I rented a boat for 2 hours to go on the river with my children. They were really good and I will…read moredefinitely use them again. Upon arriving the manager was really friendly and could not have been more helpful. I did not have the feeling of any schedule for other things he had to do, even we were only renting for 2 hours, there were other customers and it was probably a busy day for them. The service was quick, efficient and no one was left waiting. He took us out on the boat and showed us what to do, recommended a route and all went well. It is a lovely part of the river as is most of the Thames in that part of the world. My children were a bit nervous as it was their first time on a boat like this and so we came back early. Chertsey Meads Marine Hire were understanding and accommodating, we did not feel silly in any way. On entering the place there are old vehicles, loads of boats, engines and other things all over the place, this is a proper boatyard and not an amusement theme park. The people working there seems to be proper experienced boating people. The boat was not new, it was not passed it either, but certainly well used. The cushions were perfectly clean, the rest of the boat not that clean but still fine. However it was a strong boat probably meant to the massive use that comes with boat rentals, it seemed totally reliable and felt totally secure which to me is what mattered. I was very happy with it There were many other customers, all seeming really happy, having a good time and enjoying the boats. On a great sunny day in that part of London on the river, it would be hard not to. I hope to return again soon.

The Canal centre is the HQ of the restored Basingstoke Canal, which runs for 32 miles from Greywell…read moreVillage in Hampshire to Woodham in Surrey, where it joins the Wey Navigation, which links it to the River Thames. As well as a display about the history of the canal, there's a small shop selling maps, basic toiletries and snacks for those on the adjacent campsite, games for children and souvenirs. The site has a small, popular cafe and a car park, and the centre has toilets. It's the starting point for walks along the canal towpath and those kayaking and canoeing along the canal. There's a small campsite adjacent. The canal itself was completed in 1794, running from the Wey Navigation to a basin in Basingstoke. It was never a commercial success, being undermined by competition from the adjacent railway from the 1830s. Commercial use ceased in 1910 and the canal gradually fell into disuse. It was used by nearby army camps during World War One. After the war, the efforts of a local man, AJ Harmsworth, maintained it for pleasure use and he purchased the canal in 1922. On his death in 1947 it was sold. Efforts to maintain the canal continued, but breaches in 1957 and 1968 ensured that it was essentially derelict by the 1960s. The Greywell tunnel, just short of Basingstoke had already partially collapsed in 1932, cutting the canal from its original destination. A campaign to restore the canal resulted in its purchase by Hampshire and Surrey Councils; restoration began in 1977 and it was opened in its current form in 1991. The Greywell tunnel remains closed and now houses a colony of protected bats, making restoration of the section to Basingstoke unlikely. The canal is designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest for its wildlife. Because of this and water supply issues, there is a limit on lock opening times and the number of boats allowed to use it. Short distance pleasure cruises are, however, operated from the canal centre.

The canal centre documents the history of the Basingstoke canal through dioramas, video, photos and…read moreinformation boards. An interactive model shows how a lock works. There's a cafe and small shop, plenty of parking and they cater for children with colouring pens and paper. At Christmas, they offer Santa cruises to take you and the kids to see Santa's secret grotto hidden in the woods a 10 minute ride from the centre. This year it was extremely well organised and Santa was very convincing and highly entertaining telling jokes, singing Christmas songs and talking to the children individually. The circular grotto (shed) was large, well protected from the elements, heated and strewn with hay. The canal centre was decorated too and the 'elf noticeboard' displayed all of the elf's qualifications such as sleigh driving and gift wrapping together with 'elf and safe tea' notices. Well worth the £10 per head including a quality reading book gift from Santa. If you want to book, do so early as tickets sell out very quickly.

The Fat Swan, your first port of call for luxury cruising on the River Thames in Reading 0700…read more349 6713 info@thefatswan.co.uk Come aboard The Fat Swan and enjoy a decadent boat cruise. We are a grand party boat that is a great venue for hosting an array of special events to be celebrated on the Thames. The Fat Swan is decked out with luxurious fixtures and fittings and she is ideal for those looking to celebrate in style The Fat Swan is ideal for formal and informal events, unique parties, business meetings, corporate events, afternoon and evening cruising . We provide the highest standards and best value for money when it comes to parties on the Thames

Service was great, price was good and they recommended and booked me with a great can boat rental…read morecompany who were as great as they said they were. I was a bit worried because I had not rented a canal boat before and I am glad I used them. They recommeneded the route and said where I could get to on that route, they did not say though that to do the whole route would be hard for a beginner so did not get all the way on that route to see all the attractions they said. However the route was great so I do not care. They looked after me, it all went smoothly, the boat company they booked me with was a great location, company and I would use them again.

From the owner: Waterways Holidays provide self-drive boating holidays on the UK canals, rivers and Norfolk Broads…read more With a choice of over 1,800 hire boats (narrowboats, cruisers & yachts) from 80 locations, we can offer you the perfect holiday afloat. No previous boating experience is requiered as full instruction is provided at the satrt of your holiday.

Great service, comfortable and good condition boats and a thorough introduction to the boat and how…read moreit worked from Nathan. I definitely recommend this company for a boating hoilday and would hire a boat from them again. The Thames is beautiful too and we managed to get from Datchet to Abingdon and back very comfortably in a week, with lots of stop offs along the way at pubs/towns etc.

