Mibosa
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Posts posted by Mibosa
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To Woodsy, IanW, Jonathan and and all the others who have provided very informative feedback I express my appreciation. Unfortunately my trip will not be occurring thanks to the lack of integrity and misinformation provided by ABC Boat Hire. In February this year I enquired with them about solo boat hire and I explained my relevant boating experience in various countries around the world. The girl who handled my request stated that she discussed it with a manager and they agreed to solo hire me a 45' narrowboat and suggested three routes which I could do, one being the F&C. The booking was made and I commenced monthly installments, until recently to just over 900 pounds.
It was only recently when I asked a question of ABC that they put me onto the actual boat company, Capercaillie Cruisers, who in turn advised me that I couldn't do solo hire. I then raised this with ABC, having ben told by them that I could and in a written response the Admin Office Supervisor Lynda Ballard responded, and I quote, "....... I have read through all of the communications between yourself and the booking office team of which there are plenty and I am very satisfied that they offered the best advice and customer service. It is unfortunate that you feel this was not so. Although other companies may permit solo cruisers, we prefer not to as we feel it can present certain safety issues. "
Offered the best advice and customer service???????? Unfortunate that you feel this was not so??????
I am just a little curious as to which part she didn't understand that one of her staff members and a manager okayed me to have solo hire and were happy to take my booking and my money. Had I not made my enquiry at this time I would have turned up to the marina to collect the boat, or at least believe I was collecting the boat, only to be told that it wasn't to be. I have ascertained that that Capercaillie Cruisers were never advised of my request for solo hire, otherwise this would have been discovered prior to the contract being entered. I have also lost money in cancelling an airfare to Edinburgh, thanks to the incompetence of ABC.
I find it ironic that solo boat hiring is permitted in various parts of England, including on the River Thames and various other canals, which requires the negotiation of far more locks than on the F&C and also in the Republic of Ireland, yet boats worth tens or hundreds of thousands of pounds can be hired to absolute novices. In Scotland there is clearly a grey area around the repeated use of 'health & safety reasons' or 'insurance purposes'.
Not to worry, whilst this exists in Scotland the tourist dollars (pounds) will be spent elsewhere.
Thank you all.
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Can anyone please provide feedback regarding overnight moorings at Speirs Wharf. I am of the understanding that there is water and power available which I thought would be an attraction to at least some boaters. The limited research I have done on the internet, which includes YouTube, gives me the impression that it isn't well used. Am I wrong in this belief? Can anyone advise what is keeping boats away from the area. Is it road noise, too close to the multi-storey units, anti social behaviour or crime?
If I am wrong in my thoughts, can anyone please advise the cost per night and the maximum amounts of nights?
Thank you.
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Hi IainW,
I have sent you an email after I was provided your email address. Can you please advise if you have received it and it hasn't gone to your junk mail folder?
Thank you.
Bob
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Thanks Iain, for the stopping points and will give that idea of the festival some thought although we are both restricted by work commitments.
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Just to bump this topic up again, I ended up solo hiring a boat in the Republic of Ireland from Silverline Cruisers. Silverline allowed me to have an almost 9 metre boat for 12 nights which was well worth it. I started and finished in Banagher and went down to the lower end and up quite high, before returning. I did this trip as the wife was going off to Greece with the girlfriends. Last year we hired a boat and did the Canal du Midi in France for two weeks, which was again a great experience.
There was talk recently between the girlfriends of another girl trip in a couple of years time so out of interest I sat down the other night and sent off queries to many narrowboat/cruiser companies in the UK seeking out who would do solo hire. As expected many said no, citing insurance reasons and inability for a solo person to adequately managed a boat on their own. But surprisingly about 8 companies said they would solo hire throughout the UK. And that is without even trying to canvas them all. One company is at Falkirk so I started to look at Glasgow and Edinburgh for 2018-2020 or whenever the girls would get away, but the more research I did the sooner I wanted to do the trip. So it is now on the agenda for 2017 and I think the wife is interested, so there goes the solo hire idea!
Anyway, I think it is good that some of the companies respect hirers with extensive boating experience in their own countries and abroad.
