Description

Well, here she is! Another truly outstanding offering from the Royles. A narrowboat that was launched in 2024, where the quality and standard of absolutely everything is the very best available. The owners started to use and test Quattro once she was in the water and registered with C & RT, and the final cabinetry and finishing touches were completed in spring 2026.

Quattro is designed for a luxurious life afloat, without untested gimmicks. Everything has been tried and canal–tested by owner/builders with years of experience and knowledge, skill and true craftsmanship. There are some great ideas, taken to new levels, which work beautifully to enhance your experience of long-term cruising in the UK or abroad. Unlike a wide-beam, Quattro is able to navigate all the inland waterways in the UK.

The boat comes with an extremely detailed and comprehensive owners manual and a current safety certificate.

If you are considering the bespoke option, but are having doubts about the inevitable long-term stress and uncertainty of it all, or you are not sure you will get the quality of finish that the high price-tag should provide, then you really must see Quattro. She is the boat of so many dreams and is ready now!

Vessel Type: Semi-Cruiser stern narrowboat
Designer: Peter and Janet Royle
Builder: Colecraft Narrowboats
Model: 57” Semi-Cruiser Stern
Berths: 4 (2 +2)
Number of engines: 1 (93.9 hours on the clock)
Engine model: Vetus 42
Engine power 42
Fuel type: Diesel
Drive type: Shaft drive
Length over all: 57’
Beam 6’10”
Hull material: Steel: 10,6,5,4
Hull type: Flat bottom
Fuel capacity : 175 litres

The engine is a Vetus 42HP engine
The control panel is the deluxe model with dials showing revs, oil pressure, charging and coolant temperature with a row of warning lights and an audible alarm just in case you are not paying attention!

Bowthruster, horn, headlight and navigation light switches are all conveniently placed for the driver and visibility is excellent due to the high level back deck.

The engine bay has ample storage for buckets, tool boxes and the long chimney. The engine has a hospital silencer for quiet running.

Quattro is a 57’ semi-cruiser stern narrowboat with a delightful and very functional dining/conservatory feature at the bow in place of the conventional well-deck and cratch.

MAIN FEATURES

Steelwork by Colecraft Boats protected by 4 sacrificial anodes and a galvanic isolator: (10, 6, 5, 4)
Professionally coach painted
Vetus 42HP engine with hospital silencer
Vetus 55 kgf electric Bowthruster
450 litre water tank with gauge
Luxurious full height sun-room/dining room in the cratch with steel roof hatch and doors
versatile lounging, sleeping and dining options
Solid fuel stove
32” TV with separate DVD player
Domestic hob, oven and grill, microwave, fridge and freezer
Space and plumbing for washing machine or dish washer
800mm quadrant shower enclosure
Thetford Cassette toilet with deluxe porcelain bowl
Extending double bed 4’8” x 6’6”
LED lighting with 2 way switches
Diesel fired central heating
Sophisticated 3kw Vetus Combi Gamma pure sine inverter/charger ready for solar panels (Not fitted)

Quattro was designed by owners, Peter and Janet Royle, as a 2+2 berth for extended cruising or live-aboard. When you combine 40 years of experienced craftsmanship, a history of property development, qualifications in interior design and years of boating experience, you are going to end up with a very special boat.

This is the 4th boat that Peter and Janet have completed and the first 3 sold very quickly indeed, such is the demand for their high quality style and ‘a space for everything’ design. If you are looking for a very highly specified boat, packed with ingenious design, clever storage ideas and noticeably lacking in gimmicks, this must be the one for you.

If you are in a position to buy, then we strongly recommend that you contact the vendors, (although looking at other boats first may help you to understand how far above “run of the mill” this boat truly is).


The saloon décor is a light grey paint finish to the cabin sides with calico paint on the ceiling, all beautifully set off by metallic scarlet blinds with oak trim. The hand made window linings and full height half glazed double doors leading to the conservatory/dining room are solid American white oak. The TV unit, cupboards, drawers and shelves are also solid oak.

As you enter the boat you have no need to duck or twist to get down the stairs. The stairs to fore and aft have deeper treads and shallower risers than the vast majority of boats: safer to use and essential for those who are tall or have back problems.

The beautiful styling looks Art Deco, which is really only as a result of form following function, as all possible vertical corners are made as 40mm radiused solid oak which is smooth and very tactile. The corner of the bathroom is a full 200mm radius and is elegantly reflected inside the shower cubicle. Cabinet handles have been carefully designed and hand-made not to snag on clothes as you pass.

A quick assessment of the amount of storage on a boat is to count cupboard doors and drawer fronts. Quattro has over 50! And this doesn’t include the bedding chests under the seats in the dining room, the fridge or freezer, the rear step lockers or any of the deck lockers, fore and aft!


