Reviews of Barnes Brinkcraft Boating Holidays. (Car Rental Agency) in Norwich (Norfolk).

Barnes Brinkcraft Boating Holidays

1236 Reviews

351 Comments

Car rental agency

Boat Hire Service

Riverside Rd, Hoveton, Norwich NR12 8UD

Description

Information of Barnes Brinkcraft Boating Holidays, Car rental agency in Norwich (Norfolk)

On this page you’ll find the address, open hours, more popular times, the contact, photos and real reviews of this business.

This business has received very good reviews from their customers, so probably it’s a place you should try if you are looking for this kind of services.

Map

Open hours of Barnes Brinkcraft Boating Holidays

Reviews of Barnes Brinkcraft Boating Holidays

G. T.

We have returned to Barnes Brinkcraft after a bit of a break due to the pandemic and we were as usual completely blown away with the whole teams efficiency. From the moment we arrived we were given the keys to the boat to offload and very promptly shown the ropes. Despite a couple of initial teething problems (figuring out a hard turn over to start the boat) we felt really welcome. The hamper you are given(as a returning customer) on board is first class and is such a lovely touch. We loved our boating holiday on the super Concerto 4 and are already planning our return visit, maybe on a bigger boat to bring more of the family. Bravo Brinks.🥰🥰

J. B.

We had a fabulous time and the cruiser was old and tired but full of character. The only downside if you are a poor sleeper who fidgets constantly, the two middle bedrooms are not for you!. If we did this again we would definitely look at the layout in more detail. The Norfolk Broads is a tranquil way to spend a week away. Staff were very helpful, friendly and polite. Thank you for the complimentary champagne and biscuits.

K. W.

First class. Friendly, welcoming staff. Great tuition on our first boating holiday. Clean and tidy boat, easy to control. A very small problem with a door handle when we arrived was sorted immediately. Cannot praise Barnes Brinkcraft enough. Norfolk Broads is beautiful and a must visit. People all along our route were so helpful and understanding, especially the man at the Ferry pub and the guy at Ludham boat yard. Thank you everyone

B. D. F.

Excellent customer service. Polite, efficient and knowledgeable. Smooth process on arrival and departure. Boat (Tempo3) was very clean on pick up and we had no issues at all.

R. F.

From arriving ,checking in ,getting our luggage from car on board it all went very smoothly. The boat was clean and everything you needed was there. Hand back went just as smoothly. Staff very helpful.

l. w.

We was very disappointed with the boat, it old and well used, for £1600 you expect better for your money, the curtains were hanging off, only one blow heater and 3 plug sockets in the kitchen, none in the bedrooms, we won't be using you anymore. The staff were very helpful.

m. b.

Thankyou for our holiday really enjoy the broads see next year

R. M.

Had a great week in the Broads- a couple of issues with the boat but engineers were responsive and able to deal with them while we had meals in nearby pubs. Will be booking again!

A. B.

Excellent boat Concerto 6..as ever the Staff could not be more helpful and pleasant..immediate refund of unused fuel and a great welcome hamper for returning guests . Cannot recommend BB highly enough and will be back next year.

A. C.

Excellent service, amazing boat, everything clean and in good condition. Very enjoyable weekend on The Broads

S. Z.

Had a great weekend the accommodation was first class and location was really good perfect for a boating holiday

M. C.

We really enjoyed our boating holiday on board the Serenade 3. The boat was very clean, well equipped with everything we needed. The forward cabin was great for our 2 boys to share, we used the removable cushion that turns it into a double bed to stop the youngest falling out! Lots of space in the mid cabin, and which was very sociable while cooking meals. The electrics on the boat were very impressive, you could boil the kettle without switching on the engine. The staff at the yard were very friendly and helpful, the bottle of bubbly and teas/coffees were very unexpected and a nice touch. We enjoyed it so much we are already booking for next year!

M. G.

Really lovely staff, fantastic boat kitted out with everything you need for a comfy trip, only grumble is you feel a little rushed when handing the boat back (we personally could have been a little more proactive the night before and completed packing) but none the less it was an amazing trip, we will be booking with Barnes again in the future and bringing our dog with us too.

W. (.

Friendly, helpful staff. A very well appointed and comfortable boat (Serenade 6). A fantastic holiday which was enhanced by the wonderful weather.

A. W.

Excellent holiday, from the minute we arrived to minute we left. Staff very friendly and helpful. The gorgoeus hamper was greatly appreciated. We will be returning for our fifth consecutive year, next year.

C. L.

Lovely weekend on the broads, aboard Encore Plus 4. Very well organised check in, boat ready by 3pm. Quick trial with one of the Brinks team and we were off down the river! Easter weekend, so mooring was limited if left too late in the day, but with a bit of morning planning easy to find a spot for the afternoon and overnight. Boat was ideal for a first timer (2 adults + 1 child).

J. R.

Been using this place for years and its always been excellent. I had a slight technical this year but thats just bad luck!

M. C.

I booked the smaller picnic boat for a trip, Sunday 3rd June, 2022. We were given one with no cover and potential rain forecast - which it did luckily towards the end and I got wet being the skipper. There was no gas so we couldnt make a brew and no water which kind of defeated the point of having this boat. Not a very efficient outfit.

L. G.

In general the boat was in fairly clean condition with enough equipment etc for 9 people but quite scruffy which perhaps was to be expected? There were 3 plugs on the boat (not many) but only two actually worked. We were given one small book of matches in the complimentary pack which was not enough for the trip. if we had been told the hob didn't automatically ignite we would have got matches before leaving and therefore been able to boil the kettle for drinks. Both the handover and hand back were somewhat chaotic and we were left waiting until last to set off. Given that at least one other boat had already said they were not leaving until the evening yet were taken out for the practice run before us we can only assume that it was because we had someone on board filling holes who wasn't due to finish until after the time we needed to leave. Unfortunately this meant we were very late for our pre-booked 40th Anniversary dinner which, given that we had been assured that we would be in plenty of time for, was very stressful indeed. This also meant we were not able to take our time with the family meal as we had hoped for because by the time we arrived half our allotted time had already gone - such a shame as this was one of the planned highlights. The information provided by the company was adequate but we would recommend buying your own guide to make it easier to find free moorings. We were fortunate to meet someone from the Broads Authority who gave us far better advice on how to moor with/against the tide and where to get the information from. A couple of suggestions for 'even better if' would be to have a way to show the amount of fuel remaining as this certainly made us unsure as to how far we could go and also something that would ensure that the boat keys would float if dropped in the water. Hand back was not much better and our car was handed back to us with someone else's snack in!! Not what we would have expected.

D. Y.

Always a great time on the broads. Barnes has the perfect location and all the staff were great. Everyone needs to do this at least once.

g.

Staff friendly and knowledgeable from the beginning. Boat was nice, could do with a few upgrades due to age but still comfortable.

M. B.

First of all the staff at the boatyard were brilliant welcoming the boat harmony 1 and it was not ready for 4.00pm cause clearers only clean some of the boat and mark it of as done put the head cleaner made them come back and finish the job and add our walk around boat and was telled the oven and microwave and hob could not be used when you was moving with engine running only one hod or kettle could be used so when we moved up round 5.00 to 6.00pm we add to start engine with generator back up to cook so another 2hrs to cook tea so round 8pm seating down to eat after being coming on the Broads for over 30 year+ find to hard work could not start cooking ealyer when moving to sit down when mored up this should be stated when booking and more cold air blowing through centre cockpit canopy that did not fit right other than this holiday was great call me old fashioned put o old gas cooker beats these new electric ones any day it made holiday hard work and the last 3 days eater you and could not stay we're we wanted to

P. W.

We took out the Barnes Omega w/c 18/6/22- its easy to handle boat . its extra height made sure we got the best views across the broads as we sauntered along at 4mph. i dont see the point of "speeding up to 5 or 6 when you miss seeing so much. Slight Disappointment we couldnt quite get under ludham bridge - the boat has an 8'6" clearance and the lowest clearance that week we saw was 8'3" but i suppose thats just the luck of the tide tables! Still, we had plenty of places to explore Weather was fantastic which was a great bonus We have been before with other boats from Barnes and all have been superb. We cant praise the team at Barnes highly enough - Fantastic customer service. We already have an eye on booking the "encore" or the "quartet" next year - (and the fishing was great too!!!! )

G. C.

Always return to Barnes Brinkcraft. Lovely business to deal with and great boats. Happy returning customers. Well done BB

m. d.

Great holiday great weather first class service very nice boat very helpful staff and to Sam on our trial run what’s not to like

R. E.

Excellent value for money, provided by friendly helpful staff. Chris was an absolute star, great advice. Nothing was too much trouble.

B. S.

Ok we hired 2 boats - Concord & Corsair which are both nice spacious boats, but both have seen better days, - and no doubt will be sold soon, but that was reflected in the price, which was good, especially Corsair, - they handled well had good diesel engines and the 10 of us (all old blokes) a had a great time, and service from Barnes Brinkcraft was very good - regards Bruce Skelton

j. c.

Another excellent week on lullaby 3 very friendly and helpful staff especially as we kept changing our minds about next year's boat, keep up the good work

m. s.

Been using Barnes Brinkcraft on and off for last 20 years and every time from booking to going on holiday has all been excellent service.just booked again for 2023 !

R. C.

Extremely enjoyable, boat very reliable, staff very helpful, will certainly book again.

M. B.

Had a wonderful week break aboard Tempo 2. Can't fault the yard or the boat. Great friendly service.

J. L.

Have used Barnes for a number of years and always had very good service. Had a few tech problems with the Electric Hybrid this year but that's just one of those things.

l. w.

Got our boat Saturday its lovely really pleased with it would definitely use this company again xx

S. E.

Great friendly staff! Really helpful. Boats are so spacious and clean! £25 an hour cheapest on the broads!

S. R.

We had a lovely mid week break! The boat was well equipped and easy to operate (except in reverse). Take over and hand back were smooth. Great experience that we will repeat!

H. H.

Was the cheapest place to hire Boat per hour rate. Staff where very friendly and helpful. Boat was great size and clean. Will be coming back here again.

G. M.

We had an amazing time . On Tempo 3 - our 14 year old son Skippered the whole 5 days - turning her on a sixpence and mooring her without any glitches . He’s at a cross roads with his career - London Westend ( he goes to a Performing Arts vocational school) or the Merchant Navy ( cruise ships) as his back up. We have a feeling the PA is now the back up plan. 🤔🤣 He loved it . All the staff were so helpful - memories and future decisions made . We will be back .

a. o.

