I want my own narrowboat

Hi folks! Thanks for all your comments. My favorite one was the Tesco clubcard way of paying... I live in Harrogate which is famous as the only UK postcode not to have a Tesco supermarket in the town! Our schools don't let the kids have time off - very strict about it now. It looks like narrowboating has become something only the wealthy can afford now - and I'm not wealthy! Camping again then. Cheers - Mark.

Hi folks I have not been here for a while... so please bear with me! We have hired boats from the likes of Black Prince, Shire Cruisers, Alvechurch, Andersen etc over the last 10 years. Done hundreds of miles, and locks, cruising the cut and loved every minute with the family, usually over a two week period. The last holiday was about 4 years ago when we did the Cheshire ring in a 62 footer from the Anderton Boat Lift hire base (Alvechurch). We went up (to a pub for lunch)and back down the Weaver via the lift, went to Manchester where we moored at Castlefield for the night, did a detour to Stalybridge, then completed the whole ring back to the base at at Anderton. Great memories! Great trip! Last night, wife and kids tell me they want another holiday on the canal. OK I thought, would love to myself, and as the last canal holiday cost me about £1500 (2nd week half price) which I can afford if I am careful, I went online. I went to Black Prince website, did a general search for a 2 week holiday in the school summer holidays, for a 4 berth boat (footage not specified). BLOODY HELL!... First on the list was a 48 foot boat, 14 foot less than my last boat, for... wait for it... £2759... and that included a 10% discount for the second week!!!! I did not look any further and came straight here! £2759 - Is someone taking the pi$$? or is this what they are all charging now? The reason for this post... Does anyone know anyone who is prepared to take about £1300 of my hard earned cash, business or not, during this recession in exchange for a 2 week canal boat hire during the school holidays? We are a family of four, me, wife, 17 year old daughter and 9 year old son. I know I am probably asking the earth... but we love boating... need a holiday... but come on - £2759 - get real!!! Rant over! Here's hoping, Mark.

I totally agree with you. We have hired many times between 2000 and 2008. OK it wasn't cheap, but we could just about afford it. Move on a few years - my daughter going on final school trip to Ardeche in France for a week in July 2012, so looking for a narrowboat holiday for me, wife and son whilst she is away... how much?!!! Everything is way over £1000 for a week, and that does not include the damage waiver or fuel! Bloody stupid prices - all we want is to hire a boat for a week that works, will get us from A to B without any problems, and is safe. Not bothered about fancy worktops, LED mood lighting, digital TV, bow thrusters, wine racks, macerat...... actually those toilets are quite good!!! There must be a market for families with boating experience, who just want to hire a boat for a week at a reasonable price, without all the extras - if so, I'm willing to test one of your existing boats after a re-paint - for a reasonable price of course!!

I can! Someone nicked a narrowboat called 'Holly' I seem to remember. Didn't return it after the hire period, hire boat company became suspicious and search started. Meanwhile, hirer re-painted it and did a runner. This, and other website forums eventually found her after loads of pages. I'm still trying to remember the hire company

You would say that! - It was a good article though I also agree with you. We went on our second Narrowboat holiday with Shire Cruisers for a week aboard Warwick - a small but fun boat. This was just after the Rochdale had opened - it was bl@@dy hard work, but worth it. We reached summit before winding back in one week during a cold and very wet October. Hebden Bridge was memorable though - we went as Mum, Dad and daughter - came back as Dad, Daughter and pregnant Mum! Timmy Taylors beer has a lot to answer for

I knew that would kick off! - I'm from Yorkshire

Yes, that's the one. You could try these more more information: http://www.black-prince.com/bases.html or http://www.andersenboats.com/llangollen.htm Hope that helps.

If it is your first trip and you have a week to do it, I would recommend Llangollen and back. We did this trip on our first cruise and loved it - plenty of pubs, lovely scenery, 2 aquaducts, tunnels etc. and you get to cross from England into Wales, so don't forget your passport! Also, it should be lovely and quiet during August

Glad you found your boat - Hope they catch and charge the thieving bar-stewards

We spent a week on the Rochdale just after it re-opened. Went with Shire Cruisers (Warwick I seem to remember) and had a great time. Lovely scenery, locks very hard work (but worth it!) and some good pubs. One thing to mention though - the towpath has more dog $h!t on it than in Skipton! If you've been to Skipton and walked the towpath you'll know what I mean! It was everywhere, and being a broad canal, you have to use your ropes in the locks. The amount of times I threw the rope to my better half, and it landed in the brown stuff was unbelievable We took some heavy duty hand wash, Lava I think it was called, and used a whole tub He he - fun days I know it was 5 years ago because we were moored up in Hebden Bridge, had a few Timmy Taylors followed by an excellent Chinese take-away, retired to bed early as it was pi$$ing down (does that a lot up there!) and made a baby

Crumbs Thanks for the suggestions, I'll probably stick to Leicester then. Would I be right in saying that the pontoons mentioned in Leicester are not accessible to the yobs, the ones who don't have a BW key anyway thanks, Mark. Thanks Alex

Hi folks After researching the Leicester Ring for a 2 week holiday, I have decided that the Avon Ring could be an alternative trip. Have any of you kind people done both the 'rings' and if so, how do they compare? Which is the safer, Gas Street or Leicester? Any information would be useful as I like to plan ahead as much as possible. Many thanks, Mark.

