Richardson'S Boating - Norfolk Broads Boating Holidays

COVERSTAR REMINDER! Don't forget to enter your shots for our 'Summer' on the Broads coverstar competition this August! Enter your photos before the end of the month and be in with a chance of winning £50 towards your next Richardson's holiday! Good luck!

Special birthday coming up? 🎂 What about an anniversary? 💑 Whatever the ocassion, why not treat the boating enthusiast in your life to some Richardson's Holiday vouchers to put towards a holiday on the Broads?

DID YOU KNOW: some of our Platinum cruisers have a handy feature to make the handling that much easier? Bow and stern thrusters are great for first timers, and make mooring a breeze!

DON'T FORGET! Our Corkboard Competition ends NEXT WEEK! For your chance to win £100 towards your next Richardson's holiday as well as feature in our 2019 brochure, send us your favourite Broads shot to: corkboard@richardsonsgroup.net! Terms & conditions apply, click below now to find out more! One entry per person, please.

With a fleet of almost 300 cruisers, we've got a few to choose from when booking your boating holiday on the Broads! So, let us know in the comments below - which Richardson's cruiser is your favourite, and why?

Featured boat: Broadway! The star of the show last month at our Norfolk Day event, Broadway is a member of our Platinum fleet! New to our fleet in 2014, Broadway is perfect for families featuring a sliding canopy and low wash hull to protect our river banks, she's capable of cruising under the Broads' lowest bridges! Click below to find out more about Broadway now!

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We've removed the name of this vibrant 4-6 berth cruiser with 240V system - can you guess her name? We'll give you a hint - someone built a very detailed model of her recently!

COVERSTAR COMPETITION! For August, the theme is 'Summer' on the Broads! Show us your summer shots from the Broads National Park for your chance to win £50 towards your next Richardson's holiday! Post your photos in the comments below before midnight on the last day of August to be in with a chance! Good luck!

COVERSTAR COMPETITION WINNER!
The winner of July's photo competition, 'River Scenery' on the Broads is... Lisa Mosley!
We loved this misty scenery shot!
... Congratulations, Lisa! Please send us a private message and we can arrange for your prize of £50 in Richardson's Holiday vouchers to be sent out to you!
Thanks to everyone who entered!
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CORKBOARD COMPETITION REMINDER! Our Corkboard Competition ends in just over 2 weeks! For your chance to win £100 towards your next Richardson's holiday as well as feature in our 2019 brochure, send us your favourite Broads shot to: corkboard@richardsonsgroup.net!
Terms & conditions apply, click below now to find out more! One entry per person, please.

We had a great day on Friday celebrating Norfolk Day! What did you get up to on the first ever Norfolk Day?

We’re having a great day here at our marina in Stalham! Have you come to see us for a free river trip on board our Platinum cruiser Broadway yet?

Today's the day! The FIRST EVER Norfolk Day has arrived, and we're ready at our boating holidays marina in Stalham to welcome you to sample one of 'R' moments on board Broadway! Enjoy a 10-15 river trip on board one of Platinum cruisers to get a taste of what a boating holiday with Richardson's is all about! See you there!
*Terms & conditions apply.

Schools are breaking up for the summer all across the country - will we be welcoming you to the Broads this summer?

Are you signed up to our newsletter? Packed with all the latest news, events and more from Richardson's Boating Holidays, why not sign up today? Click below now!

Are you following us on Instagram, yet? With all the latest photos from our marina in Stalham to any events we attend, you should be! Click below now to follow us.

Norfolk Day is just days away, and we're busy at our marina getting ready to welcome you on board Broadway to sample one of 'R' moments! Ever wondered what it's like to cruise down the river on one of our Platinum cruisers? Perhaps you've never been on a Broads boating holiday before and would love to know what it's like? Come and see us between 10:00am and 3:00pm on Friday and you can find out!* Click below now to find out more!

