Jump to content

Do you have a recommended hire company (higher end)


FA80

Featured Posts

I've only ever been boating once and that was with Excellence Afloat in Coventry. Stuff I liked from them were:

 

  • Very friendly professional service
  • Boat was immaculate, very clean and nearly new
  • Service was top notch (an engineer was dispatched on a weekend to fix broken heating when we were about 12 miles away)

 

Sadly I've heard they've gone bust now. 

 

Could anyone recommend anyone else for their service and quality of their boats? We are based in Yorkshire but prepared to travel anywhere in the country to boat with the right company. Looking for the better quality boats that are out there if possible. We are a family of 3, going for 4 nights, gentle cruising.

 

Thank you very much

Link to comment
Share on other sites

No experience of hiring one (except in France from their subsidiary company) but Napton Narrowboats always look immaculate, and crews to whom I've spoken think well of them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes the boat is important (I like Wyvern Shipping) BUT think about the location that comes with it and the cruising range 2 days out and back - the Wyatts yard in Stone (Canal Cruising Company Ltd) which will give you the chance to explore the Leek and Caldon

Edited by Halsey
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I can recommend Cambrian Cruisers on the Mon & Brec. Also try Beacon Park Boats. Never been with them, but certainly up market and different. Many boats based on inspection launches rather than the traditional working narrowboats. Even one boat with a hot tub on the front deck.

 

https://www.cambriancruisers.co.uk/

https://beaconparkboats.com/search/650017

Edited by RS2021
Links added
Link to comment
Share on other sites

We hired from Ashby Boats, Napton Narrowboats, Countrywide Cruisers, Alvechurch (ABC Boat Hire), all had well maintained boats.  We used to decide where we wanted to go and then hired accordingly.

  • Greenie 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, Rob-M said:

We hired from Ashby Boats, Napton Narrowboats, Countrywide Cruisers, Alvechurch (ABC Boat Hire), all had well maintained boats.  We used to decide where we wanted to go and then hired accordingly.

I do think that is the right way to go - far better an average boat on a great canal than vice versa.......

Link to comment
Share on other sites

28 minutes ago, Rob-M said:

We hired from Ashby Boats, Napton Narrowboats, Countrywide Cruisers, Alvechurch (ABC Boat Hire), all had well maintained boats.  We used to decide where we wanted to go and then hired accordingly.

I think this is the right attitude. There are others that could be added to the list, such as Kate Boats from my experience and who may offer something similar and at least comparable with Valley Cruisers (thats who used Excellence Afloat branding??). Others would doubtless add Anglo-Welsh and Black Prince who with ABC are the big players.

 

Look at the routes and look at the boats that interest you. I think you’d find it quite hard to find a bad experience, but as others have pointed out the spec of the boat is probably more important than the company.
 

JP

Edited by Captain Pegg
Link to comment
Share on other sites

26 minutes ago, Captain Pegg said:

 Valley Cruisers (thats who used Excellence Afloat branding??)
 

JP

Yes indeed - or more precisely, Valley Cruises. The "Excellence Afloat" slogan came a little later. I have heard that they went down the pan after the Wagstaffs at Springwood Haven sold the fleet and business.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, Athy said:

Yes indeed - or more precisely, Valley Cruises. The "Excellence Afloat" slogan came a little later. I have heard that they went down the pan after the Wagstaffs at Springwood Haven sold the fleet and business.

Subsequently basing them at Coventry basin was possibly not a good business decision.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, The Happy Nomad said:

Subsequently basing them at Coventry basin was possibly not a good business decision.

 

I don't know. Some hire bases are in the middle of nowhere, very pastoral but with no local shopping, and hard to get to by public transport. In those respects Coventry was ideal, though I'm not sure where there was parking for hirers who did arrive by car. I do know, having moored at Springwood for several years, that the Wagstaffs and their staff made sure that the boats lived up to the "excellence" tag. Did the new owners?

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Captain Pegg said:

I think this is the right attitude. There are others that could be added to the list, such as Kate Boats from my experience and who may offer something similar and at least comparable with Valley Cruisers (thats who used Excellence Afloat branding??). Others would doubtless add Anglo-Welsh and Black Prince who with ABC are the big players.

 

Look at the routes and look at the boats that interest you. I think you’d find it quite hard to find a bad experience, but as others have pointed out the spec of the boat is probably more important than the company.
 

JP

Forgot Kate Boats, we hired from them as well.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was going to make a suggestion, but after reading down the thread every single one of the (high-quality!) firms we've hired from have already been mentioned... ?

 

So plenty of choices, find one (preferably mentioned above) where you want to go.

 

Just bear in mind that (as I found from trying to rebook a holiday recently) many of the best ones are booked up solid for the rest of this year (unless you want to go in October or later and get cold and wet) and some really well-liked ones (Bear Boating) are already booked solid for next year ...

 

(for example Napton have got quite a big fleet of high-class 2-berth boats, and every single one was booked up all summer when I called a couple of weeks ago)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A suggestion.

 

If you have the funds for a high class hire, why not consider a share in a share boat then you can go topline boating often? For the price you will pay for 3 days hire you are part way there.

There will be more shares available soon than hires.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think the advice to think about whereabouts you fancy going cruising is the right first step, otherwise there is just too much choice of companies.

 

If your answer is the midlands, then you have a good selection of companies with what you might calll upmarket boats such as Napton Narrowboats and Kate Boats to look at and see if you like their boats.  I suspect most are very booked up, they all seem to be out at the moment.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.