Hire Boat Blues

[Nysensi]

Hi a newbie to the forum, not sure if this is a reasonable question but here goes.....

My wife and myself are keen boaters, but we find ourselves in a bit of a quandry, we have recently been cruising in hire boats up to twice a year, which with shopping around has been manageable in terms of cost but only just! we dont really have enough spare time to warrant buying into shared ownership, well not till I retire, so for now I feel we are trapped in the expensive world of rental.

 

This leads to my question, are there any owners out there that would be willing to provide their boat at a reasonable cost for the odd 7 day trip, I will eagerly wait for the stampede of replies!

[RLWP]

If you are hiring twice a year, you won't be far off the cost of a twelfth share in a boat, even if you don't use all four weeks

 

Richard

Edited January 7, 2013 by RLWP

[mrsmelly]

Hi a newbie to the forum, not sure if this is a reasonable question but here goes.....

My wife and myself are keen boaters, but we find ourselves in a bit of a quandry, we have recently been cruising in hire boats up to twice a year, which with shopping around has been manageable in terms of cost but only just! we dont really have enough spare time to warrant buying into shared ownership, well not till I retire, so for now I feel we are trapped in the expensive world of rental.

 

This leads to my question, are there any owners out there that would be willing to provide their boat at a reasonable cost for the odd 7 day trip, I will eagerly wait for the stampede of replies!

 

Hi

 

This question is asked quite often. The sensible reply ( though you will get others ) is that to be safe for yourselves and the boat owner there is just too much in the way of legalities and proper insurance problems as to make it unjustifiable. A cowboy or two may well come along soon and dispute my post, but those are the real facts.

 

Tim

[Guest]

Hi a newbie to the forum, not sure if this is a reasonable question but here goes.....

My wife and myself are keen boaters, but we find ourselves in a bit of a quandry, we have recently been cruising in hire boats up to twice a year, which with shopping around has been manageable in terms of cost but only just! we dont really have enough spare time to warrant buying into shared ownership, well not till I retire, so for now I feel we are trapped in the expensive world of rental.

 

This leads to my question, are there any owners out there that would be willing to provide their boat at a reasonable cost for the odd 7 day trip, I will eagerly wait for the stampede of replies!

 

Welcome to the forum.

 

Commercial hire of narrowboats requires more expensive licencing arrangements with CRT amongst other things - you may not get many replies from folk willing to do this in the public part of the forum.

 

Some may wish to discuss via. PM in which case you need at least 4 posts in the forum to be able to use PM.

 

Think about the legalities, limitations and requirements of such an arrangement which is why we wouldn't engage in one with our boat.

 

There may be somebody out there willing to do so.

[Grace and Favour]

 

Nysensi

As others have mentioned above, the BSS, licensing and (particularly) boat insurance requirements for an hire boat are more stringent, and expensive....and a private boater simply would not have any reason to afford it.

 

 

 

 

The end result is that if you did hire a private boat, then it's a racing certainty that you would not be insured, and neither would the hirer* (aside from any other legal implications)

 

 

 

 

Should you have an accident, whether your fault or someone else's - then it would likely be expensive for everyone concerned, particularly if anyone was injured.

 

 

 

[Paul C]

Hiring a boat costs that much, because thats how much it costs to hire a boat out. Be sure to have a good look around, including trying to get any 'last minute' deals and bartering, to try get a bargain.

 

Also I'd have another serious look at shared ownership - pretty soon, it is more cost effective (about 18 months when I worked it out...). There are 1/24 shares available, they come up every now and again.

[CHUGALONG HIRE COMPANY]

Hi Nysensi,

 

I apologise for contacting you here, I usually try not to do this but I’d worry about you borrowing a private boat. It’s a legal nightmare. Anyone who does offer you is probably not of suitable character.

 

Would it help if I offered the best price I could on my new boats in return for your loyalty for the year?

 

In other words, if you were to book for two or more times in one go, even if the dates were not too firm, I could afford to reduce or forgo profit on one or more of the bookings in order to secure your business? Unfortunately our new boats are not yet on our website, so you’d have to contact me to see if we have what you’d like.

