Houseboat Poem 25 began life as a Humber Lighter in 1957, carrying palm oil to the refineries in and around The Humber Estuary. Although her name conjurors up images of romance and creativity, it is actually an acronym for “Premier Oil Extraction Mill”. With our Poem being number 25 in a fleet of 30 or so boats and barges owned by the Premier Oil Company. The conversion of this industrial workhorse to a beautiful floating home started in December 2015 and was completed in May 2017, when she was towed down the North Sea and the English Channel to her mooring in Bembridge.

Poem 25 now provides spacious and light filled accommodation across two decks, with a superb open plan reception space overlooking the harbour and four bedrooms and three en-suite bathrooms below. Poem 25 has been designed for modern living but seeks to reflect its heritage through the use of exposed steel and timber and designed to retain the heritage of the hull and external decks. Externally she is clad in cedar and Piet Mondrian exterior décor with decks fore and aft for entertainment and outdoor space. Internally creature comforts include a large fully equipped kitchen, dining and living areas, stylish lighting, large aluminium windows affording panoramic views of the harbour and luxurious bedrooms with en suites served by a generous hallway. The setting is idyllic overlooking the harbour with its stunning wildlife and boating activity. Furthermore Poem 25 has parking for two cars opposite the mooring and a further car parking space in the designated houseboat car park 50 metres away.

Poem 25 was built by the present owners as their second home and as a furnished holiday let. In partnership with a local agent Poem 25 has proved to be a very successful holiday destination and has generated in excess of £200,000 in rental income since 2018, as well as providing a delightful second home for the owners and their family. Poem 25 is being sold fully furnished and equipped with the opportunity of carrying on as a holiday let business.

Enjoying beautiful views over the harbour and into The Solent toward Portsmouth and the Spinnaker Tower. The bustling harbour is home to a range of yachts, fishing boats and racing dinghies. Situated on the embankment, providing direct access to superb country walks over RSPB marshes, Isle of Wight National Landscape (IWNL) land and to Culver Down or along the coast to Bembridge beaches and Priory Bay. There are a good range of shops within the vibrant Bembridge village including a butcher, florist, bakery, delicatessen, fishmonger and farm shop, in addition to cafes and restaurants. Bembridge Harbour has extensive mooring facilities as well as two Sailing Clubs and a watersports and outdoor activities centre offering equipment hire and instruction for all abilities on dinghy, paddleboards, windsurfs to name but a few. The Fastcat, providing high speed passenger links to Portsmouth is located in Ryde approximately 7 miles away.

Accommodation

Entrance
A landscaped mooring with low maintenance raised flower beds, industrial gabion baskets and gravelled area leads to the gangway giving access to the stern of Poem 25. A glazed aluminium door opens to an entrance hallway with plenty of space for coats and shoes and the wall mounted combination boiler.

Utility Room with W.C.
With cupboard space above and below the sink worktop, there is a fitted washing machine and space for a tumble dryer.

Open Plan Kitchen/Dining/Living Area
This superb space offers views on all sides of the harbour and the houseboat community, the Duver and the eastern Solent. The kitchen is fully equipped with a range of under-counter and wall mounted storage, a useful breakfast bar, a ceramic hob, AEG mid level oven and grill, integrated dishwasher and built in fridge/freezer. The open plan nature of the kitchen allows for uninterrupted views and easy access to the living and dining area. The dining area easily accommodates ten people, is fully furnished and equipped and is served by under counter cupboards and a wine fridge. The lounge area is in two distinct seating areas designed to allow for views of the harbour and access to the fore deck via bifold doors and a second area offering a relaxing space for relaxation.

Stairs lead from the open plan living accommodation to the lower deck

Lower Deck
The accommodation is accessed via a substantial hallway. There are two very generous suites with en suite shower rooms for and aft and two further linked bedrooms designed as a family suite with access to a shared en suite shower room. Fitted wardrobes and storage are in three of the bedrooms with access to the bow and stern bulkheads where further storage and services are housed.

Outside
The mooring itself makes an ideal dining and entertaining space and serves to complement the decks fore and aft on Poem 25, offering a different perspective and views of the harbourside community. Parking for three cars is available with two spaces across the road from the mooring and a further space in the Houseboat car park 50 metres down the road

Services
Poem 25 is served by mains electricity, gas, water and broadband in the same way that a house would be. A treatment plant for waste is located in the stern bulkhead, with clean water being discharged into the harbour. Heating is delivered via gas fired underfloor heating, with the same boiler providing hot water and ancillary wall mounted electric heaters for the benefit of rental guests.

Council Tax
As the boat operates as a Furnished Holiday Let it is rated as a small business and so is exempt for Business Tax. As a private residence Poem 25 would be in Band A.

Tenure
Poem 25 will be sold fully furnished and equipped with the opportunity of carrying on and developing her rental potential as a holiday home. The mooring is leasehold with 80 years of a 99 year lease remaining and a ground rent of £100 payable to Bembridge Harbour Authority

Postcode
PO35 5NS

Viewings
Strictly by prior arrangement with the sole selling agents Spence Willard.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: 1. Particulars: These particulars are not an offer or contract, nor part of one. You should not rely on statements by Spence Willard in the particulars or by word of mouth or in writing (“information”) as being factually accurate about the property, its condition or its value. Neither Spence Willard nor any joint agent has any authority to make any representations about the property, and accordingly any information given is entirely without responsibility on the part of the agents, seller(s) or lessor(s). 2. Photos etc: The photographs show only certain parts of the property as they appeared at the time they were taken. Areas, measurements and distances given are approximate only. 3. Regulations etc: Any reference to alterations to, or use of, any part of the property does not mean that any necessary planning, building regulations or other consent has been obtained. A buyer or lessee must find out by inspection or in other ways that these matters have been properly dealt with and that all information is correct. 4. VAT: The VAT position relating to the property may change without notice.