How much does Hotel Boat Insurance cost?

[Guest]

Why would someone want to share a boat with a total stranger when they can hire their own boat and do there own thing?

Hotel boating is actually quite popular. Most offer the ability to get involved as much or as little as you like. I think the OP's idea for doing it a slightly different way is quite novel and worth pursuing.

[dor]

Hotel boating is actually quite popular. Most offer the ability to get involved as much or as little as you like. I think the OP's idea for doing it a slightly different way is quite novel and worth pursuing.

 

However there do seem to be a lot of narrowboat pairs, the traditional way of doing hotel boating on the canals, that have been sold or are for sale recently. I think the Miss Molly method though has a better future - less overheads for the boat owner and a good experience for the guest.

 

 

I did look at doing something on the Llangollen and Shroppie some years ago where the guests would stay in B&Bs overnight but be picked up and brought to the boat for the day trip. Not enough money in it to make me give up the day job at the time, but it could still work and would require less accommodation and use of resources on the boat.

[nicknorman]

These folk seem to have a similar idea to yours, maybe they would be prepared to discuss it?

 

http://www.wanderingduck.co.uk

 

Can't hurt to ask!

[Quaysider]

Wandering duck seem like my kind of people... thanks.

 

I'm getting some very welcome info here chaps/chapesses - thanks ever so.

[bargemast]

These folk seem to have a similar idea to yours, maybe they would be prepared to discuss it?

 

http://www.wanderingduck.co.uk

 

Can't hurt to ask!

 

Thanks for that link Nick, that would be something I could be interested in for my next visit to the UK.

 

Peter.

[Northernboater]

I've emailed Lady teal to ask if they might share some info with me - that looks a smashing set up and far grander than we'll be doing but they must already have gone through the red-tape side ... I do hope they'll help me with some info.

If you think another company is going to help you get in on their trade and maybe take their clients away then I think you don't have a clue about business, maybe that's why the company you tried to talk to at Nottingham were a little off with you.

Edited June 29, 2014 by Northernboater

[Miemie]

I have been in Birmingham and was looking for a B and B and found this ...http://away2stay.co.uk ..... Might help u

[Guest]

Northernboater, on 29 Jun 2014 - 10:40 PM, said:

If you think another company is going to help you get in on their trade and maybe take their clients away then I think you don't have a clue about business, maybe that's why the company you tried to talk to at Nottingham were a little off with you.

 

I believe it's actually quite common amongst small businesses for them to offer 'start up' type help, especially when any competition is not going to be on the door step. We certainly found it was the case when we made some enquiries about setting up a small business around 8 years ago.

 

Whilst I wouldn't expect the likes of Microsoft to offer help and support to Apple I think we are talking different leagues here.

[Robbo]

Quaysider: I feel your pain... I've been in IT since 1977, and have been slowly falling behind the technology for years, not least because I've been on the same contract for 8 years, part-time since Nov. 2012.

 

Hmmm, I started my computing career in 1990, I typed "ls" to list files in a directory then and I type "ls" to list files in a directory now. I started my scripts with #!/usr/bin/perl and I still do. I learnt about Kerberos and LDAP in the 90's and it's relevant now more than ever. Things change in IT, naw they just now look prettier.

[RLWP]

 

Hmmm, I started my computing career in 1990, I typed "ls" to list files in a directory then and I type "ls" to list files in a directory now.

 

I wrote an alias to avoid having to type all the usual arguments

 

Richard

[X Alan W]

 

I believe it's actually quite common amongst small businesses for them to offer 'start up' type help, especially when any competition is not going to be on the door step. We certainly found it was the case when we made some enquiries about setting up a small business around 8 years ago.

 

Whilst I wouldn't expect the likes of Microsoft to offer help and support to Apple I think we are talking different leagues here.

That is what I found when thinking of starting up in Hotel boating Micheal Street, Peter Froud, Peter& Joyce Fox,all in the same business were most helpful even going to the effort if they were fully booked, or not in that area at that time, passing on the enquires to us, We returned the favors after we got more established, I never found any anti us feelings or had any problems from other companys doing the same type holidays, & we did the same.

[Robbo]

Whilst I wouldn't expect the likes of Microsoft to offer help and support to Apple I think we are talking different leagues here.

 

Actually if it wasn't for Microsoft, Apple wouldn't be here. In 1997 Microsoft invested $150 million to stop Apple going bankrupt when Steve Jobs came back to run Apple again. They also promised to update Office on the Mac (Office was actually on the Mac before Windows).

[Guest]

Actually if it wasn't for Microsoft, Apple wouldn't be here. In 1997 Microsoft invested $150 million to stop Apple going bankrupt when Steve Jobs came back to run Apple again. They also promised to update Office on the Mac (Office was actually on the Mac before Windows).

