6 month boat hire

[cookie]

We would like to hire a narrow boat for 6 months in 2010, following my retirement. We are experienced boaters but do not want to purchase our own boat yet, possible in the future...........

We have looked at Distinctive Charters but have not been too impressed, some of the boats look good, just not enough of them.

Any suggestions please of other places we can look to get in touch with private boat owners that may want to hire for a 6 month term.

[charles123]

I would put a wanted add on Apollo duck, there are always 700 plus narrowboats for sale and some owners might consider a let to get some income in

 

Charles

[alan_fincher]

Sorry to be a wet rag, but however much they would like the money, most private owners are not legally in a position to rent their boat out, short or long term.

 

They need (at least)

 

. A different licence

. A more stringent boat safety certificate

. Different insurance

 

At least one of the third party organisations offering to sort this for you, (not Distinctive Charters), is headed by a rogue, and some owners have apparently got very badly burnt.

 

If you are offered something, you need to check out very carefully who is offering, I'm afraid.

 

That said, there are one or two outfits that have managed to offer a useful service in long term rentals.

[Keeping Up]

Surely for the price that a 6-month rental would cost, you could consider buying something and then selling it again later. Even the cheapest hire is unlikely to cost less than £500 per week in mid-season, so the hire cost would almost certainly be well over £10,000. For a larger/more luxurious boat you could be looking at £20,000

 

As an alternative you could buy a boat without really caring if it was a bit over-priced, or if it wasn't quite the style you wanted for your ultimate purchase, and sell it really cheaply 6 months later to get a quick sale, the loss you make would surely be far less than the hire cost.

[ditchcrawler]

Surely for the price that a 6-month rental would cost, you could consider buying something and then selling it again later. Even the cheapest hire is unlikely to cost less than £500 per week in mid-season, so the hire cost would almost certainly be well over £10,000. For a larger/more luxurious boat you could be looking at £20,000

 

As an alternative you could buy a boat without really caring if it was a bit over-priced, or if it wasn't quite the style you wanted for your ultimate purchase, and sell it really cheaply 6 months later to get a quick sale, the loss you make would surely be far less than the hire cost.

You might even want to keep it

[RichardH]

It largely depends on what you want for your money. If you just want a boat and are prepared to fuel it, provide gas, organise repairs at an agreed repair centre should something go wrong then.....you may get a good deal. If you want a fully serviced offer including bedding, towels and the no stress if anything does go wrong (such as tuning the TV in - trust me it happens) then you will pay more.

 

We do 'longer' periods of hire but so far 5 weeks has been the max. There is a company in Sheffield basin that specialises in the sort of hire you are looking at but their name escapes me.

 

Equally, weigh up the costs of buying a boat and then re-selling.

 

As Alan says, beware of private hire but this has been debated at length before on the forum.

[Lady Muck]

I would put a wanted add on Apollo duck, there are always 700 plus narrowboats for sale and some owners might consider a let to get some income in

 

Charles

 

As Alan says - I would advise the OP to be very careful indeed and check with British Waterways whether the firm is properly licensed before they part with any money. If the business can provide only email address and mobile number it's not enough. Just because someone is advertising long term boat hire on Apollo Duck, it doesn't mean they are a legitimate business.

 

Don't expect it to be all that cheap either. There are some legitimate businesses out there (Escape the Rat Race is one of them) but you can expect to pay as much or more than you would to rent a flat, because the risk and associated insurance is so much higher.

 

We have heard some horror stories about one such advertiser on Apollo Duck- sunken boats, ruined belongings, using photos of other peoples boats and advertising them for rent to con money out of boaters, lost deposits followed by threats and harrassement. The police are investigating but this particular rogue is still in 'business' for now.

 

You need to exercise the same caution you would when renting a flat you saw advertised on Gumtree - because when it comes to boat rentals, the conmen have found a new gullible market to 'milk'.

 

Good luck and if you're not sure about anything please ask us - better safe than sorry eh?

[Madmark62]

Have a look at this.

 

This is the one mentioned earlier in Sheffield

 

http://www.sheffieldnarrowboats.com/

[NB Willawaw]

The forums are probably a good place to advertise, or Apollo Duck, as has already been suggested.

 

Be careful concerning companies offering other peoples boats for long term rent.

 

Another issue might be insurance on other peoples boats - their insurance probably won't cover you.

[Dominic M]

We would like to hire a narrow boat for 6 months in 2010, following my retirement. We are experienced boaters but do not want to purchase our own boat yet, possible in the future...........

We have looked at Distinctive Charters but have not been too impressed, some of the boats look good, just not enough of them.

Any suggestions please of other places we can look to get in touch with private boat owners that may want to hire for a 6 month term.

How much are you expecting to pay?

[debbifiggy]

We would like to hire a narrow boat for 6 months in 2010, following my retirement. We are experienced boaters but do not want to purchase our own boat yet, possible in the future...........

We have looked at Distinctive Charters but have not been too impressed, some of the boats look good, just not enough of them.