Great break away. Really helpful and friendly staff. Boat was good, and had all we needed. Great position to explore the Broads. Thank you

A. M.

Third time using Barnes Brinkcraft ,as usual they bent over backwards to overcome a personal Problem that we encountered with the boat (Serenade 6). The boat was very comfortable,like all holidays things are never 100% perfect ,would we return definitely. Thanks you Barnes Brinkcraft.

D. Z.

we arrived early at Wroxham so had a lovely lunch in a near by pub walked down to the boat yard to see if the boat was ready and it was just been finished cleaning so had the car brought down and managed to park right outside the boat ,unloaded and the went and did the paperwork . one of us had to watch a safety video which i tried to watch online but it didnt work picked up our lifejackets and went back to wait for someone to show us how to drive and work the boat after a while we had 2 guys show all about the boat and took us out for a short drive to show how it handled and we all had a go ,we were ask if we felt confident to drive by ourselves and we said yes ,signed a piece of paper to say we were . it takes a bit of time from when you arrive to actually getting going but when you think how many boats ar being hired its understandable . everyone employed by the boat company were friendly ,helpful and very cheerful considering it was a busy day The boat was very clean , had a few problems with the toilets but we overcame them , and as it was all 6 of us our first time in boating , we had a great time and fun driving the boat . the car are already parked for you in the carpark for when you leave your boat . well done to all the staff for making it enjoyable .

n. l.

Really straightforward experience, friendly welcoming staff. Well equipped boat with everything we needed only down side was the noise and the beds were really uncomfortable. But all in all a relaxing, enjoyable weekend away

A. R.

A late booking but Barnes Brinkcraft were very flexible and helpful. The boat was comfortable, economical and absolutely as described in their brochure/website. A real bonus was the excellent hamper as we were returning customers

L. T.

Serenade 7 Elite Fleet booked for 4 adults and 2 young children. Experience of yard was generally poor, many disgruntled customers returning boats and poor customer service. Boat was shabby and none too clean, especially as we booked Elite class. Sleeping arrangements were not ideal, beds in saloon very small, even for children. Visibility was poor for driving and cruising, saloon too low to see over the sides and not enough outside space. We have hired boats on the Broads many times so we appreciate that space is at a premium but feel maximum occupancy for this boat is 4. Took us a week to be refunded for unused fuel, after chasing it up myself. Still awaiting breakdown of costs! Will use a different boatyard the next time we book.

T. R.

Fantastic holiday from start to finish, good customer service and the boat, Concerto 6 had everything we needed. (would definitely recommend a boat with bow thrusters). The hot shower was particularly impressive and the warm air heating did a good job on the colder days. The welcome pack was nice which included a lovely bottle of fizz. This was our first time boating and was a lot of fun and very relaxing, escaping from this crazy world into a picturesque land of tranquillity for a few days. The broads is a beautiful place, which if you've never been, has to be done.

S. P.

Tempo 5. The booking process, checking in and out was simple and trouble free, be prepared for a little wait to board the boat as it can be quite busy. Everyone we spoke and dealt with were very helpful and polite. The boat itself, Tempo 5 is a fairly new craft and she looks stunning inside and out, we would come back to the broads tomorrow but not on Temp 5. We all felt quite cramped, the fixed table made it difficult to get In and out, there was a shortage of storage space for empty holdalls etc and both shower rooms were small, but none of this prevented us from having a great weeks holiday and the fantastic weather made it even better. The upper deck seating was used quite extensively but once sitted getting up was a struggle, the boat handled superbly and the bow thrusters made mooring and moving off a simple process. I would recommend Tempo 5 but to two younger couples or family, not two couples who are nearer their 70s.

C. O.

On arrival, the boat was cleaned, fueled, ready and waiting for us. Very easy check in procedure with friendly staff. Thoroughly enjoyed our long weekend and the boat was great. On return, again a very easy process and if any refund is due from the fuel deposit it is credited back straight away. Hope to be back next year.

T. D.

Hired a big boat over Easter 2022. Boat was clean but in need of a severe upgrade. Bed mattresses, kitchen, settee. Never the less we had a fab time , and the boat never missed a beat. Night heater aswell so cosy for all. Definitely booking again but on a more modern boat. Tim D.

L. L.

Friendly, warm staff, amazing boat, exceeded all of our expectations. Would give 6 stars if I could. Definitely booking again for next year.

R.

Great service from the boss - Daniel, right through to the guys doing the handover. The boat, Brinks Jazz, is listed as 'no frills' but I love it mainly cos of the view you get perched up high above deck; and it's perfect for a small no. of guests.

I. C.

Nice boat, well organised yard. Best of all the telephone support is exceptional. Lovely scenery and wildlife from the moment you leave base.

7. T.

My wife and I hired Encore 1 from Friday to Monday. Everything about the boat and customer service was excellent. In fact the boat exceeded our expectations - v high spec, everything worked well, including the shower! Even the welcome hamper was superb. Thank you BB team - we will be back!

R. C.

First impression of Barnes Brinkcraft was good, we were greeted timely, able to board the boat & get our belongings on board more or less on arrival & our car was valet parked for us. We booked a budget boat Brinks Jazz, with this being our 1st experience & as recommended for novices; we immediately knew this was a mistake. The boat is 2-4 birth but we did not fit in the bed, toilet or shower (I’m a bigger lady & my hubby is 6”2) & we enquired about an upgrade, unfortunately there were no other boats available. Nevertheless Initial impressions of the boat was it was clean enough & although basic & smaller than expected had all the necessary equipment for our break away. However, the boat is showing its age, the fridge was missing door shelves making it difficult to store bottles & by day 2 had frozen all our food, resulting in it being discarded. The bed is extremely uncomfortable & very hard, although on appearance the duvet looked thin it was suitably warm enough. We did need the window open to help with condensation due to breathing, but when it rained we couldn’t open the window with it being a tilt as it rained in. There was also a side glass door that had a difficult lock on which also leaked terribly when raining, so much we had to mop up. But the door opening itself was a great addition to the boat for access on, off and upper deck steering. The shower was also surprisingly good although my husband needed to be seated as he was too tall & the spider nests were a bit off putting. Not sure I’m fully at one with nature, but I’m trying. Also not a fan of the pump toilet. I think this particular boat would be better for day or shorter trips as it quite difficult to navigate & moor. Overall we had a lovely chilled holiday, met some lovely people & enjoyed all the broads had to offer. We would definitely return, but would want a newer more luxurious bigger boat & would definitely book with Barncraft, as the customer service was good, especially the lads on the yard.

H. M.

We had a wonderful week on Quartet 2. The boat was obviously quite old and a little worn in places but we booked very late and it was the only one available. Nonetheless it was very spacious for two people and the heating worked pretty well. The shower cubicle was excellent and the shower itself was powerful with really hot water. The satellite for the TV didn’t work at all but we could get basic channels through the normal aerial so it really didn’t matter. Everyone we dealt with at Barnes Brinkcraft was friendly and helpful and made the whole experience very easy and pleasurable. The directions sent by email in advance need to be updated as they clearly related to Covid restrictions which are no longer in place so we needlessly printed everything out as requested only to find that all the instructions were already on board! Overall, a great trip, but if we were to do it again, we would definitely try to secure a newer boat.

S. H.

Always an excellent time. Great view from the balcony and fun watching people try to park their boats.

p. h.

Really enjoyable first time trip on the broads made really smooth by the excellent Customer service of Barnes Brinkcraft. Being met in my car on entry to the boat yard was really reassuring and the valet parking of my car was a real bonus after we had unloaded everything into our boat. On the morning of departure my car was returned to where my boat was moored making the transfer of our luggage etc really easy. Around a great experience and one that I would highly recommend. Note: While I am writing I would like to pass on some feedback for the Broads water management authority themselves if you could possibly pass it on. We found the direction signage of the Broads rivers and villages quite poor and really difficult to see in bad weather conditions. They could really do with upgrading i.e. making larger and in more brighter colours for spotting from distance.

T. W.

Really enjoyed it! ..we hired the Brinks Duet 4 - Nice looking boat and easy to handle, Perfect for our first trip on the Broads! ..as some other reviews mentioned it is a little bit tired in places, but nice enough! If you want a brand new spotless boat I'd expect to pay a fair bit more! ..Overall it was a really good experience from start to finish and we are looking forward to coming back! 😁

A. M.

Great welcome and handover, will be returning again enjoyed the best Broads boating experience in a great boat that was easy to handle Rhapsody 2 comfortable and roomy with all mod cons.

P. P.

Excellent in every respect - perfect holiday for 2 on Encore 2 in June 2022. Great boat & efficient, friendly staff. Thoroughly recommended!

J. C.

What a friendly helpful bunch of people.....nothing was too much trouble! Called back quickly as lve never used this type of hob!! Clean,fully equipped boat. Welcome package and bubbly. Very well organised team❤️

M. K.

Had a wonderful relaxing week in the broads, the boat was lovely and the staff friendly and helpful, can't wait to go again 😁

f. c.

Expensive £20 to empty septic tank 4 minutes mooring your boat further up from them £10 a day expensive no fishing allowed not good

W. O.

Very good service. All depends on what boat you have. We had regal star but I was not impressed as the galley and bathroom was two small. No good for a long holiday. Might be ok for a short break. Some of the other boats they have look excellent. Just my opinion

M. G.

Great day out on the broads. Recomended renting the boat for the full day as time flies by whilst you're put putting along the river. Keep to the right and makes use you give way to paddles/ kyaka's... speed limit is around 4-6 mph and the police do patrol the waters. Make sure you take some cash for the icecream🍦 man. He served cold drinks and vanilla, chocolate 🍫 and strawberry 🍓

P. H.

Boat was ready on time, very clean, the staff were friendly and efficient

g. b.

Great holiday destination for the family young and old lodges and boats are great especially the lodge's Grebe. Coot. And Heron

a. b.

Great staff and the whole experience was made easy from start to finish, the boat was great although very tight with us 12 guys on it haha but we knew that would be the case still had a great time though

J. F.

We hired the serenade 1 for 3 nights it's a great boat has plenty of space with loads of great features. We enjoyed the break so much we stayed on another boat for 4 nights. The staff are there are brilliant and do everything to make your break as good as possible. We highly recommend them for your boating holiday.

C. T.

Great service and friendly staff always willing to help. Boats immaculate and covid safe. Would happily recommend them above the other boat yards on the broads Returned again 2022. Again superb service and great boat customer service second to none

m. m.

Moored up in their boat yard one night. Very helpful friendly staff and showed us around some of their boats too

A. D.

I use Barnes 2 or three times each year. They have never let me down in any way. Everything is always as it should be. Thoroughly recommended as a first class family firm.

S. M.

Very well organised, friendly and helpful. Boat was clean and as described. Would have to go out of my way to find any fault.

R. B.

Despite generally uncomfortable seating and bedding, we had a pleasant 3 night trip in a beautiful place.

