My Boat

A Perspectief on Cruising

Perspectief is a Dutch cruiser created from steel and first launched in 1987. The boat was made by Z-Yachts in Holland and is 8.5 metres long.

The company Z-Yachts (Zijderveld Yachts) no longer exists but boats of this design are known as Curtevenne. I bought the boat via Val Wyatt Marine in Wargrave, and–– according to the information passed to me––the boat has passed through 4 owners since first commissioned.

Here follows posts about cruising and boat projects. You can also follow my YouTube channel - A Perspectief on Cruising with some trips along the towpath on my bike too!

The skipper is looking for a place to tie up

Beale Park to Oxford

August 9, 2022

Welcome aboard Perspectief! This was an upstream trip that took 2 days with an overnight stay at Dorchester, however, this video just shows some highlights with some nice music. Enjoy!

Amongst the trees and stinging nettles on Pangbourne meadow

Wallingford to Pangbourne

July 14, 2022

Welcome aboard Perspectief! Wallingford on Thames isn‘t our home port but we often end up there from Oxford. In this video we cruise downstream through three locks to Pangbourne meadow. Once we moor up we take a walk back to take a closer look at Whitchurch bridge.

Abingdon to Wallingford

June 23, 2022

Come aboard Perspectief for a trip through 5 locks downsteam from Abingdon to the attractive town of Wallingford. Watch the video to the end because we go for a little walk to take a look at Wallingford Bridge.

We take a trip upstream with a walk around Dorchester

From Dorchester-on-Thames to Clifton Lock

May 1, 2022

Dorchester on Thames is a favorite mooring spot for Perspectief. Here follows a video that first explores the village of Dorchester (it has an Abbey) and then we make way upstream. Check out this video on the YouTube Channel.

Back in the Water

March 7, 2022

Perspectief went back in the water today and is now happy to be afloat on her mooring.

Hauled Out

February 27, 2022

Perspectief is currently out of the water on the marina trailer and ready for some underwater maintenance. This is also an opportunity to check out the stern gear (rudder, propellor) and anodes.

New Engine Craned in

May 16, 2021

New Betamarine engine arrived at the marina in a big cardboard box. Beautifully packaged and mounted on a wooden palet. Two control panels where taken home for safe keeping and for checking against the new dashboards that I had made.

Defying Gravity

February 26, 2021

Engines are very heavy objects being made from cast iron and steel. A typical diesel engine will weigh 140 kilos and a marine engine with a gearbox and heat exchanger attached could be up to 190kilos. So, how does one lift an engine from the boat’s engine bay so that it can be removed from the boat.

Repowering the Boat - the research

January 14, 2021

After a lot of research the decision has been made to replace the engine in Perspectief. Her engine is as old as the boat and maybe be even older. Here follows an explanation of why we need to get a new engine and also a narrative of the research undertaken. No doubt you will want to read on to find out the progress on the project, but this post is just about the research.

A windy passage to Sandford

October 6, 2020

We took an opportunity between the rain showers to take our friend Wilfried to Sandford for a picnic lunch.

Downstream to Wittenham

August 2, 2020

Of course we have been here before, but on this trip the weather was very hot and in spite of lashings of sun cream the skipper got a little sun burnt.

Many private properties are fortunate to have the Thames at the bottom of their garden

Banks of England

August 30, 2019

As we cruise up and down the Thames, we are struck by the variety of scenes that drift past; marking the boundary between the water and the land.

Air Draft

August 9, 2019

On a very blustery day, we took friends Benno, Birgit and Maria for trip downstream to Nuneham. From Oxford to Nuneham was a popular excursion in Victorian times.

We just made it with inches to spare. Photo by Zoë Jennings

The Lowest bridge on the Thames

July 14, 2019

The Botley Road in Oxford crosses the Thames just beyond the railway station. The road is carried by an iron bridge constructed in 1888 after the previous stone bridge had collapsed killing 3 people. Apart from this tragedy, it is also a great shame that the bridge is so low (2.28 metres clearance) that it prevents many craft from navigating further upstream than Oxford.

The Kings Arms at Sandford

July 12, 2019

From our Osney Moorings to a view of the Carfax Conduit at Nuneham, takes us through Iffley and Sandford Locks. This is a favourite excursion because it gives us a chance to get back to Sandford in time for a lunch at the fine establishment of the King’s Arms.

Herons and Bridges

July 5, 2019

Our cruise downstream gave the crew a slight case of sunburn in spite of lashings of sunscreen. We were fortunate to be able to find good moorings for our nights but we have learnt to arrive early at the popular locations.

Mediterranean Heat on the Thames

June 30, 2019

Phew… sunburn and swimming after a great trip down to Abingdon reach.

Maiden Voyage

June 8, 2019

Late April and we take the train to Wargrave for a trip upstream to Oxford. The mooring at Osney awaits! Our first lock was Shiplake. Here the crew is holding on while we wait for the lock to open.

Constant Velocity Joint

June 8, 2019

The rubber boot that enclosed the CV joint was torn and grease had been flying out from this joint. The survey had picked this up as a necessary correction.

Oil Pressure Gauge

April 9, 2019

The oil pressure gauge at the upper helm position was displaying near to zero, when the engine got warm. This was worrying. At the lower helm position the oil pressure gauge seemed to indicate a normal reading. So what was going on?

Canopy Fixings

March 9, 2019

The canopy is stretched over stainless steel hoops which are then hinged at 2 points on the top deck. Because the canopy needs to come down and be detached at the main hinge point, it was felt essential to change from a slotted bolt fitting to a quick release pin.

First view of the engine

December 6, 2018

Perspectief has a Ford Diesel engine 1.6. This is a marinized Ford Escort Engine from 1987. This apparently gives around 40hp at 3000rpm.

Getting a boat survey

December 6, 2018

Barry Burnell of National Marine Surveying came to the marina, the boat was hauled out and the survey took place over one day.

Check out the Gallery of Images of the boat Perspectief held on Flickr