Any suggestions please of other places we can look to get in touch with private boat owners that may want to hire for a 6 month term.

Have you considered a legitimate boat share or do you want to be on board in sole control for 6 months. Whatever you do, do your research carefully and avoid anything that sounds too good to be true or a dodgy private let. There are too many pitfalls as friends of mine have found out to their cost.

 

Best of luck and happy cruising.

D

 

 

The forums are probably a good place to advertise, or Apollo Duck, as has already been suggested.

 

Be careful concerning companies offering other peoples boats for long term rent.

 

Another issue might be insurance on other peoples boats - their insurance probably won't cover you.

 

I agree with Willawaw, research has revealed that as soon as any money changes hands, whether it is a friend borrowing your boat or you renting it out, if you don't have a full commercial policy and something goes wrong your insurance company will say it's all your fault and you are not covered. I know in one case that the insurance company has washed their hands as they think it was a commercial transaction. I really feel for the people who own Que Sera Sera (not who I am referring to in the previous sentence but there are other similar cases) but it's an easy trap to fall into and there are a lot of not very nice people (including banks and insurers as well as rip off merchants) who will try to get money out of you off at the slightest excuse ( no, not just BW either ).

 

Be careful before you buy and never ever believe anything that sounds like a fab deal because there might be a nasty hidden catch.

 

Take care. Hope you find what you want.

D

[AjW]

Buy one that is too wide and too long for some parts of the canal system, say about 7' wide by 70'. When you're done with it sue the vendor, fitter and builder for producing something that is useless, and get your money back.

[Hyperion 53]

We would like to hire a narrow boat for 6 months in 2010, following my retirement. We are experienced boaters but do not want to purchase our own boat yet, possible in the future...........

We have looked at Distinctive Charters but have not been too impressed, some of the boats look good, just not enough of them.

Any suggestions please of other places we can look to get in touch with private boat owners that may want to hire for a 6 month term.

 

Try Norbury Wharf Limited - www.norburyhire.co.uk.

 

Regards,

[Daftmare]

Hi,

 

Perhaps you could buy 50% of the shares in a shared boat (e.g. from Ownerships), you could sell your shares again after your 6 month trip.

 

Jo.

[bargeeboy]

I will give you a guaranteed buy back on any boat purchased from us!

[stickleback]

I'm sure many boat owners who have read the Que Sera threads would be very nervous of a long term hire! Imagine not knowing for 6 months if the boat had changed colour, name, configuration - and might never come back!

 

Having said that, the Sheffield organisation does specialise in long term hire - have you tried them? Alternatively, as has been said above, I'd try the buy and sell later idea - if you buy in the Autumn you're more likely to get a good (low) price and conversely, when you come to sell in the Spring you'd be in with a chance of a profit.

 

Stickleback.

[loner]

Try: http://www.etrr.co.uk/?page=boats&id=5

 

they have 6 month rentals.

[Peter R]

You could also try saisons

 

http://www.saisons.co.uk/

 

The website only mentions up to 6 weeks, but i'm sure i've seen reference in another thread to someone who hired a boat from them for several months

 

Peter

[WJM]

http://www.etrr.co.uk/

[PaddingtonBear]

Hiring is always dead money - why not talk to Bargeeboy, he is alway up for a deal ( or perhaps now he has sold Stafford he has retired to the sun)

[Smelly]

Hiring is always dead money - why not talk to Bargeeboy, he is alway up for a deal ( or perhaps now he has sold Stafford he has retired to the sun)

 

That's good advice.

 

As to hiring; two years ago we ran into a couple who had a 3 month deal from Rose Narrowboats at what he only described as "a very reasonable price" with a look in his eye that told me he meant it.

 

It was before ETRR et al had come to promenance, and prices might be higher than they were, however remembering the look in his eye I'd suggest, if you fancy living the towpath/cruising life as opposed to the liveaboard life with home comforts they're worth a call.

 

However taking up Bargeeboy's suggestion has significant merits...

[Maverick]

Surely for the price that a 6-month rental would cost, you could consider buying something and then selling it again later. Even the cheapest hire is unlikely to cost less than £500 per week in mid-season, so the hire cost would almost certainly be well over £10,000. For a larger/more luxurious boat you could be looking at £20,000

 

As an alternative you could buy a boat without really caring if it was a bit over-priced, or if it wasn't quite the style you wanted for your ultimate purchase, and sell it really cheaply 6 months later to get a quick sale, the loss you make would surely be far less than the hire cost.

 

 

Based on those sums then someone who is struggling a bit financially to stay in boating may consider giving up their boat for 6 months in the knowledge that the income raised would pay their expenses for years to come.

 

Obviously lots of precautions would need to be put into place such as a hidden tracking device unknown to the hirer, and money up front for the full 6 months if agreeable. Also a trip out with the hirers to judge their competence etc.

 

Very tempting prospect for someone that will be full of sleepless nights until the boat is safely returned but could reap huge rewards.

 

Anyone out there a gambler??????