My 2004-vintage post 'Narrowboat for rent, handy for muslims' has attracted a lot of comments from people looking to rent boats on a monthly or long term basis.
Most are simply looking to live cheaply in London, and many are pretty optimistic or unrealistic. (One person hoped to rent a boat on a residential mooring in Little Venice for £500 a month - that's boat and mooring.)
Others simply wanted to rent a boat long-term for genuine cruising, exploring the countryside. This is a more practical option.
Two people (Ed and Tom) commented on one company that offers canal boats for long-term rent - Escape the Rat Race (www.etrr.co.uk).
I'd not noticed Escape The Rat Race before. Its modus operandi has five bullet points:
- Other legal and insured operators charge huge fees for longer cruises, since they specialise in the short term.
- Our boats are correctly licenced and fully insured for what we do.
- Other companies were reluctant to let boats for a number of months, preferring weekly holiday lets instead.
- Many companies required that you brought your own linen, bedding, towels etc. We found their boats unwelcoming and bare. We prepare our boats such that when you arrive for your “Escape”, the boat welcomes you like an old friend
- Most other boats only travel along common tourist routes. We give you the freedom to travel where you wish, winding your way along many different canals and rivers.
Escape The Rat Race charges £750 - £1,250 a month, which is a third or a quarter of what conventional hire companies ask.
This sounds like a good deal. However, while I'm sure they carry out their part of the bargain, the unspoken other half is that the hirer needs to comply too.
Only one of the boats is stated to come with its own permanent mooring (Beaune Idyll, at Iver), so if you rent the others you might be expected to move them regularly, conforming with continuous cruising guidelines, if you are going to live aboard.
This could come as a disappointment to some people hoping simply for a cheap apartment for a few months.
Still, seems like a great idea. Another indubitable benefit is that all the boats look like private hire boats - some of them characterfully old - so you won't be tarred with the 'holidaymaker' brush - and you can pretend for all the world like you were born on the cut.
Update: On the Waterways World website's 'Boating Q&A' section this month, David Stiff asks where he can rent a boat for several months. The WW answer doesn't mention ETRR, but it could well do.
Thanks for the info. on Escape The Rat Race,, My residence is in Southern Calif. Use ,, and has been my entire life ,, After my uncle wrote a book on Motheres side of family tree ,, i found an extensive welsh /english family tree ,, and have spent a 3 &half week vacation driving around england ,, castles and old,old road houses, and the white lion Inn ,,(where dickens is known to have stayed) and just loved every minute ,, and would jump at the chance to visit again , and the Canal system , and boats ,just make it more inviting ,, but after checking the prices for a week or 2 from the many hire fleets ,, I was giving up ,,on a narrow boat vacation ,, While the "Escape The Rat Race" service website does not offer spefics on rate the numbers noted are encourgeing, and would offer more time for visiting Castles ,,
Hmmm ,,also now the finical climate has me working ,, mostly all the time ,, so i do not know when,, I am working on it ,,,,
thanks again
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Posted by: area | Wednesday, 07 September 2011 at 03:37 PM
Hi, good to read your comments.
I have just been in touch with ETRC and enquired regarding the long-term hire of a narrowboat to see if we are 'suited' to living afloat permanently. I will let you know how matters progress with them.
Apart from that, would you recommend any other approach to the way in which we are considering this?
Any help or advice would be appreciated?
Maybe there are fellow boat people out there who may consider renting their boat out for a period of time (obviously references would be supplied)
Regards
Paul & Bev
Posted by: Paul Clay | Wednesday, 20 July 2011 at 06:35 PM
having walked past 'Beaune Idyll' on Tuesday, still out in the yard, I'd say she was far from being available 'now!!' (their exclamation marks). At least the 'boat brochure' is more forthcoming. There's a very good reason why there's no pictures on her page...
Posted by: Simon | Friday, 17 October 2008 at 10:34 AM