We hired 2 boats there last weekend for the day. (8+3 for 4 adults/4 kids and 6 seater for 6 adults) Really friendly staff... lots of parking, easy to drive boats (even the kids had a turn at driving) they were clean and well maintained (I'm not sure how some of the boats we saw when we were out were even floating!). Good safety briefing and guidance on where to go but not too long. New lifejackets so was reassuring the kids jackets didn't look ancient and battered. We took a picnic which we all ate together in the back of the bigger boat so plenty of room and we had an amazing day!! The only drawback (besides quite a lot of sunburn) was we didn't have a toilet on either boat which wasn't an issue for the guys but was more problematic for the girls because it's quite distance between pubs etc.



Definitely recommend using them!!

We have recently returned from a wonderful week on the Broads. This was our 6th or 7th time to the Broads so needless to say we love it. On this occasion we had Bronze Gem 2 which is a great boat. Unfortunately, for the first time ever we had to call the emergency number as we could hear running water in the underneath of the boat. It turned out to be a quick fix thankfully, but I wanted to write this review to THANK both Thomas and Matt (Richardson's Engineers). Thomas came out to us immediately in the middle of the night to fix our problem temporarily so we were able to get some sleep. The next day Matt came to fit the new part so that we would not have any further issues. I was very impressed with the rapid service we received and i cannot thank them enough for all their help. I work in the hospitality industry myself so I know 'these things can happen' but it's the help you receive which makes it all ok in the end. They are both a credit to the team at Richardson's and we can't wait to come back soon.

p.s. thanks for putting the amazing weather on for us too!

We have just got back from a 10 day holiday on the broads hiring a boat Swan Ranger from Richardson’s, the service from the company was excellent from the start to the finish. The boat was excellent in all area,s I would like to thank the owners and staff for the excellent service, we will see you again �����

We had a fab weekend on Bronze Gem 2. We found the experience from start to finish great with really helpful staff along the way that made us feel at ease. We were piloted under Wroxham bridge only to find on the return the next day the water had risen so high we were too tall to come back through.. a team of guys were already there (had been called for another boat) but they couldn’t have been more helpful explaining what was going on and although they had to leave us until the next day we couldn’t have been happier with how well everything was handled. We were joined by rather an army of your staff Monday morning to weigh us down enough and they were all fab and super jolly! Well done Richardson’s for all your wonderful, helpful staff!! � �

We had a disastrous holiday on San Suzanne 12 years ago... Through not paying attention to the guided cruise but 6 years we booked San Pedro and quite simply haven't looked back! Over Easter we took out the beast that is Acapulco and took our friend who has never been on a boat. She turned out to be a very competent captain! The yard staff were as brilliant as always and added to the adventure when all us big craft were stuck the wrong side of a very high water at Ludham Bridge! Cue a hilarious rescue that took BUNDLE! to a whole new level!

We've booked San Elena for next year, hoping for better weather in May! And our friend is coming too - she's a total boating convert!

We had a brilliant week on the San Elena, not been on the Broads for many years but it was great to be back. A lovely clean comfy boat and the staff were friendly and helpful, that makes a difference to the start of a holiday in itself. We had a minor problem on the boat but it was soon put right by a very pleasant young man.

Next year's holiday is already booked on the Majestic Gem and we're looking to book for 2020 as well. Well done Richardsons boatyard. ���

This is the first time we hired a day boat from Richardson's Boating. We couldn't fault them and if you are thinking of hiring a boat on the Broads, don't look anywhere else....Richardson's has it all. The staff were friendly and couldn't have been more helpful (during the booking and on the day). Our boat was fantastic - the perfect size for 4 adults and 2 pugs....and very comfortable as well � We have hired boats many times on the Norfolk Broads but decided to try somewhere new. We are so glad we did and we will definetly be booking our next boat here � Ali

My family and I have just got back from a 3 night trip on the San Francisco 2 and have had the best time, our handover was with Andy, didn't get his last name unfortunately (shame�) but I would like to make sure that he gets a personal thank you as he was great and had a laugh with us. The boat was an older boat but everything worked fine and it did the job! We are already looking at dates ready for next year.

