

There are many, many boat hire firms in the U.K. and Europe. These are the ones I know of that have a web presence. Many firms are now on the web, but there are probably still some that are not; I have not attempted to list those. Boats are hired (rented) from boatyards. Hire is usually by the week, though some 3/4 day hires ("short breaks") are also offered by some firms.
Many ads can be found in the pages of canal and waterway-related magazines.
See also hotel boats.
When contacting any firm, please tell them you saw them listed on the internet on "George's Canal Pages" at www.canals.com.
Important! See disclaimer.
Hireboats2go - England and Wales - last minute hireboat and hotelboat offers
Latelink - last minute boating holidays
Major U.K.-based agencies:
For another view of these, see Map of Hire Bases in England and Wales, and Map of Hire Bases in Scotland
Alvechurch - see UK Boat Hire below
Anglo-Welsh Waterway Holidays. Eleven bases.
Black Prince Holidays. Six bases, including one at Falkirk in Scotland.
Marine Cruises. Three bases, including one at Falkirk in Scotland.
Oxfordshire Narrowboats. Four bases.
Tillerman Boats - see UK Boat Hire below
UK Boat Hire. Fourteen bases, including one at Falkirk in Scotland. (combines Alvechurch, Viking Afloat,
Wessex, Tillerman, and Red Line)
Viking Afloat - see UK Boat Hire above
Accessible Boating Association - two boats on Basingstoke Canal
Bruce Charitable Trust
has a fleet of four specially constructed broad-beamed boats on the Kennet and Avon Canal,
available for hire by groups including the disabled. Two bases.
Canal Boat
Project - (on R. Stort in Harlow)
Disabled Afloat Riverboats Trust
- Thames, K&A, Yorkshire Ouse
Ethel Trust Community Barge
(Thorne, n. of Doncaster, on
Stainforth and Keadby Canal)
Lyneal Trust
- nr. Ellesmere on Llangollen Canal; cottages also
Mary Sunley canal boat (Macclesfield Canal)
National
Community Boats Association - "... encourage and support community boating organisations within the UK ..."
Pennine Cruisers of Skipton
- boat 'Hetton' has "full wheelchair access throughout including hydraulic lift"
(Skipton, N. Yorks., on L&L)
Peter Le Marchant Trust
- (Loughborough, Leics.)
Seagull Trust
- free canal cruising (Scotland)
South Staffordshire Narrowboat Company
- (Wolverhampton, West Mids.)
Starline Marine hires out boats year-round (Upton-upon-Severn, Worcs.)
Stockport Canalboat Trust
offers day trips and short holidays for people with disabilities around the canals of North West England.
Swansea Community Boat
- (on the Tawe River Navigation in Swansea, Wales)
Willow Trust - (Saul Junction, on G&S)
Canal Boat
Project - (on R. Stort in Harlow)
Dacorum Narrow Boat Project
- (Hemel Hempstead, Herts., on GU)
Ethel Trust Community Barge
(Thorne, n. of Doncaster, on
Stainforth and Keadby Canal)
The Pirate Castle
- evening, half-day, day, weekend, and longer trips
South Staffordshire Narrowboat Company
- (Wolverhampton, West Mids.)
Swansea Community Boat
- (on the Tawe River Navigation in Swansea, Wales)
nb Tarporley
- "the only original working boat available for hire as a community boat in London".
Tideway Adventurers
- based in the Catford/Bromley area South London
Tuptonia Narrowboat - a
12 berth narrowboat owned by Guides and available for hire, preferably by youth groups
APCO's list of Companies offering Day Hire Boats
Bath and Dundas Canal Co.
- (Bath on K&A)
Boating Days
- (Northwich, Ches.)
Bridgehouse Marina - (on Lancaster Canal)
Bath Narrowboats
- 2 day boats (Bath on K&A)
Beacon Park Boats - 2 day boats (on Mon. & Brec., in S. Wales)
Blisworth Tunnel Narrowboats (Blisworth, Northants., on GU)
Caversham Boat Services
- cruiser-style (Reading, Berks., on R. Thames)
Chertsey Meads Marine
- Chertsey, Surrey (Thames)
Copt Heath Wharf
- (near Solihull, W. Mids., on northern GU)
Cotswold Boat Hire
- cruiser-style (Lechlade-On-Thames)
Devizes Marina (Devizes, Wilts., on K&A)
Ellerbeck Narrowboats
(nr. Chorley, Lancashire, on L&L)
Farncombe Boat House
- (Godalming, Surrey, on R. Wey)
Foxton Boat Services Ltd.
