Dozens of new boats are joining the Drifters fleet this year
Cheryl Howes of Kate Boats with the latest news from Drifters – a consortium of independent selfdrive hire boat companies set up to promote enjoyment of canal holidays.
THERE are more than 35,000 boats on Britain’s 3000mile canal network and around 1000 of these are holiday hire narrowboats.
Drifters’ nine hire boat operators have 550 narrowboats for hire between them. Each year, our operators commission dozens of new boats to be built over the winter months, ready to join our fleets in the spring.
This year, Anglo Welsh is launching three new luxury 65ft Admiral Class narrowboats. These boats offer accommodation for up to four people in two cabins, which can be made up as either doubles or singles. They have two bathrooms, a substantial saloon area with a large TV, Wi-Fi, a multi-fuel stove, full radiator central heating, and a spacious kitchen with modern fittings and LED lighting.
Curzon will operate out of Great Haywood on the Trent & Mersey Canal in Staffordshire, Duncan from Wootton Wawen on the Stratford Canal in Warwickshire and Codrington on the Kennet & Avon Canal from Bath.
Black Prince has introduced a new Signature range of boats to its fleet, with new boats arriving this season at Stoke Prior on the Worcestershire & Birmingham Canal in Worcestershire and at Napton on the Grand Union Canal in Warwickshire.
This new class of narrowboat has larger kitchens, multiple USB sockets, flat screen TVs, blackout blinds and bespoke mattresses. More of these boats will arrive at all Black Prince boatyards over the coming years.
ABC Boat Hire is also adding new boats to its fleet, including: the four-berth Sooty Swift at Whitchurch; the four-berth American Swift at Blackwater Meadow; the eightberth Magnolia Warbler at Wrenbury Mill; the six- berth
Knot Sandpiper at Alvechurch; the six-berth Obbia Lark at Gayton; the fourberth Eurasian Wren at Hilperton and the four-berth Great Dusky Swift at its new base on the Coventry Canal at Springwood Haven.
Foxhangers Canal Holidays now has a new seven- berth boat Einstein’s Fox operating out of Devizes, and Union Canal Carriers has a new eight-berth boat Hemplow operating out of Braunston.
We look forward to welcoming thousands of canal boat holidaymakers aboard our boats again this year!