Lighting:

Lighting is LED down-lighters throughout, with 2 LED reading lights in the lounge, for battery economy and the switching is flexible with 2-way switching on corridors for convenience and safety. In addition, for night time use, there are low lumen courtesy lights within the ceiling ventilator trims and similar lights to the side of the rear steps, making exit and entry safer at night.

Specifications

Accommodation

FROM THE BOW

There is a bow locker for storage of firewood, coal etc easily accessible from inside the boat via the space saver steps with sliding hatch above the steel front doors. The bowthruster battery and isolator is also in this locker

Beneath these steps is the 55kgf bowthruster which is equipped with a weed hatch for maintenance and repair.

The sun room/dining room:

The room has a full height ceiling as the floor runs through from the lounge. An automatic bilge pump is situated under the floor in case of water ingress.

The oak and acacia table will seat 6 comfortably for dining. The side windows roll up fully, which, with an opened hatch and front doors make this a delightful space in hot weather. With the French doors closed this is an ideal room for quiet and privacy if others are watching TV although there is a TV aerial point here too. For the cold weather we have installed a matrix heater run from the central heating boiler.

This room also doubles up as a guest bedroom and is heated with a fan assisted matrix heater connected to the central heating. There are curtains to the side windows and shutters to the the front door windows. The double doors have a removable curtain and rail for privacy.

The water tank (450 litres/100 gal approx) is under the bow locker and the filler cap is in the bow locker. There is an extra connection in the starboard back deck locker which runs internally under the gunnel to the bow locker enabling the tank to be filled easily from either the back or front of the boat (no need for an extra long hosepipe). There is a digital gauge in the dining room on the starboard side.

Lounge:

This area is heated by a 5kw Firefox 5 multi-fuel stove and a large radiator. The chimney is twin-walled in accordance with current safety requirements. The porcelain–tiled hearth has fire resistant boards behind and beneath the tiles. The tiles extend up the cabin side to the ceiling.

The boat is secured by full height double front doors with a 5 lever mortice lock and a Yale lock on the outer bow doors which is keyed alike with the stern doors.

There is a 32” TV with separate DVD player. The TV is mounted on an oak cabinet. There are further aerial connections in the sun/dining room and bedroom. There is a USB socket above the starboard cupboard.
Storage in the lounge is a TV unit, 2 sideboards and book shelves.

The Galley:

It is fitted with a 5 ring gas hob, great for enthusiastic chefs (the centre ring is ideal for a wok) and full size fan-assisted gas oven and separate grill (600mm wide with 2 cavities) both with 240v ignition. The oven has a clock and timer function. There is a gas cut-off valve easily accessible in the galley.

The microwave is 650-700w with digital display, timer, clock and assorted pre-set functions.

The fridge and freezer are both A+ rated 500mm wide 240v domestic units. The switches for these are conveniently placed on the galley wall.

There is plumbing and wiring installed for a compact washing machine or dish washer.

The sink is a 1¼ sink with draining board and mixer tap. Under the sink are 2 x 800mm wide drawers, the bottom deep drawer containing waste and recycling bins. Next to these are 3 x 400mm drawers. 2 eye-level wall cupboards are above the sink.

More galley storage includes 3 capacious pan/crockery storage drawers and 3 x 600mm drawers, 2 of which have an extra internal drawer. Drawers are far more costly to install than cupboards but make more efficient use of the space and give much easier access to the contents. All drawers and cupboards are soft close. With all this storage there are no dead spaces in this kitchen.

2 side hatches open into the galley for extra light and ventilation. Towel hooks are fixed to the bulkhead by the oven.

The work tops are matt black laminate which are hard wearing and easy to clean. The walls have porcelain tiled areas behind the sink and hob and to the side of the oven doors.

A fire blanket and fire extinguisher are sited by the starboard hatch.

The Bathroom:

The spacious, self-contained room with lockable door allows free passage for passengers and crew throughout the boat, even when it is in use. It has a contemporary glass wash basin and a thermostatic shower in an 800mm quadrant enclosure draining through an automatic pump.


There are 2 towel rails, one heated by the central heating system, one directly by the engine, which is particularly useful for drying things in summer when you don’t want the heating on.

There is a cupboard over the drain pump box (the pump box front pulls out easily for maintenance of the pump and filter) and a full width bathroom cupboard with fully mirrored fronts, as well as a full height shallow cupboard, useful for storing toilet rolls and cleaning materials.

The transformer shaver socket delivers 230v or 115v.

There are 4 lights in the ceiling plus one incorporating an extractor fan.

The toilet is a Thetford cassette with deluxe porcelain bowl and an efficient electric flush.

The bathroom is fully tiled with marble effect ceramic tiles on the walls, travertine mosaics on the curved back of the shower wall and porcelain on the floor. The porthole trim is solid oak.

The corridor:

To starboard are 6 cupboards beneath the gunnel. The cupboards are useful for the storage of dry goods. On the bathroom wall are the waste tank access hatch and separate smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.