Regards, Bob
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Hi all, thought I might join into this conversation as well. I am in Australia and am looking at about September 2017 to come over and get a boat from Falkirk to Glasgow, then to Edinburgh and back to Falkirk. I aim to spend a slow two weeks doing this trip to allow us plenty of time in Glasgow, Edinburgh and anywhere in between. I am also interested in any recommended stops along that route. I am waiting for a map to arrive from the UK showing the route, including locks etc as some internet sites mentioned multiple locks between Falkirk and Glasgow (34???) whereas other sites states only 8 locks in the return trip, so the map set up on a wall will allow me to get my head around it properly.
Thank you in advance for any assistance..
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I am travelling to Republic of Ireland in August and solo hiring a 9 metre cabin cruiser along the River Shannon. I note that the Grand Canal and the Royal Canal have quite a few locks along the canals, but would like to know if it is considered too hard for a a single person, in no great hurry to get anywhere, to negotiate the locks? I have previous experience with narrow boating on the River Thames and believe I could manage on either of the canals.
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Yeah, you know how it is as you are obviously far more experienced than me. Whilst I did the River Thames with my wife and acknowledge the benefit of her assistance during locks and mooring, I feel confident that I could do the Scottish Canals on my own and wouldn't be shy in asking for help from other boaters or towpath users during those times. It's just hiring the boat which would be the hassle. Have no concerns though, I will convince the wife to do the Scottish Canals but it probably won't be for about 18 months or so due to all our other holiday plans. I will just wait to see whether some of the Irish companies I have contacted will allow me to go solo and be satisfied with the Shannon and environs. Beats the heck out of working! Thanks again. Bob
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Thanks again to BillW and everyone else. I have contacted Black Prince and they do not hire to solo travellers and the Scottish Canals site says that travelling on my own is not a happening thing. Such a shame, I am disappointed. Now looking at the Shannon in Ireland to see if I can hire on my own. I am expecting that it will be the same, but here's hoping!. Thanks, Bob
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Thanks to all those who responded to my question. You have given me a number or areas to investigate. Bob
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Hi Bob
We hired a boat a couple of years ago from Falkirk to Edinburgh. It was a great week- you absolutely can't miss the trip on the Falkirk Wheel. I don't know how long the trip to Glasgow takes but we did Edinburgh and back in a very leisurely week. We arrived in Edinburgh at the tail end of the Edinburgh Festival - if you're going that way I'd advise looking into Festival dates because it's a great experience.
Hopefully Haggis or IainS will be along soon - they're local bods so will be able to give you far more information than I can. Haggis is a friend of mine on Facebook so I'll send her a link to this thread.
We hired from Alvechurch btw - basic but functional and, importantly for us, cheap. I'm sure there are other hire firms to choose from.
ETA for future reference it helps to be a bit more specific with your topic title - "help required" gives no clue as to the expertise/knowledge required. If you'd titled it "hire advice required Scotland" for example Iain/Haggis would probably have already been here with detailed advice.
Hi Ange, I have placed another query in this forum which you may see. My question is, do you think it is possible for someone to travel solo from Falkirk area through the wheel to Edinburgh, then to Glasgow and back to Falkirk? With emphasis on the solo. When we did our trip in August this year I had the feeling that I could manage a 58'er or even a 47'er if I could find one and manage okay. I have picked the mentioned route due to the minimal locks (not to mention the wheel and all the other destinations). Your thoughts please. Regards, Bob.
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I recently travelled from Australia and spent two weeks on a 58'er along the River Thames with my wife. I am researching the possibility of travelling solo aboard a canal boat from Falkirk and travelling to Edinburgh and then to Glasgow, before returning to Falkirk. I have two weeks or more to do this proposed trip in about August 2014 and seek any advice or recommendations on who to contact for advice re this idea. Thanks, Bob.
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Sorry not to have responded sooner but I was a wee bit busy when I first saw the message. (thanks, Ange and Brian for reminding me :-) )
The Lowland canals in Scotland are very quiet and peaceful with some lovely scenery. Capercaillie Cruisers ( http://www.capercailliecruisers.co.uk/ ) at Falkirk are agents for the main hire companies up here and all the trips start at the Wheel - an amazing structure and being on it on a boat is an experience not to be missed. As Ange said, going east on the Union canal, to Edinburgh and back can be accomplished well within a week. On the way you pass through Linlithgow, ( http://www.linlithgow.com/ ) a place well worth exploring. On the way to Linlithgow you get great views down the Firth of Forth to the Forth road and rail bridges. Another good stopping place (for food) is at Ratho where you will find the Bridge Inn canal side. Between Ratho and Edinburgh you cross the Scott Russell aqueduct over the city bypass before going through Wester Hailes where the canal had to be completely rebuilt before it could be reopened. At the canal terminus in Edinburgh Quay you are a short walk for the city centre with all it has to offer.
