Luxury houseboat holidays with a stunning view

Whoever thinks of a cabin – the living, sleeping or recreation rooms of a ship – usually has narrow, dark rooms with small portholes in mind, which only allow a tiny glimmer of light to fall on the interior of the ship. The modern Joylife Boats are completely different: they are designed like tiny houses on the water, with the most generous glass surfaces possible to provide the rooms with plenty of natural light. In addition, this gives tenants the opportunity to see the surroundings at all times, even when it is stormy or rainy outside.

The floor-to-ceiling aluminium windows from heroal, arranged on both sides of the boat, extend across the entire dining area and provide a view of the water and the shore from every seating position. The slim frame profiles of the window system heroal W 72 ensure maximum transparency.

The sleeping suite is located towards the stern of the ship on the upper level and can be accessed via a solid wooden staircase. The windows from heroal are the highlight of the sleeping area, as they are arranged over the entire wall surface on three sides, providing a unique all-round view. While the glass to the sides is fixed in the frame profiles, the heroal W 72 tilting window in the middle can be opened inwards a little bit to let in fresh air without the sash taking up too much space. For more privacy, there are curtains that can be drawn.

SBS Andernach GmbH has specialised in sophisticated boat building and is responsible for the design, production and maintenance of the Joylife Boats. “As our focus was on generous glass surfaces and high-quality materials, aluminium windows were the only option for our Joylife electric houseboats, because they are significantly more stable than UPVC. In heroal we have found a partner who supplies us with ideal solutions that are precisely tailored to our special applications,“ explains Alex Friesen, Managing Director of SBS Andernach GmbH.

Through a sliding door next to the steering wheel the covered outdoor terrace of the houseboat can be reached. This sliding door must not block the captain’s view during the journey, and the boat must be lockable when the tenants are ashore. Thanks to its sophisticated design, the subtle sliding door system heroal S 42 meets these requirements, and at the same time stands out for sustainability and economic efficiency.

Since the houseboats can only be rented from April to November, the sliding door system heroal S 42 represents the ideal solution, as no special thermal insulation is required and no large temperature differences between the indoor and outdoor areas are to be expected.

heroal sliding door systems from recycled aluminium are extremely durable, sustainable throughout the entire product life cycle and are also Cradle to Cradle Certified® (silver). This internationally recognised certification identifies the use of environmentally safe, healthy and recyclable materials.

“The sliding door from heroal convinced us, particularly as it is very suitable for the daily use on our houseboats“, says Alex Friesen. “The slim profiles create unobstructed views, the sliding door blends in perfectly with the general look and even with intensive use it always opens and closes smoothly and runs quietly in its track. There is a second sliding door at the rear, so tenants can choose which way to go.“

Houseboats are exposed to special weather conditions on the water – they withstand strong sunlight, and also rain and storms. Therefore, high-quality materials are just as important as a durable coating of all components.

The quality of heroal surfaces is leading on the market, thanks to industry-leading technology. The highly weather-resistant heroal hwr powder coating gives aluminium components of windows and sliding doors long-lasting colour-stability, gloss retention and weather resistance. Even with high UV exposure, the coating remains colourfast for decades.

Thanks to our own coating facilities, heroal not only supplies all profile systems from a single source, but also in perfectly coordinated surfaces and colours. This also creates a harmonious look for the houseboat, and the window and sliding door systems appear as if they were cast from the same mould.

For the colour coating, SBS Andernach GmbH was able to choose between more than 500 RAL-, DB- and VEKA-colours, exclusive Les Couleurs® Le Corbusier and innovative heroal SD surface refinements. “Despite the large selection of colours, we quickly found the shade that fits perfectly into the overall concept. The aluminium solutions from heroal are perfectly matched to the needs of the houseboat captains in terms of colour, size and function. We are very satisfied and would choose heroal systems at any time to equip other Joylife electric houseboats“, says Alex Friesen, summing up the cooperation with heroal.