So don't take our word for it, see what thousands of our customers are saying about us!
First class boat and service.
27 Oct 2025
Friendly and hepful staff. Boat had been modernized to good standards, and was great apart from the all-too-familiar water pump noise problem at bow at night. Storage space is scarce, none under the "versatile" beds any more. Excessive amount of pillows, but they were removed by the staff upon request. We had specified (and even confirmed by e-mail when asked) five separate beds, so we were surprised to find two double beds and pillows and linen for six when we arrived. This was corrected at marina before departure.
27 Oct 2025
Adding to our comments in the previous section, the boat was well equipped including many 230 V appliances (like vacuum cleaner) and USB charging sockets. There were even switches to disable the noisy water pumps at bow, but this is useless since it woud prevent the crew from using bathrooms at night. Resiliently mounted and encapsulated pumps remain on the wish list.
27 Oct 2025
Very friendly and helpful. Everything operated on time Boat very well equipped and clean.
27 Oct 2025
excellent service as always
26 Oct 2025
Thank you so much for your continued support over the past seven years! We're absolutely delighted to hear that you've consistently received excellent and friendly service from our team. Your recommendation means a lot to us, and it's always a pleasure to welcome you back each year. We look forward to helping you enjoy many more memorable canal holidays in the future. Many thanks, ABC Boat Hire
27 Oct 2025
excellent friendly service. would recommend again - have used them every years for the last 7 years
26 Oct 2025
Thank you so much for your continued support over the past seven years! We're absolutely delighted to hear that you've consistently received excellent and friendly service from our team. Your recommendation means a lot to us, and it's always a pleasure to welcome you back each year. We look forward to helping you enjoy many more memorable canal holidays in the future. Many thanks, ABC Boat Hire
27 Oct 2025
Good clear information on arrival at Blackwater Marina of the boat and it's features. Spotlessly clean and well equipped. Use of locks explained and manoeuvring advice given. Initially staff take you onto the canal and give short lesson/ instructions on handling before leaving you to enjoy the trip. Handover on return very easy . Would highly recommend using ABC as we will on our next trip.
26 Oct 2025
Thank you so much for your lovely feedback! We're thrilled to hear you had a great narrowboat experience and that everything from the boat’s cleanliness to the handover process met your expectations. It’s great to know our team at Blackwater Marina provided clear guidance and helpful instruction to get you started confidently on your journey. We’re so pleased you enjoyed your holiday from Ellesmere to Llangollen, and we look forward to welcoming you back for your next adventure! Many thanks, ABC Boat Hire
27 Oct 2025
Excellent holiday week from Ellesmere to Llangollen
26 Oct 2025
Thank you so much for your lovely feedback! We're thrilled to hear you had a great narrowboat experience and that everything from the boat’s cleanliness to the handover process met your expectations. It’s great to know our team at Blackwater Marina provided clear guidance and helpful instruction to get you started confidently on your journey. We’re so pleased you enjoyed your holiday from Ellesmere to Llangollen, and we look forward to welcoming you back for your next adventure! Many thanks, ABC Boat Hire
27 Oct 2025
Great service, very helpful and friendly
25 Oct 2025
Thank you for your kind words! We're so pleased to hear you enjoyed the service and found the boat well equipped and comfortable. It’s great to know the older style layout with the raised table and extra storage suited your preferences — many of our guests love being able to enjoy the views as they cruise along! We really appreciate your feedback and look forward to welcoming you back again soon. Many thanks, ABC Boat Hire
27 Oct 2025
Very well equipped boat, we much prefer the layout of this older style boats as it has the raised table so you can see out as you go along and the extra storage space
25 Oct 2025
Thank you for your kind words! We're so pleased to hear you enjoyed the service and found the boat well equipped and comfortable. It’s great to know the older style layout with the raised table and extra storage suited your preferences — many of our guests love being able to enjoy the views as they cruise along! We really appreciate your feedback and look forward to welcoming you back again soon. Many thanks, ABC Boat Hire
27 Oct 2025
Very good service the team at Gailey extremely friendly and helpful. Would recommend ABC to anyone wishing to hire from Gailey and we would use them again.
24 Oct 2025
Thank you for your kind review! We're so pleased to hear that the team at Gailey provided friendly and helpful service, and that the boat exceeded your expectations in both size and equipment — it’s great to know the layout worked well for your group. We really appreciate your recommendation and your tip about the Birmingham canal routes. Feedback like this is incredibly helpful for future guests planning their journeys, and we’ll be sure to pass it along. Looking forward to welcoming you back for another adventure soon! Many thanks, ABC Boat Hire
27 Oct 2025
Black country ring, low water levels, lovely countryside
24 Oct 2025
Thank you for your lovely feedback! We're so glad to hear you had a great holiday and that our staff and engineers were able to support you throughout your journey. It’s fantastic to know the boat was in excellent condition and well appointed — we take pride in making sure everything is ready for a relaxing and enjoyable trip. The Black Country Ring offers some beautiful countryside, and we appreciate you noting the low water levels — it’s helpful for us and future guests alike. Looking forward to welcoming you back for another adventure! Many thanks, ABC Boat Hire
27 Oct 2025
We had a great holiday, staff and engineers were fantastic and really helpful. The boat was in very for condition, clean and well appointed.
24 Oct 2025
Thank you for your lovely feedback! We're so glad to hear you had a great holiday and that our staff and engineers were able to support you throughout your journey. It’s fantastic to know the boat was in excellent condition and well appointed — we take pride in making sure everything is ready for a relaxing and enjoyable trip. The Black Country Ring offers some beautiful countryside, and we appreciate you noting the low water levels — it’s helpful for us and future guests alike. Looking forward to welcoming you back for another adventure! Many thanks, ABC Boat Hire
27 Oct 2025
Lovely boat excellent size for 3 adults, very well equipped much better than expected. We did Black Country Ring and if at all possible we would advise going on Birmingham New Main line and NOT Birmingham Old Main line, have been on several canals and that one was by far the worst.
24 Oct 2025
Thank you for your kind review! We're so pleased to hear that the team at Gailey provided friendly and helpful service, and that the boat exceeded your expectations in both size and equipment — it’s great to know the layout worked well for your group. We really appreciate your recommendation and your tip about the Birmingham canal routes. Feedback like this is incredibly helpful for future guests planning their journeys, and we’ll be sure to pass it along. Looking forward to welcoming you back for another adventure soon! Many thanks, ABC Boat Hire
27 Oct 2025
Generally all was helpful and friendly. There as some confusion over the catering facilities on board - in particular we were assured there would be a frying pan available (for bacon butties) but this was not there on the day.
24 Oct 2025
Thank you for your feedback and for highlighting both the helpful service and the friendly atmosphere you experienced — we’re really glad to hear that overall things went smoothly for you. We’re sorry to hear there was some confusion regarding the catering equipment, especially the missing frying pan. Bacon butties are a canal holiday classic, so we completely understand the disappointment! We’ll make sure this is followed up with our team to help prevent similar issues in the future. We appreciate your comments and hope to welcome you back again soon for another enjoyable trip. Many thanks, ABC Boat Hire
27 Oct 2025
