Present ABNB team

The PARTNERS

Paul Mudie, Paul Smith & Sheila Smith form the core of the current ABNB team.

In the OFFICE

Barry Watson works in the office Monday to Friday. He has a rich history of canal experience and memories from when he first started on the cut in 1979 and has never looked back. He owned his first narrowboat in 1985 and subsequently earned his living off the cut when he operated a pair of hotel boats. He lived aboard for 22 years, and his wide experience of boating and knowledge of the cut brings an added dimension to the advice we can offer.

Jackie Peatfield works in the office Monday to Friday. She and her husband lived aboard for over 10 years until 2007, when they exchanged their 70ft narrowboat for a quirky leisure use 39ft. Jackie's husband is a professional boat fitter and in assistance Jackie has had extensive involvement with his business - liaising with his customers in the planning stages and in the production of the RCD compliance paperwork, including the Owners Manual.

Debbie Evans works in the office alternate weekends. Debbie's passion for the canals and historic narrowboats started in 1979 when she was introduced to the canal world by her boating boyfriend. Her love of historic narrowboats led to the purchase of nb England, a FMC Josher, from British Waterways. The overhaul of the boat was extensive and Debbie learnt most of what she knows about boats from when she got her hands very dirty throughout that process. Since those early days she has hired and owned a variety of boats, currently owning a 55ft Hudson.

In the FIELD

Paul Mudie works in the office, as well as out in the field. Paul & Lesley lived aboard their 70ft narrowboat for over 13 years until May 2009. They managed a busy hire fleet of 28 boats before coming to Crick Wharf. Paul M was a call out engineer for a number of years and also operated a dry dock where he became intimate with flat bottoms. They bought the business when Andy Burnett retired and ran it together until Lesley died in 2009. Paul M now concentrates on developing the company, as well as inspecting boats. He is a broker member of ABYA, the professional Association of Brokers & Yacht Agents.

Andy Burnett set-up the original company and still keeps his hand-in by undertaking inspections for ABNB. ABNB started life as his brainchild, whilst he was the Technical Editor of Waterways World. He pioneered and perfected selling boats from their home moorings. As the business grew, Andy resigned from Waterways World and concentrated full time on building ABNB into a thriving business.

Nigel Moore inspects boats for ABNB wherever they are in the country. Nigel has had an interest in canals from a very early age (with his first boat trip at the age of 3), and owned a narrowboat for over 30 years. He worked for 7 years in the hire boat industry, covering turnarounds, repairs and call-outs, before he set-up on his own business fitting-out narrowboats, completing 15 to date. Noreen, Nigel's wife, accompanies Nigel in the field - as she has for over 20 years on their narrowboat, covering almost the entire system.

Paul Smith undertakes brokerage inspections for ABNB. He was born into a boating family, who owned a 16ft cabin cruiser that was soon changed for a 70ft ex-Fellows, Morton & Clayton Josher narrowboat. Restored and converted by his father, Paul S then spent his childhood extensively cruising the inland waterways. Even whilst studying away for his Engineering Masters degree, he found time to research the local canals and introduce fellow students to boating. The family continue to cruise the same boat over 40 years on, with other waterways explored on foot or in shorter boats. Paul S entered the marine industry on a professional basis in 1996 and he represents the industry to the Boat Safety Scheme, British Marine Federation and British Standards Institute.

Behind the SCENES

Sheila Smith's parents introduced her to boating through hiring, which developed into them fitting out their own boat to liveaboard. This inspired Sheila to fitout her own boat that she then lived on for 9 years. She entered the boating industry professionally in 1990 as a Signwriter, and her artistic skills are also demonstrated in the boat drawings, brochures and website that she produces for ABNB.