- (Foxton, Leics., on GU, Leicester section)
Grebe Canal Cruises
- (Pitstone on GU)
Kennet Cruises
- (Reading, Berks)
Kris Cruisers - (R. Thames at Windsor)
Lee Valley Boat Centre
(North East London, on R. Lee)
Mid Devon Hire Boats - (Tiverton, Devon,
on Grand Western Canal)
Oxfordshire Narrowboats
- (2 day hire locations: Lower Heyford and Thrupp, both on the Oxford Canal)
Pennine Cruisers of Skipton
(Skipton, N. Yorks., on L&L)
Punting and self drive boats in Oxford
Saisons
(Daventry, Northants.) [was Coronet]
Saltisford Canal Trust - (Warwick)
Sileby Mill Boatyard
- ( Loughborough, Leics.; on GU, Leics. section)
Snaygill Boats of Skipton
(Skipton, Yorks., on L&L)
Stewart Marine
(Surbiton, Surrey, on R. Thames)
Streethay Wharf
- (Lichfield, Staffs., on Coventry Canal)
Trafalgar Marine Services
- (Whaley Bridge, Derbyshire on Peak Forest Canal)
Copt Heath Wharf
- near Solihull, W. Mids. (northern GU)
Narrowboat Zinfandel - nr. Cambridge (River Cam)
Escape The Rat Race
Carrickcraft
- 3 bases; cruiser-style; Shannon-Erne Waterway in Ireland (english, deutsch)
Shire Cruisers
- on Yorkshire's waterways
Bath Canal Boat Company
- (Bath, on K&A)
Beacon Park Boats (on Mon. & Brec., in S. Wales) - several broad-beam in
fleet
Moonraker Narrowboat Company
(K & A, nr. Bath)
Riversdale Barge Holidays
(Ireland, on the Shannon Erne Waterway)
Silsden Boats
- narrow and broad-beam boats [The broad-beam boats are "Hum Drum",
"Helen's Drum", and "Marley's Drum".] (Silsden, W. Yorks, on L&L)
Black Country Narrow Boat Hire
- 70ft R.W.Davis Northwich Trader Class Tug (Oldbury, W. Mids.)
Braidbar Boats
- (on Macclesfield Canal)
Middlewich Narrowboats - gas-free fleet
(Middlewich, Ches.)
Tradcraft Hire Boats
(Market Drayton, Salop.)Boat Rentals - called "French Tourist Office" but is a commercial firm
See also Hotel Boats
For web pages of individual hire firms, see the French Waterways Links page .
Locaboat Holidays France, Holland, Germany, Ireland. (site in English, Français, Deutsch)
Friesland Boating Holland.
(site in English, Nederlands, Deutsch)
Le Boat:
- US-firm that operates Crown Blue Line, Connoisseur, and Emerald Star. France, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Belgium, Holland, England, Scotland
- (site in English, Français, Deutsch, Italiano, Español, Nederlands)
France Afloat
Canal name abbreviations used below
Have a look a APCO's description of the English Tourist Board's Canal Boat Grading Scheme. APCO (the Association of Pleasure Craft Operators) has regional lists which show which member firm's operate graded boats, and which take part in the British Marine Federation Hire Boat Handover Programme. Here's an example: Hire Boat Companies in the North & South Midlands. (Links to other APCO regional pages will be found at the bottom of the example page, in the right-hand column.)
Acier
Narrowboats (nr. Lichfield on T&M)
Andersen
Boats (Middlewich, Ches.)
Aqua
Narrowboat Hire (Burton-on-Trent)
Arlen
Hire Boats (Lancaster Canal)
Ashby
Boat Company (Ashby Canal)
Banks Hire Boats
(Selby, N. Yorks.)
Bath and Dundas Canal Co.
