Rare - Bonikowski 40ft Narrowboat - Minstrel

"Minstrel" (500819) was built by one of the best Narrowboat builders in England, Ken Bonikowski of Bonikowski Engineering in Wigan. Ken, an Englishman who's father came over from Poland during WW2, was a brilliant engineer and welder. Bonikowski Engineering built 62 narrowboats before Ken died in 2000. His boats have a distinctive counter that slopes out and backwards from the stern. Minstrel was boat number 51 and built in November 1995 from 10mm/ 6mm/ 4mm Sheffield Steel and has a very strong and rigid hull.

She also runs fairly shallow with a draft of less than 2 feet, so almost never runs aground. She turns on a 6-pence and being only 40 feet, no winding holes are required to turn her around. At 7 foot wide, she can access every navigable canal or river in the country. She is a dream to handle and produces very little wash as she goes. As a traditionalist, Minstrel is perfect in every way.

Traditional Stern, porthole windows, an engine room, galley in the stern for easy access to drinks while on the move, front lounge and a bedroom with fixed bed. She is powered by a very economical 25hp, 3-cylinder, 1 litre marine diesel engine built by the Italian agricultural manufacturer Lombardini. The engine is in great shape having been recently serviced and can push Minstrel along very nicely. She did have a Hurth ZF10 gearbox, but the drive plates were worn, so in May this year, she was refitted with a new more reliable TwinDisc gearbox. With the gearbox removed, we decided to fit a brand new R&D drive plate too while we had easy access.

The engine is liquid cooled by a skin tank. The two new 185w (370w total) solar panels and top of the range 30amp Tracer MPPT charge controller with remote display meter was installed in 2016 and charges the two new leisure batteries and if necessary the starter battery too. These are secured to the hand rails with quality cables/ pad locks and the whole system can be easily removed with no evidence that it was ever there. The system cost us over £1000 and we would be willing to keep the solar system for a lower sale price of Minstrel. The large solar panels fully recharge the batteries within a few hours of morning summer sun and during the winter months, they could be angled to better catch the sun.

Minstrel can be heated by the multi-fuel stove, which also has a back boiler that powers radiators in the shower room, engine room and galley. She can also be heated by the engine and by a switch on the control panel, hot coolant circulates the three radiators before passing through the skin tank and back to the engine. Hot domestic water is heated by the engine in the same way and stored in an insulated hot water storage cylinder located under the fixed bed. The shower room offers a mains water connected swivel Thetford cassette WC with electric flush, wash basin with cupboard under and a shower cubicle with shower screen. A Whale Gulper shower pump removes the shower waste water.

Minstrel has an automatic pressure water pump that maintains pressure in the water system. Simply open a tap, toilet flush or shower handle and water is immediately available. Fresh water is stored in a huge tank in the bow. Gas bottles are stored in a ventilated, secure gas locker in the bow. The fixed bed is a standard narrowboat double and is raised with clothes storage cupboards under.

The mattress was replaced in 2016, has a fully enclosed washable cover and has only been slept on for one holiday. It is as new. The lounge has an extendable sofa bed that folds down into a large double bed. A section can also be removed to provide access to the front double doors and out into the covered cratch. The lounge has plenty of storage shelving and a fold out free standing dining table.

It has various wall and ceiling mounted lights, 12 volt and 240 volt power sockets, TV areal cable and FM radio areal point. The galley is very well fitted with bespoke hand made kitchen units. There is plenty of storage. There is a fitted 4-burner gas cooker with oven and grill. A 3-way fridge with freezer compartment (Operates on gas, 12 volts dc or 240 volts ac) is situated under the circular stainless steel sink.

A short, 3 step ladder leads up to the stern. A 240 volt mains socket is located by the rear doors.There is a separate mains power circuit board with circuit breakers. Located by the throttle lever is the power control panel. Each of the 12 volt systems have a separate switch and circuit breaker. The engine room is probably the most useful room.

Apart from providing easy access to the engine and batteries, the engine room provides a useful storage room for tools, spare parts etc, it is also a very useful drying room or simply a place to put boots or hang coats. Access also leads to further under bed storage. There are steel, wood lined double engine doors on both sides of the engine room. Minstrel was fully painted and blacked in October 2015 with new anodes fitted at the time. Her name was not repainted at the time.

We planned to use more modern graphics, but couldn't agree on a design. She was fitted with new fenders all round earlier this year. We are the fourth owners and have proof of purchase plus CRT registration details. The 4-year boat safety certificate expires on the 22nd of April 2020. Minstrel would make an excellent boat for a couple or family of four.

This is a reluctant sale for genuine personal reasons and nothing to do with the condition of the boat. 8-months River Canal Rescue insurance remaining. She is on a private mooring in Peterborough. Viewing by genuine buyers from Saturday the 29th of July when we are back in the area.