The vessel
Che Bella Vita: a Piper 65M, new in 2024.
She was built for a long voyage rather than a short one: deep shade where you want it, air-conditioned calm when the afternoon gets serious, and enough deck space that ten people never feel like ten people. Her mast folds down, so she carries only 3 metres of air draft and slips under low bridges. When the day ends, two bedrooms wait below: the master suite at the bow, where Kate and Mike sleep, with its European king bed and private shower and head, and the guest room near the stern with its king size bed. For families, the wheelhouse sofas make up a double and a single bed. We opted for two bedrooms rather than three so the lounge could be larger, because that is where everyone gathers anyway. Nothing about a day or night aboard is rushed.
The layout
Where everything sits
Drawings by Piper Boats, the yard that built her: the finished boat, the interior seen from above with the roof lifted off, and her profile from bow to rudder.
Specifications
What she is made of
The headlines from her build: a steel Piper 65M finished in 2024, specified for long days and comfortable nights on rivers, canals and coastal passages.
The boat
- Length
- 65 ft / 19.9 m
- Beam
- 14 ft 9 in / 4.5 m
- Air draft
- 3 m with the mast down
- Mast
- Collapsible, so she passes low bridges
- Hull
- Steel, built by Piper Boats
Below deck
- Master suite
- European king bed, 150 x 200 cm, private en-suite
- Guest room
- King size bed near the stern
- Wheelhouse
- Double and single bed made up from the sofas
- Lounge
- Two bedrooms rather than three, for a larger lounge
Under way
- Engine
- Vetus 140hp, keel cooled
- Manoeuvring
- Bow and stern thrusters
- Anchor
- 75 kg with electric windlass
- Navigation
- Chartplotter, VHF radio and depth gauge
Power and water
- Fuel
- Over 2,000 litres in two tanks
- Fresh water
- 1,876 litre tank
- Electricity
- Generator, inverter and solar, with shore power
- Black water
- 1,030 litre tank
Comfort
- Heating
- Diesel central heating to radiators
- Stove
- Refleks diesel stove in the saloon
- Cooling
- Air conditioning in the master suite
- Connectivity
- High-speed satellite internet for all devices, 24/7
Staying aboard
Overnight stays for the adventurous
There are two bedrooms below. The master suite at the bow has a European king bed and its own shower and head, reached only through the bedroom: that is our cabin while you are aboard. Guests stay in the second bedroom near the stern, which has a king size bed, with a shower and head directly opposite, which also serves as the day head. For families, a double and a single bed can be made up in the wheelhouse from the sofas, for children or extra guests. We opted for two bedrooms rather than three so the lounge could be larger. Charter the whole boat while we are moored up, as honeymooners and premium guests often do, and we leave you with both bedrooms.
Register your interestMaster suite, at the bow
European king bed with private en-suite shower and head
Guest room
King size bed near the stern, with shower and head opposite
Wheelhouse
Double and single bed made up from the sofas
Whole boat charter
We leave the boat overnight, so you have both bedrooms
Why two bedrooms
We chose two rather than three so the lounge could be larger
Food
Quality home-made food
All-inclusive hospitality aboard means quality home-made food and personal care from Mike and Kate. We welcome you with a glass of Champagne served by the crew, then take care of the catering: breakfast, lunch and dinner for overnight stays, and lunch, drinks, snacks and coffee for day charters. We plan dietary needs and agree the meals and drinks for your trip in advance.
Register your interestDay charters
Lunch, drinks, snacks and coffee throughout the day
Overnight stays
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included
On arrival
A glass of Champagne, served by the crew
Style
Quality home-made food, prepared aboard
Dietary needs
Catered for with advance notice
Learn the boat
A real boating experience
The owners will gladly supervise you while you take the wheel, learn navigation, engine maintenance, water management and the endless routines of a real boat.
Register your interestTake the wheel
Drive the boat under owner supervision
Navigation
Charts, passage planning and pilotage
Engine & systems
Engine checks, maintenance and water management
Line work & locks
The practical skills of canals and harbours
A day on board, roughly
Mid-morning. You are met at the quay, bags aboard, a glass of Champagne on arrival served by the crew, and time to settle in.
Late morning. Underway. On the rivers that means locks and lock-keepers; at sea it means a following swell and the coast sliding by.
Lunch. Moored or anchored somewhere worth stopping. This is the part of the day that takes as long as it takes.
Afternoon. A village to walk into, a towpath to follow, or a quiet anchorage to sit and read at.
Early evening. A drink on deck as we come alongside at the day's destination.
Aboard
- Vessel
- Piper 65M
- Built
- 2024
- Day guests
- Up to 10
- Overnight guests
- Up to 5 (guest room and wheelhouse while we are aboard)
- Crew
- Skipper and hostess
- Charter length
- Flexible, an afternoon to several days
- Waters
- Rivers, canals and coastal passage
- Shade
- Full canopy over the aft deck