Boat hire warning

[Hell Razor5543]

If anybody is considering hiring a narrowboat for a few days PLEASE do a proper search for REPUTABLE boat hire companies. Some hire companies are more than willing to just take your money, and then, when things go badly wrong, wring their hands, saying something like "We showed them how to handle the boat and told them how to behave on the waters.". I know that, occasionally, one or two people will pick up the boat, so the hire company will not suspect what is going to happen (and then, a mile or two away, the rest of the group will be picked up), but that is not that common. A group of lads having a laugh, enjoying more than a few drinks and hiring a boat should be a red flag. Mum (who was nowhere near this incident) has had drunken parties crash into her boat, which is why I got her a dash cam (and this has since helped Police investigations). Among the boating community it is known there are boat hire companies who don't do any 'due diligence' where their 'customers' are concerned, and so, when one of their boats comes into view, the boating community take all necessary precautions. I will NOT name company names, as I do not wish the Forum to get into any trouble.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/st ... b01735a1d4

EDIT; I am NOT aiming this at anybody who have recently been on boat trips, as I strongly suspect they would have behaved with all due courtesy and respect for the Waterways and their denizens!

[mickthemaverick]

Two points following on from James here:

On yesterday's trip we did pass one boat which appeared to be rather overfull of 'Jolly Sailors' with loud music emanating from it. It was from a hire company with a very French sounding name!!

Secondly the company we hired from was Caversham Boat Services whose operation was exceedingly professional and friendly throughout. From the initial email exchange with Ann discussing our needs to the final return of our cash deposit still in the envelope into which it was placed when I handed it over in the morning. Our boatman, Harvey, was exceptionally friendly and highly organised, from explaining where I had to park the car in a pre-arranged hotel car park through to ensuring we knew how to use everything the boat was equipped with. On our return in the afternoon he was aboard a different vessel and hailed us to make sure all was good, which of course it was.

We will be hiring from them again in due course as we feel we made some new friends in and around the boatyard. However we will be giving boats from the French sounding company a wide berth (no pun intended!) in future.