There are over 35,000 canal boat on Britain’s 3,000-mile inland waterways network. Around 1,000 of these are holiday hire narrowboats.
Drifters Waterway Holidays offers the choice of over 550 canal boats for hire. They do so from 45 bases across England, Wales and Scotland. Each year dozens of new boats are added to the fleet.
Drifters operate from 45 bases across England, Scotland and Wales. Narrowboats range from 32ft to 70ft and can accommodate up to 12 people. Drifters provide hirers with life jackets and boat steering tuition. Best of all, Drifters holidays are pet-friendly!
There are two main types of stern available: the cruiser stern has an open back deck with room for a number of people to stand; while the semi-traditional has a smaller deck/steering area with a seating area that can be enclosed with doors.
Here’s a run-down of Drifters’ Top 10 new boats for hire in 2024:
A new ‘Duchess 6’ Signature will be available from Stoke Prior
The 70ft ‘Duchess 6’ Signature Class cruiser stern canal boat for up to six people, will be available to hire from Drifters’ base on the Worcester & Birmingham Canal at Stoke Prior. She will have two double cabins that can either be double or twin beds, and the option to convert the dining area into a double bed.
The kitchen areas are larger in the new Signature Class fleet, with more worktop space, a microwave, multiple USB charging points. The boat will also have a shower and toilet room, black-out blinds, bespoke mattresses, wireless charging pads and a flat screen TV.
On a short break from Stoke Prior, boaters can cruise to Worcester or complete the Droitwich Ring. On a week’s break, boaters can cruise to Tewsbury or complete the Stourport Ring.
A new ‘Duchess 8’ Signature will be available from Stoke on Trent
The new 70ft ‘Duchess 8’ Signature Class cruiser stern canal boat for up to eight people, will be available to hire from Drifters’ base on the Trent & Mersey Canal at Stoke on Trent. She will have three double cabins that can either be double or twin beds, and the option to convert the dining area into a double bed.
On a short break from Stoke on Trent, boaters can cruise to Congleton, Froghall, Macclesfield or Middlewich. On a week’s break, boaters can reach Penkridge, Whaley Bridge or Huddlesford, or complete the Four Counties Ring.
‘Blue Wren’ arrives at Hilperton
The new 49ft ‘Blue Wren’ semi-traditional narrowboat will offer flexible accommodation for up to four people, from Drifters’ base at Hilperton on the Kennet & Avon Canal in Wiltshire. The boat will have one cabin, which can be configured either as a double or twin (with optional wider beds), and a seating/dining area in the saloon which can be converted into a double bed. The boat will have a shower/toilet room, a front deck table, LED lighting, two televisions and WiFi.
On a short break from Hilperton, boaters can travel to Bath and back, and on a week’s break they can reach Hungerford.
‘Chiff Chaff Warbler’ will depart from Wrenbury
The new 69ft ‘Chiff Chaff Warbler’ semi-traditional narrowboat for up to eight people will arrive at from Drifters’ base at Wrenbury on the Llangollen Canal in Shropshire. The boat will have three cabins: one fixed as double; and two which can be configured as doubles or singles. ‘Chiff Chaff Warbler’ will have LED lighting, a front deck table, optional wider beds, two shower/toilet rooms, WiFi and two TV’s.
On a short break from Wrenbury, narrowboat holiday-makers can travel gently through the countryside to Ellesmere and back. On a week’s break, they can travel on to Llangollen, passing over the World Heritage Pontcysyllte Aqueduct.
‘Rock Partridge’ will be available from Nantwich
The 66ft ‘Rock Partridge’ semi-traditional narrowboat for up to six people. She will arrive at Nantwich on the Shropshire Union Canal in Cheshire. ‘Rock Partridge’ will have two two double cabins that can be made up as singles or doubles (with optional wider beds), and the seating/dining area can be converted into a double bed. She will have two shower/toilet rooms, a front deck table, LED lighting, two televisions and WiFi.
On a short break from Nantwich, boaters can head to Middlewich, Chester or Market Drayton. On a week away, they can reach Lymm, Brewood, Ellesmere Port or Llangollen.
‘Masked Lark’ will be boating from Kings Orchard
The 66ft ‘Masked Lark’ semi-traditional canal boat for up to six people. She will launch at Kings Orchard Marina on the Coventry Canal in Staffordshire. ‘Masked Lark’ has two double cabins. These can be made up as singles or doubles (with optional wider beds). And the seating/dining area can be converted into a double bed. She will have two shower/toilet rooms, a front deck table, LED lighting, two televisions and WiFi.
On a short break from Kings Orchard, boaters can travel to Drayton Manor, Polesworth or Great Haywood. Destinations for a week away include Nuneaton, Snarestone and the Black Country Ring.
‘Tepui Swift’ will navigate from Aldermaston
The 49ft ‘Tepui Swift’ cruiser stern narrowboat for up to four people. She will be available to hire from Drifters’ narrowboat hire base at Aldermaston on the Kennet & Avon Canal in West Berkshire. ‘Tepui Swift’ will have one cabins, which can be configured either as a double or twins (with optional wider beds). There is a seating/dining area which can be converted into a double bed.
On a short break from Aldermaston, boaters can travel to Newbury or Hungerford. On a week’s holiday they can reach Oxford, Pewsey or Windsor.
A new ‘Ocean’ Class boat arrives at Great Haywood
A new 60ft ‘Ocean’ Class cruiser stern narrowboat for up to 10 people. She will be available to hire from Drifters’ base on the Trent & Mersey Canal at Great Haywood in Staffordshire. The boat will feature: two double cabins and three sleeping areas. These can either be configured as a doubles or singles; a toilet/shower room; and an extra toilet.
On a short break from Great Haywood, boaters can travel to Fradley or Stone. On a week’s holiday, they can reach Market Drayton or Froghall, or complete the Black Country Ring.
A new ‘Ocean’ Class narrowboat arrives at Oxford
A new 60ft ‘Ocean’ Class cruiser stern narrowboat for up to 10 people. She will be available to hire from Drifters’ canal boat rental base on the River Thames at Oxford. The boat will feature: two double cabins and three sleeping areas that can either be configured as a doubles or singles. There is also a toilet/shower room; and an extra toilet.
On a short break from Oxford, boaters can travel to Lechlade or Wallingford. On a week’s holiday, they can reach Henley-on-Thames or transfer onto the Oxford Canal to Banbury.
A new ‘Ocean’ Class boat arrives at Bunbury
A new 60ft ‘Ocean’ Class cruiser stern narrowboat carries up to 10 people. She will be available to hire from Drifters’ base on the Shropshire Union Canal at Bunbury in Cheshire. The boat will feature: two double cabins and three sleeping areas. These can either be configured as a doubles or singles; a toilet/shower room; and an extra toilet.
On a short break from Bunbury, boaters can travel to Chester, Whitchurch or to the Anderton Boat Lift.
On a week’s holiday, they can reach Llangollen, Macclesfield or Froghall Basin.
Drifters Waterway Holidays is made up of nine hire canal boats companies. They are ABC Boat Hire, Anglo Welsh, Black Prince, Countrywide Cruisers, Foxhangers, Kate Boats, Napton Narrowboats, Shire Cruisers and Union Canal Carriers. 2024 hire prices start at £590 for a short break, £815 for a week on a boat for up to four people.