Positives; clean and tidy, beds were comfy, we had amazing weather but obviously that is just luck, great friendly staff.

Negatives; no negatives for the company, the only downside that we found was that it is really difficult to find somewhere to moor when you get to the pubs so you can end up missing out a lot, people seem to go there early and stay the night. Don't get cut short, take food and drinks incase you get stuck somewhere. Oh and I couldn't use my hair straighteners!!! ���

Me and three friends rented the San Pedro for 4 nights, it was our first ever boating experience so we picked a small cheap boat but it was great for what we needed it for (a bit of fishing and a booze cruise lol), Wroxham was a fantastic little village with really friendly people, we all definitely want to do it again and explore more of the Broads but maybe next time pick a slightly better boat, I’d recommend anyone to experience a boating holiday with Richardson’s, the staff was more than helpful and really friendly also

Just returned from a week on Commander 3 and due to return on Commander 1 in September. These are lovely boats although living and cooking area would be cramped if had maximum occupancy. There was only 2 of this time though. Boat clean and handover efficient. Staff very friendly and helpful. This was our 4 th time with Richardson's and I personally would recommend them. Agree with some other comments re being hard to find prime moorings but this isn't Richardson's fault just down to popularity of broads. My advice is to moor up early. I can thoroughly recommend visits to Stokesby (especially the tea room and store) and Ranworth staithe. Had really good holiday

Just had an excellent week on San Marino 2. Boat is dated, but the price reflects this (you had to hand pump the toilet!) but was clean and well kitted out. Engine was in the middle of the boat and quite noisy - the dog didn't like it! Our handover was excellent, learnt how to tie a knot too! We had to call an engineer out twice owing to a dripping prop shaft and on both occasions they came out really quickly and were super helpful and friendly. As for the Broads, I don't think you can get a better, more relaxing and peaceful holiday and if the weather is good you're laughing! We had such a good time that when we went to hand the boat back we asked if we could have a look around some of the other boats in the yard and again the staff were so friendly and helpful in allowing us to do that - we found a boat we really liked (a bit more modern, flush toilet and with the engine at the back this time) and booked again for next year. Well done Richardsons, thank you and all your staff for contributing to our fab holiday!

Just had a week on Dream Gem, it was our first time on the broads so we went for a cheaper boat in case we didn't enjoy it and save some money. I now wish we had gone for a better class of boat as the Classic range are looking a bit tired. Regardless of the boat looking a bit tired we had an excellent week, the weather did help!



I found all of the staff at the marina to be extremely professional and helpful, nothing seemed to be too much trouble for them. The hand over and trial run on the boat was really good, particularly as I hadn't piloted a boat on the broads previously.



I really can't recommend Richardson's highly enough, and will be booking another holiday next year, this is the first time in my 55 years that I will be booking to go back to the same place the following year.



Thanks for a great holiday.

Just come back from a week on San Elena and wow what a week. All the staff were lovely, professional and very helpful. A special mention goes to Chris who did our training session, he was very helpful and made sure we had everything we needed for our week. The maintenance team also deserve a mention as they were prompt and sorted out our little problem very quickly. The boat was clean and tidy and we all thoroughly enjoyed it. It was my children's first boating holiday and they are missing it already as are the rest of us. We have already booked to come back next May this time for 10 nights.

I highly recommend Richardson's to anyone.

