Do I have to pay for my holidays?

No, taking your narrowboat out is free to you. However on return from cruising you will be expected to clean the boat, refuel with diesel and pump out the toilet tank – these are at the owners cost. We can offer a turnaround service for an additional cost, so you can step off and jump in your car – just like our hirers, all of our sponsors use this service as it’s not much fun cleaning your entire boat after use. This cost is just deducted from your monthly returns. So in summary you will pay for the fuel and pump out (same as all boat owners), the end of holiday cleaning costs, and bedding/towel hire unless you opt to bring your own. If you want to cruise in the off peak season you are responsible for getting the boat ready before use, as our handover team and housekeeping staff only work during the main hire season, so we don’t offer the turnaround service or hire of bedding off season.

When can I book my holidays?

We advise you to book your holidays for the hire season before 31^st October of the previous year to ensure you get your desired dates. This is because we offer a popular early bird discount scheme and many of our customer’s book over 50 weeks in advance. Off peak can be negotiated before 31^st July of the same year – as we have to ensure we shall not be carrying out maintenance to the boat.

How much holiday do I get and what dates are available to me?

You will get four weeks in the hire season which is Mid-March to the end of October inclusive; the dates available to you also include School Easter Holidays, Summer Holidays and October half term, but exclude Whitsun Week. The off peak season is 2 weeks beginning of March and first 2 weeks of November (these are weeks either side of the hire season), the rest of the Winter period we carry out Winter maintenance. This allows another 4 weeks on your narrowboat should you wish to use it.

I would like to use the boat more often is this possible?

Yes, during the off peak season November to February we can arrange for additional time with further conditions. No additional time can be offered during the hire season, you can of course have the boat if there is no booking. You’ll just need to let us know this in advance as we wouldn’t routinely let sponsors know of free weeks, and we can’t promise a cleaning service for late booking either.

How is the scheme agreement organised?

You will sign a legal agreement to be part of the sponsorship scheme which protects both you as the boat owner and us as the hire company; it makes clear the process, roles and responsibilities of both parties. You will also sign a Boat Build contract as part of having the build boat slot – just like our bespoke boat build customers do.  The boat is at all times fully owned by the sponsor.

How do I get my financial returns and how much is this?

You will receive a statement every month in arrears of the hires stating how much income has been received, all maintenance carried out to the boat, any replacement items and the amount that you will need to invoice us to obtain your percentage of that income. You will get 38% of the net income for years one and two and 32% of the net income for years three and four (excluding fuel, DWF and any optional extras). Payment is usually made by BACS transfer.

When will I contribute my 20% towards licence and mooring fees?

This will be part of the statement for months July and August and taken off your net income, so you don’t physically pay, it will be deducted from your returns. It is made clear on your monthly statement.

How long can I keep the boat in the scheme for?

Five years and then you are free to either keep the vessel for your own use or you may wish to sell it. If you do sell it we can also offer this service for you – as we have lots of subscribers to our newsletters and social media platforms waiting for our used boats to come up for sale. If five seasons is too long we will also consider 4 seasons too.

How much does a new boat cost?

We offer a choice of three layouts . Please see the Sponsorship page and New Boat Builds pages for current prices. Please bear in mind that the sponsored boats include lots of additional extras that would be charged for on a bespoke boat – it also includes the complete inventory including TVs, Fridge, Microwave, pots, pans and crockery etc within the price.  We also provide detailed quotations so you know exactly what is included before a contract is signed.

Prices include VAT at 20%.

How can I keep track of my new boat build?

You can visit the boat yard preferably by prior arrangement as well as keep track of the build on our Facebook site: https://www.facebook.com/AQUANARROWBOATS

Do I pay for the boat on completion of the build?

We use a boat building contract with staged payments of 10%, 5%, 30%, 35%, 15% and 5% on completion.

How can I ensure that the boat is legally mine once purchased?

You will have a copy of your boat building contract, a legal document, which is your proof of purchase as well as copies of our invoices to you for the boat build.

Can I change the internal design of my new boat?

You are able to contribute your ideas towards the interior decoration such as carpets, curtains, upholstery etc. The internal layout meets our 5 star standard and we know it works for maximum occupancy and maximum comfort, therefore layout changes cannot be changed. We understand that some customers will use the boat after the sponsorship scheme has ended, therefore, we are happy to work with the owner to allow for additional extras when they take over use of the vessel – these additional preparation works will be charged in addition.

Can I purchase an older boat at a reduced price?

Not normally no – most of our sponsors stop for the full period due to them signing a contract.

Can I buy a share of a sponsored boat?

Yes, we can offer offer 2 parties, a 50% share each which means you will each get 2 weeks during the season, 2 weeks off season and after the 5 years all the boat running costs will be shared too. Due to increased admin costs the returns will be reduced to 37% years 1 and 2, and 31% years 3, 4 and 5 If this is something that interests you, get in touch so we can pair you with another share holder. Although happy if you have found your own partner share holder too.

I have decided the scheme isn’t for me as I would like a more bespoke boat – do you offer this?

Yes we offer bespoke boats, find out more about them here.

What do I do next?

Please call us to arrange a visit and we will show you around The Boat House, so you can view the boats and the paperwork involved. We’d normally arrange a visit after we’ve provided a quote. If you would like to go ahead a £3000 deposit is required to secure your boat building slot. We only build one or max two boats into the sponsorship every year so availability is limited. There is usually a 1-2 year lead time due to the demand of our services so an early enquiry is advised.