Try Silsden Boats near Skipton on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal. http://www.silsdenboats.co.uk They do Widebeams to hire.

Thanks for that. I can see another thread here - Foxton Locks - better up or down? As I will be at the tiller, it will probably be a better view going down Foxton for me, the rest of the crew won't be too bothered about the view as they will be busy!

On what? Are you referring to the river flow sections? Would a hire boat have the extra power to go against the flow or would common sense say go with the flow? And which way are they flowing? Sorry... so many questions Oh, and thanks Emma

Nice challenges or not nice challenges? Also, is it better to do the ring clockwise or anti-clockwise?

This is great Many thanks for all your constructive comments. It sounds like we will have some extra time so I am now looking into all the detours available as well. I'm sure that you find out more things through discussions like this than from the guide books available, space centres and water parks - sounds great! Looks like I will have to start saving my pennies now!

Hi folks I am at that stage in the year when the family are planning/discussing where to go for our next narrowboat 2 week holiday. We have done the Llangollen (1 week), Rochdale (1 week), 4 Counties (1 week), 4 Counties (2 weeks + the Caldon) and this year did the Cheshire Ring and a trip up to Chester and back (2 weeks). I am not too bothered about the Leeds & Liverpool canal as I live nearby and know many of the interesting places already. So, north covered, the next accessible and completely new trip for us would be the Leicester Ring. It sounds interesting, but my research is telling me not to go anywhere near Leicester by boat. I have not been to Leicester and know nothing about the place. This is where I hope you friendly folks can help me, as I know some of you will know the area or will have cruised through the area. Is it safe? (I have 2 children), I seem to be reading lots of negative comments, are the problems (and what are they?) still around or are the reports out of date? I don't want to spend a lot of hard earned cash on a holiday that we will worry about, I want to enjoy it safely! Any help, comments, advice, tips, etc. (you know what I mean) would be most appreciated. Thanks and happy boating - Mark.

Thanks Beckie, so do I, it's already planned! We are going to try the Leicester Ring as they will all be new canals to us, probably starting from the Black Prince base at Festival Park in Stoke. It will just take a long time to save up as we are tied to the kids holidays now - add £200 to the weekly price - but we WILL do it, we're hooked! Regarding same hire companies, we choose a different one each time - Llangollen (Andersen boats), Rochdale (Shire Cruisers), 4 Counties (Middlewich boats), 4 Counties (Black Prince) and Cheshire ring (Alvechurch). The only time I will do boating on the same boat will be when it's MY boat.

I assume you mean the 4 Counties ring. We have completed the 4 Counties ring twice, the first time we did it in a week (clockwise) with no detours and setting off each morning at a reasonable time. It was summer so the canals were busy, but the sun set later, say 8/9pm so you could get those few extra hours in allowing the odd dinnertime stop at a pub (Anchor recommended!). We did it with just enough time to spare. The second time was a 2 week affair and we decided to travel anti-clockwise. We had loads of time spare, a detour along the Caldon canal and back (recommended also!) and took our time. It was much more enjoyable as we were not rushing to get back to the hire base. We had more time to enjoy the experience, visit different villages to explore local shops/butchers/bakers etc (instead of filling up at the nearest Tesco/Asda etc), sight-seeing and mooring earlier (instead of getting that last tight mooring spot - you know the one - next to the guy who needs to charge up his batteries because he hasn't moved anywhere, so needs to run his engine in neutral till 10pm!) You mentioned that you were 40, 4 years hire experience and a crew of 2 - Our first attempt (1 week) was myself (38), my very pregnant wife (36) and a 7 year old female navigator with attitude! The second attempt (2 weeks) was myself (40'th birthday treat!), my wife (38), a very experienced 9 year old female navigator with lock skills and more attitude!, and a 2 year old who loved the whole experience. Go for it! you will manage just fine as long as you plan your days cruising times - earlier starts, finishes and less stops - it gets darker earlier in September, so you will loose your evening cruising time. We have done the Llangollen (1 week), Rochdale (1 week), 4 Counties (1 week), 4 Counties (2 weeks) and this year did the Cheshire Ring and a trip up to Chester and back (2 weeks - 1st 2 weeks in June, it was glorious weather!). Happy times - we try to do a canal holiday every 2 years - but as I am self employed, and my biggest client has just decided to go bankrupt on me for a lot of money, it may be a while before we can do another one. Fingers crossed eh! Hope that helps - the Clement family from Harrogate in Yorkshire - jealous as hell! - enjoy

No problem and thanks Just out of curiosity, why the interest in Fountains Abbey?

Hello folks Be gentle, my first post! We spent the first 2 weeks of june this year (lucky with the weather!) on nb Pacific Swift which was an Alvechurch boat from Anderton Marina. We passed Fountains Abbey many times during the holiday. We noticed it for 2 reasons, firstly the name (we live in Harrogate, 15 minutes drive from the real Fountains Abbey) and secondly because it was an Alvechurch boat, like ours. We did the Cheshire Ring and at Middlewich, travelled up to Chester and back. Sorry to waffle but can confirm, definitely an Alvechurch boat.