Friendly staff & boat was lovely. As first timers we did the early bird offer (3 hours for price of 2) it was fab, the water was so quiet for the first 2 hours, there was no one else around & perfect timing to head straight for lunch on the waterfront afterwards. Free on site parking was also an added bonus, the whole experience was straightforward & stress free! Will definitely hire another boat with Richardson’s in the future �

Came back on the broads after not being there for over 40 plus years . I had told my wife how lovely it was so both keen to come . Booked a classic boat San Remo but after reading few reviews was a little apprehensive . we arrived around 1pm and told by staff boat not ready until 3pm but we went and got life jacket and spent little time after a cuppa looking at boats in marina. The boat was ready little early than time stated so soon underway with the instruction of the boat . all staff there friendly and polite, San remo is an older craft hence the price but is worth the price all we wanted in a boat . the front room was a little tight so we used spare bed room which was fine but condensation dripped on bed in a morning but no great issue . WiFi didn't work which for me was a plus no contact with out side world. Both of us have fallen in love again with the Broads. Some say Richardsons are loosing its friendly touch . So as for the older boats and staff , will we Return ? Most defo and booked 2019 holiday before we left the Marina. We stayed in the Marina the night before we needed to hand boat back and found no issues .. Here is to many Years of Boating with you ..

As its the first time in over 10 years i took a trial run. Brilliant tutoring by Neil and Broadland Wave 2 was clean and supurb for two. Everything worked, although did not try TV as never used it. Handled super and easy to drive, however a bit high at back for on and off as Wife has some mobility issues. This was not Richardsons fault but ours for not looking properly however we managed with a folding step. We will be returning in September on another boat which we have been shown as suitable for my wife. Brill all round no complaints at all. ��

Been with the company a few times now, we will definitely consider looking elsewhere next time. Despite being at the boat yard for 2 o’clock it was 5 o’clock by the time we could leave. having a little one with us and having to stand around for ages was far from ideal, it made the start of our break quite stressful. Also, the guy that did our trial run was useless, by the time he finished I felt like I’d never been on a boat before.

We had booked a 4 night break on Swan Regal, despite the nice boat and the friendly and professional staff, this turned into the trip from hell, and we returned the boat early!



The handover went almost smoothly until the bow thruster stopped working just before we were about to set off, so we waited an hour or two for the engineer to fix the problem, but without success, so we (first timers) had to manage without this function. That evening we moored and tried to turn the heating on (it was freezing) – nothing, we checked everything, the engine had been running for ages, but nothing. Luckily my partner asked for extra blankets, otherwise it would have been too cold with 2 children. The next morning we called the office and they sent an engineer, who came an hour later, then another vehicle turned up and they tried to fix the heating and the bow thruster, so the morning was wasted. They managed to fix the heating (so they said), but not the bow thruster and by lunchtime we were finally on our way again (at that point we did indicate that some kind of discount would be appropriate). That evening the heating worked, but in the morning it was freezing again, we turned the engine on in case the batteries were low, but there was no heating and no TV or microwave lights… again, the lady in the office offered to send an engineer again… but truth be told, we had enough and decided to return the boat early not wanting to spend another day huddled up in bankets trying to keep warm. By the time we got back we had run the boat for more than 3 hours and still there was no TV or microwave light and no heating, but guess what, when the person who took the boat off us turned the engine on it made piep, piep and there was electricity!!! Nevertheless, I am quite sure that there was something wrong the the battery, and if that was the case I think they should have refunded us, but we never found out – instead my partner was fobbed off with an offer of a day boat, then some cash and was asked to sign a form to confirm that this is the end of the matter. I did write an e-mail to follow the matter up, but had no reply. Quite rude in my opinion, and not what I would have expected from a company with so many good reviews.

Had a corsica 2, for 5 middle aged blokes, maybe we got a bad one (as an all male crew) but showers would not drain in either shower, we had to mop out every time. one shower drain simply did not work from day one, and toilets would keep back filling with unpleasant water. one of the bunk beds is not much more than a prison cell, and barely any room to get out of bed, without banging into the door.



number of electrical outlets (one) was pathetic, if they can fit a tv and wifi they surely can fit extra outlets, it made charging phones almost impossible.



when we raised our concerns after the hire finished at reception, we were told we should have upgraded !! (over £900.00 for 3 days hire is not a small amount) receptionist was not interested and couldn't care less, this was the third time i have used Richardsons and probably the last. shame

