Powerboat hire near the Midlands

[Louis Balfour]

Does anyone know of anywhere please? Everywhere seems to do narrowboats, whereas I want a small boat for four people.

[Uggers]

Are you meaning a small cruiser for the canal? Or power boats stick on a trailer and take to the seaside or lakes?

Apart from day boats I haven't actually seen any long term hires of fibreglass cruisers on the canal.

[Louis Balfour]

Uggers said:

Are you meaning a small cruiser for the canal? Or power boats stick on a trailer and take to the seaside or lakes?

Apart from day boats I haven't actually seen any long term hires of fibreglass cruisers on the canal.

Small cruiser. Even like a little launch. Just for a half day or day.

[Fittster]

Where do you want to use it? Is the idea to tow it from the Midlands to the coast or use it on a reservoir?

[Louis Balfour]

Fittster said:

Where do you want to use it? Is the idea to tow it from the Midlands to the coast or use it on a reservoir?

Just to use the boat on the water where it is. I don't want to take it anywhere else. So, lake or river somewhere.

[Fittster]

Louis Balfour said:

Just to use the boat on the water where it is. I don't want to take it anywhere else. So, lake or river somewhere.

If you aren't interested in canals, the most obvious place would be the Norfolk Broads but depending where you are that can be a bit of a drag.

Sure you can't be tempted by a small canal boat: https://www.unionwharfharborough.co.uk/hire-a-boat...

Edited by Fittster on Friday 31st July 10:59

[Louis Balfour]

Fittster said:

Louis Balfour said:

Just to use the boat on the water where it is. I don't want to take it anywhere else. So, lake or river somewhere.

If you aren't interested in canals, the most obvious place would be the Norfolk Broads but depending where you are that can be a bit of a drag.

Nottingham and to be honest canals bore me senseless. But I've just done a powerboat course and want to practice my "skills".

[Fittster]

Louis Balfour said:

Fittster said:

Louis Balfour said:

Just to use the boat on the water where it is. I don't want to take it anywhere else. So, lake or river somewhere.

If you aren't interested in canals, the most obvious place would be the Norfolk Broads but depending where you are that can be a bit of a drag.

Nottingham and to be honest canals bore me senseless. But I've just done a powerboat course and want to practice my "skills".

If you don't want it for long: https://www.avon-boating.co.uk/product/electric-la...

[Simpo Two]

I'm not sure where you can actually use a powerboat (I read that as speedboat) in the Midlands. It's all canals.

Small day cruiser = Broads or Thames.

[fushion julz]

If you want to go and use a powerboat at anything more than tickover, you need to go out on the sea...Pretty much everywhere inland has speed restrictions.

[paintman]

fushion julz said:

If you want to go and use a powerboat at anything more than tickover, you need to go out on the sea...Pretty much everywhere inland has speed restrictions.

^^This.

I'd love to give the dory a pre-holiday run on Rutland but that will never happen!
There used to be a small lake near Leicester that did a bit of water skiing but that was a BYOB affair.

Edited by paintman on Friday 31st July 12:27

[JuniorD]

when I read the word 'powerboat' I think of something like this



but it seems the OP is looking for something for inland waterways, so maybe one of these?

[Louis Balfour]

JuniorD said:

when I read the word 'powerboat' I think of something like this



but it seems the OP is looking for something for inland waterways, so maybe one of these?

Yes, something like that on the River Trent would be just the ticket.

[mcdjl]

Its not the trent but https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Sports---R... hire boats if you want to stretch the power boat definition.

Still stretching the definition but https://anglianwaterparks.co.uk/rutland-water-park... offer boat hire. I don't see why you'd have to try catch anything...

likewise : http://www.ladybowerfisheries.co.uk/new-castabilit...

[pequod]

Difficult to find an inland stretch of water these days to be able to 'use' a powerboat above 10kts let alone 'hire' one. See this old thread from YBW;

https://forums.ybw.com/index.php?threads/where-to-...

Tallington Lakes might be your nearest opportunity but you would need to bring your own boat I think? Might be worth investigating.

http://www.tallington.com/

Hiring a self drive RIB is limited to coastal waters AIUI and even then companies that do are few and far between.

Good luck.

[Louis Balfour]

pequod said:

Difficult to find an inland stretch of water these days to be able to 'use' a powerboat above 10kts let alone 'hire' one. See this old thread from YBW;

https://forums.ybw.com/index.php?threads/where-to-...

Tallington Lakes might be your nearest opportunity but you would need to bring your own boat I think? Might be worth investigating.

http://www.tallington.com/

Hiring a self drive RIB is limited to coastal waters AIUI and even then companies that do are few and far between.

Good luck.

Thanks.

Some places seem to have electric boats. They look a bit Mickey Mouse.

[pequod]

Louis Balfour said:

Thanks.

Some places seem to have electric boats. They look a bit Mickey Mouse.

If you are happy limiting the speed you want to go to 10kts max then there are far more opportunities and you are hiring a motorboat and not a powerboat/speedboat/fast RIB.

Many fishing lakes hire day boats with battery powered outboards but that's not what you're after, is it?

[Louis Balfour]

pequod said:

Louis Balfour said:

Thanks.

Some places seem to have electric boats. They look a bit Mickey Mouse.

If you are happy limiting the speed you want to go to 10kts max then there are far more opportunities and you are hiring a motorboat and not a powerboat/speedboat/fast RIB.

Many fishing lakes hire day boats with battery powered outboards but that's not what you're after, is it?

Not really.

I think we may have to go to the coast for a few days and hire a rib.

[paintman]

The hire fishing boats at Rutland & Pitsford have small outboard motors & will do around 5 knots flat out with 2 occupants.
That's according to the GPS on my fishfinder.
I wouldn't fancy your chances of them letting you hire one for other than fishing use. For the boat plus 2 permits that's a cost of around £70 for the day. Landing other than at the pontoons is not permitted.

[pequod]

Louis Balfour said:

Not really.

I think we may have to go to the coast for a few days and hire a rib.

A fellow enthusiast from your area with his experience;

https://www.rib.net/forum/f64/new-member-from-the-...