Black and White Boat Hire Company

Amazing time ..From start to finish the holiday was fantastic!Sam was fab and nothing was too much trouble, from the second we arrived he was fabulous, got us on board and off away as soon as he could so we could have as much time out on the water as possible.The boat is stunning and everything you could possibly want and need.We have done 5 narrowboat holidays now and Portland is by far our favourite boat, we loved the waterways too so pretty, lots to see and do along the way and some really really lovely pubs.We will most defiantly be back!!

Stunning boat with plenty of compliments from other boat users! Well fitted out, all the utensils etc.. you will need. Clean and tidy with friendly and helpful instruction before setting off from Sam - 5*'s!

What a restful mini break with the Black and White boat hire company! A beautiful, clean, well laid out boat with everything we needed on board from fluffy blankets to usb charging points. Sam was a thoughtful and thorough host ensuring everything went smoothly. There are views of the water from every aspect - to lie in bed and watch the birds and the sunrise almost all within touching distance was just magical. We very much hope to be back.

First time hiring a narrow boat - Sam was brilliant throughout, communicative, accommodating and reasonable at all times. We very much enjoyed the morning's instruction that Sam gave on the first day setting us up for the rest of our week on the boat. The narrow boat itself is beautifully refurbished and drew lots of comments from other canal users that we passed. Having never done this before Sam gave us confidence that we could do it and helped us with the first lock and we were away. Brilliant holiday and superb owner can't recommend highly enough.

Wonderful boat, very comfortable and well equipped. Sam was very helpful when we had questions. Highly recommended!

To Sam,We booked our Holiday for the first 2 weeks in March, just after the heavy rain and winds that hit the country. Because of this we were not able to leave on the Saturday as planned; however, we were able to spend a relaxing day on the boat and visit the local PUB for a swift pint before setting off.On the Sunday Sam and his friend Claire came to take us down the River, show us how to do the locks and how to steer the boat properly. Thanks to Claire’s advice doing the locks was easy, she advised to leave the paddles open until the gates were closed to help with moving them!!!We were then left to our own devices and sailed away for what should have been 2 relaxing weeks. We did the Leicester Ring, which are all double locks until you get to Foxton. These were difficult and for me at times hard to do. I cannot lie, on 2 nights I said that I wanted to go home as this was not a relaxing holiday for me as I was doing all of the locks. I did not feel confident steering the boat when it was in the lock alone.Once at Foxton it became much easier as the locks were single and much easier to cope with. We had a wonderful day on the middle Saturday as Sam came to change the Leisure Batteries and then stayed with us for the afternoon steering the boat. This was the only time I got to sit in the boat in the locks as Mike was doing them!!!!The second week was really nice, relaxing sunny and a complete pleasure. The Boat has everything you need to be comfortable and warm, lots of storage space and cooking implements to make you feel at home. We loved snuggling up under the blankets at night to watch TV.We will be recommending Sam’s boat to everyone that wants to have a relaxing (at times strenuous) holiday chugging along at 4 miles an hour and will definitely be booking another holiday next year, hopefully in the summer when it is a bit warmer!!!Kindest regardsAlison and Mike

It was a lovely experience from the moment we arrived. Sam was a very welcoming, pleasant and helpful host. Portland is extremely well presented and a pleasure to holiday aboard.

Great 5 days on our trip to Great Hayward despite some very windy conditions!Stops along the way at some lovely pubs.Portland is a well equipped spacious boat with very comfy beds. Thank you Sam for the ease of booking etc.Hopefully we will be back for a trip in the eastern direction!