C. W.

Had a fantastic week our boat was big enough for 3 adults and a dog would definitely recommend

M. W.

Great service, great boat, clear instructions and training. Definitely use them again.

j. c.

We have traveled with Barnesbrinkcraft several times. Excellent service . Nice boat Sonnet I . All staff very polite and helpful.

M. M.

Had great holiday ,boat was basic but so was price ,clean reliable and ready when Barnes said it would be , could have had more instruction on how to moor the bloody thing and that reverse you can't steer but we managed .but all in all Barnes were great

D. W.

We spent a week in a Brinks Merrymore and it was a fantastic week on the Broad. Brilliant place, couldn't fault the boat and the Staff, they were very helpful with everything A****

A. I.

We have just returned from a fantastic week's holiday. Boating on the Broads was beautiful and relaxing. We hired Emperor 2 which we knew was "no frills" and that was true, basic, uncomfortable beds and overall very tired looking. However it was clean and did exactly what we hoped, provided a basic base for our cruising holiday. A couple of issues were quickly sorted. Staff were all very helpful and friendly. Overall we would definitely return and we would use Barnes Brinkcraft again.

p.

Another great holiday, this time on Tempo 1. Such an easy boat to manoeuvre from the elevated steering position. Already booked for next year.

T. G.

Yeah a good experience boats looked better in the photos .but considering the amount of use they get nothing was bust or hanging off. Staff were very helpful & polite ....check in was between 12-30 and 2-30 we got there at 1-45 didn't get on the boat & on the way till 4-15....would have gave you 5 stars if we could've gotten away on time. But would i hire a boat from you again........of course I would thank you Barnes brinkcraft.

w. N.

We hired Merrymore, in October Half Term. Despite being near the end of the season and an older boat, the boat was in good condition and clean. The staff were helpful and friendly and we had a fantastic holiday. We are already planning our next holiday with Barnes Brinkcraft.

B. C.

Very good just a few minor issues onboard boat (microwave and hob) hence 4 not 5 stars When booking we knew the boat was one of the older in the fleet but it was better than expectations and we had a great time

A. B.

Staff are nice but unless your spending lots of money boats are tired

D. C.

Great holiday on the Broads with Barnes Brinkcraft on board Royal Ambassador. No frills boat which was a little dated but very clean and adequate for our needs. Had a problem with the heater and called the engineer out. He spent 3hrs trying to fix it but could,nt. At 3-00pm he said it needed a new heater so we went back to Wroxham and he and another man [who should have finished at 5-00pm] worked until approx 8-30pm, fitting a new heater. What great service we received. All the staff were very helpful and dedicated, from booking in right through to leaving. Will be going with them again asap.

E. A.

We had a great time exploring the broads in a well equipped vessel

T. M.

Had another lovely, relaxing break with barnes brinkcraft, had sonnet 1. Was cosy with 2 golden retrievers, but none the less we all had an amazing time. Received a hamper aswell, as we rebooked with them, that was fab. We are planning to go back next year. Thanks once again

S. S.

Does what it says on the tin. We didn’t sink. Our boat looked fine at a distance but a bit ropey onboard. Loose fittings, sharp bits hanging off, fridge wasn’t clean and toilet flushing issues. Great day on the Broads, not as classy as it should have been.

L. C.

Just came back from a 5 day holiday on Belmore tc and we all had a amazing time, service was 5 star throughout

n. l.

Just spent Bank holiday weekend on the Norfolk Broads. From start to finish I can honestly say I loved every minute. Our boat for the weekend was Merrymore 1 and it had everything we needed it became our home. The Broads are beautiful so peaceful and wildlife in abundance. Mooring up in different locations for the night was brilliant you could hear a pin drop settling down for the night. The weather was beautiful and very kind to us,passing other in what ever vessel there were waves from the happy families aboard them. Loved seeing the pets having a great time too. Definitely booking again but for longer next time. Staff from start to end brilliant, the experience itself brilliant but going home back to reality not so brilliant. We will be back, thanks Barnes Brinkcraft x

M. W.

Wonderful long weekend exploring the broads. The staff were so helpful and the boat was perfect for our needs.

M. S.

I've been twice this year with barns brinkcraft May & October monday to Friday, different boats both great weeks. We had a lovely hamper in October. Ive had boats from barns on and off for the last 30 yrs had little problems sometimes but always rectified straight away with the engineer. Certainly will be booking again with them with no hesitation. Mark Lynne & Alfie the dog 🐕.

l. c.

Customer service is good, maybe cleaners had a bad day as not that clean, didn't even smell fresh. Maggots in the bottom of door rim. We had the Belmore 1,we knew the sides were high, but even though we are agile we still had a problem getting on/off in high tide, Laurel & Hardy sprung to mind 🤦‍♀️. Equipped with great batteries, 6 I think. Heating system fab best I have experienced for this mid range boat. Next time going luxery with a boat I can get my leg over lol.

K. M.

Brilliant service. Just got back from having Sonnet 1. This is our 2nd time with Barnes as we had a fab service last time so booked again. Received a lovely hamper when we arrived due to us been a retuning customer. Boat was lovely & clean everything all well organised easy to handle liked the separate shower & toilet good idea. Had it for a week this time went under Wroxham bridge which the boat yard helped us with. Can’t thank them enough for our lovely holiday. We’ve just booked again for next year Royall Swan this time as couldn’t get any of the others so see you next year!

H. R.

Fantastic experience from start to finish. Staff were very nice and helpful. Boat was just as pictured. Loved every minute of it.

M. B.

Had a dayboat out with these guys. Booked online. Easy as pie. Just over £200 for the day for 7 of us and 2 dogs. The boat was exactly as advertised and ready upon arrival. Very little paperwork and straight onto the boat. No problems with the boat. Lovely day. Thanks guys.

D. W.

Nothing is too much trouble for these guys. Excellent boat, brilliant holiday.

m. w.

Absolutely fantastic value for money ,excellent accomodation and a day boat ,marvellous.

G. E.

Popped in to tie up for a while while visiting shops Young chap on reception was very helpful and polite.Great boatyard.He is a credit to the firm .

J. F.

Excellent service. Fantastic boats. Had a tempo. WiFi, Bluetooth stereo, berths 6.really great experience.

M. C.

We hired a Brinks Jazz 5 on our weeks holiday on the Broads.It was a 'no frills' starter boat.Basic but comfortable.It was just my husband and l and our standard dachshund (med size). The company is one of the biggest boatyard based in Wroxham.Friendly staff thoughout.We looked at their fleet of boats there must have been over 100, they even had fancy dayboats which we plan to hire one day.Ample parking at a small charge.Good handover of safety and our boat was ready by 3pm so still had time to moor somewhere quieter before sunset.Of course most would want to drive it out straightaway.Some do stay in Wroxham first night as lots of eating places.Nice touch with the goody bag with a map but we had a more detailed one we used.They are positioned in a desirable starting point on the River Bure. Now my husband has skippered a boat ( he did rather well), next time we will choose something a bit more luxurious.The Jazz was not quite suitable for a med dog because the positioning of the doors.So relaxing and stunning scenery we definitely use Brink again.

S. B.

An excellent boatyard. Clean boats. Clean apartments with Broads views. A very efficiently run yard.

M. a. E. W.

Great boatyard. Helpful staff. Atmospheric early morning with mist rolling off river.

C. W.

Another great week this time on Encore Plus. Weather was fantastic. Thanks Brinkcraft first class again!

N. K.

Fantastic staff. Friendly both on the phone and also the young chap that dealt with us on site. Boat was clean and easy to use with easy to understand and simple tuition. My wife, daughter in laws and myself all had a really lovely time. Thank you.

P. D.

Really friendly team through all the process.. Easy collection and parking... 100% recommend Barnes Brinkcraft..!

K. H.

Had a lovely time on the blenheim will definitely be back next year and staff were all happy to help in what ever was needed

D. S.

Excellent holiday, next time two weeks it went

C. C.

Recently had the brinks cosair for 4 nights in May what a beautiful boat for price. Staff at Barnes outstanding , boat lovely and clean we were lucky to be out within about half an hour our friends had to wait about 2hours for their boat but then it does state between 2 and 4 arrival so no complaints there our fault for being there just before 2. Your also greeted with a lovely little welcome pack including coffee,tea etc .Definitely recommend will be back .

C. R.

Staying here for a fabulous holiday Staff are polite and helpful and the place we are staying rivers view @ Horning has every imaginable item you could want/need.

S. R.

Great service and a thoroughly relaxing day out on the water

B. V.

There was four of us. Two couples and our two dogs and we had the best time ever. We hired the Consort 6 which was for six people but more comfortable for four. The pick up was easy a quick run through on how to manoeuvre the boat and drop off was just as easy with a quick fuel fill then to the parking bay. We would highly recommend a long weekend away. The Millers, our dogs Coco & Layla and crew !!!! Tim & Sally !!!! 😂😊

A. R.

Fabulous mini break at Grebe house which sleeps 8. We collected our keys before 4pm on Friday and was given a run through how to operate the boat that we had. We were given a welcome pack with fresh coffee, tea, sugar and milk and biscuits. The little town is 5 minutes walk with great restaurants that deliver. Excellent service from the staff at Barnes Brinkcraft. Would definitely recommend

J. D.

Highly recommend them. Friendly, helpful staff. Ideal for a short or longer stay. We stayed in 3 of the Sail Loft properties. Very clean, well decorated and furnished to a very high spec. Good sized bedrooms with very comfortable beds, decent showers with proper sized towels. Well supplied kitchen with all the usual white goods you have at home. Great river views and outside decking areas and balconies to sit and watch the world go by. We were returning customers and were presented with a very generous food hamper - fried breakfast ingredients, plus lunch. A lovely surprise, gratefully received. Would not hesitate to return.

R. N.

Many thanks to the Barnes Brinkcraft staff, who were unfailingly helpful, both before the holiday, when we arrived and set off, and when we had to phone from the boat with an urgent query

A. B.

We hired a Sunrise day boat on a sunny August Wednesday for about £250. I’ve been hiring boats from Barnes Brinkcraft for around 10-15 years. Every year i’ve gone and when we’ve turned up around 10am we’ve just gone to the hut and pretty much left straight away with no one else around. This time was very different, I guess due to covid and people not going abroad. We stood in a queue for nearly 1 hour waiting just to sign a piece of paper, and have it confirmed we were indeed allocated the last remanining sunrise boat. Wasted an hour of the day, be warned and allow an extra houe to queue up. It was really poorly run, the guy doing the admin/allocating and seemed in charged kept leaving the hut to go and show people to their boats, show them how to use etc, despite having other staff on hand that could do this. It meant he left the hut for 10 mins for each person, hence the long wait. How about just having one person actually stay in the hut doing the admin and allocating, and let all the other staff do the showing to boats and getting the boats etc. First time i’ve been disappointed by their poor orginsation costing us 1 hour of sailing time. The sunrise we had was also much older and slower than ones we’ve had in the past, max’ing out at 4.1mph which meant we couldn’t get as far, the fridge was also broken and there wasn’t any toilet roll in the toilet.

