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hotelboats

charlee

By charlee
in Holidays Afloat

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David Schweizer Veteran II

David Schweizer

Posted
Posted

Hi,

Does anyone know what is needed to use your boat as a hotel. What restrictions if any, also if anyone is already doing this what advice would you give to a novice?

The Hotel Boats Industry have a Professional Association who often exhibit at major boat shows, I suggest you contact them. (Sorry I can't remember thoe official name of the association)

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Robin Gongoozler

Robin

Posted
Posted

The trade body is the Association of Pleasure Craft Operators (APCO).

For detail of hotel boat operation (if you're serious), I can give you contact details.

Suffice to say, there are a lot of regulations and expensive licences and insurance, just to start with.

 

Robin

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Gary Peacock Veteran

Gary Peacock

Posted
Posted

I don't know too much in regards specifically to hotel boats but the rules in relation to inland waterways craft for public use suddenly become a lot more serious both on the construction and operations side.

 

This question might be worth asking on uk.rec.waterways they do have a broader range of users from the commercial world then we do here.

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Paul Evans Rising Star

Paul Evans

Posted
Posted

I've found these contact details:

 

Association of Pleasure Craft Operators (APCO)

Audley Avenue,

Newport

Shropshire

TF10 7BX

 

Tel 01952 813572

 

Fax 01952 820363

 

E-mail apco@britshmarine.co.uk

 

APCO is a group association within the British Marine Federation (http://www.britishmarine.co.uk/)

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dor Veteran II

dor

Posted
Posted (edited)
dont know if this is of any interest to you?

 

http://bargeholidayuk.com/sale/

 

 

Looks cheap enough to me

 

Interesting - I see it was put up in May - Did it sell?

 

The price of £150,000 looks a bit dear to me, as you are actually only buying the boats for that, not the business. The business name etc is open to separate negotiation, so they could sell you the boats, follow their wish to "semi-retire" and carry on the business with another boat.

 

Also it appears to be plus VAT, another large sum. they seem a bit cagey about the vat - whilst the holidays might be sold at zero rate, I would have thought that if they are a vat-registered business, then vat would be payable on the purchase.

 

Also I like the "benefit" of being able to find your own moorings - like moorings for two 70 foot boats are easy to come by - even if only for half the year!

 

Nice boats though.

Edited by dor
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Robin Gongoozler

Robin

Posted
Posted

APCO contact details have changed (although you'll get a reply to letters sent to the address previously quoted).

New contact address is: APCO, Unit 1, The Boatyard, High Street, Weedon, Northants NN7 4QD.

APCO's web site should be accessibe via BMF (www.britishmarine.co.uk), but may not be available at present.

Two pieces of advice if you're thinking about hotel boating: a. read my book 'Precious Cargo' (available on Amazon) to find out what's involved, b. look at existing businesses that might be for sale before planning anything new.

 

Robin

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grandunion5 Contributor

grandunion5

Posted
Posted

Hi Robin

 

It seems quite hard to get a copy of your book haha... Anyway, it's on backorder with the IWA shop. Before I get the chance to read it, I have a question which has been going through my mind for some time now... You moor your hotelboat somewhere for the night and in the morning there's an unexpected stoppage that will take ages to repair. How do you handle things, especially if there's no alternative route around except going back from where you came? Have you ever experienced such a problem?

 

Marc

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Robin Gongoozler

Robin

Posted
Posted

Marc,

 

If that were one's only worry!

To be a successful hotel boater, you have to a prefessional problem solver - you're really out there on your own, with paying guests on board - so you have to sort out their comfort, their food, their toilets etc. at any time, with no land backup.

Unexpected stoppages are (thankfully) pretty rare (due in the main to the continued high quality of the men on the ground for BW). The respond quickly, and are sufficiently experienced that they can usually get you through (even if they then have to close the canal). You also ahve to be right on top of the stoppage infomation network, though, so you can re-route if someting develops in front of you.

Bear in mind taht a normal day would only involve say seven hours cruising or less (so by cruising while guests eat etc., you can catch up on schedules.

It's all in the book - if your'e really having difficulty getting it, let me know and I'll post you a copy!