The bedroom:

The bed, when made up, is 4’8” by 6’6” (full King Size length and only 4” less than King Size width) and easily reduces to 4’ wide during the daytime leaving a wide passageway from the deck to the galley and beyond. Consequently, crew and guests do not feel as though they are walking through your bedroom in the daytime. Making and unmaking the bed takes less than 90 seconds, the telescopic section gliding like silk.

The central heating controls are on the wall at the side of the bed, perfect for those winter mornings when you only want one hand out of bed. A radiator is next to the bed.

The bed head incorporates a generous shelf for drinks (be it a cup of tea or a glass of champagne), books etc and has two powerful reading lamps above with integral USB sockets.

To port there is a wardrobe with cupboard below, to starboard a coat cupboard with same (both with automatic courtesy lights), a large cupboard in the bed head and an array of wall cupboards above the bed. A tall cupboard houses the inverter and has space for brooms and other long items. The flooring in this cupboard is removable for easy access to the bilge. The steps up to the deck provide storage for mooring pins, ropes, windlasses and other cruising equipment. There are 2 x 240 sockets, a USB socket and a TV aerial socket under the “dressing table” shelf at the foot of the bed.

Under the bed is a 75 litre twin coil calorifier (also featuring an immersion heater for use with shore power) and additional storage.


The flooring inside in the lounge, galley, corridor and back bedroom is moisture resistant herringbone laminate and the in the dining room/conservatory moisture resistant yacht-style decking sealed with rubber strips. There are scarlet metal blinds throughout (except portholes which have obscured glass) with handmade oak linings.

The back deck:

There is seating for 4 on two lockers, one of which houses the 2 gas bottles (which are chained for security) as well as 2 perching seats by the tiller.

Dining room

Room for 6 to dine

Spare bed base

Cross bed for visitors

Lounge

Lounge and Galley

Solid oak cupboards

Note hidden inner drawer

Note hidden inner drawer

5 ring gas hob

Gas oven and grill.Fridge and freezer under.

Under gunnel cupboards

Access to toilet cassette in corridor

Toilet with electric flush

Radiator heated by engine

Cabinet with 2 mirrored doors

Radiator heated by CH

800 mm quadrant shower

Bed storage

Bedding rolled to back

Telescopic extension

Bed 4' 8" x 6' 6"

Bedhead lights with USBs

Auto light in wardrobe

Auto light in wardrobe

Large under bed storage

Construction

The shell, by Colecraft, is strong, neat, elegant and stylish and is protected by 4 sacrificial anodes and a galvanic isolator.
From base to roof the shell is 10, 6, 5 and 4mm thick.
It has been professionally coach painted and the hull was blacked in 2024 with bitumen blacking.
All was shot –blasted prior to painting. The upper works are in a two-pack specialist paint.

Equipment

There is a 5kw central heating boiler (Eberspacher) in the engine bay on the starboard counterwhich supplies 4 radiators.

At the back of the rear bedroom is the comprehensive DC distribution panel with a 3-way voltmeter for monitoring the engine battery, bow thruster battery and domestic batteries. Here are the isolation switches and the forward bilge pump switch.

Beneath is the 3kw Vetus Combi Gamma inverter/charger with instant automatic selection of power from shoreline (socket to outside of port deck locker), batteries or solar (not supplied). It is a pure sine wave inverter and therefore suitable for computers etc.

There is a 55kgf bowthruster which is equipped with a weed hatch for maintenance and repair.

3kw Vetus inverter

240 RCD and Immersion heater switch

240v RCD

12v Distribution board

Gas bottles in deck locker

Navigation Equipment

The 55kgf bowthruster is equipped with a weed hatch for maintenance and repair.
The bowthruster battery and isolator are in the bow locker.

There are navigation lights on each side at the front of the boat.
There is a headlight and horn. Switches for all these are on the engine control panel on the rear deck.

Engine(s)

The engine is a Vetus 42 BHP with 2 alternators, twin skin tanks and twin expansion tanks. The stern gear is water lubricated.
The gearbox is a PRM 150 for smooth driving and reliability.
The propeller is 17” X 12” 3 blade.

Safety Equipment

There are 3 fire extinguishers within the boat and a fire blanket in the galley.

2 gas bottles are in the port deck locker. They are equipped with shut off valve and bubble tester. The locker has a gas drain.

There are fuel shut off valves in the engine bay on the rear bulkhead.

The fresh water shut off valve is in the starboard bow locker of the dining room.

There is a life belt and boat poles. Boarding steps are either side of the tiller at the stern.

Bedroom starboard

Galley

Front of lounge starboard

Gas locker

Bottles strapped and chained

Gas shut off

Bubble tester

Galley gas shut off valve

Galley gas shut off valve

Fuel shut offs

Fresh water shut off

Location Map