J. H.

Absolutely amazing staff really helpful hand overs made so easy on collecting and returning boat.

W. C.

Great staff, helpful and friendly. Been coming for many years now, would not go anywhere else.

J. B.

We had a lovely day on the broads in our Sunrise boat from Barnes Brinkcraft. However, the fridge did not work, and so our food and drink went warm very quickly. When we took the boat back at end of the day, we didn't even get an apology for this, just a comment about 'oh the fuse must of gone'. This should have been checked prior to sending the boat out as the fridge was part of the reason we paid more money for this type of boat. The boats were not very clean either (considering they are supposed to be cleaned in between use). I had my own antibac wipes and had to go over everything.

N. T.

Very efficient, virus safe precautions in place. Boat was immaculately clean and had everything needed. A small problem with the boat saw an engineer out in less than 20mins. Greg was polite and efficient and had us on our way quickly. The best measure of a good business is how they deal with a problem and Barns Brinkcraft were 100%. Highly recommended this company

C. C.

Have a lovely relaxing week on Lullaby 3, even though the weather wasn't the best. Boat was well cleaned and presented, office staff were very helpful & friendly and Greg who did our trial run was brilliant. He took time to answer all our questions without rushing, even though he had finished for the day. Would happily book again with them!

K. L.

Great experience, very clean & well maintained boat and slick pickup and drop off procedure

H. B.

Hired a picnic boat for the day. The boat was ready when we arrived and the young man that went through everything was very helpful and patient. The boat was perfect for the day and had been left clean. Everything felt Covid safe. On return the same young man was there and he was very helpful guiding the boat back in for me. We’ll be using this boatyard again.

T. F.

We arrived at the boatyard at around 14:20, the boat was ready around 25 minutes later. The gentleman who handled the test run was friendly and knowledgeable. The boat we hired was Brinks Jazz, for the price we paid I can have no complaints. Electric mud weight, solar panels and shore power all on a boat costing less than £1000 for 2 weeks. The only slight negative was the fact that the gentleman was unable to supply us with a key to open the fuel hatch. All in all I'd highly recommend Barnes and the beautiful Broads.

J. C.

Excellent service from start to finish , great holiday , will be back next year 👍

J. S.

The boat was immaculately clean when we arrived and the whole booking in and checking out process was very easy. The staff were all very friendly and we will defiantly be booking with Barnes Brinkcraft again!

H. R.

We used Barnes for a great day years ago. Incredible value for money. Further, we had a large booking and paid a substantial deposit for May this year. The staff at Barnes were no fuss, with everything Corona, they simply refunded our deposit when a huge amount of other suppliers have been refusing to refund deposits associated with our wedding which cannot now go ahead. Huge kudos to Barnes, we'll make our appreciation felt by using them again when we can leave the house and recommending them to anyone who visits in the future. Hamish

S. S.

Great time on the broads boat was a lot of fun to drive, easy to handle and moor up. Will be booking for next year 👍

l. o.

Wonderful and relaxing holiday, boat was clean and well presented just couldn’t fault the staff at Barnesbrinkcraft, really friendly and very helpful, we’ve used this company before and would highly recommend them, shall definitely use again

S. A.

A week's holiday on the Serenade 4, we all had a good time. Just an incident when our 4 year old went fell into the waters, but he was quickly rescued. The staff are professional and dealt with our queries promptly. Always advisable to read the rules before sailing away, I never knew sail boat had right of way 🤣. Luckily my father-in-law was on standby to direct me 👍🏾. We'll definitely use Barnes Brinkcraft again.

E. G.

Great experience, very professional, helpful and approachable. Highly recommended.

P. C.

Hired a day boat for 4 hours in the afternoon and had a great trip down the river Bure. I was disappointed that the Boat was not COVID cleaned and had to ask the attendant to give the surfaces a clean with anti bac prior to use, this included the steering wheel and throttle etc. He admitted that he was working on his own and did not have enough time to clean the boats between change overs. Not good enough I the current pandemic.

G. T.

Duet 4 - Great Little Boat for 2 we went in October, diesel heating worked fine but we were glad we took extra blanket as it got very cold some nights.

c. d.

4 days at the end of September. The broads are a fantastic place to explore at a slow pace. Our boat was pretty basic and pretty old but we were happy to rough it for the duration of our break. Finding moorings at times were a problem, getting near some of the lovely Riverside pubs was difficult. Have a Go with a sense of humour and a bit of patience.

G.

Perfect Holiday. Reception and Boatyard Staff are friendly and efficient. oat was clean, easy to handle and with good heating for chilly nights! Third time on the Broards and will be back.

B. S.

Friendly staff. Very sad to see the sick bird's when we visited

A. M.

A very easy booking process, with staff always happy to answer any questions by phone beforehand The boat, Duet 2, was well equipped, with everything needed for a single holidaymaker (although next time I’ll bring my own duvet as the nights got cold!) The training run before being let loose on the river, Harry was very patient and positive when explaining and showing what needed to be done, from basic knots to manoeuvring and mooring the boat All in all, excellent value for money

F. G.

We had a nice time the young chaps were really friendly but the older chap was so abrupt and quite rude. The boat was clean but scruffy I guess it gets a lot of use. You don't expect at the start of the season though!. I think we would have a diesel boat next time. Although it was so noisy we couldn't hear ourselves speak. Despite the weather we had a nice time this was not because of the quality of the boat but the picnic we prepared and the friends we were with we live quite locally and my opinion is they may think we are just tourists so we don't matter. All customers matter Some training in customer services to some of the staff would help.

C. N.

There were good things and bad things about the boat we hired, I liked the upper deck steering position and found it easy to drive from the lower position as well. We had very little trouble with the boat but even a small fault was dealt with quickly Android easily the engineer came exactly where and when he said and sorted the problem out straight away. We found the beds to be rather hard and uncomfortable and slightly cramped, but otherwise we had a lovely time.

D. W.

We love these lodges as they are so clean and comfortable, they are in a great position so close to the town and all the other amenities. The staff are very friendly and helpful and we have further bookings with them.

M. O.

Great pricing for 4 hrs on picnic style boat Boat clean on pick up However whilst pricing was good and boat had facilities like toilet and stove they'd not ensured there was gas! So no hot drinks which was a disappointment Make sure you check gas level before leaving yard! Would recommend

P.

Booked a boat holiday for a week had a great time and Barnes Brinkcraft were a very good company. My cousin had an issue and they come out and fixed it straight away. Toilet and shower facilities are like being in a large caravan (a little cramped) but apart from that it was great. Many thanks

P. M.

Very good holiday with a very reliable boating company.

A. F.

The staff at Barnes brinkcraft are really helpful and polite the brinks tempo is a great boat to hire everything on the boat was explained in full by orson we couldn't fault the boat or the staff in anyway this was our second time from Barnes brinkcraft and will be visiting again we highly recommend Barnes brinkcraft

A. G.

A super holiday the staff were friendly. We had a flat and day boat. Because we are over 70 we had an easy access boat. The village of Wroxham is lively with pub's and takeaway so no need to cook on holiday. So relaxing you take a week to get back to reality. This is our third year and we have booked for next year. Allan

M. R.

Great holiday, love these boating hols as long as weather is good, so relaxing and chilled out

K. S.

We had a great week on the Broads. The boat was top class and the service from Barnes Brinkcraft first rate. The only problem we had was with the satellite receiver for the TV but they sent someone out straight away to fix it.

C. D.

Taking over boat was a little chaotic, otherwise no issues.

R. T.

Very professional, the boat was clean and well maintained. The only issue was a problem with the shower as it use was not explained beforehand.

K. C.

Extremely enjoyable experience made all the better by the good service provided by Barns Brinkcraft.

n. h.

Had a great week on the broads with a boat from this company. Will use again.

S. L.

Was a lovely trip beautiful location boat was ok a little small bed was like sleeping on a board but nice clean bedding. We had a issue with boat call out was quick a love guy got it going lost about 2 1/2 hours out of day so couldn’t make it to where we wanted. Was a little disappointed on return of boat nothing was said no apology or anything. Would we do it again yes we would would get a bigger boat and a newer one as was a little dated

M. S.

Well impressed! We have just returned from a magnificent few days on the Broads. After a great deal of research we chose Barnes Brinkcraft as their boats offered by far the best specification and value for money on the Broads. Their staff went out of their way to make us feel welcome and get our holiday off to a great start and welcomed us back with real warmth. We will be back. Thanks again the Stephens family.

n. b.

Slick and efficient check in and check out - staff very helpful and friendly - we will be back!

A. F.

Great service at Barnes Brinkcraft, Wroxham, great staff and a great Boat, will use this boat holiday company again

T. M.

we had encore 2 a few weeks ago fora 4 night break, it proved to be a most enjoyable time , a superb boat. could not fault it in any respect. Barnes were very good, efficient and helpful, especially the young chap who showed us the ropes so to speak. would book with them again with no hesitation. It was 23 years since our last broads holiday, and we loved it. We even met Boatyman at Thurne dyke. we will be back -Terry and Jan.

M. C.

Fantastic boat, great assistance from Barnes to understand the boat and a great, relaxing time had by all the family

M. B.

It's hard to know which day boat firm to use in Wroxham, we chose these guys for a 1 hour rental. As we had to wait around for a boat they gave us 15 extra minutes. Brilliant!! Now, here's the fun bit - on return we got completely and utterly lost! Long story short, we were 45 minutes longer than we should have been (1 hour if you don't count the free 15 mins) we eventually found our way back only to find they didn't bar an eyelid! No extra charge, no mutterings nothing! Great service, clean boats, loads of fun! Highly recommended!

P. W.

We had a fantastic time at the " Heron " cottage in Wroxham. It is lovely and spacious, clean and a lovely welcome hamper on arrival which was a lovely thought. Staff couldn't be more helpful, even when we lost our day boat keys in the water ( Oops! ) it wasn't an issue. They just issued us with another set no questions asked. Couldn't recommend highly enough.

T. F.

Great first time experience! Booking with Barnes Brinkcraft couldn't be easier, checking in was quick and simple. Could park the car right behind the boat so made loading up painless and after a 10 min talk through of the boat we were off!! Followed the recommended 3 night route which was a cinch even with 2 kids - of which the youngest (8yrs) "captained" the boat most of the way! Hired the royale 1 which is a little rough around the edges but is a great boat for a first timer - bow thruster highly recommended by me. Great weekend - thanks Barnes Brinkcraft

m. d.

