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

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.

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!

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.

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.

A lovely way to spend an afternoon after a tour of the countryside as we had the wrong postcode. We…read morewere going to celebrate a friend's 70th birthday and were given the post code from website but this is the website for their office. We called and were given an alternative post code which took us to the centre of Evesham by the river. There is a small car park just at the edge of the park next to the river. We boarded the boat and greeted by the crew. It is a large barge with tables and seats for 24. Our party was 19 so we had the boat to ourselves. We had a quick safety briefing we set off. The skipper commentated as we cruised the Avon. We were served our food. There was a choice of fish & chips, chicken & chips & pie & chips which was preordered. I opted for fish & chips. It came in a box with mushy peas and there were sachets of tartare sauce on the table. The fish and chips were lovely with the scenery going past. We bought drinks at the bar they sold alcohol, soft drinks and hot drinks. £2 for a Coke and £2.10 for a J2O- I was drinking. £3.00 for a cuppa tea. The cruise last 2 hours and cost £16.50. It was a lovely few hours.

Universal Yachting are a first class organisation. We have borrowed boats for now 4 week-end trips…read more A couple with a skipper, a couple without. The boats have always been spotless. If only Universal could organise the weather we'd of had some perfect trips.

From the owner: Universal Yacht Charter specialises in Bareboat, Skippered & Corporate Yacht Charter in The Solent…read morearea. We have a select fleet of non branded privately owned sailing yachts for private and corporate charter and other sailing events. Based from Hamble near Southampton and Port Solent in Portsmouth Harbour, our yachts are available for charter within the Solent and surrounding waters of the Isle of Wight. We are also an RYA yacht sailing school offering the full syllabus of RYA sailing courses and own boat or informal tuition. Currently our charter fleet includes:- * Holman 26 * Beneteau Oceanis 343 * Hallberg Rassy 36 * Dufour 365 * Dufour 385 * Oceanis 37 * Bavaria 39 * Sun Odyssey 40.3 * Southerly 42 * Beneteau Oceanis 50 Our yachts are available for:- * Bareboat & Skippered Charter * Private & Corporate Events * Multi-yacht events * RYA Sailing Courses & tuition So whether you are looking to own or charter a yacht, learn or improve your sailing skills, please contact us.