Returning to Falkirk, go back down the Wheel and turn right and you will descend a flight of broad locks which will take you down to the Helix project with the amazing kelpies ( http://www.thehelix.co.uk/ ) . These are almost complete and we look forward to their official opening (a new bit of canal to the River Forth) next April. Coming back up the locks go past the Wheel and continue to Glasgow where again you can moor very near the city centre. Unlike the Union canal into Edinburgh, the Forth and Clyde canal is a broad deeper canal and it is mainly used by sea going boats crossing from one side of Scotland to the other. After Glasgow, there is a flight of locks down to Bowling where the canal joins the Firth of Clyde and if you have time, it is worth going down there. On the way you go through Clydebank where there is a boat through chip shop! You stop at the rear window and give your order, just like MacDonalds do for cars.
The Wheel and all the locks and lift bridges are done for you by Scottish Canals staff and while this makes it a more restful trip, it means that you have to keep to their time table.
With two weeks you should be able to visit all the canal termini - Edinburgh, Helix, Glasgow and Bowling, but it will depend on how much time you wish to spend exploring off the canal.
I may be just a wee bit biased, having a little Sea Otter up here and having attended all the events since the canals reopened, but I think the Lowland canals are well worth a visit.
If you want any more information about specific aspects, please ask
haggis
Thanks to Ange for the recommendations and especially the advice about how I address my questions. I am new to this forum method, it is too much like social media for my liking, something which I don't indulge in, but obviously a necessity for this purpose. Also, thanks to haggis for his lengthy response which has answered many of my questions and given me many areas to investigate.
Regards, Bob
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OP - I guess you've already found the Canal's website? Linky
I hadn't, but thanks. Are you aware of any hire companies that do one way? Either Glasgow to Edinburgh or the other way?
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I am an Aussie who recently had an enjoyable canal boat trip along the River Thames and am now in the planning stages of another trip. I am throwing many routes around in my head at the moment, but one possibility is hiring a boat at Falkirk for two weeks and heading to Glasgow and Edinburgh, in whichever order, during the months of August/September. Can someone please recommend where I can read of another person's adventures doing the same route? Thanks, Bob.
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Which hire firm?
Black Prince and as I understand it when the boat is returned they will fill it up and charge me for the amount used. At this stage I don't know how far we will travel, or how much we will use, but just interested to know anything incase I need to refuel along the way. Thanks.
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So after reading all the replies, what does an Aussie need to know when coming over very soon to hire a canal boat for two weeks, about using and paying for fuel? Please, if you wish to, just respond to mibosa52@tpg.com.au, otherwise use this site. I have paid up front for the hire and am understanding that I need to cover fuel costs at the end but would certainly appreciate any further advice.
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Thanks to Eightpot, Dave Mack and BabyJune for their advice. I'm sitting in South Australia doing lots of research on all the web sites, including Canal Plan which gives me a good idea of times, distances, locks etc and I have read on numerous sites about the tides. I might need to work out this forum better because I cannot seem to find any original response by Eightpot. Regards, AussieBob.
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Hi BabyJune,
This is AussieBob here. I joined this forum site about a month ago searching for someone who had previously hired from Black Prince canal boats at Yeading and travelled along the Grand Union to the Thames River towards Reading. We are doing this trip in August as canal boat virgins and would like to communicate with a 'recent' traveller. We can be contacted on mibosa52@tpg.com.au, to avoid others having to read my stupid questions. I have requested for persons who have travelled our proposed path but have not received any useful responses. Regards, Bob.
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Thanks, yes I am aware of that but just wanted to communicate with someone who has done it recently. Regards,
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Aussie Bob is looking for someone who has previously hired a canal boat from Black Prince base at Yeading and travelled to the Grand Union Canal and onto the Thames River towards Reading. Thanks.
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Aussie Bob is looking for someone who has previously hired a canal boat from Black Prince at Yeading and travelled along the Grand Union Canal onto the Thames River in the direction of Reading.
Speirs Wharf
in Holidays Afloat
Posted
Thanks Iain for the follow-up. I might return to the area one day. Mibosa