From the owner: Here at Kris Cruisers we specialise in self drive boat hire. We have a fleet of 39 boats in total…read morewhere you can hire a day boat seating from 2 to 12 people from as little as a 1 hour hire to one of our holiday cruisers sleeping from 2 to 10 people for a short break, a week or longer.

I went on an excellent stag weekend and we went wreck fishing on the first day with these guys…read more I've done a fair bit of sea fishing and they can be a bit ropey but this trip was so well organised and all of the equipment was really modern and in good condition. Surprisingly there's a lot of pollack, cod, and bass to be had above some of the many boat wrecks scattered around the Sussex Coast. We paid around £50 per head for our trip and I think it was worth every penny. You get to keep some of what you catch which is always a bonus!

The highlight of our London trip so far was exclusive service we received on the Thames Limo! What…read morea beautiful boat, spectacular service and great commentary from our captain, who kept us in stitches with his funny historical stories of different landmarks we passed on the river. My niece had the most spectacular 16th birthday, that she said she will never forget thanks to this amazing charter boat service. We especially loved the union jack painted on the sides that made for some great photos to take back home with us. The interior was spectacular too with white leather tufted couches. Highly recommend it, especially for a special occasion.

What a beautiful and romantic way to see London! We literally got the royal treatment, sipping…read morechampagne on this exquisite boat during the Queen's jubilee. Everything on this charter was first class. Certainly worth the splurge! Thank you captain Phil!

meny happy days spent on you. sorry to see you go .read more

We had a delightful afternoon tea cruise (1.5 hours) that was not only scrumptious (best scones I…read morehad this trip), but the guide was quite hilarious. Back to the food for a moment: Finger sandwiches, scones, cake, and tea! AND they had gluten-free option available meaning my spouse could enjoy as well (I did order in advance, but same day). We had a lovely cruise on the river and enjoyed seeing the Christ Church meadows, all the rowing clubs, and going through the Iffley locks. Our boat could accommodate eight people (maybe ten?), so it was a cozy experience. It was the first thing we did when we arrived in Oxford and it was a delight!

This was a nice float down the river, but not much more than that. I was looking forward to…read morelearning more about...anything really. The river itself, the wildlife, the connection to classic literary works, etc. Instead, the guide seemed to have limited information and only spoke about licensing on the river, the poor conditions of many of the boats, and the names of the colleges associated with the rowing houses (only some, though). He admitted hadn't been living there long and didn't know very much. He also let one group member dominate the trip, and spent most of the time answering his questions, which were completely unrelated to the river and really only related to himself. The trip started late because we were waiting for a group of seven, which was annoying. We had literally run from the train station to be there on time. The tour therefore felt rushed and still got back late, which made us late for our next event. Overall, I would not recommend as it is not worth the cost.

Just got back from a narrowboat holiday on the Kennet & Avon canal. We chartered the narrowboat…read morefrom Nikki at Moonraker Narrowboats. I cannot say enough good about how hard Nikki worked to make sure we were comfortable with our arrangements and with the boat. All my previous experience had been with sailboats (max 52ft) and a 65ft long wide-beam narrowboat was a bit intimidating to say the least. Nikki stayed with us for a bit while I got the hang of steering the boat and my crew passed us through one lock. Then it was off to Bath for a few days (Bonfire Night) and afterwards we worked our way back to Cain Hill Flight. Being in the center of Bath on the river Avon was a wonderful experience. Nikki currently has a fleet of 4 narrowboats. Ours for the week was Moondance. No issues with the boat at all. Being a sailboat owner I know how hard you must work to keep everything working on a boat. The only issue we had was a fuel gauge that doesn't like cold weather. Nikki arranged for a marina on our route to add an additional 100 liters of fuel and naturally the gauge worked perfectly after that. Moondance has a very open feel to her and the cabins are all very large for someone coming from sailboats. In spite of being about the size of "Rubeus Hagrid", I never found the space cramped or claustrophobic. The coal stove keeps the galley and living area nice and warm and there is always central heat if you need it. We were out during November, so at night we just snuggled in under the down comforters and enjoyed a peaceful sleep. I highly recommend Nikki and Moonraker! Cheers

We recently completed a week long narrow boat holiday on the Kennet & Avon canal. There were a…read moretotal of 14 of us...three generations, from age 7 to 84! After considering all the narrow boat rental companies, we chose Moonraker Canalboats. We are SO glad we did! Their boats are 10 feet wide (3' more than most) which makes a big difference in spaciousness. It also allows you to go through the locks alone (rather than pairing with another narrow boat) which is a big benefit. We rented two boats--each one was luxurious from stem to stern...very modern fully-equipped kitchens, fluffy linens, jacuzzi tubs, satellite television...all the amenities of a luxury hotel. I can tell you with great candor that, during the entire week, we never saw a boat that was superior to the ones we were on! Also, the staff could not be more helpful or accommodating. They made sure we were fully trained and comfortable with boat operation before we set off. Even when we experienced an unrelated family emergency, they stopped what they were doing and spent time with us to make sure we got the help we needed. Genuinely wonderful folks! If you decide on a K&A canalboat holiday, you will not regret choosing Moonraker.