The Continental Cruising Barge has been conceived for extended cruising of the European inland waterways. Robust enough to make a channel crossing the CCB is ideally suited for those who want a wide ranging, comfortable and spacious cruising barge.

Developed by designer Peter McKibbin and builders, Jon Tyrrell and Diana Young, the first in the range, SWEETIE, was launched in late 1998. She has already made several cruises in England and France, venturing up the Thames as far as Oxford and through France as far as Decize. She is now being used in the Loire valley and Nivernais area. The channel crossing to France was made in one run from Faversham in Kent to St. Valery sur Somme in 12 hours.


The builders spent several years producing 28 foot replica Smack Yachts and found themselves drawn to the idea of cruising the French canals after a number of trips on one of their customers boats. During these trips and subsequent holidays, throughout the canals of France, the builders and designer refined their ideas for a barge suitable for extended cruising. Several important requirements were identified.

Firstly the ability to make cross-channel and coastal passages from one cruising area to the next. It was felt that the more traditional barge style cruiser would suit the canal cruising concept and provide the sea keeping qualities required. A spacious interior with en- suite facilities and a large galley and saloon area with good visibility. Enclosed wheel house and an outside, raised, steering position. Central heating for comfortable all year round cruising. Finally a powerful engine and bow thruster for safe, reliable manoeuvring.

Another of the early decisions was that the barge should be made in GRP. This was a material that the builders had much experience with and felt that it would be good to get away from the conventional wisdom that barges are built in steel.

One of the main reasons for building boats in GRP is the ease with which a hull can be made using a mould. However this is also the reason that one-off boats are not usually made in GRP. The mould is time consuming and expensive to produce. Plugs have to be made first in the shape of the final product and the total amount of work and expense can not be justified for just one moulding.

However if one can produce a cheap, essentially disposable, mould then the idea becomes viable. Jon Tyrrell determined that using MDF as the surface, supported by external frames, he could produce a female mould at very reasonable cost. Details of this method can be found in the construction section.

The hull sections are chined so that the mould can be made using flat panels. This of course results in a hull that can be as easily built in steel if required.