Venetian hire boats

[IanD]

Thanks to everyone for the feedback on Valley Cruises -- they look like great boats but having done some route planning on Canalplan the Coventry location isn't the best...

 

So, the same question about Venetian boat hire on the Middlewich branch -- the boat layout is very unusual

 

http://venetianhireboats.co.uk/columbina/

 

but I can see the advantages of it, has anyone used them?

 

Ian

[Athy]

Not really unusual - it's a very similar layout to the canal Time timeshare boats (which are now called something else). In fact, from the photo I would infer that this "new" boat is in fact a recycled Canal Time craft.

[Woodstock]

Perhaps just my preference- but I do like bow doors. At the end of a nice day- it's lovely to walk into the bow with a glass of vino and watch the world go by

[Athy]

Perhaps even later in that nice day it's lovely to sink into a big wide bed?

Before we ordered Trojan I looked seriously at a Canal Time style boat. The layout was good, especially bedroom and galley. You couldn't get one with a decent engine though.

Edited February 16, 2014 by Athy

[Paul C]

Yes, they are ex-canaltime boats which have been reasonably extensively refurbished. The hire firm is a recent startup (but they have previous experience with boating etc) , their first year was 2013 and they have started small and added boats as they grow. Thus, they can offer a good service. Of course, they are going to play on the advantages of the boat layout which offers a large double bed at the front. Also Venetian marina is well located for many of the more popular routes, eg Llangollen, 4 counties ring, Cheshire ring, weaver, chester etc.

[Taslim]

Perhaps just my preference- but I do like bow doors. At the end of a nice day- it's lovely to walk into the bow with a glass of vino and watch the world go by

They also give another way out of the boat if something goes wrong at t'other end.

[RLWP]

I'm sure I remember those Canaltime boats beginning to come up for sale when we were buying Tawny, so they must be around ten years old now

 

 

 

having done some route planning on Canalplan the Coventry location isn't the best...

 

Where do you want to go? Coventry gives you the Warwickshire Ring, the Foxton locks, the Ashby canal, the BCN, a wriggle up Fazeley and Fradley - quite a lot of choice

 

Richard

[Athy]

They also give another way out of the boat if something goes wrong at t'other end.

This was discussed on CWF a little while back - how would you get out in a lock as you could not open those front side doors sufficiently? But the answer is (as you'll see if you look carefully at the photo) that the side doors have a hatch above them for easy egress. Not sure if it slides back or flips up, but as long as it works that doesn't matter. I suppose that people who are immensely fat might have a problem with them though.

[IanD]

I'm sure I remember those Canaltime boats beginning to come up for sale when we were buying Tawny, so they must be around ten years old now

 

 

Where do you want to go? Coventry gives you the Warwickshire Ring, the Foxton locks, the Ashby canal, the BCN, a wriggle up Fazeley and Fradley - quite a lot of choice

 

Richard

Given two weeks I was going to go up to and round the Four Counties Ring, I haven't done that for more than twenty years. Starting from Coventry makes for a pretty full fortnight with not much spare time for stopping or diversions, even spending a lot of time travelling (did the Cheshire Ring easily in a week the tear before last). Starting on the Middlewich branch makes more sense, can nip up the Caldon, Weaver, wherever else takes our fancy.

Perhaps even later in that nice day it's lovely to sink into a big wide bed?

Before we ordered Trojan I looked seriously at a Canal Time style boat. The layout was good, especially bedroom and galley. You couldn't get one with a decent engine though.

What's wrong with the engine? What were they fitted with?

[RLWP]

That makes sense, although I'm surprised you are tight for time

 

Richard

[IanD]

That makes sense, although I'm surprised you are tight for time

 

Richard

Not that bad, average is about 8hr/day (198m/175l via Brum, 210m/130l via Penkridge), but I also want to go up the Caldon, and maybe down the Weaver or to Chester, and doing all this at the far end of the holiday from Coventry is risky -- it's a long way back afterwards.

[Paul C]

2 weeks for 4 counties ring + Caldon + Weaver + Chester is quite a lot to fit in. I'd choose two out of the 3 "extras". They're all quite different though - trip to Chester (from Barbridge) will involve 11 broad locks (+11 back, that's counting the Bunbury staircase as 2 chambers). Weaver will probably be the nicest of the 3, obviously the Anderton lift is operated for you but so are the locks, and river cruising is refreshing compared to the T&M canal its off. Caldon is a contrast to the T&M too, in that once out of Stoke is really quite isolated.

[Athy]

What's wrong with the engine? What were they fitted with?

Something modern, eerily quiet and probably of Japanese origin. Don't get me wrong, they are probably perfectly suited to and adequate for a hire craft, but when I ordered our boat I wanted something that went wom-bat wom-bat rather than daggadaggadagga, i.e. an older slow-revving design. I might have bought a Canaltime style boat if it had been fitted with a Lister SR3 for example!

[IanD]

Something modern, eerily quiet and probably of Japanese origin. Don't get me wrong, they are probably perfectly suited to and adequate for a hire craft, but when I ordered our boat I wanted something that went wom-bat wom-bat rather than daggadaggadagga, i.e. an older slow-revving design. I might have bought a Canaltime style boat if it had been fitted with a Lister SR3 for example!

Something modern, eerily quiet and probably Japanese is exactly what I *do* want in a hire boat :-)

 

Not as much fun as Pete Thompson's Bolinder on Colonel, but a great deal more practical...

[Athy]

Yes, as I said, they are well suited to hire boats (and private boats too for that matter). I would not want a Bolinder as they always sound as if they're about to conk out or blow up, I am fond of my Gardner but I can see that it would be a bit large to fit under the rear deckboards of a hire craft!

[NickF]

Having no bow doors is a bit weird but I am a fan of having the living area at the rear on a hire boat, keeps those out on the stern and those inside all a bit closer together .... and if you have a nice eerily quiet Japanese engine the noise is no problem.

[Athy]

Quite a few older private narrowboats have no bow doors (except some form of escape hatch) - many shorter Springers were built that way as it was a good space saver. They rarely had eerily quiet engines though!

[andyb116]

Our first hire boat was a canal club/canal time boat, they were all built around 2000' they are bomb proof if a bit utalitarian. As for side doors there is one in the bedroom Which as a flip over hatch and opening doors. We hired it it November and the central heating was perfectly adequate in -10 & ice. The engines are normally Beta marine/kubota and indistructable. The only critisimum is the poo tank is offset so as the holiday goe on the list gets worse. You can always tell one coming towards you :-))

Hope this helps.

Andy B

[IanD]

The one we're looking at hiring has doors on both sides just behind the bedroom, and it looks like it's been nicely refitted. I also like the idea of having the living area at the back (if the engine is quiet enough -- a Beta Marine should be going by the one I hired from ABC a couple of years ago), it avoids having to scream down the boat to get someone to bring you out a cuppa (or a beer) when you're steering and everyone else is up front.

Yes, as I said, they are well suited to hire boats (and private boats too for that matter). I would not want a Bolinder as they always sound as if they're about to conk out or blow up, I am fond of my Gardner but I can see that it would be a bit large to fit under the rear deckboards of a hire craft!

Nobody sane would want a Bolinder, but they're a hoot to spend some time with so long as they're on somebody else's boat -- I've got several amusing stories as a result...

Edited February 16, 2014 by IanD