ourgate

[chipmorton]

what with more people staying in britain

for their holidays i am wondering just how

well the boating trade has done this year

as some people are saying its an expensive

holiday when you add all the extras on top of

the basic hire cost

[C.Ricko]

In short, I think it is not as good as last year but personally we had a real belter last year and are still closing the gap.

Dont look at the extras, look at the over all cost as diesel prices vary from yard to yard and some yards cannot charge for carpark so add it somewhere else. we now provide fouled prop insurance in with the damage waiver.

bear in mind the yards pay commission on the hire charge so if it was 'all in' then it would cost the hirer more.

[NorfolkNog]

Boating is expensive compared with some other types of holiday.

But it is a unique experience. You get the chance to borrow a motor cruiser (or yacht) worth say up to 150k. (maybe even more) Hereby lies the clue. Anyone owning their own boat knows just how expensive that can be. But add on to that the staff – the receptionists, the cleaners, the maintenance team, the boatyard staff. Add on river tolls (much more expensive for hire boats) insurance, gas checks, repairs, boat refurbishment, investment in new boats, repairs caused by idiots stuffing the craft under Wroxham Bridge, the list goes on. And on top of that the boatyard should make a reasonable return on capital. Edit (nearly forgot - hefty kick back to the booking agent too)

It is expensive – but if I had the choice of 3 weeks in a Mediterranean hotel or a week on the Broads, it would be a no brainer – Broads every time!!!

(Besides no beer on the Med)

[chipmorton]

indeed it is unique

and i shall be enjoying its uniqueness

for three weeks shortly

[JimC]

They may be expensive but has anyone seen how much they are to hire in France, I was checking the Hoseason's website and the prices are staggering, £4000. Why?

Jim

[C.Ricko]

WAIT ! There are silver linings

http://www.richardsonsboatingholidays.c ... al-offers/

we always point these out as they come up automatically on the screen

also the loyalty scheme we run is available ON TOP of ALL of these offers!

(however some prices will be going up next year BUT where they are reduced we will contact all parties already booked to refund the difference.. )

a couple of offers will be removed for next year but that is just to make things a little more simple.

[Broads01]

Blimey - best book quick for next year whilst I still get 2011 prices then! Actually I always think Broads hire prices are reasonable when you set them against self-catering accomodation in the UK generally, especially when you think of the huge overheads yards have to bear.

[chipmorton]

good job ive booked then for next october ....two weeks aboard

concerto

got to say richardsons do have reasonable prices

and that good loyalty scheme....

[MY littleboat]

Ow many hire companies operate a 'last minute dot com' type deal? To my knowledge I have only heard of it once with a couple in a faircraft boat who paid very little compared to the usual hire costs?

[C.Ricko]

We dont anymore as it took years to get away from.

The main reason is that the same customer will wait until next year then ring you for a last min deal, which is an unsettling way for us to deal with cashflow, (as it was in the 90s) also while moored at the pub it is not unusual for someone to brag about the great deal they got on the same boat you just paid full whack for, this ends with an unhappy full paying customer who then waits for a cheap deal next year....

[Guest DAYTONA-BILL]

We`ve sometimes booked last minute, but that`s because of unforseen good fortune. However, when we`ve booked last minute, when we`ve asked about a boat that is unfortunately unavailable, the yards have offered us a bigger boat for the same price as the smaller one, probably with the thought "it`s better to lose £150 than to lose £650?. If it`s offered, we`ll take it, but i don`t remember ever asking for a discount "just because it`s last minute", or because i`m a regular customer.

Yes, sometimes boats are expensive, but if you do a bit of homework, you CAN get some super deals. Clive, you`ve had some of your bathtubs that can sleep up to 7 on offer for as little as £350 per week, which amounts to a week on the broads for the extremely low price of £70 per head. Ok, that`s not always going to be on offer, and it`s never going to be on the higher end boats, but those budget boats are stil maintained to high standards, and are clean and comfortable with all the essentials of a modern broads holiday. and for someone on a very tight budget (such as us), it`s an excellent way to afford something bigger and a lot more spacious for two, and i congratulate you for that Clive . They also represent excellent value when you consider the many points raised by Howard (Norfolk Nog) above regarding overheads etc.