 

If you don’t like our area Cheshire, Llangollen, Four Counties Ring, Cheshire ring, Macclesfield Canal, Chester…etc etc etc you could try talking to a company in your preferred area, ask them to make you their best offer for your years business.

 

What ever you decide, I hope you solve your conundrum and enjoy your boating.

 

Chuggy,

 

greg@middlewichboats.co.uk

[ditchcrawler]

If you are hiring twice a year, you won't be far off the cost of a twelfth share in a boat, even if you don't use all four weeks

 

Richard

It may even be cheaper over say 5 years

[little duck!]

Due to insurance purposes i wont even let my family use my boat! Like others have said if you did find someone willing i doubt you or they will be properly covered by insurance.

[dor]

Insurance is the key thing. Would you borrow someone's car and drive your family around in it for a week, knowing you were uninsured?

[canalboater2012]

That's a very good offer from chuggy

[Nightwatch]

That's a very good offer from chuggy

I agree.

 

I also like the fact that he has seem this positive business opportunity. How to make friends and built/grow a business.

 

Martyn

[Tuscan]

I agree.

 

I also like the fact that he has seem this positive business opportunity. How to make friends and built/grow a business.

 

Martyn

 

 

 

Me too flexible and keen makes a very pleasant change, good luck

[deletedaccount]

I've done it on a "house swap" basis. People stay in my boat for a holiday and I stay in their house by the beach. Works well

 

p.s. everyone feel free to pile in and tell me I'm not a "suitable character"

[Graham Davis]

Don't know about your character, but I presume your boat has the extended testing certification and insurance as a hire boat?

 

(Well someone had to ask!!)

Edited January 8, 2013 by Graham Davis

[Athy]

But if no money changes hands it is not being hired, so why would it need such documents? Similarly, the house is not being rented. It is an exchange.

[Graham Davis]

OK, possibly, but what about insurance?

 

And could it construed as "goods in kind" as payment?

[alan_fincher]

Don't know about your character, but I presume your boat has the extended testing certification and insurance as a hire boat?

 

(Well someone had to ask!!)

I think that is where it becomes a grey area......

 

If you are just letting a "friend" "use your boat", and not taking any direct remuneration for it, then I believe extra stuff around BSS at least probably doesn't apply.

 

It is by using these informal arrangements that some people attempt to circumvent the red tape, (and the costs associated with it, of course!.

 

However I think you need to be dead careful on the insurance front. If an insurance company sussed out that the people using the boat were not genuine "friends" or family, but in fact total strangers that you had decided it was OK to lend it to, I think they might look into it more closely, and conclude there was possible a kind of "hiring" going on after all.

 

Definitely an area to tread very carefully!

[Grace and Favour]

But if no money changes hands it is not being hired, so why would it need such documents? Similarly, the house is not being rented. It is an exchange.

 

Ah - but technically, goods or services are being received in lieu of payment, and, therefore payment IS being received

[Athy]

Good point - I guess that honesty would be the best policy, let the respective insurance companies know of the arrangement.

[mayalld]

But if no money changes hands it is not being hired, so why would it need such documents? Similarly, the house is not being rented. It is an exchange.

 

The boat is being lent to a third party for a "consideration", that is to say that the boat owner is receiving either money, or something that is worth money (the use of a house), which makes it a hire.

[Wanted]

So, if someone comes and stays at my home whilst I am away for a week I could nullify my insurance and be subject to commercial rules if I stand to gain. By gain I mean that I don't have to put my cat into moggy prison for a week.

[Athy]

The boat is being lent to a third party for a "consideration", that is to say that the boat owner is receiving either money, or something that is worth money (the use of a house), which makes it a hire.

But equally, the house owner is receiving something which is worth money (the use of a boat). By agreeing to this arrangement, they imply that the two services are of equal value, as there is no cash adjustment. It is, surely, therefore an exchange.

[Graham Davis]

Doesn't matter, it is still a "consideration".

The value or otherwise isn't taken into account.

My "consideration" is I get your house for a period, your's is you get my boat.

[deletedaccount]

Don't know about your character, but I presume your boat has the extended testing certification and insurance as a hire boat?

 

(Well someone had to ask!!)

 

Yes. It also has a hydrofoil and helipad.