Very helpful staff great boats

G. T.

me and my family have used this company many times with both onshore and boating holidays. we keep coming back as we have never had anything negative to feedback about any holiday spent with Barnes Brinkcraft. the customer service are also very helpful as I have recently had some health issues which impacted my holiday booking and they did their best to accommodate my issues. will defiantly use the company again ( as I have done for the past five years) and would recommend to friends and family ( which I have done on many occasions).

B. D.

Boat was immaculate when we arrived, the staff kept everything in great condition during this hard time, big shout out to them! The boat itself was great for a fishing trip over the weekend, would highly recommend!

C. B.

Lovely holiday homes, would definitely recommend

N. C.

Staff were very friendly, went through everything with the boat and how to work stuff. Very relaxing holiday boating on the broads, no road rage, just people watching the world go by at 4mph, waving at each as you pass by. No road rage. Will be back.

A.

Fantastic place to take a break and I'd definitely use them again.

J. D.

Arrived really late but they put boat in a good position for us. We stayed in yard over night. Nice bedding provide. Bed very comfortable. Complementary toiletries, tea coffee ect. Bottle of bubbly. Boat is very clean and we have started our first boating holiday. Very nice people to deal with and it has been very easy from booking the holiday. The handover of the boat was easy and all questions answered. WiFi on board. Satellite TV. Electricity. On we go. Day 1. Thankyou Barnes Brinkcraft.

J. C.

Amazing boat great service we have used barnes brinkcraft 3 times now and will definitely returning the Tempo 5 boat had everything we needed and more

S. L.

Had 5 days last week on encore 4plus ,wonderful boatyard to deal with this was our 3rd experience with Brinks friendly and very professional staff from booking to handover instructions all very well done and couldn’t fault the boat spotlessly clean and modern ,the customer loyalty welcome pack/ hamper was amazing with lovely local fresh produce will certainly return for a 4th trip

L. R.

The boat was a bit tired .....bed linen needed updating ..

R. S.

Very helpful staff and friendly too nothing is too much trouble have been coming with barnes brinkcraft for the last few years and will be coming back very soon, would recommend this company

J. W.

stopped here for a few hours whilst on a boating holiday with another company. good boat yard with easily accessible water hoses etc. However when leaving the boatyard to go into town the road/path was completely flooded and we had to squeeze our buggy round the back or parked cars balanced precariously on the edge of another mooring spot. it was that or go for a swim. :)

M. W.

Professional staff, great boat, great holiday.

H. W.

Great service and very good info about the board.

B. T.

1st time in 32 years of boating on the broads we used Barnes Brinkraft, from start to finish the experience with this boat yard was fantastic! Would highly recommend and we'll be back in the future.

K. L.

Amazing boats, so thoughtful with the equipment and utilities. Will definitely prefer them again for future bookings.

C. A.

Very friendly n welcoming, always obliging.

M. W.

Had melody 3 boat. Had everything we needed. Was lovely. Only thing is recommend is to have a cover of some type on top deck because it was absolutly freezing sitting on top deck steering the boat. Not great view for steering boat on bottom deck so some sort of wind and rain protection on top deck would make it perfect. Only reason for not giving 5 stars. If it was summer time then all perfect but we went end of October.

R. O.

Excellent service from booking to the holiday ending. Friendly staff from reception to boatyard staff. Sam who gave an intro to our boat was excellent, knowledgeable and friendly. The Tempo boat was outstanding for 4 of us. This was our 2nd year and can't wait for next year. Thank you to all at Barnes Brinkcraft. Richie

P. C.

Came here 4 years ago .. loved it .. came back again yesterday (7.09.19) for a picnic boat for the day .. absolutely loved it! And still do .. boats clean handy having a toilet as I suffer with IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) was sooo nice for me to eat and relax & enjoy the beautiful views/Broads with my 2 children and family members x il be back again next year! Once the Caravan park is booked il be booking a boat for the day again. Thank you and sorry about the duck feed everywhere, the bag split *Face Palm*

R. P.

Hired a day boat. The handover and return was quick and efficient. It's great that you can select any time for your hire rather than predetermined slots. The boat was all good too

s. h.

We hired a boat for 4 nights first night sink drained slowly second night didnt drain at all so called engineer out came out within the hour and sorted the problem 3rd day had to call the engineer out again due to a sail boat crashing into us n we could hear trickle of water unsure if it had damaged the boat so called them out again he was with us with in the hour sorted it out so can not fault them on their quick response to the call out how ever it was an older no frills boat so was not expecting anything fancy as it was our first time holidaying on a boat and was unsure what to expect but housekeeping needs to be better and checks done to ensure it has been cleaned to a standard u would expect i found dirty sink in top end of the boat dirty glass to the point what ever was in their looked like dust could have been residue to de fogging but they shouldn't go on the boat after its done also dirt under shower tray in bathroom beds were a bit hard but cant expect a memory foam mattress on this type of boat customer service was ok pulled our car out for us when we asked them quick refund on fuel nit used that we paid for which was good all in all we had a good relaxing few days will defo come back with the family on a bigger boat so i best start saving would like to thank the engineer for getting us sorted quickly top chap

D. C.

No complaints. Great service. Great place. Went to the Hippodrome. 30 minutes drive from Barnes Brinkcraft. Brilliant. Check it out.

R. H.

Been here many times and have used virtually every property. Always clean, well equipped supported by friendly service. Never taken a boating holiday but sure the boats good too

N. W.

Great holiday, the service at the boatyard was very slick and freindly. The boat was old but clean and comfortable.

C. B.

Very reasonable prices and friendly staff.

C. A.

In my opinion, the best boat hire company on the Broads.... very helpful, very friendly and they contacted me when this covid 19 epidemic started.... there was no need to chase them! I would recommend them everytime! :-)

A. N.

Nice accommodation but the surroundings are a work in progress. There was drilling and sawing for two days during our stay as the replaced old timbers from the moorings. They burned the old wood on site so there was smoke for the entire duration of our stay.

D. g.

Had a wonderful weeks holiday here staff are very friendly and helpful.accomodation spotlessly clean. Lots to see and do.out on the broads is magical.roll on next year!

E. D.

Gentleman who met us and explained about the boat was excellent which as fist time boaters was greatly appreciated. However as we left the dock the heavens opened and the canopy which had been put on for our protection created condensation which combined with there being no windscreen wipers resulted in zero visibility. Consequently we peeled the canopy back which exposed us to the torrential rain - thank goodness for the umbrella which we had taken. Sodden and dishevelled we cut our day short at lunch time which was disappointing as it had been booked for several months as was the focus of an otherwise lovely 2 night break in Norfolk. We appreciate that no one can control the weather but feel that at the very least the boat could have had wipers - every other boat we met had them . Will try again when certain of good weather

T. S.

Had a fantastic 7 days on phantom boat maybe an old boat but had everything we needed

C. S.

Good accomadtion let down by poor access steps too high, again too big a step down from balcony to our day boat had to move before some members of our party could enter it

K. J.

Great place to hire boats, nice staff happy and friendly. Great experience.

A. W.

Beautiful up to date craft, what's not to like

P. C.

Had a grate time good friendly people. I hired a budget boat which had everything I needed will be going back thank you Brinkcraft.

H. M.

Great service and fabulous boats

P. P.

Very efficient friendly service. Comfortable boat with everything we needed

C. B.

Helpful friendly staff. Lots of good quality boats to choose from.

J. D.

Great service, very efficient, professional and polite team.

M. H.

A good company to hire a boat from a wide range of boats we we're very impressed with the encore 2 no real issues but for some reason we used £111. 00 of fuel ⛽ and we're not boy racers we're still scratching our heads!

M. T.

Great boatyard in a prime location to explore the Broads. Boats of all sizes and classes to meet your needs. We went last year and this year we will vist twice. Staff are friendly and helpful. Last year we were on a brand new boat (Tempo) but this time the boat was a little bit older (Sonnet) as we only needed a small boat but still in really good condition with everything you need on board. Roll on July when we will be back on the Tempo again!

M. H.

Excellent holiday, quality service by all staff. We'll definitely be going again.

M. J.

Moored up here on a bank holiday Monday in a visitors mooring, asking for pump out and use of the facilities. Despite how busy they were staff could not have been more helpful and accommodating. Moored overnight, pump out first thing the next day. Great service.

B. E.

Fabulous house called Jibsail! We've stayed before and it's even nicer this time round. Lovely house right in the middle of the boat yard.

b.

Great service as always and first class staff.Cannot wait until September and then May next year.

S. H.

Great holiday great boat great service

s. w.

Helpful staff. We had a nice holiday

M. P.

Nice enough day hire boat... The training was a bit lacking, finding the way back to the dock was interesting. There's very little parking and Wroxham is a nightmare from this point of view. The boats are a little tired.

M. M.

We had a lovely weekend with friends. Fantastic accommodation great weather and our own motor launch so many laughs great for larger gathering and handy dogs could come too

J. F.

A brilliant company to hire boats from, they really look after both their customers and their fleet of amazing boats. We'll be back!

P. K.

Fantastic break the boat was marvellous and easy to handle I could not recommend this company enough.

J. k.

A great family holiday. Everyone at the boatyard were very friendly amd polite. The boat itself had a few issues but nothing that spoiled the holiday. Im sure we will come back

M. S.

Really nice boat enjoyed it

j. w.

Love the boating . Shame about the issues this time. This was our 3rd holiday with you and I'm so sorry to say but this was the worsted holiday iv ever had . Which is such a shame as I love boating. And it wasn't just because of the weather sorry

L. A.

Very helpful friendly staff, good boat no issues. Excellent location would love to go again!

M. P.

Fishing wasnt the best still caught some fish but that was expected as it's mainly a boating place, to be honest the boat was such fun exploring the rivers and having a different form of transport was great.

A. L.

Wonderful location, very friendly and helpful staff. Cleanliness was second to none, especially taking into account the quick turnover times and the current pandemic. 5 stars all round!

K. B.

Had Ladymore for 3 nights in August. Boat was dated but functional. Out of date onboard handbook. Gas ran out and toilet deposit was full, causing the boat to list, which would indicate that they wasn't checked before our trip. They did send someone with gas but really should have had a spare bottle we could change ourselves as stated in the handbook.

M. F.

Very friendly very helpful nice people

S. B.

Third time we have been, always very helpful & informative. We were a bit naive should have checked the boat over before we set off as we got charged for damage which we didn't cause other than that very good.