(Bath on K&A)
Bath Canal Boat Company
- two broad-beam "narrowboats" (Bath, on K&A)
Bettisfield Boats
- two 35-foot narrowboats (Bettisfield on Llangollen Canal)
Bidford
Boats (Bidford-on-Avon, Warks.)
Black
Country Narrow Boat Hire - (Oldbury, W. Mids.)
Boating Days
- (Northwich, Ches.)
Braidbar Boats
(on Macclesfield Canal)
Bridge Boatyard
- narrowboats and cruiser-style boats (Ely, Cambs.)
Bronte
Boats (Hebden Bridge, W. Yorks,
on Rochdale Canal)
Calcutt Boats
(Rugby, Warks., on N. GU)
Canal and Tipi Experience
- Thames and K&A (Reading, Berks.)
canalbarge.co.uk
- hire of available weeks on Shakespeare Classic Line timeshare fleet
(at Mercia Marina, Willington, Derbyshire, on T&M)
Canal Boat Escapes
- (Barnoldswick, on L&L)
Canalbreaks Narrowboat Holidays
(Coventry)
Canal Cruising Company
(Stone, on T&M)
Caversham Boat Services
- cruiser-style (Reading, Berks., on R. Thames)
Challenger
Stealth Canal Hire Fleet has been absorbed by
ABC Leisure Group
Chas Hardern Boats
(Beeston, Cheshire, on SU)
Cheshire
Cat Narrowboat Hire (on SU)
Churchdale Canal Cruises
- one 58-foot narrowboat (Rugeley, Staffs., on T&M)
Claymoore Navigation
- many boats with hydraulic drive (Preston Brook, Cheshire, on Bridgewater)
Clifton Cruisers
(Rugby, on N. Oxford)
College Cruisers (Oxford)
Copt Heath Wharf
- near Solihull, W. Mids. (northern GU)
Cotswold Boat Hire
- cruiser-style (Lechlade-On-Thames)
Countryside
Cruising - (Endon, Staffs., on Caldon Canal)
Countrywide Cruisers (Brewood, on SU)
Crest Narrowboats
- (bases at Chirk on Llangollen and Stoke-on-Trent on T&M)
Distinctive Charters
- private boats for hire; various locations so not on hire base maps
Empress Holidays (Nantwich, Ches., on SU)
is now Welsh Gateway Canal Holidays
Farncombe Boat House
(Godalming, Surrey, on R. Wey)
Foxboats (March, Cambs., on Nene-Ouse)
Foxhangers Canal Holidays
- weekly and short breaks (Devizes on K&A)
Foxton Boat Services Ltd.
(Foxton, Leics., on GU, Leicester section)
Freedom
Boats - (Macclesfield, Ches., on Macclesfield)
Galleon Marine (Basingstoke Canal)
Grebe Canal Cruises
(Pitstone on GU)
Guildford Boat House (River Wey)
Hapton Valley Boats
- 2 narrowboats and 1 broad-beam (Burnley, Lancs., on L&L)
Heritage Narrowboats
(Scholar Green, Ches., on Macclesfield)
Hire a Canalboat Ltd
- (Sawley Marina, nr Nottingham)
Kate Boats (Warwick, on N. GU)
Kennet Cruises
(Reading, Berks)
Kris Cruisers (R. Thames at Windsor)
Lee Valley Boat Centre
(North East London, on R. Lee)
Mary Gray Narrowboat Holidays
- (Church Minshull, Ches., on Middlewich Branch)
Maestermyn & Welsh Lady Cruisers
(Whittington, Salop., on Llangollen)
Mid Devon Hire Boats - No longer offers narrowboat hire; (Tiverton, Devon,
on Grand Western Canal)
Middlewich Narrowboats - gas-free fleet; hires out boats year-round
(Middlewich, Ches., on T&M)
Moonraker Narrowboat Company
(K & A, nr. Bath, broad-beam boats)
Moor Time Narrowboat Holidays
- (on Prees Branch of Llangollen Canal)
Napton Narrowboats
(bases at Napton, at junction of GU and Oxford, and Autherley
at junction of SU and S&W)
Narrowboat Zinfandel - nr. Cambridge (River Cam)
- must have some boating experience
Narrow Escapes (Sandbach, Ches., on T&M)
Nene Valley Boats
(Oundle, Northants., on R. Nene)
Norbury Wharf Ltd.