We hired 2 boats there last weekend for the day. (8+3 for 4 adults/4 kids and 6 seater for 6 adults) Really friendly staff... lots of parking, easy to drive boats (even the kids had a turn at driving) they were clean and well maintained (I'm not sure how some of the boats we saw when we were out were even floating!). Good safety briefing and guidance on where to go but not too long. New lifejackets so was reassuring the kids jackets didn't look ancient and battered. We took a picnic which we all ate together in the back of the bigger boat so plenty of room and we had an amazing day!! The only drawback (besides quite a lot of sunburn) was we didn't have a toilet on either boat which wasn't an issue for the guys but was more problematic for the girls because it's quite distance between pubs etc.



Definitely recommend using them!!

We have recently returned from a wonderful week on the Broads. This was our 6th or 7th time to the Broads so needless to say we love it. On this occasion we had Bronze Gem 2 which is a great boat. Unfortunately, for the first time ever we had to call the emergency number as we could hear running water in the underneath of the boat. It turned out to be a quick fix thankfully, but I wanted to write this review to THANK both Thomas and Matt (Richardson's Engineers). Thomas came out to us immediately in the middle of the night to fix our problem temporarily so we were able to get some sleep. The next day Matt came to fit the new part so that we would not have any further issues. I was very impressed with the rapid service we received and i cannot thank them enough for all their help. I work in the hospitality industry myself so I know 'these things can happen' but it's the help you receive which makes it all ok in the end. They are both a credit to the team at Richardson's and we can't wait to come back soon.

p.s. thanks for putting the amazing weather on for us too!

We have just got back from a 10 day holiday on the broads hiring a boat Swan Ranger from Richardson’s, the service from the company was excellent from the start to the finish. The boat was excellent in all area,s I would like to thank the owners and staff for the excellent service, we will see you again �����

We had a fab weekend on Bronze Gem 2. We found the experience from start to finish great with really helpful staff along the way that made us feel at ease. We were piloted under Wroxham bridge only to find on the return the next day the water had risen so high we were too tall to come back through.. a team of guys were already there (had been called for another boat) but they couldn’t have been more helpful explaining what was going on and although they had to leave us until the next day we couldn’t have been happier with how well everything was handled. We were joined by rather an army of your staff Monday morning to weigh us down enough and they were all fab and super jolly! Well done Richardson’s for all your wonderful, helpful staff!! � �

We had a disastrous holiday on San Suzanne 12 years ago... Through not paying attention to the guided cruise but 6 years we booked San Pedro and quite simply haven't looked back! Over Easter we took out the beast that is Acapulco and took our friend who has never been on a boat. She turned out to be a very competent captain! The yard staff were as brilliant as always and added to the adventure when all us big craft were stuck the wrong side of a very high water at Ludham Bridge! Cue a hilarious rescue that took BUNDLE! to a whole new level!

We've booked San Elena for next year, hoping for better weather in May! And our friend is coming too - she's a total boating convert!

We had a brilliant week on the San Elena, not been on the Broads for many years but it was great to be back. A lovely clean comfy boat and the staff were friendly and helpful, that makes a difference to the start of a holiday in itself. We had a minor problem on the boat but it was soon put right by a very pleasant young man.

Next year's holiday is already booked on the Majestic Gem and we're looking to book for 2020 as well. Well done Richardsons boatyard. ���

This is the first time we hired a day boat from Richardson's Boating. We couldn't fault them and if you are thinking of hiring a boat on the Broads, don't look anywhere else....Richardson's has it all. The staff were friendly and couldn't have been more helpful (during the booking and on the day). Our boat was fantastic - the perfect size for 4 adults and 2 pugs....and very comfortable as well � We have hired boats many times on the Norfolk Broads but decided to try somewhere new. We are so glad we did and we will definetly be booking our next boat here � Ali

My family and I have just got back from a 3 night trip on the San Francisco 2 and have had the best time, our handover was with Andy, didn't get his last name unfortunately (shame�) but I would like to make sure that he gets a personal thank you as he was great and had a laugh with us. The boat was an older boat but everything worked fine and it did the job! We are already looking at dates ready for next year.