C. S.

Great week's stay at Waterside, first class accommodation and a lovely day launch for cruising the Broads. Wroxham is a excellent base to explore the whole Norfolk broads region

N. L.

As a family we have been hiring day boats from here when ever were in Norfolk we always do it. Reasonably priced boats for hire. The kids love it. A fantastic day out

S. H.

We hired Brinks Jazz 4 for a Mon - Fri stay on the Broads. Never been boating before and it was a really good first timer boat, and we were given a brief tutorial on operating it. Barnes were very smooth and efficient booking us in at the start and again when we returned the boat. See you again next summer 👍🏻

C. G.

Barnes Brinkcraft 8 seater boat was most definitely best value for money and comfort for our 3 hour river trip. The boat was by far the better one on the river compared to comparative boats from other companies. We stopped at a pub enroute for a drink and toilet break and enjoyed our relaxing morning/afternoon on the pretty stretches of water. We most definitely would come back and book an all day one next time so we could stop at one or two of the little villages. The chap who talked us through the basics/rules of the Broads was very lovely and helpful.

J. G.

Very friendly, helpful staff, beautiful holiday properties right on the marina. Second holiday booked already. Busy boatyard, lots to watch and lots of wildlife in the area

T. S.

Brilliant holiday. Staff team were fab. Boat was great.

O. K.

Very good, clean accommodation with plenty of space. The boats are all very well maintained and simple to use. It's a great holiday destination for a family.

J. G.

Very good boatyard family run business have dealt with them many times over the years, both hiring there own boats and Mooring my own at one time (the boat emealia) the also rent Riverside propertys all newly built like I said the family run boatyard ls very friendly and welcoming.

B. M.

Great boatyard with very helpful staff they are my preferred boatyard on the broads

T. i. P. &. B. P. &. G. f. M. &. W.

friendly park your cars when you arrive for your holidays nice area Wroxham, fish chip shops, bars restaurants to visit at mooring.

p. o.

Had a great time with sunny weather

p. s.

Staff generally helpful. The boat we had had was old and a bit dilapidated but not priced accordingly. The boatyard was informed of my views but no response was made.

d. w.

The day boat we ordered had a mechanical problem so they gave us an Omega class boat at no extra charge. Very good service.

R. N.

Barnes Brinkcraft a very big player in the Broads scene recently upgraded with many new boats for the season This has become a place to go to as Herbert Woods has Good quality crafts service and marketed as the whole package In there position in Wroxham the yard is before the Bridge but we'll placed to be right in the middle of town Carparking on site showers and now cottages on the river side Well worth a look

H. R.

Fantastic weather, great no frills boat, very clean, tidy, everything worked. Booking the trip and all communication online were very smooth and well done. Would use again with no hesitation. Only reason for giving 4 stars instead of 5 is that when arriving at boat yard the welcome at reception is a bit poor and even a bit confrontational from some of the people meant to be helping behind the counter. I've never hired a boat before and left reception feeling I had put them out by not knowing the ins and outs of how it all works. I go into people's houses everyday to fix their white goods, I make sure my customer service is courteous, polite and professional, even though I deal with people who have limited knowledge in appliance repairs. If Barnes brinkcraft could improve their face to face service it would definitely be a 5 star review.

J. H.

Wonderful holiday. Such lovely people to deal with and so helpful. Boat was clean and as advertised. No problems at all. Try them!

S. M.

Clean boats helpful staff

M. H.

Stayed in the StaySail property, with dayboat included. Nice clean rooms, decent mattresses, quiet at night, and fun to mess around on the boat during the day.

A. C.

Helpful staff and a well maintained boat made for an amazing weekend away with old friends.

D. W.

Great stay. Good location. Having the boat for 4 days while there is a big plus.

N. K.

Excellent place for non-barnes guests to moor their craft overnight and refill water etc. Shower and toilet facilities available. Friendly and helpful staff. Stern mooring only.

C. S.

Enjoyed a two hour boat hire. All very helpful getting into the boat and our return. Reasonable price to hire

B. A.

Great service, really friendly staff. Clean easy to use boats. All around a grest way to experience the broads

D. M.

helpful staff nice place to stop for the night

C. B.

Had a great day out on the boat, well worth driving round the corner to Barnes Brinkcraft as the quality of the boats are far better. Will definitely use again

T. P.

Lovely spacious boat the Serenade 3 from Barnes of Brinkcraft. All mod cons , fresh white towels and linen provided, with complimentary toiletries. Clean and comfortable throughout. Boat was pleasant to navigate. Staff were lovely friendly and helpful . No complaints . Very enjoyable holiday .

m. B.

Very accommodating and helpful.very covid safe and aware. wonderful boat best we've had would use again

H. B.

Had a great holiday and loved our boat (encore 1) we hired off barnes bincraft , staff were helpful and friendly I would recommend barnes bincraft to others and will book with them again ....👍👍👍

S. P.

Great helpful staff. They had no problem with a group if 11 blokes and gave us lots of helpful advice and tips for using the boat and waterways.

B. M.

Always go for this company for boat trips on the broads. We once mis-calculated our timing, but they were understanding and provided a great service.

P.

We had a great day out on one of there day boats, it was great weather and we hadn't booked so was fingers where crossed that we would get one, £69 well spent for four hours also a nice pub on the river believe it's the swan four hours was plenty of time to get up river have a drink and a snack then going a little further up stream before heading back.

R. W.

Fantastic week away and would highly recommended this company for ease of booking, setting off and return handover.

T. S.

We had a great weekend, the boat Symphony 2 is starting to look in need of a makeover, and the operation and use of the toilets,( OK if you have one leg longer than the other) leaves a lot to be desired.

m. A.

Only used it for the free mooring and facilities and no issues there.

N. J.

Friends rented a Brinkcraft holiday house in the marina which came with a boat included. Excellent location in Wroxham. Great holiday house.

w. d.

Very helpful staff went out on test run with us but left to own devices very quickly the boat we have hired is poor set up the showers are a joke bit disappointed overall won't be coming back

L. B.

Very happy with the service. Our boat was lovely and very comfortable. The staff were very helpful and attentive. We had a wonderful weekend. The only problem was it was way too short a time. We’ll book for longer when we go again, which we certainly will!!!

T. T.

Thoroughly enjoyed our holiday thanks to BARNES BRINKCRAFT

K. G.

Great service and nice boat. First time in the broads and a bit nervous but well instructed so should be safe.

M. P.

Just came back from a holiday. I murdered a seagull with a fishing rod (not intentionally), accidentally fried a box of maggots and killed a goldfish in a log flume. 11/10 would boat again.

G. K.

All good, service and comms easy. Prompt refund on fuel/deposit etc.

H. R.

Full service boat yard and hire business. Excellent service by friendly knowledgeable staff.

J. J.

Lovely boat, slight problem with our first day, however great time had by the whole family

R. W.

Great experience. Excellent service from start to finish. 5 Stars.

A. F.

Good boatyard and location , one or two of the boats were pretty battered and the end of the season and shouldn't really be going out on hire so if turn up and your not happy you must say so .

E. T.

Helpful staff gave us a guided tour of our boat and some training which helped us have another great Norfolk Broads boating holiday.

N. “. S.

Always great Norfolk Broads boating holidays..... Well kept & maintained boats ... helpful staff ... highly recommended.... Thanks... 😎

A. W.

From the point of booking on the website to the return of our boat (Jazz3) the staff at Barnes Brinkcraft have been amazing. The boat was No Frills as it said when we booked but it was ideal for my wife and me. Only 1 negative point was that there was no seat cushions for the upper deck driving seat or the bow seating area. The holidays was so good that we arrived back and booked again for next year. But longer. 😁😁😁😁😁

C. A.

Great holiday and service from Barnes Brinkcraft. Boat we had (Belmore) is getting a bit tired, but still had a lovely time.

A. N.

The boat was really good and we had a brilliant experience

m. h.

Can't fault the service or the boat.

k. b.

Nice boat, friendly staff,very good holiday, only one fault, they charged me a £10 to park after spending all that money on the holiday

j. t.

dear sirs wonderful the only boat yard to cater properly for any family,wonderful boats staff are the best on the broads hire systems john twine and wife

R. F.

Fantastic holiday from start to finish.

L. M.

Superb holiday. Staff were great from start to finish. Boat was immaculate and handover was efficient

D. B.

Very good moorings, good facilities

A. W.

What a delight to happen on such competent and friendly people to do a variety of maintenance/upgrade work on my boat. Aaaah

T. W.

Great mooring spaces. Even allowed us to plug into the shoreline power too. Best to ask before plugging in though.

A. H.

A truly fantastic experience. The boat was as described and perfect for what we wanted to get from the holiday. We did have a small issue with he boat, but this was fixed within the hour, and we were out exploring again by 9.30am..not bad, considering we were moored in a remote dyke. We are already considering booking again next year with Barnes direct, just because of the above experience.

M. B.

Lovely owners friendly staff Amazi g boats we've been twice already and going again in a few weeks ;)

S. S.

Had a wonderful long weekend away on Royal Velvet 3. From start to finish all the staff at Barnes were friendly, approachable, and ready to help with anything and have a chat. Boat was lovely and clean. Everything was ready for us, including our lovely hamper as a repeat customer. Keep up the good work everyone.

P. T.

Great holiday. Good fast service, broke down but where out within the hour and we where on our way. 4 stars only because we chose what we could afford, so basic boat. It was clean, roomy and had all the facilities. Weather was also on our side. Beautiful place to go the Norfolk Broads. Will remember the holiday, life is all about making great memories and the holiday certainly ticked that box.

D. C.

As always our experience on the Broads was excellent. The staff at the boatyard are friendly and accommodating and the handovers (arriving for our holiday and then leaving at the end of our holiday) were seamless. The only stumbling point now is that the Brinks Quartet - which, don't get me wrong, we love and have never found another boat that fits our needs so well - is getting old and doesn't deserve the Prestige class price any more. This year the roof never closed properly - which wasn't a problem as we had ZERO rain all week - but in a downpour the entire middle cabin and kitchen would have been flooded. It won't stop us booking either the Brinks Quartet or with Barnes Brinkcraft - but a reduction in price would make the experience even sweeter.

A. G.

Enjoyable 4 night break. Lovely weather..welcome pack was valuable with matches included..Good for lighting cooker as non smokers. Friendly staff. No quibble return of money on unused fuel. Would recommend

K. S.

We had a great week on the Broads In Royall Velvet2 There we’re a few issues with cleanliness and general boat upkeep. Old socks found in bedroom cupboard plus toilet paper behind toilet. The sliding roof was way too stiff and difficult to open. Unfortunately the toilet would NOT flush solids ……. Not ideal 😬 The kitchen area was great and a lovely hot shower every day was nice. We found the bed comfortable as well as the living area seating. Boat was easy to drive.

