Anyone hired a narrowboat?

[swee'pea99]

We're thinking of hiring a barge next Easter for a week to pootle along the Kennet & Avon canal down to Bristol & Bath. Should we hire it now (for 10% off) or are massive late booking discounts likely?  Needless to say, if anyone has any recommendations for companies, I'd be very interested. 

 

[ufkacbln]

[quote name='swee'pea99' timestamp='1288038636' post='1445462']
We're thinking of hiring a barge next Easter for a week to pootle along the Kennet & Avon canal down to Bristol & Bath. Should we hire it now (for 10% off) or are massive late booking discounts likely? Needless to say, if anyone has any recommendations for companies, I'd be very interested.
[/quote]


We hired from Hilperton Marina a couple of years ago, bimbled down to the upper end of Bath and back. The company was excellent and helpful.
Booking discounts are unlikely, but if you shop at Tesco then "UK Boat Hire" will take their vouchers which is an excellent subsidy.

 

[Proto]

We took a 69 footer from Trowbridge down onto the Avon at Bath. Can't remember the boat hire firm, it might have been Sally Boats. What I can tell you is that the double height lock dropping into the Avon is more than a bit scary, especially when your boat is at maximum length and in serious danger of sitting on the sill at one end. My crew all ran away.

 

[DaveyB1981]

[QUOTE 1228455"]
Black Prince Holidays. Immaculate boats, and really good fun.
[/quote]

+1 for Black Prince, we used them years ago on the Shropshire Union Canal and they were top notch at the time.

I'd definately go on a canal boat holiday again (and have!)


Dave

 

[Globalti]

I once took a bus to Oxford, got the driver to drop me at a field gate, walked across the field and broke though the hedge and found myself within a few yards of a GF's Dad's boat, that she was spending the week on with her family. Talk about blind faith! They were as amazed to see me, as I them. I slept on the roof, which was amusing when a couple of pissed up old blokes came staggering past late on Saturday and I was able to listen in to their conversation while one of them peed in the canal. Later the same GF was sick on me at a party and she married a really obnoxious bloke and became quite obnoxious herself so I'm glad sleeping on her Dad's boat roof was the closest I got really.

The boat was quite cramped, that was my only experience of canal boats and I've never wanted to do it since then.

 

[Rhythm Thief]

I lived on one for a couple of years. Would do it again tomorrow, but (having spent my time on my own boat looking down on hire boaters, in common with all liveaboard people ) I wouldn't be bothered about hiring one. But enjoy it, you'll have a great time. Don't try and go too far is the only advice I'd offer. We met a few hirers who were having to get up at six every morning and cruise for twelve hours a dya in order to fit the Four Counties ring into their two weeks ... not really what it's about.

 

[dellzeqq]

Canal cruising is just an excuse for beer drinking. It's all good!

 

[Rhythm Thief]

Canal cruising is just an excuse for beer drinking. It's all good!

Yep ... standing on the stern on a misty November morning at around 7am, trundling along at two and a half miles per hour with a bottle of beer in one hand and the tiller in the other, and a paraffin heater on the deck under my coat ... I'm struggling to think of anything better.

 

[User482]

I can't help, but there's a lovely spot around Dundas aqueduct, near Bath. Close to Bradford on Avon and lots of pubs. It's also on NCN4 if you fancy some cycling.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

Yes. It was humiliating...

 

[rodgy-dodge]

My brother hired one last year said it was one of the best holidays they'd had despite the weather

 

[Howard]

Hired a boat from the Wyvern Shipping Co. this year - not very useful to the OP as they are based in Leighton Buzzard - but the boat was very nice and the six of us had a lovely time.

 

[Proto]

My brother hired one last year said it was one of the best holidays they'd had despite the weather

Narrow boat holidays are great fun. We've had a few, Shropshire Union to Chester one year, and another was Banbury to Tring on the Oxford and Grand Unions. Children (four of them) were young then and they were always falling in, you'd be doing the dishes or making a bed or something, and you'd here a splash and a moment or two later a daughter would come swimming past.

 

[theclaud]

[quote name='swee'pea99' timestamp='1288038636' post='1445462']
We're thinking of hiring a barge next Easter for a week to pootle along the Kennet & Avon canal down to Bristol & Bath. Should we hire it now (for 10% off) or are massive late booking discounts likely? Needless to say, if anyone has any recommendations for companies, I'd be very interested.
[/quote]

Wot DZ and RT said. Do it. But they get upset if you call them barges!

 

[Norm]

We had a fantastic holiday on one about 15 years ago. The most relaxed and stress-free holiday I've ever had. We looked at doing one again this year but the cost was too much.

The only downside was that we could only take one bike on board. There were 3 of us and a Labrador on a 69' boat, so we had heaps of room.

We set off at around 6am most days and just kept motoring until it got dark. Not because we had to but because it was such a cool way to see the world. Even Birmingham (and this is 15 years ago, before most of the regeneration) looked good from the canals. Most of the time, I was on the helm and the other two doing the locks as necessary and doing food or reading when we were just cruising. A couple of times, I'd grab the bike and head off to the next lock, set it for the boat so they could just motor straight in, then re-set it after they left and cycle off again to catch them.