Barge Nilaya - History

Nilaya was launched on 29th August 1922 as the motorschip Jannetje. She was named after the owners wife and built by 'Boot de Woubrugge' in Holland. The original 26hp Kromhout "Oliemotor" has long since been replaced by the current 'modern' 1955 Mercedes OM321. 

Jannetje was lengthened in 1927 and carried potatoes around Friesland and the Ijjselmeer until 1937, when she relocated to Antwerp in Belgium. Renamed Vitesse on 9th September 1937, she carried cargo throughout Belgium until world war two intervened. Together with hundreds of other barges, Vitesse was requisitioned by Germany's Nazi government for the planned invasion of southern England or "Operation Sea lion" as it was to be known. Thankfully it never took place and she survived the war, eventually being returned to her owner by the General authorised for the Dutch reconstruction department in Rotterdam.

She retired from commercial work in the early 1980's because her size and capacity no longer made her commercially viable. Luckily she escaped being scrapped due to the exceptional condition of her riveted steel hull and beautiful counter stern. She was converted into a comfortable static houseboat until 2004 when I came upon her in Drachten. Thankfully Vitesse's mechanics were in excellent condition considering that she had moved no more than a hundred miles in twenty years.

It was love at first sight and within two weeks I had Vitesse lifted from the water, a thorough survey carried out on her hull, some minor plating work done and signed on the dotted line in Groningen. She received her new name on the full moon of October 2004. The name simply meaning, "Heaven" in  Sanskrit. 

Since the purchase, I've immersed myself in the world of barging and it's been a character building adventure from the start. Almost immediately I commenced the total reconstruction of her interior and systems and much of the work was completed during winters 2004 & 5. I am continually upgrading Barge Nilaya and every day, in every way, she gets better and better. 

You can see more about the conversion, by clicking this link