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 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’s machinery, electrical, heating and water systems let us travel and live aboard for months at a time. The figures below come from her registration papers, equipment records and maintenance notes.

01 · Vessel

Maria at a glance.

Built at Hoogezand in the Netherlands in 1931, Maria’s cargo-vessel proportions and riveted hull still show her working origins.

Open Maria’s dimensions and construction record
Vessel
Maria · Dutch Luxe Motor · built 1931.
Length
25 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, with welded overplating in places; mild-steel superstructure and roof.
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 main engine provides steady power for long river stretches. Hydraulic steering and the bow thruster earn their keep when space narrows in locks and moorings.

Maria’s Mercedes-Benz OM421 V6.
Main engine
Mercedes-Benz OM421 V6 diesel · 216 hp.
Gearbox
Twin Disc MG-5050 · 3:1 reduction.
Steering
Hydraulic steering through Maria’s traditional wooden wheel.
Bow thruster
Sidepower SP285TC · 20 hp.
More machinery details
Cooling and exhaust
Keel cooling and a dry exhaust.
Additional steering
Remote autopilot steering, an electronic tiller and a rudder indicator.
Bow-thruster supply
24/48 V electrical supply.
Propeller
Four-bladed bronze propeller.
03 · Power and comfort

A home away from the shore.

Living independently of the shore depends on several systems working together. Power generation and storage keep lighting, cooking and everyday equipment running wherever we stop.

Power aboard

Mooring or moving.

Maria can use shore power or her generator; away from a connection, the batteries feed the inverter. Solar panels are fitted too.

  • GeneratorKohler/Yanmar · 7 kW
  • Inverter/chargerVictron Phoenix MultiPlus 24/3000/70
  • DC systems24 V and 12 V
More power-system details
AC distribution
220 V AC.
Generator installation
Yanmar diesel drive in a sound enclosure.
Inverter controls
Remote control at the wheelhouse.
Battery monitor
Victron BMV-501.
DC distribution
24 V and 12 V circuits serving the domestic and machinery systems.
Battery banks
Separate domestic, bow-thruster, engine-start and generator-start supplies.

Heating and water

The everyday comforts.

Central heating and stored hot water make Maria feel like home, while her fresh-water, diesel and grey-water tanks support a long cruising season.

  • Fresh water1,500 litres
  • Diesel1,200 litres
  • Grey water1,800 litres
More heating and water details
Central heating
A boiler serving radiators with individual thermostats.
Hot water
100-litre domestic hot-water storage tank.
Water treatment
PERMO filtration and treatment installation.
Pumps
Domestic and filtration pumps with pressure tanks, including both AC and DC pumps.
04 · Wheelhouse and deck

Tradition at the wheel. Modern help close by.

The wooden wheel is unmistakably Maria. Around it, modern instruments support the practical work of navigating, handling locks and finding safe moorings.

The folding timber wheelhouse and traditional wheel.
More navigation and deck details
Navigation and radio
Class A AIS transponder, fixed Icom VHF with ATIS and a handheld VHF.
Mooring pins
Heavy-duty pins for bank moorings.
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, certification work, hull maintenance and blacking before continuing south.

Coevorden · 9 July 2023.

Between journeys, engine servicing and routine upkeep keep a historic vessel ready to move. Read the Coevorden chapter →

The human side

Life beyond the machinery.

The figures explain how Maria works. The next chapter shows what she is like as a home.

Continue to Life aboard