(Stafford, on SU)
Norfolk Broads Yachting Company
- "sailing yachts for hire on the Norfolk Broads" (Horning, Norfolk)
Oxfordshire Narrowboats - see
Large Hire Firms - U.K. above
Pennine Cruisers of Skipton
(Skipton, N. Yorks., on L&L)
Rainbow Cruisers
- hire of 30-foot cruisers on R. Thames (Chertsey, Surrey)
Reading Marine - fleet now operated by UK Boat Hire (Aldermaston, on K&A)
Richardsons Boating Holidays
- cruiser-style boats (Stalham or Acle, on Norfolk Broads)
Rose Narrowboats
(nr. Rugby, Warks.)
Royalls Boatyard
(Hoveton, Norwich, on Norfolk Broads)
Saddleworth Canal Cruises
- (Oldham, on Huddersfield Narrow Canal)
Saisons
(Daventry, Northants.) [was Coronet]
Sally Narrowboats
- (Bradford on Avon, on the K&A)
Savanna Canal Boat Hire (Guildford, Surrey, on R. Wey)
Shire Cruisers
(Sowerby Bridge, W. Yorks., on Rochdale Canal)
Sileby Mill Boatyard
( Loughborough, Leics.; GU, Leics. section)
Silsden Boats
- narrow and broad-beam boats (Silsden, W. Yorks, on L&L)
Snaygill Boats of Skipton
(Skipton, Yorks., on L&L)
Starline Narrowboats (Upton-upon-Severn, Worcs.)
Teddesley Boat Company
(Penkridge, Staffs., on S&W)
Tek Holiday Narrow Boat Hire
- (Kings Bromley, Staffs., on T&M)
Tradcraft Hire Boats
(Market Drayton, Salop.)
Union Canal Carriers
(Braunston, Northants., nr. junc. of GU and Ox.)
Valley Cruises
(Nuneaton, Warks., on Coventry)
Water Babies (Lancaster Canal)
Welsh Gateway Canal Holidays
(Nantwich, Ches., on SU)
White Horse Boats
(Devizes on K&A)
Willow Wren Cruising Holidays
(Rugby, Warks., on N. Ox.)
Wyvern Shipping Co. (Leighton Buzzard, on GU)
York Marine - narrow- and cruiser-style boats (York, on R. Ouse)
Caley Cruisers Ltd
(Inverness)
Capercaillie Cruisers
(Falkirk, on Forth & Clyde Canal)
West Highland Sailing
- sailing yachts and motor cruisers (nr. Ft. William, on Caledonian Canal)
Note: several of the Large Hire Firms - U.K. have bases in Scotland
Beacon Park Boats - narrowboats and several broad-beam in
fleet (on Mon. & Brec.)
Cambrian Cruisers (on Mon. & Brec.)
Castle Narrowboats (on Mon. & Brec.)
Country Craft
(on Mon. & Brec.)
Road House Narrow Boats
(on Mon. & Brec.)
Barrowline Cruisers - broad-beam "narrowboats"; on R. Barrow (english)
Canalways Ireland
- narrowboats; Rathangan, on Barrow Line branch of the Grand Canal
Carrickcraft
- 3 bases; cruiser-style; Shannon-Erne Waterway (english, deutsch)
Corraquill Cruising Holidays
- Dutch barges; Shannon-Erne Waterway (english)
Emerald Star
- 3 bases; cruiser-style; Shannon-Erne Waterway (english, français, deutsch, italiano, nederlands)
Riversdale Barge Holidays
- broad-beam "narrowboats"; on the Shannon Erne Waterway (english, français, deutsch)
Royal Canal Cruisers
- 10 foot wide "narrowboat"; Dublin, on Royal Canal
Shannon Castle Line
- cruiser-style; R. Shannon (english, deutsch, italiano)
Silver Line
- cruiser-style; R. Shannon (english, deutsch)
Waveline Cruisers
- cruiser-style; on R. Shannon (english, deutsch)
Marina Lanke-Berlin
- cruiser-style (deutsch)
