Narrowboat Hiring

Toble

Well-Known Forumite
Does anyone have any experience of hiring a narrowboat? Specifically from Norbury Wharf?

We're planning on hiring one of their Day Boats sometime soon.
 

Andreas Rex

Banned for smiling
I've been narrowboating a couple of times; once on a week long holiday, and the other we just rented one for the day. It's great fun. Last time 10 or so of us hired one from Great Haywood, took it past Shugborough, stopped at Wolseley Bridge for a wander round the Wildlife Trust, popped into the Wolseley Arms for a couple of pints and some food, went a bit further, turned round at a suitable spot, got stuck in reeds and mud, then headed back. Plenty of locks, gorgeous countryside, and it was dead cheap too. I think we picked the boat up at about 9 or 10am and had to be back by 4pm (ish), and the whole thing cost us £120! Barge-ain!
 

db

#chaplife
Andreas Rex said:
I've been narrowboating a couple of times; once on a week long holiday, and the other we just rented one for the day. It's great fun. Last time 10 or so of us hired one from Great Haywood, took it past Shugborough, stopped at Wolseley Bridge for a wander round the Wildlife Trust, popped into the Wolseley Arms for a couple of pints and some food, went a bit further, turned round at a suitable spot, got stuck in reeds and mud, then headed back. Plenty of locks, gorgeous countryside, and it was dead cheap too. I think we picked the boat up at about 9 or 10am and had to be back by 4pm (ish), and the whole thing cost us £120! Barge-ain!
didn't aky crash a barge on one such trip? lol..
 

Andreas Rex

Banned for smiling
dirtybobby said:
didn't aky crash a barge on one such trip? lol..
Yeah that was on the first trip when we were about 17...I wasn't there at the time, but it was as they were leaving the boat yard. He bashed into another barge and knocked a woman into the water...oops!
 

db

#chaplife
Andreas Rex said:
dirtybobby said:
didn't aky crash a barge on one such trip? lol..
Yeah that was on the first trip when we were about 17...I wasn't there at the time, but it was as they were leaving the boat yard. He bashed into another barge and knocked a woman into the water...oops!
i bet narrowboaters absolutely hate pished-up kids desecrating their hobby lol
 

Andreas Rex

Banned for smiling
dirtybobby said:
Andreas Rex said:
dirtybobby said:
didn't aky crash a barge on one such trip? lol..
Yeah that was on the first trip when we were about 17...I wasn't there at the time, but it was as they were leaving the boat yard. He bashed into another barge and knocked a woman into the water...oops!
i bet narrowboaters absolutely hate pished-up kids desecrating their hobby lol
Yes i'm pretty sure there were a few disgruntled folk left in our wake! The last time was much more sensible and civilised, and even though there were moments of torrential rain (like yesterday) it was a top way to spend a day. We had discussed doing it again this year, and i'm still well up for it.
 

Sofa

I'm a Staffooooooordian
Andreas Rex said:
Barge-ain!
For the record - a barge is a boat with no roof designed for goods transport. A narrow boat is what is commonly used for recreational and leisure purposes. Not that that pun was not excellent, I just don't want people to start down the usual "I went on a barge holiday once" route.
 

db

#chaplife
Sofa said:
Andreas Rex said:
Barge-ain!
For the record - a barge is a boat with no roof designed for goods transport. A narrow boat is what is commonly used for recreational and leisure purposes. Not that that pun was not excellent, I just don't want people to start down the usual "I went on a barge holiday once" route.
i was going to say that andreas narrowly avoided a faux pas there, but i guess i missed the boat on that one :v:
 

Andreas Rex

Banned for smiling
dirtybobby said:
Sofa said:
Andreas Rex said:
Barge-ain!
For the record - a barge is a boat with no roof designed for goods transport. A narrow boat is what is commonly used for recreational and leisure purposes. Not that that pun was not excellent, I just don't want people to start down the usual "I went on a barge holiday once" route.
i was going to say that andreas narrowly avoided a faux pas there, but i guess i missed the boat on that one :v:
I knew someone would pick up on that! I'm aware that the 2 are different, and knowing a couple of people who own/have owned narrow boats I know how annoyed they get when others refer to them as barges. I've called them barges since I was a kid and it's not because I think they are one and the same, it's just force of habit. Sorry to have offended you Sofa, I didn't know you felt so passionately about all things nautical!

Right, let's get this barge holiday sorted ;)
 

Toble

Well-Known Forumite
I'd forgotten bout Anglo Welsh, i'll have a look at their prices. There are quite a lot of locks around there though, as opposed to the 17 lock-free miles on the Shropshire Union, and i haven't worked a lock in 20 years.
 

Sofa

I'm a Staffooooooordian
dirtybobby said:
i was going to say that andreas narrowly avoided a faux pas there, but i guess i missed the boat on that one :v:
:rofl:

Andreas Rex said:
I knew someone would pick up on that!
I had not taken offense, I thought it was a perfectly justified gag!
 

Andreas Rex

Banned for smiling
coobeastie said:
I'd forgotten bout Anglo Welsh, i'll have a look at their prices. There are quite a lot of locks around there though, as opposed to the 17 lock-free miles on the Shropshire Union, and i haven't worked a lock in 20 years.
But that's half the fun! If you're looking to do some serious cruising then 17 lock-free miles sounds ideal...we'd got some German friends over and they wanted a day of action, so the more locks the better.
 

Toble

Well-Known Forumite
Andreas Rex said:
But that's half the fun! If you're looking to do some serious cruising then 17 lock-free miles sounds ideal...we'd got some German friends over and they wanted a day of action, so the more locks the better.
Sorry, 17 miles and 7 pubs!
 

Toble

Well-Known Forumite
FooFighter said:
caravan or a trailer debate
They're still Pikeys of the waterways
Pikeys in $60000 boats?
But at least you don't have your Bank Holiday ruined by some untalented moron in a Nissan Terrano thinking he can tow a narrowboat at 100mph up the M6 in a high wind.
 

MISS T

Forum user & abuser
http://www.anglowelsh.co.uk/boats.htm

Out on the boat at the weekend, its the best way to spend one, the father in law has a few, this would be his recommendation, though tourists really pee him off as they rarely know the rules of the waterways, so if its your first trip, get reading and you'll have a great weekend, the pace of 4mph really helps to unwind.
 

Toble

Well-Known Forumite
MISS T said:
...tourists really pee him off as they rarely know the rules of the waterways, so if its your first trip, get reading and you'll have a great weekend, the pace of 4mph really helps to unwind.
Having done a bit of reading on, i can see what he means. Luckily I restrict my discourteous and maniacal vehicle operating to the public roads :)
 
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