, with the complete specification available section by section.

01 · Vessel

Maria at a glance.

Built at Hoogezand in the Netherlands in 1931, Maria carries her working origins in her shape, her proportions and her riveted hull.

Open Maria’s dimensions and construction record
Vessel
Maria · Dutch Luxe Motor · built 1931.
Length
25.02 m; Dutch survey remeasurement 24.99 m.
Beam
4.76 m.
Draft
1.25 m at the skeg and 0.90 m at the bow.
Air draft
3.39 m with a light fuel and water load; 2.70 m with the wheelhouse folded.
Construction
Riveted iron or mild-steel hull plates; mild-steel superstructure and roof. Areas of welded overplating are also described.
Wheelhouse
Folding timber wheelhouse with a removable three-section roof.
Registration
Netherlands · European vessel identification number 02305103.
02 · Machinery

The engine behind the journeys.

Maria’s Mercedes-Benz V6 works through a Twin Disc gearbox and four-bladed bronze propeller. A powerful bow thruster helps when locks and moorings leave little room.

Maria’s Mercedes-Benz OM421 V6.
Main engine
Mercedes-Benz OM421 V6 diesel · 216 hp.
Gearbox
Twin Disc MG-5050 · 3:1 ratio in the maintenance notes.
Steering
Hydraulic steering through Maria’s traditional wooden wheel.
Bow thruster
Sidepower SP285TC · 20 hp.
Open the complete machinery record
Main engine
Mercedes-Benz OM421 V6 diesel · 216 hp.
Cooling and exhaust
Keel cooling and a dry exhaust.
Gearbox
Twin Disc MG-5050; 3:1 ratio in the maintenance notes.
Steering
Hydraulic steering through the traditional wheel; remote autopilot steering, an electronic tiller and rudder indication are also listed.
Bow thruster
Sidepower SP285TC · 20 hp with a 24/48 V supply.
Propeller
Four-bladed bronze propeller.
03 · Power and comfort

A home away from the shore.

Shore power is useful when it is available. A generator, inverter, batteries, tankage and heating allow everyday life to continue when Maria is underway or moored somewhere remote.

Power aboard

Mooring or moving.

Maria can draw power from shore, her generator or her inverter. Solar power is also fitted.

  • GeneratorKohler/Yanmar · 7 kW
  • Inverter/chargerVictron MultiPlus 24/3000/70
  • DC systems24 V and 12 V
Open the complete power record
AC supply
Shore connection, generator or inverter. The inventory records 220 V AC.
Generator
Kohler generator driven by a Yanmar diesel · 7 kW · sound enclosure.
Inverter and charger
Victron Phoenix MultiPlus 24/3000/70, with remote control at the wheelhouse.
Battery monitor
Victron BMV-501.
DC systems
24 V and 12 V circuits for the domestic and machinery systems.
Batteries
Separate domestic, bow-thruster, engine-start and generator-start supplies.
Solar
Solar power is fitted.

Heating and water

The everyday comforts.

Central heating, hot water and generous tanks are the less visible systems that make Maria feel like home through a long cruising season.

  • Fresh water1,500 litres
  • Diesel1,200 litres
  • Grey water1,800 litres
Open the complete heating and water record
Central heating
A boiler serving radiators with individual thermostats.
Hot water
100-litre domestic hot-water storage tank.
Fresh water
1,500 litres.
Diesel
1,200 litres.
Grey water
1,800 litres.
Water treatment
PERMO filtration and treatment installation.
Pumps
Domestic and filtration pumps with pressure tanks; both AC and DC pumps appear in the inventory.
04 · Wheelhouse and deck

Tradition at the wheel. Modern help close by.

The wooden wheel is unmistakably Maria. Around it, hydraulic steering, AIS, VHF radio and the practical equipment needed for locks, moorings and life on the river do the everyday work.

The folding timber wheelhouse and traditional wheel.
Open the complete navigation and deck record
Navigation and radio
Class A AIS transponder; fixed Icom VHF with ATIS and a handheld VHF are listed.
River equipment
Blue board with flashing light.
Anchoring
Anchor, chain and a manual winch.
Mooring
Mooring lines, boat poles and heavy-duty bank mooring pins.
Boarding and deck
Stainless-steel boarding ramp, deck railings and a collapsible crane with winch.
Covers
Wheelhouse, skylight and companionway covers, with sun shades.
05 · Care

Looking after Maria.

The journeys include the work. At Coevorden in July 2023, Maria came ashore for inspection and certification work, hull maintenance and blacking before continuing south.

Coevorden · 9 July 2023.

Maria’s care continues between journeys: inspection, certification, hull maintenance, blacking, engine servicing and the routine work of keeping a historic vessel moving. Read the Coevorden chapter →

The human side

Life aboard the machinery.

The figures explain how Maria works. The next chapter shows how she feels as a home.

Continue to Life aboard