Positives; clean and tidy, beds were comfy, we had amazing weather but obviously that is just luck, great friendly staff.

Negatives; no negatives for the company, the only downside that we found was that it is really difficult to find somewhere to moor when you get to the pubs so you can end up missing out a lot, people seem to go there early and stay the night. Don't get cut short, take food and drinks incase you get stuck somewhere. Oh and I couldn't use my hair straighteners!!! ���

Me and three friends rented the San Pedro for 4 nights, it was our first ever boating experience so we picked a small cheap boat but it was great for what we needed it for (a bit of fishing and a booze cruise lol), Wroxham was a fantastic little village with really friendly people, we all definitely want to do it again and explore more of the Broads but maybe next time pick a slightly better boat, I’d recommend anyone to experience a boating holiday with Richardson’s, the staff was more than helpful and really friendly also

Just returned from a week on Commander 3 and due to return on Commander 1 in September. These are lovely boats although living and cooking area would be cramped if had maximum occupancy. There was only 2 of this time though. Boat clean and handover efficient. Staff very friendly and helpful. This was our 4 th time with Richardson's and I personally would recommend them. Agree with some other comments re being hard to find prime moorings but this isn't Richardson's fault just down to popularity of broads. My advice is to moor up early. I can thoroughly recommend visits to Stokesby (especially the tea room and store) and Ranworth staithe. Had really good holiday

Just had an excellent week on San Marino 2. Boat is dated, but the price reflects this (you had to hand pump the toilet!) but was clean and well kitted out. Engine was in the middle of the boat and quite noisy - the dog didn't like it! Our handover was excellent, learnt how to tie a knot too! We had to call an engineer out twice owing to a dripping prop shaft and on both occasions they came out really quickly and were super helpful and friendly. As for the Broads, I don't think you can get a better, more relaxing and peaceful holiday and if the weather is good you're laughing! We had such a good time that when we went to hand the boat back we asked if we could have a look around some of the other boats in the yard and again the staff were so friendly and helpful in allowing us to do that - we found a boat we really liked (a bit more modern, flush toilet and with the engine at the back this time) and booked again for next year. Well done Richardsons, thank you and all your staff for contributing to our fab holiday!

Just had a week on Dream Gem, it was our first time on the broads so we went for a cheaper boat in case we didn't enjoy it and save some money. I now wish we had gone for a better class of boat as the Classic range are looking a bit tired. Regardless of the boat looking a bit tired we had an excellent week, the weather did help!



I found all of the staff at the marina to be extremely professional and helpful, nothing seemed to be too much trouble for them. The hand over and trial run on the boat was really good, particularly as I hadn't piloted a boat on the broads previously.



I really can't recommend Richardson's highly enough, and will be booking another holiday next year, this is the first time in my 55 years that I will be booking to go back to the same place the following year.



Thanks for a great holiday.

Just come back from a week on San Elena and wow what a week. All the staff were lovely, professional and very helpful. A special mention goes to Chris who did our training session, he was very helpful and made sure we had everything we needed for our week. The maintenance team also deserve a mention as they were prompt and sorted out our little problem very quickly. The boat was clean and tidy and we all thoroughly enjoyed it. It was my children's first boating holiday and they are missing it already as are the rest of us. We have already booked to come back next May this time for 10 nights.

I highly recommend Richardson's to anyone.

