Anjodi barge

MS Anjodi is a luxurious hotel barge (cruise ship) built in 1929 in Groningen, Holland as a cargo barge for transporting grain. In 1982, the vessel was drydock refitted as a hotel barge. She is currently owned by European Waterways and operates Canal du Midi cruises in southwestern France, sailing between Marseillan (Hérault department) and Le Somail (Aude department).

In 1963, the hotel barge was renamed Anjodi after the three children of the original owner, Tiemen de Weerd—Andries, Johan, and Diana. The ship is constructed of Dutch iron-rich steel with high copper content, which has contributed to her exceptional longevity. In 1982, she was purchased in Amsterdam by Derek Banks from a Dutchman named Fopa de Jong for GBP 5,500. At that time, the vessel was a retired trading barge, filled with old World War II aircraft instruments.

Between 1982 and 1983, European Waterways converted the trade vessel into one of the first luxury hotel barges in France at a cost of GBP 100,000. Before making the three-month journey from the Netherlands to southern France, the ship was towed to a Belgian shipyard where generators, freshwater tanks, plumbing, wiring, and a steel shell infrastructure were installed. The barge underwent further refurbishments in 1997 and 2008.

MS Anjodi currently features four passenger staterooms (each with en-suite bathroom) and a bar-salon. Crew quarters are located in both the bow and stern. The vessel operates with a crew of four: Captain, First Mate (matelot/tour guide), Chef, and Hostess. The Captain is required to have at least two years of experience as a First Mate and must hold a French certificate of competency. The barge has a load capacity of 3000 liters for fuel, 10,000 liters for water, and 1,200 liters for greywater/sewage.

An interesting fact is that Anjodi was featured in the BBC series following Chef Rick Stein’s six-week culinary cruise from Bordeaux to Marseille along the Canal du Midi and Canal de Garonne. Among the barge’s notable guests is UK singer Rod Stewart.

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