L. B.

Another amazing holiday courtesy of Barnes Brinkcraft. When we arrived, the boat was immaculate. We were given a 30 minute guide to using the boat by one of their staff. Staff are friendly, knowledgeable and patient (especially with us non-boat people!) We got a loyalty hamper for being a return customer and the quality products in this were delicious. The boat was a dream to use over the week and we will be booking again for our 2023 holiday. If you love nature, want to explore the broads and get close up to Kingfishers and Herons, we highly recommend a boating holiday. And if you choose a boating holiday, choose it with Barnes Brinkcraft.

J. C.

Just had a week on Ambassador, no frills but a very user friendly boat. We love this old boat and have hired her for years. We did have a small problem but it was dealt with quickly. The reed filter was chocker and also a plastic bag from the river was causing a blockage which caused the engine to overheat. Thank you Paul and Ben. Highly recommend Barnes Brinkcraft, very helpful and reception staff friendly. Looking forward to next year.

J. W.

Nice little craft (Brinklet), hire on Saturday 24/09/22, with a really helpful boatman who was humorous, understanding and patient who explained the simple things well. Diesel engine meant a noisy boat though. But 4 hours was enough to give our visitors a taste of the Broads.

D. D. M.

We had a wonderful time - everything was perfect, largely due to the weather. The boat we had booked was a bit small but this didn't matter as we were constantly outside. As the weather canning be guaranteed I would advice others to check the size of craft as if it rains you need to be sure you have enough room.

F. M.

Just return from a lovely 2 weeks in Brinks Encore Plus 4. The boat was very clean and had all the mod cons, bedding and towels provided. This is a great little boat for 2 easy to handle and great to explore those hidden gems as it will pass under all bridges at suitable tide. Been boating in the Broads for many years first time just the two of us and the dog. Thank you Barnes feeling very relaxed already planning our next trip.

M. R.

This is our third holiday with Barnes Brinkcraft. We selected the Encore plus boat as it was the newest, and less likely to have engine trouble (previous 2 holidays we had breakdown issues with older boats). There were several minor issues that I reported to staff at the end of the holiday. I wouldn't pick the Encore plus again but I do like the staff and they are very helpful. Also the hamper is a great idea. Top quality! We will be back for a 4th holiday soon 😁

Z. B. D.

Our first holiday on the boards. Staff was friendly and helpful. Didn't know what we was letting ourselves into. Boat was lovely but found it just a bit to small for 6 people.( Quartet 3) this is a 2 bedroom boat with sleeping in the lounge area. Not ideal for 4 adults / 2 children aged 13. Only had 2 ring hob plus a microwave/ combi. Dissopointed there was no bigger oven. But overall weather was good and we had fun.

J. H.

2nd time we’ve booked with Barnes Brinkcraft and I’m definitely happy we did. Really great company. The most helpful staff. When we arrived we even got the best hamper I’ve ever received. Gutted that our boat holiday is over. We will be re booking when we’re home. Recommend the Brinks Royale it’s a lovely boat will definitely be hiring it out again. Thanks for a fantastic week.

K. A.

What a lovely week weather wise, this along with the helpful and friendly staff made our holiday. Duet 4 was a high boat and ideal for looking over the broads. A budget boat that was very clean and tidy.

A. M.

We experienced brilliant customer service - what a breath of fresh air! A very slick boat collection & return service. Plus additional help whenever we requested it. Great job team.

M. H.

We had a great boating holiday. The bottle of fizz upon arrival was a really nice touch. The boat was clean and handover was really simple. We will definitely use again

s. T.

Hired the Brinklet day boat from these guys for 3hrs which was really good value at £80. Took up to 8 people and allowed dogs too. They were really informative, ran through how to drive the boat and gave us suggestions of where to go. A much better size boat compared to some other companies we saw on the river for a reasonable price.

C. B.

Just come home from an amazing holiday on a Brinks Serenade. The beds were comfortable and the boat easy to manoeuvre once we got used to it. This is the second time we have hired a boat from Barnes Brinkcraft. Will hopefully book again for next year!

S. R.

Really nice get away, The Lullaby 3 boat was amazing weather was brill, Staff help full , Will be booking again soon

J. F.

We hired a Concerto 5 and it was superb. Th boat did break down once but they were out within 20 minutes so cannot fault their service. Over all a terrific experience which we would recommend to all.

R. C.

Really great boating experience, lots of fun . The boat suited us perfectly and the staff we’re really friendly. If I was being really picky, some hand soap on board but that’s nothing. Great day out 👍

B. T.

Had a great day out on one of the picnic boats. Really easy to drive. Beautiful scenic area? If you turn left onto the river you might be lucky and come across the ice cream boat!

J. G.

We have recently returned from a boating holiday with Barnes Brinkcraft. We have been a returning customer year on year for at least 10 years. Once again great standard of boat, and a very enjoyable relaxing holiday. However, after enquiring to book a holiday for 2023, I now find they do not give a 10% discount for returning customers, and an addition 5% discount for early booking, which would equate to nearly £500 discount on next years holiday. £3,500! Regrettable these holidays are now getting out of our price bracket which is very disappointing. We will be giving next year a miss and maybe check prices then.

A. D.

Great holiday w/c 17th June. Ease of holiday as we can take our dog so dont have any kennel fees. Staff very polite and helpful. Boats are very clean and well maintained. Loved the complimentary hamper we were given and cant find fault with anything. Booked again for next year thanks for a great time 😁

P. H.

We had a fantastic time on encor plus 5. A fabulous boat. Clean ,dry and well kept. The weather was awful , we were on the boat for a month. It kept us warm and dry. So easy to handle. Thank barns brinkcraft. Xx

J. B.

We pre-booked a day hire picnic boat for 7, it was well organised & they took the time to give us thorough instructions. The boat itself was clean & sufficient and the trip on the broads was lovely, with a pit stop at the new inn pub. Highly recommend this.

P. H.

Easy to Book via Hoseasons, The People at Barnes Brinkcraft were very Friendly helpful and supportive. providing the life jackets for the Children and the Dog, we all had a really great holiday and great memories were made. Thank you all for making it easy and enjoyable.

l. g.

We hired our boat from Barnes brinkcraft for the first time and will definatley be returning customers. The check in process Was simple amd we were greeted by a lovely friendly lad who checked us in, then shown our boat and taken out on the river for a tutorial before we set off.....again another lovely friendly young lad, very informative and helpful. Boat itself was fab exactly what we needed for 2 people and very clean and well acquipped with all we needed. Would definatley reccomend this company, thank you for making out first time on the broads an easy and straightforward experience, we will see you again. :)

S. S.

Had a lovely 4 hour rental on a boat. We had fantastic weather and had enough time to Moor outside a pub for a drink. Will definately be booking again.

E. C.

Excellent day! We had a sunrise day boat and had the best day out on the river. Great service from the staff, they couldn’t be more helpful or accommodating. I would fully recommend Barney’s Brinkcraft

N. B.

Although we have been boating every year on the Broads for the past 20+ years, this was our first time with Barnes Brinkcraft. We were hugely impressed from the start. Email comms were quick and friendly, on arrival to yard there was a very organised system that made handover a breeze. The boat was clean and very well maintained. Arrival back at the yard was again friendly, efficient and organised. We'll definitely use this boatyard again!

D. D.

We were back with Barnes Brinkcraft for a 2nd year in a row for an 11 night break hiring Brinks Concerto 6. Our first nice surprise was as returning customers we had a very generous welcome pack full of nice meets cheeses ect. As usual the service was friendly and the boat clean and well appointed. I would be happy to recommend Barnes Brinkcraft for value for money boats. There is a good choice of boats to suit all budgets, the older the boat the less it has by way of luxuries but you pay less. Thank you Barnes for your attentive and friendly service, and I hope we will be back within the next few years. All the best Dominic Duncan.

p. m.

We had a good holiday onboard, any problems we had , of which there were two were dealt with immediately. However, we did have to clean the boat surfaces and the bench seats were all marked hence not five stars, also there was a smell onboard which we brought to the attention of the guys showing us around which they did sort for us.

J. Y.

An excellent weekend break once again. The only comments from our group are :- A later checkout or 2hr return window as per the pickup would be good as it would stagger everyone's arrival back at the boatyard. More toilet/washroom facilities at the boatyard would be good.

L. E.

First class service, really helpful, would recommend. We had a fabulous holiday. This was our first experience of boating and will certainly be doing it again.

G. J.

From booking through to the actual day itself was just great, very helpful staff and so friendly..... The electric boat was so quiet making our trip up the river to Coltishall so relaxing and enjoyable, honestly can't recommend these guys enough..... x x

G. H.

Myself and my husband escaped our teenagers for a long-weekend at the beginning of July. I can honestly say it is the most relaxing holiday we have ever been on. Even if you have never done boating before, it is a breeze! Max speed of 6 knots, no real tide and no locks to have to keep jumping out for. The broads are absolutely beautiful to cruise gently along and if you are into wildlife, then I would say it was a paradise. There are numerous free places to moor and lots of lovely pubs, walks, little towns and villages. I just loved it, when at the end of the day, you could choose where to moor, dig out your microwave luxury meal and pour a glass of wine. Peace ....... Bliss.... We stayed on what can only be described as a "convertible" because it had a sliding opening roof where you could not only sit in the nice lounge area and sunbathe whilst talking to my crew member husband as he steered but also sit in comfort with the greatest of views. The boat we stayed on was a Quartet. It had two very comfortable cabins each with own shower room etc. We had a lovely surprise of a goody welcome bag with lovely coffee and tea in it etc. The boat was beautifully clean and COVID cleansed and every mod con you could think of, including Sat TV, car charger socket for charging your phone, fridge, freezer, and lovely towels and bedding. Quite honestly you could not wish for anything more. We are DEFINTITELY going to go again. The staff where very professional, efficient and took the time to "show us the ropes" Roll on to the next time! Geoff and Gill

S. T.

The weather and broads amazing! Would go for a newer boat next time as it leaked when rained the toilet was so smelly and beds were so hard like sleeping on a bench! But overall would recommend the broads for a relaxing break xx

J. W.

Lovely spot to start and finish a holiday. You will start in the busy little boat yard of Wroxham but within minutes be out in the middle of nowhere mooring up to enjoy the countryside. Staff were great and the boat perfect for a families needs. Would recommend.

B. S.

great holiday overall ,boat(Blenheim) very good even with my mobility issues. whole experience from booking to return very good, excellent handover from Mark.

M. D.

Had a lovely 4 hour trip on one of the electric boats. Really helpful staff, great boat. Very relaxing. Highly recommend.

D. J.

Staff extremely friendly and helpful, tried to meet our needs as much as possible, sadly a bit of a delay getting our boat which was a little trioubling for our disabled passanger having to wait in an uncomfotable position, However, once on board there were no issues at all. Apon check out the staff even repositioned our boat so our passanger could alight the boat more easily. I really look forward to coming back again in the future!

