How much?!!!

[I want my own narrowboat]

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.

[Boat&Bikes]

Cant help sorry but that sounds a lot i would shop around.

 

Ian.

[MtB]

Blimey that explains why there seems to be fewer hire boats out and about these days....

 

Sorry, that wasn't much help was it?

 

MtB

[RLWP]

Alvechurch in July are about the same

 

Richard

[Guest]

Rant over! Here's hoping, Mark.

 

Well I could spend the rest of this evening searching the various hire boat sites comparing various prices, but you could do the same just as well.

 

ed because I didn't read the op correctly.

Edited December 12, 2012 by The Dog House

[RLWP]

 

I'd be astounded if you could not get a 4 berth boat for two weeks for much less than that, even in school hols.

 

I don't think I would. £1400 a week in high season sounds about right to me

 

Richard

[alan_fincher]

I would have thought if you look at some of the "independents" rather than the massive operations of Alvechurch/Black Prince/Viking, (which I think may all be the same company, if you ignore the differently branded boats), then you may do a bit better.

 

Particularly if you look at some of those operating boats that are serviceable, but a bit long in the tooth. (Those at Middlewich, much discussed on here by their new operato, sping to mind).

 

But there probably is another way, but only if you are prepared to gamble a bit. This year many hire companies struggled to get a lot of their boats let at all, even at the peak of summer. Those that did were apparently offering some fairly spectacular discounts to get the boats let, rather than just tied up at base. For example Anglo Welsh at Great Haywood told me that their pricing people were offering "silly" discounts. If you are prepared to be flexible, and not start looking until a week or two before you want to go, I'd be surprised if you can't find some deals that massively undercut the optimistic list prices they are trying to sell to you at at the moment.

 

Based on what we saw this year, it wouldn't completely surprise me to see some of the hire fleets closed down by next summer.

[MtB]

P.S. for about twice that amount you could probably buy one of your own.....

 

Or try ebay for some cheaper hires perhaps?

[Paul C]

Ignore ukboathire.com and Black Prince and keep looking around. It depends what you call a reasonable price but there's loads of hire firms who are better than your quoted figure. Can you go outside of school holiday time? Can you make do with a smallish/low spec boat?

[stewey]

Worth checking out these two sites:

Kate Boats:

 

http://www.kateboats.co.uk/

Canal Cruising Company:

http://www.canalcruising.co.uk/

 

Stewey

[PiRSqwared]

Canal Cruising Company in Stone are a bit cheaper and appear to do 3 weeks for the price of 2.

 

My link

[Guest]

I don't think I would. £1400 a week in high season sounds about right to me

 

Richard

 

Apologies - yes Richard that is spot on - our last hire was around £1,500 for a 60ft - 9 berth boat but that was for just one week.

 

I misread the OP thinking he only wanted one week.

 

Just double checked with few booking sites which confirms this as a reasonable ball park figure.... sorry OP

[Janet S]

Canal Crusing Co gave us an excellent deal for a month long cruise a couple of years ago...

 

Janet

[RLWP]

Worth checking out these two sites:

Kate Boats:

 

http://www.kateboats.co.uk/

Canal Cruising Company:

http://www.canalcruising.co.uk/

 

Stewey

 

I can't get any results from Kate

 

Richard

[Ange]

 

 

Based on what we saw this year, it wouldn't completely surprise me to see some of the hire fleets closed down by next summer.

 

Agreed. We cruised some of the most popular canals this year including the Shroppie, the Staffs & Worcs and the Llangollen and there were noticeably less hire boats around. The hire yards were half full of idle boats when we passed in peak season.

 

To the OP we funded our hire holidays with Tesco clubcard vouchers before we bought our boat. No good if you don't shop in Tesco of course but an idea if you do.

[alan_fincher]

Canal Cruising Company in Stone are a bit cheaper and appear to do 3 weeks for the price of 2.

 

My link

 

Canal Crusing Co gave us an excellent deal for a month long cruise a couple of years ago...

I don't think they could have been doing cracking deals this summer.

 

Far more of their fleet seemed to remain unused in August than was actually out on the cut.

 

We were told they were having a very bad season.

 

I think the ones that appeared to put more boats out were the ones pushing hardest to do deals that at least got them some money from their investment.

 

The owner at Wyvern Shipping indicated to me that they (Wyvern - not the Stone company!) had a very bad year this year, too.

[Ange]

We did see quite a few of what used to be Canaltime boats (hireacanalboat.co.uk?) out and about this year. A few of their hirers were very pleased with the deal they got.

 

We never hired from them so no idea what they're like but they do seem to offer good value.

[Rob-M]

We generally book last minute in school holidays when hiring and have always found a good bargain on some good boats. In the last few years we have used Countrywide Cruisers, Ashby Narrowboats, Lime Farm Marina and Kate Boats. It depends whether you want to gamble on getting what you need at the last minute but personally i would say it is worth holding on.

[tillergirl]

Try these guys:

 

http://www.chesterfieldcanalboat.co.uk/index.htm

[Darren72]

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.

 

 

yes thats rather steep, that is their new class of boat, being their first reverse layout. Why not try a late booking. Most companies will give you generous discount for late bookings. We used to book the year before to get that years price before it goes up the following year. Have you looked at Snaygill??

[matty40s]

Due to the lack of water across the country and severely restricted lock flights up to April, many people did not book holidays early. Then all of a sudden everything changed and there was too much water everywhere.

Sileby boats has sold off all it's long term hire boats this Autumn, having lost many bookings due to the floods and uncertainty, the day boats have been kept on.

Book late and barter, you will get good deals, but pay by credit card or small deposit and cash on arrival to ensure your money is protected.

[waterdog]

Hi,

 

The last couple of years we have left it to the last couple of weeks and used sites like latelink, http://www.latelink.com/narrowboat.htm and easily found a holiday vastly below the brochure price.

 

Also remember to compare like for like and look out for the "extras" on top of the price, companies like wyvern quote an all in price while others add on the fuel, pet charge, damage waiver etc.

 

Last year there was still hundreds of boats available even in the peak school holiday period.

 

Waterdog

[john6767]

I would have thought you would be hard pressed to find 2 weeks for £1300 in the summer school holidays, actually I would say impossible at this point. When we were in the hire market a few years ago a week late July (school hols) with Kate boats cost us £1400 or so I think. A quick check on their web sire seems to confirm that is still the going rate. I you look around a bit you may well be able to get to the £2500 area, but you will be doing well to get better than that.

 

 

As has been said by Ange, we too this last summer we saw lost of hire boat sitting at the base in the school holidays in popular locations like the Llangollen canal, so I would assume there were deals to be had, but this far ahead you are going to be paying full wack.

[dor]

Try Cheshire Cat Narrowboats at Audlem or Chas Hardern at Beeston. Both should do you decent-sized boats for £1300 a week or less in school holiday. don't forget to check if extras like diesel are included.

[john6767]

Try Cheshire Cat Narrowboats at Audlem or Chas Hardern at Beeston. Both should do you decent-sized boats for £1300 a week or less in school holiday. don't forget to check if extras like diesel are included.

 

I don't think £1300 a week is the issue, the OP is after 2 weeks for that, more of a challenge.