Southern Grand Union Hire Bases

[Stephen Sugg]

i've just had it confirmed that Alvechurch have shut up shop at Packet Boat, does anyone know of any hire bases south of Leighton Buzzard, cos I can't think of any??

[NB Willawaw]

Not strictly GU, but don't forget Lee Valley Boats at Broxbourne on the Lee. They can cover the Southern GU in a couple of days. We passed N.B MAY yesterday motoring at high speed towards Bulls Bridge.

 

Then there is Wyvern at Linslade.

Edited October 23, 2006 by NB Willawaw

[alan_fincher]

I can't think of any hire fleets that have survived any further south than Wyvern Shipping at Leighton Buzzard. (That outfit seems to go from strength to strength, and have more boats than it ever did).

 

Bridgewater Boats in Berkhamsted sold of their fleet some time ago, and I can't now think of any hire base operational any closer to London.

 

Also the Canalboat Holidays (formerly Concoform Marine) operation at Weedon, (aka the "Weed" boats), is shutting down as well.

 

Neither the Alvechurch boats at Gayton, nor the Blisworth Tunnel Boats seem to come very far south that often, so I think Wyvern will have a virtual monopoly for hire boating on the southern reaches of the GU.

 

As an aside Wyvern still operate some boats old enough to have wooden rather than steel cabins. They are selling one off in Waterways World this month, though, and do always seem to have one or two new hire boats in build when we pass.

 

Edit for: CORRECTION !

*******************

 

Actually, it seems that Grebe Canal Cruisers at Pitstone Wharf do operate 2 small hire boats in addition to 3 trip boats and 3 day boats. I was unaware of these until I checked, but they are on their web-site. There's a 2 berth and a 4 berth boat, it seems.

 

Perhaps there are some other very small operations I'm not aware of ?

Edited October 23, 2006 by alan_fincher

[Yoda]

Not strictly GU, but don't forget Lee Valley Boats at Broxbourne on the Lee. They can cover the Southern GU in a couple of days. We passed N.B MAY yesterday motoring at high speed towards Bulls Bridge.

 

Then there is Wyvern at Linslade.

 

Well as a company that stays in business, they do seem to be reliable for many, many years,

 

I have no connection with this company what-so-ever.

[jenny wren]

Not strictly GU, but don't forget Lee Valley Boats at Broxbourne on the Lee. They can cover the Southern GU in a couple of days. We passed N.B MAY yesterday motoring at high speed towards Bulls Bridge.

 

Then there is Wyvern at Linslade.

[jenny wren]

Help, I can't seem to get the hang of this. We are soon-to-be boaters, have put a deposit on a "weed" boat, which we found very comfortable. and seems a good deal. we have to pay the full dep before the end of nob. to get it at a certain price. but it will not be able to be slipped until spring. is this safe? we are very confident with the owners, and have good vibes.

[Tommo]

. we have to pay the full dep before the end of nob.

??

[Yoda]

??

 

Same as 12 of never? Actually I think it's November

[alan_fincher]

Help, I can't seem to get the hang of this. We are soon-to-be boaters, have put a deposit on a "weed" boat, which we found very comfortable. and seems a good deal. we have to pay the full dep before the end of nob. to get it at a certain price. but it will not be able to be slipped until spring. is this safe? we are very confident with the owners, and have good vibes.

Hi,

 

I assume you mean you are about to buy, rather than hire in this case !

 

It's unclear why "it will not be able to be slipped until spring" - that sounds an awful long while away !

 

I'm assuming the slipping will include your opportunity to get it surveyed ?

 

If so, you should make sure any deposit you are paying is fully refundable if you are in any way unhappy with the survey, and end up wishing to pull out. (There should be no possible ambiguity in what you sign - YOU have to be satisfied with a survey, or the whole deposit is returned).

 

It would also be unusual for a holding deposit to be a vast sum, I think, (typically £500 ?). If it's down to them that they will be holding your money until "spring", (whenever that means exactly), I would think it unfair for them to expect any more than this kind of "good faith" amount.

 

But you haven't really told us enough, or why the transaction is likely to be so protracted, so perhaps I'm guessing the circumstances badly ?

 

That firm has been around a very long while, in hire-fleet terms, and although I can't speak from recent personal experience, I think it's unlikely they are going to sell off their fleet in anything other than a professional way.

 

But tell us more about "why the delay".....

[jenny wren]

Yes, sorry it was a bit short, but I was panicking that I had not got the hang of this. Firstly I have been a "lurker" for anout 18moinths wjilst working in a boring office here in Spain. Hubby and I fell in love with boating over 20 years ago, had a plastic jobby on the ouse nr Ely. anyway after 18 years here, we are feeling the need to get back to wind and rain,and boating, so had out first NB holiday with Canalboat.it took 2 mins for us to decide that we abs loved it. Anyway, sorry about this, Norman at Canalboat, had asked for that dep, and that we should pay the balance before end of November, got itright this time. Can;t beleive what I originally typed, Sorry,. If not the boat will go to the spring sale and the price will increase. we have said that is hanging on the sale of a deceased Dads prop in UK. They also assured us that they black the bottoms every year, and they did insist that we have it surveyed( we would anyway) but that the surveyor will not find anything wrong, as they have looked after their boats. If the Surveyor should find something wrong, we have been assured that it will be put right. The inside of the boat is very good, neat and tidy, the engine is a Beta about 2 years old, and had done about 2,000 hrs ? I must admit we feel very confident with them, we have ben in touch twice this year with Jane at Crick and also visisted to see what she has to offer, but we have always missed the ones within out budget. we hope to boat 2/3 weeks in march, all of june, july and august, and bringing our fun-size grey hound type dog from SpainI that should be interesting) and then hope to get in a few weeks in november (theres that month again) also, allowing for stoppages, of course.. Now have I covered averything, and all you nice hel pful peopele, do you need to know more. once again thanks a lot, I am really pleased that I seem to have got the hang of this, especially typing NOV. ! wantedto put a smiley in but can;t seem to do it.