Friendly staff & boat was lovely. As first timers we did the early bird offer (3 hours for price of 2) it was fab, the water was so quiet for the first 2 hours, there was no one else around & perfect timing to head straight for lunch on the waterfront afterwards. Free on site parking was also an added bonus, the whole experience was straightforward & stress free! Will definitely hire another boat with Richardson’s in the future �

Came back on the broads after not being there for over 40 plus years . I had told my wife how lovely it was so both keen to come . Booked a classic boat San Remo but after reading few reviews was a little apprehensive . we arrived around 1pm and told by staff boat not ready until 3pm but we went and got life jacket and spent little time after a cuppa looking at boats in marina. The boat was ready little early than time stated so soon underway with the instruction of the boat . all staff there friendly and polite, San remo is an older craft hence the price but is worth the price all we wanted in a boat . the front room was a little tight so we used spare bed room which was fine but condensation dripped on bed in a morning but no great issue . WiFi didn't work which for me was a plus no contact with out side world. Both of us have fallen in love again with the Broads. Some say Richardsons are loosing its friendly touch . So as for the older boats and staff , will we Return ? Most defo and booked 2019 holiday before we left the Marina. We stayed in the Marina the night before we needed to hand boat back and found no issues .. Here is to many Years of Boating with you ..

As its the first time in over 10 years i took a trial run. Brilliant tutoring by Neil and Broadland Wave 2 was clean and supurb for two. Everything worked, although did not try TV as never used it. Handled super and easy to drive, however a bit high at back for on and off as Wife has some mobility issues. This was not Richardsons fault but ours for not looking properly however we managed with a folding step. We will be returning in September on another boat which we have been shown as suitable for my wife. Brill all round no complaints at all. ��

Been with the company a few times now, we will definitely consider looking elsewhere next time. Despite being at the boat yard for 2 o’clock it was 5 o’clock by the time we could leave. having a little one with us and having to stand around for ages was far from ideal, it made the start of our break quite stressful. Also, the guy that did our trial run was useless, by the time he finished I felt like I’d never been on a boat before.

We had booked a 4 night break on Swan Regal, despite the nice boat and the friendly and professional staff, this turned into the trip from hell, and we returned the boat early!



The handover went almost smoothly until the bow thruster stopped working just before we were about to set off, so we waited an hour or two for the engineer to fix the problem, but without success, so we (first timers) had to manage without this function. That evening we moored and tried to turn the heating on (it was freezing) – nothing, we checked everything, the engine had been running for ages, but nothing. Luckily my partner asked for extra blankets, otherwise it would have been too cold with 2 children. The next morning we called the office and they sent an engineer, who came an hour later, then another vehicle turned up and they tried to fix the heating and the bow thruster, so the morning was wasted. They managed to fix the heating (so they said), but not the bow thruster and by lunchtime we were finally on our way again (at that point we did indicate that some kind of discount would be appropriate). That evening the heating worked, but in the morning it was freezing again, we turned the engine on in case the batteries were low, but there was no heating and no TV or microwave lights… again, the lady in the office offered to send an engineer again… but truth be told, we had enough and decided to return the boat early not wanting to spend another day huddled up in bankets trying to keep warm. By the time we got back we had run the boat for more than 3 hours and still there was no TV or microwave light and no heating, but guess what, when the person who took the boat off us turned the engine on it made piep, piep and there was electricity!!! Nevertheless, I am quite sure that there was something wrong the the battery, and if that was the case I think they should have refunded us, but we never found out – instead my partner was fobbed off with an offer of a day boat, then some cash and was asked to sign a form to confirm that this is the end of the matter. I did write an e-mail to follow the matter up, but had no reply. Quite rude in my opinion, and not what I would have expected from a company with so many good reviews.

Had a corsica 2, for 5 middle aged blokes, maybe we got a bad one (as an all male crew) but showers would not drain in either shower, we had to mop out every time. one shower drain simply did not work from day one, and toilets would keep back filling with unpleasant water. one of the bunk beds is not much more than a prison cell, and barely any room to get out of bed, without banging into the door.



number of electrical outlets (one) was pathetic, if they can fit a tv and wifi they surely can fit extra outlets, it made charging phones almost impossible.



when we raised our concerns after the hire finished at reception, we were told we should have upgraded !! (over £900.00 for 3 days hire is not a small amount) receptionist was not interested and couldn't care less, this was the third time i have used Richardsons and probably the last. shame