davidjago

Yes Simon, I'll be solo on Silver Mystaire. I spoke with the owner before booking and they were fine with it.

I'm a solo traveller and have hired both Royall Velvet 2 and 3 over the past couple of years, and hired 3 back in the late '90s when she was Yare Twilight from Bristers. I enjoyed both, and they are still fine boats after many years on the rivers. Choosing between them comes down to personal preferences, but I would probably go with 3 again for the following reasons. The hydraulic drive over 2's shaft drive makes it a far quieter cruise. The bath on 2 - which some might find superfluous - makes the heads compartment larger, which means that the island bed in the aft cabin is very tight to move around. Also the WC is smaller which may not suit those with a slightly larger posterior! I found the fore and aft bed on 3 the more comfortable of the two. Both boats were very well prepared by Barnes, and I found their service to be of the highest order. I'm going with Silverline this year for the first time on Silver Mystaire, as it will be nice to see over the reeds for a change, but have booked Royall Satin for next year for the extra space. I last hired her in the late '90s when she was with Royalls and am looking forward to being 'reunited' with her again after all these years!