E. F.

Hired a boat for 2 hours and it was a wonderful experience! Would 100% recommend barnes brinkcraft. The man who help organise our boat and life jackets was lovely! We didn’t catch his name but he definitely deserves recognition for his wonderful customer service!

R. H.

Love the Broads, with the slow paced life enjoying the views walks and places to see. Also meeting like minded people doing the same thing with every range of experience. Staff were polite and helpful and we were booked in on board and having a tutorial and boat piloted under Wroxham bridge within an hour and half. Excellent holiday. Only 4 stars though as the boat was a bit of a let down. It was an older boat that showed it's battle wounds. Outside and seems to have lost some attention to detail inside.3 bathrooms all with manual flushes. One worked well the other two were were either very still to operate or leaked from the seal at the top. All basins had crystal cracking within them. One toile seat had a broken hinge, not noted untill well underway, but I am sure the cleaner should have noticed this. Pull out double bed at bow position was a real pain to deal with on a daily basis as the wooden base panels had Two of the three hinges broken making it dangerous to put up and own each day, again not noted until night one and under way. The cupboard where the crockery is kept also had a hinge loose at the bottom, made using the door very awkward. Bow entrance door handle and lock was loose again a bit of a pain. All these things deter from the expected relaxing holiday. The pictures used on website of Ultima 1. Were probably from when she was newer. The diesel engine is very noisy and only encased in an unsoundproofed wooden cabinet that vibrates as only held on by 2 hook and eye catches.

J. A.

Lovley boat. Great staff. Very ,very helpful. Special thNks to the lady on duty in the yard on the friday afternoon before we left . She was run off her feet but managed to get my car out for me a day early , as because of a medical incident. I had to take the wife to Cromer hospital for stitches in her leg. Thanks to the guy who dug the car out as well. Just on comment , I think the boat should have had a first aid kit onboard. One with dressings in. Regards JOHN

J. C.

The Norfolk broads is just a wonderful place to unwind on a lovely boat just cruising at a nice leisurely pace with plenty of places to enjoy. The boats have everything you need for a good relaxing holiday.

J. j.

Hired serenade 5 boat £2200 wasn't clean 10 minute tuition for novices not adequate struggled working out different things terrible viewing alright if you are 6ft. Sitting down all you see tops of reeds. Consequently we didnt go far from wroxham only to acle stayed 2 nights returned to wroxham stayed 2 nights. We hardly used any diesel pointer on fuel dial very close to full. Paid £120 deposit only received £18 refund when I asked capacity of tank all staff didnt know(guy who refilled tank didnt know staff in office didn't know very strange I'm not happy as it wasn't open/explanatory how this is calculated total rip off. NEVER AGAIN this holiday was so stressful my husband recently passed away and this was supposed to be a relaxing time. Tuition is terrible. And all three of us struggled. Was told they weigh the fuel? How does that work out? And you can't go off the gauge? This needs to be looked into by trade and standards it should be clear what mileage/and fuel used.

c. d.

Hired Royal velvet 3 in need off a deep clean table was very dirty shower was not working no cold water engineer fixed it outside boat was not cleaned yes i know the boat is an old boat and i love it and it suits our needs but you would not expect to go into a hotel room and find it dirty so a boat should be the same

D. T.

Quartet 2, Great boat. First boat weve hired that i could use ghd straighteners on!!. Canopy needed sorting out as it took 2 people to throw the canopy back due it being too stiff to move. Boat easy to manoeuvre and very quiet . Supposed to seat 6 people around the table but due to insurance, theyve removed the stools so it was too cramped

A. M.

Nice company, friendly staff. We booked Lullaby 1 for the week. Bed's were comfortable, though the toilet in the rear cabin is a challenge for men. Kitchen in the isle is a pain for others trying to get from front to back, and vice versa, while others are cooking. I've been on the Broads now 5 times, and only our first boat had it's own kitchen area. It was dated, with no bow thrusters, and manual bow weight.

L. H.

The windows was dirty, mud anchor wasn’t long enough at the ferry inn horning, metal raised on floor in bedroom because of missing screw. Tv Ariel didn’t work in most locations, microwave only worked intermittently. Boat could do with a bit of modernising inside and out. BUT saying all that we had an amazing holiday and would no doubt come back again as all of the above was only minor details that we over come.

M. N.

Parked beside the boat, friendly talk through of the controls, map in hand and we were away. No frills, everything worked as it should and we had a super relaxed afternoon on the water.

A. B.

We hired Topliner 1 from July 4 to 11, and had a great time, the boat was one of the cheaper ones in the fleet but we found it very comfortable and reliable.the staff are always very friendly and helpful at this boatyard.

G. B.

Excellent organisation for handover and hand back. Helpful friendly staff plus a very well appointed boat made for an excellent and stress free holiday.

A. H.

Our 2nd time hiring a boat from Barnes Brinkscrat, staff always helpful,easy collection and drop off process. Always a nice experience being forced to slow life down to walking pace.

G. T.

Second holiday this year with Barnes Brinkcraft. Surprise second booking discount and an amazing hamper welcomed us on arrival. Customer service at its best. Thanks to all staff at this amazing boatyard. Glenn

S. I.

Great boat hire on the Broads and really helpful with our additional requirements. Friendly service throughout.

A. G.

We hired the Royall Commander for 2 weeks. It was perfect for us. From beginning to end, the whole experience was a pleasure. Loved the boat but I would always add do your research - as with all boats, due to sizes, shapes and styles , compromises have to be made. This one suited us perfectly and hence our total delight at the holiday. As for the boatyard, I never experienced anything other than a smile, great service, a fantastic welcome hamper and staff bending over backwards to make things right. I even had trouble starting my car after two weeks of it being stood and one of staff went and got their van and gave the car a jump start. Could I have asked for more Barnes Brinkcraft staff? No! So in conclusion, would I do it again with the same boat and same company, knowing what I know now? ABSOLUTELY!

A. H.

Beautiful boat, extremely efficient arrival with the boat ready to go at 1130, a fantastic welcome hamper and very friendly staff - cannot rate highly enough!

J. A.

I have booked with Barnes Brinkcraft for 3 years running and have just booked again for next year. The service is superb, friendly and professional. The boats have always been spotlessly clean. Booking online with them is easy. Would highly recommend this boatyard to anyone.

M. E.

Absolulty brilliant! Quick access to the boat and away unless than an hour. Super holiday, super service. We were sad to bring the boat back, but again, we were on our way home wishing 35 mins. Can't wait to go again.

B. T.

I love boating holidays, this was the 5th one and will do it again and again. Nothing to moan about, except for the side thrusters stopped working (green light would not stay on). Not a major issue as we're quite experienced with mooring. Encore is a nice 4 people boat, easy to manouver and with all you need on it. BB, helpful as usual, and gave an excellent welcome hamper. Thank you.

m.

Great communication. Super staff. Easy to find. Efficient check in / out. Fantastic boat!

S. K.

The booking was easy, and when we arrived we were shown the boat and how to operate it, the boat was clean and easy to use.

D. M.

We had an amazing holiday on the Broads and it was made better by the excellent service we received by all Barnes staff. The boat was fabulous, well maintained and very clean. When we had cause to phone the engineer (we blew a fuse) he was quick to help and got us going again, even though it was late evening. Superb service all round.

A. F.

This holiday was incredibly enjoyable throughout our entire stay on one of your boats.The staff were friendly and gave all the necessary information needed..The boat was very clean and had been looked after well. Everything that is needed for a comfortable trip was supplied.Thank you for a great family adventure. This holiday will fondly be remembered. 😀🛥

A. C.

Concerto 3 was fine and we enjoyed the break. No major problems. Couple of minor but irritating issues. Firstly the lower bolt lock on the rear door was loose and would drop back into place whenever the doors were shut. Does not sound like a major issue but quite inconvenient when carrying the dog back onto the boat after popping off for a call of nature and having to bend awkwardly to open it again. Two TVs, but seemed the aerial only had enough grunt for one to be one at a time. Appreciate all depends on signal strength but maybe a booster would help. Would have been good to have been told that the water heated from the engine, took a day or two to realise! Also could have been good to have been hold how long we can safely run the heater for. It was -2 on our first night and daughter got rained on in the front cabin from the condensation!

F. V.

I hired three boats from Barnes Brink craft for my friends stag do from start to finish it was easy and professional. Friendly well trained staff, clean modern fleet of boats. Have recommended to others already and will continue to.

M. B.

We have just returned home from our second holiday on Encore Plus 4, fantastic boat for a couple, and passes under most bridges, depending on water levels. We cruised for approx 8 hours everyday and only used 49 litres of fuel, so a very economical boat to run. At approx 28ft long it is able to squeeze into the smallest moorings, and with the bow thrusters, its easy to manouvre. We have booked it again for October. Cant wait 😁

S. W.

I've just returned from a lovely family break aboard Brinks Melody 1, where we were able to experience the beauty of the Norfolk Broads. Although boating novices, we were quickly shown the ropes and given instruction on how to manouvere the boat etc. I think in hindsight we should have asked one or two more questions relating to the mudweight as we were required to use it at one of the mooring points along with practising mooring as that was tricky. Saying that we managed it OK, so perhaps it's the old adage that you only really learn by practising yourself on the job! In fairness though, the guidebook does tell you all you need to know regards safety and emergency contacts if required. The standard of the boat was very good with all the modern conveniences you would need, although we didn't manage to get any TV channels in the areas we moored. We were a group of 3 adult couples along with two small dogs, and the boat has 3 x double bunks, although it has to be said the smallest room is extremely snug, and the mindset really needs to be accepting of compact living. If unsure of whether you can adapt to that, I would advise having no more than 2 x adult couples and using the third room as your storage area etc. Obviously if you have small children with you, this isn't so much of an issue. The whole process of taking over and handing the boat back was very straightforward and the staff were extremely friendly and helpful at all times. All in all a great experience was had by all, and we all agreed we would look at doing it again in the future.

B. M.

We have used Barnes for a number of years and always receive excellent service. Staff very friendly and helpful. will be back again next year if not sooner. Had a wonderful week afloat.

G. L.

This is our 2nd time hiring a boat with Barnes Brinkcraft, last year we had an older boat but opted for a new boat this week. Tempo 5 is a lovely boat, brilliant shower room with a proper cubicle. The other shower room is a wet room. 2 bedrooms, nice kitchen with full size fridge. Easy stern access, nice seating on the upper deck. Tha hamper that we received was fabulous, cooked meats, sausage, bacon, bread etc, all really good quality, even a bottle of bubbly. We've had 2 great holidays with them and wouldn't hesitate to book again. Everyone is friendly and helpful.

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