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Arlen Hire Boats


Jezbear

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Does anybody know if Arlen Narrowboat Hire on the Lancaster Canal have closed up for this year or ceased trading?

Website only shows 2018/19 prices, the last review was from October 2019 and I'm receiving no reply whatsoever from emails or phone calls. It's constantly going to answerphone and I've been trying for weeks to book one for next year.

Thanks.

Jerry

 

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Wouldn't be surprised if they have gone bust. We hired Falcon about five years ago and their website then only had the previous years prices.  We did get a reply from him though. We obviously hired a boat but it was very disappointing in its state when we got there. We have since been going on the Lancaster with Duck Island Boat Company and their boats are first class, I recommend them to you as they are in Garstang Marine.

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Thanks for your quick reply.

We were told Arlen allowed you to go down the Glasson Branch, hence our desire to go with them. Was that true do you know or know of any other company who do please?

We've just had Blossom from Tewitfield and they said a lot don't due to insurance. Did Duck Island or any others that you know of please?

Thanks again.

Jerry

 

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There is also Water Babies.........a small hire outfit with only 1 boat in their fleet. We hired from them quite a few years ago (they had a 2 boat fleet then). I'm not sure if they allow you to go down the Glasson branch. 

 

I'm not sure that taking a boat down the Glasson Branch is worth the effort TBH. If I remember correctly the visitor moorings in the basin are next to a public car park! Walking the branch does make for a pleasant afternoon out though.  

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Thanks for your reply.

Water Babies don't allow passage although their website is quite misleading so we contacted them to ask.

Walking it is an option but we'll be going at the time of the closure at Bolton-le-Sands so the branch will be a good overnighter for the time.

 

 

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Hi Jerry

 

As far as I am aware no hire boat company on the Lancaster allows passage down the Glasson Branch. As other members state it is because on insurance reasons. I assume its to remain competitive with other hire companies on other networks but seeing as it's often cheaper on the national network with locks than the Lancaster I can't see how they justify it.  It's too far back for me to recall if Arlen Boats did allow it but seeing as it seems they have gone bust it's irrelevant.

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Ahhh so Arlen did then so that's further forwards anyway. Thanks.

I've not had it confirmed that they've gone bust yet...only a non reply from the company and Insurance has just been cited by Blossom who I hired off and now 4 hire companies so it looks as though no one does now if Arlen have closed. I'll keep trying to find out for sure.

Thanks for all your replies.

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We hired <Broad Oak> from Pintail boats in 2013 for a week on the Lancaster.

We went down the Glasson branch and spent a - very wet! - afternoon and overnight stay in Glasson Dock.

Their website http://www.pintailboats.co.uk/ suggests that a trip down the locks is certainly permitted: "At this point in your journey, you have the option to leave the Lancaster Canal and follow the Glasson Branch to the west, via locks."

 

(I'm not sure why they say Broad Oak is "New for the 2019 Season" - it looks the same as when we had it 7 years ago. Maybe it's been redecorated.)

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