 

Robin

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grandunion5 Contributor

grandunion5

Posted
Posted

Hi Robin

 

Thanks for your reply. Well, I got your book in the meantime and have literally devoured it. It not only offers pleasant reading but is extremely informative as to what to expect when you start such a business.

 

My concern about stoppages was mainly anecdotal, as I am well aware that there are far more important issues to deal with. After all, the customers are the most important element... Without them, no business!

 

I did try to contact British Waterways and the BMF regarding licences, taxes, legal matters and suchlike related to the operation of hotel boats but it seems they are on a long holiday, as they have not replied to my email (Emails were sent two weeks ago). Could I get this kind of info through you?

 

Cheers,

 

Marc

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Robin Gongoozler

Robin

Posted
Posted

Marc,

 

Glad you enjoyed the book. Sorry for delay in replying - I don't get on this forum often.

If you're looking for info, don't speak to BW yet - they'll try to stitch you up with a trading agreement - which is one thing you don't need. You would make little enough money at it without them taking their cut!

If you're really serious about this, you could talk to Nigel Hamilotn who is chairman of APCO Hotel Boat section - nigel(dot)hamilton3(at)ntlworld(dot)com.

 

Robin

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anhar Rising Star

anhar

Posted
Posted

Snipe & Taurus are now back on the market. See Apolloduck. Purchase fell through.

New operator sought for this season!

 

Robin

I don't see how there is any worthwhile money to be made in this business, which probably explains why these boats are for sale. Given the cost of buying and keeping such boats and the very seasonally short period during which you might find a few guests to cruise, my accountant's nose tells me that as a business this is a non starter. It is very unlikely that a worthwhile return on the capital involved could be generated and an investor might be better off simply sticking the £150,000 in the bank at 4.5% for no risk and no work.

 

Not only are the likely profits from hotel boating going to be very low, it probably would be quite difficult I suspect to even show any profit at all, let alone a decent one. And if it was done largely on borrowed money - likely to be the case - that worsens greatly the chances of making any appreciable profits because of the interest that will have to be paid.

 

regards

Steve

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Robin Gongoozler

Robin

Posted
Posted

Making money out of hotel boats is not the reason people do it.

It's hard work and the financial rewards are small.

However, if you love the canals, and you want to share that love with others, and you can take pride in giving someone a lovely holiday, then it is worth the struggle.

What hotel boaters really would love is some appreciation for mother boaters - whenyou've worked hard all day, it is not nice to have some sour person tell you that "all hotel boaters are the same - we hate them."

If it weren't for hotel boats, the standards of the canal would not be what they are today.

Yes it is sometimes difficult to control a pair of 70ft boats in a wind, and yes, they do spend longer on water points than private boats - after all they're getting water for twelve people.

We only have four pairs of hotel boats left on the whole system now - a sobering thought.

 

Robin

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mikevye Rising Star

mikevye

Posted
Posted

I have no practical experience of narrowboat hotel holidays but a recent experience at frankton junction ensured that I never will. Ascending the locks having journeyed the monty a boat and butty were moored up ready to proceed in a strong crosswind. The captain an ex man of the cloth was showing high levels of stress trying to instruct his inexperienced crew whilst trying to manouever the boats. Instead of man handling the butty he wanted to tow it to the lock gates at high speed to overcome the cross wind. His guests americans looked as miserable as sin, one related a story of not being able to put the radio on. The whole episode from bottom to top was an eye opener to say the least, why anybody would voluntarily traverse these locks with this combination I dont know but as a commercial venture with all the risks somebody would need bumps feeling.

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bottle Veteran II

bottle

Posted
Posted

I think there is only one ex man of the cloth working an hotel pair, he was on the program Waterworld and stated that he left previous employment (church) because of stress.

 

Does not seem to be any less stessful then ;)

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Keeping Up Veteran II

Keeping UpDonate to Canal World

Posted
Posted

I think there is only one ex man of the cloth working an hotel pair, he was on the program Waterworld and stated that he left previous employment (church) because of stress.

 

Does not seem to be any less stessful then ;)

Yes we've met up with them half a dozen times on our travels, and on every one of those occasions except one (when they were waiting for their first customers of the year to arrive) they seem to have been stressed out and having difficulty manouevring the boats

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