So don't take our word for it, see what thousands of our customers are saying about us!
Gayton Marina - very helpful, friendly staff.
11 Aug 2021
Great staff at this marina. Lovely boat (Rodulf) Very peaceful easy holiday.
11 Aug 2021
Loved it - thought the boat and the team at the marina were fabulous! We have returned however thinking she should invest in a days training before we embark on our next holiday with you next July as we had no experience and our lack of confidence made the holiday quite stressful at times
11 Aug 2021
Thank you for your feedback. Experience will build confidence on the water, it can take a few holidays before you feel like a 'boater'! You can contact the Booking Office team for details of an instructor who can offer RYA training. We are delighted to hear that you have already booked your next adventure and look forward to welcoming you at Gailey Wharf.
16 Aug 2021
Bit of a faff setting up bed each night, but a functional design. Can it be improved further?
11 Aug 2021
Thank you for your feedback. Our boat builders are always looking to improve the design of our boats with each new boat class. We hope you enjoyed your holiday and we look forward to welcoming you back again soon!
16 Aug 2021
Great weekend break, nice well equipped boat, well organised, would definitely recommend.
11 Aug 2021
Because we had such a great time
11 Aug 2021
Boat extremely clean and well equipped, staff very friendly and helpful at the start and finish of the holiday
11 Aug 2021
Boat was lovely and clean, equipped with everything you could need, lovely staff, thorough handover and introduction, would definitely book again.
11 Aug 2021
Brilliant holiday. From Start to finish, great tutorial and flexibility in picking up boat. All the facilities you need on board.
11 Aug 2021
The boat was well kitted out, even with two sets of waterproofs, the pans in the kitchen were great non-stick; the thorough instruction sessions before we set off were excellent (except we weren’t told what to do when we returned, i.e. to fill up with fuel before mooring). We enjoyed the challenge we set ourselves to get round a ring in six days, which we did, even with the staircase of 35 locks in the rain so it felt like an achievement. It made us fitter and we enjoyed being out in the fresh air.
10 Aug 2021
Awesome, great family break
10 Aug 2021
We were 4 women with no previous experience, but found the staff very helpful and reassuring . The handover was thorough and the boat very clean and comfortable.
10 Aug 2021
Would have been 5 stars but needed pump out of both toilets after 2 days. Had not been emptied during turaround. Lost half a day on detour to pump out service.
10 Aug 2021
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