Interesting

 

I will try Apple and Samsung then.......

Edited June 30, 2014 by The Dog House

[Robbo]

Interesting

 

Edited June 30, 2014 by Robbo

[Peter X]

 

I believe it's actually quite common amongst small businesses for them to offer 'start up' type help, especially when any competition is not going to be on the door step. We certainly found it was the case when we made some enquiries about setting up a small business around 8 years ago.

 

...

 

I'd more or less agree with this, because for most people it's part of their human nature to be willing to help others. If it's just a matter of giving a little helpful advice to someone who for whatever reason won't be much of a direct competitor, why not do it?

 

And as X Alan W sort of says, if someone is having to turn away customers, it can be in their own long term interest to pass those on to another company in the hope that they might later return the favour. I've done that in my own line of work as an IT freelancer, particularly back when I was doing VAX Basic working in teams with other VAX Basic freelancers on sites with a steady turnover of people. Most of the others around London probably worked, or had worked, with someone similarly connected to me, and there was a thriving grapevine passing on information about contracts, sometimes bypassing the agencies.

 

However, Northernboater does have a point that a business won't want to offer help if it's likely to harm their own income, either by consuming significant time or by taking customers they want. Big companies especially won't do anything unless they see something in it for them. In the OP's case, the hotel boat operators at the luxury end of the market may well be happy to see him start up because they can pass on customers who find their prices too high, and conversely the OP can refer customers who want more luxury to them. There may be other opportunities to co-operate too, e.g. loaning a member of staff when one is very busy and the other is not.

[Northernboater]

It will be interesting to see where he is planning to be based and what routes he will be using as there are no cruising rings in the Wakefield system so you would be going out and returning the same way, the only other option would be picking up in Wakefield and dropping off York, Skipton, Sheffield or picking up from a location. Ever wondered why there is not a great deal of hire fleets in that area.

[Guest]

It will be interesting to see where he is planning to be based and what routes he will be using as there are no cruising rings in the Wakefield system so you would be going out and returning the same way, the only other option would be picking up in Wakefield and dropping off York, Skipton, Sheffield or picking up from a location. Ever wondered why there is not a great deal of hire fleets in that area.

 

I think there is loads of scope even when you exclude the North East bit, don't you?

[Quaysider]

we don't really want to be based anywhere... the "official" mooring will probably be at Lemonroyd but I suppose our plan is to be on a journey around the country that people can hop on-hop off... it occured to get involved with local tourist info centres along the way so that people visiting the area (whatever area we're in/heading to) and looking for something 'different' to do for a couple of days might want to do...

 

The plan is to create a website, facebook page twitter feed and blog (along with some google ad words) during our year off to create some history of our travels, get folk (hopefully) interested in the life before we try and get any punters... I personally don't think we can start up a business expecting to earn anything until there's a product history if you follow.

 

We still need to get some more money together first as one thing IS for certain, we're not borrowing any money to do it and want enough spare to have the 1st year off .

[Northernboater]

I think there is loads of scope even when you exclude the North East bit, don't you?

Not if your based in Wakefield, especially if you are returning to a home base and you've only got a week

[Guest]

Not if your based in Wakefield, especially if you are returning to a home base and you've only got a week

He is not thinking about Wakefield is he?

[David Mack]

It will be interesting to see where he is planning to be based and what routes he will be using as there are no cruising rings in the Wakefield system so you would be going out and returning the same way, the only other option would be picking up in Wakefield and dropping off York, Skipton, Sheffield or picking up from a location. Ever wondered why there is not a great deal of hire fleets in that area.

The OP gives his current location at Wakefield, but has he said that his hotel boat operation would be limited to that part of the world?

 

Other hotel boats make a progressive journey, picking passengers up at one point and dropping them off at another. What's the problem?

[Northernboater]

Yes I know that but he did not mention this prior to my Wakefield post I just looked at his location. Oh sorry he may be based at your old marina Lemonroyd, what was the furthest you got there and back in a week from there?

[Guest]

Yes I know that but he did not mention this prior to my Wakefield post I just looked at his location. Oh sorry he may be based at your old marina Lemonroyd, what was the furthest you got there and back in a week from there?

 

Who was the 'old marina' comment aimed at exactly? Edited June 30, 2014 by The Dog House

[Northernboater]

The OP gives his current location at Wakefield, but has he said that his hotel boat operation would be limited to that part of the world?

 

Other hotel boats make a progressive journey, picking passengers up at one point and dropping them off at another. What's the problem?

yes I know, that's why I mentioned the option of picking customers up and dropping them off somewhere else along the canal system, as Wakefield is limited

Was the 'old marina' comment aimed at who exactly?

I thought you were there once

[Guest]

I thought you were there once

Yes, so what the heck has that got to do with anything.