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With everything that was happening regarding COVID we opted to hire the Hawk Owl for our family of five. This was possibly our only mistake of the holiday. At 70ft its one hell of a length that initially brought a few challenges for our family of five first time users. That said the room within the vessel did allow us all to have our own space and ultimately this was a holiday we all loved. For the Kennet and Avon Canal, with its tight turns and traditional locks we soon learn that we needed to be careful within the lock, at times needing to have the vessel on an angle to remain clear of the lock sills. Another nugget when dealing with a 70ft vessel is mooring space. A lock keeper did mention that such a vessel needs to find a space before 3pm to ensure they dont end up struggling... sadly we found out the hard way and ended up travelling on the Thames until 6pm one evening when we just couldnt find a home for the night. We went from Aldermaston to Windsor and the hardest part of the journey was day 2, when we approached Reading and passed through the city. The large lock, called Country lock is hidden beyond a main bridge and we arrived too quickly and with the weir on the left side I was nervous but we managed to get through and once on the Thames it really was plain sailing as they say. My top tips. 1. - Get a set of walkie talkies for communicating between the bow and aft of the boat, especially in the Thames locks that require you to tie off forward and aft. Otherwise you end up shouting like lunitics trying to make yourself heard. 2. - Waterproofs - Goes without saying. We had great weather apart from one day which rained alot and i was wet to the skin. 3. - Be aware that you dont have any TV so take some travel games, cards etc. 4. - Know your watering holes - be flexible and dont rely on just walking in. Pubs along the K&A were not as frequent as I imagined they would be, I winged it and failed! 5. - Henley on Thames and Windsor have loads of places to moor up but you will need to walk in to the towns. Was it a great holiday? It really was. Its not easy as you need helpers who really help but if you work together it can be fabulous.
10 Aug 2021
Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback and suggestions. We do always recommend that customers purchase a map/guide before the start of their holiday so that they can take the time to familiarise themselves with the route and perhaps research pubs along the way. Thank you for the lovely photos which we would love you to share with us https://www.abcboathire.com/share
11 Aug 2021
friendly helpful staff, cleanliness of boat & everything well laid out
09 Aug 2021
Boat very dated could do with a revamp . Internet was poor TV reception very poor .
09 Aug 2021
No problems getting to grips with the boat and navigating the locks, swing bridges and tunnels along the way. A new experience for the family, enjoying the relaxed pace and lovely countryside of our journey.
09 Aug 2021
The staff were friendly and the boat was well presented. Everything was in order and clean and tidy. I know that on a canal we are "captive" so to speak but maybe a bit more tuition would not go amiss, especially about reversing 😃
09 Aug 2021
Wilson's Plover was amazing. Everything was perfect. The bed was really comfy. A bit small but not surprised! The kitchen was well equipped. Bathroom was perfect and the toilet was a great little kit, just like a normal toilet, I was dreading the toilet!! Wilson's plover is 58ft which was very daunting at first but we thoroughly enjoyed our holiday.
09 Aug 2021
We have had eleven narrowboat holidays over the years, with several different companies. The Leaf Warbler is a superb boat and the best we have hired by a country mile. It was spotlessly clean and exceptionally well equipped (except for the frying pan which glued everything to it). I would recommend it to anyone.
08 Aug 2021
Thank you for your lovely feedback, we are delighted to hear that you enjoyed your holiday on Leaf Warbler and will forward your comments to Alvechurch Marina. We look forward to welcoming you again soon!
11 Aug 2021
Very helpful and knowledgeable staff at Anderton Marina nothing was too much trouble, we were certainly looked after throughout our barge holiday. We completed the Cheshire Ring and were given very specific advice about where to moor-up in Manchester and keeping safe.
08 Aug 2021
The collection and drop of was made so easy, the boat was extremely clean and fitted our needs a family of six. Pre training very good And a great experience enjoyed by us all .
08 Aug 2021
From start to finish, our canal boating holiday was superb. The handover was smooth and very friendly. The boat was immaculate and well equipped. Would highly recommend.
07 Aug 2021
Our boat was more difficult and at times unreliable to steer through no fault of ours.
07 Aug 2021
The condition was good but I did notice other boats paint work was in better order.The front step threshold was coming off and where a new shower mixer had been put in, the old holes were left exposed. A water ingress problem in the future. We could not find a chopping board either.
07 Aug 2021
Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback, which we will forward to the marina. We hope you enjoyed your holiday and look forward to welcoming you again soon!
07 Aug 2021
The actual being on a boat and cruising on the Mon &Brec was lovely. The boat was well equipped including windlasses with rotating handles. However, a 2-hour handover to with multiple explanations of how to work locks to people who have experienced all types of locks was a frustrating start to the holiday. We have been with ABC a number of times: would it not be possible to keep a record of instruction received to avoid repetition on every holiday. It would also give boatyards more time to work with inexperienced crews.
07 Aug 2021
Brilliant service throughout and boat was lovely, thoroughly enjoyable
07 Aug 2021
Very good except NO appliances worked. Canal Trust came on board and said it was the 'inverter'. But noone explained that to us.
07 Aug 2021
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