Private Hire Frequently Asked Questions

We have two boats. Long Tom is fitted out for day trips and Angel II is a more traditionally-styled narrowboat with a full galley (kitchen) and sleeping accommodation but also works for day trips. We only run residential trips for community groups on Angel II. They are only available with one of our skippers (no self drive).

Each of our boats is strictly limited to a maximum of 12 passengers.

If you need more than this then we would be happy to recommend other providers of trips on the Regent’s Canal or you could consider hiring both boats; please let us know how many passengers you have in mind.

We normally book our boats in time slots of 10.00 -13.00, 14.00 – 17.00, 10.00 – 17.00 and 18.00 – 21.00. We can do shorter trips but would have to bill you for the full three hours (or seven if you opt for 10.00 -17.00). Indicative pricing for private and corporate boat hire is listed at our private hire page.

You can check the current availability, and make a booking, for either of our boats from the links under Make a booking on this page.

Following receipt of your booking request we will send you a quote for your trip. If you accept this you will need to pay a deposit of £100. The balance is due one month before your trip commences, or immediately if your trip is less than one month away.

Our boats are only available with one of our skippers (no self drive). We do not provide a scheduled service for which you can book tickets. If you want tickets on a scheduled trip then our partner charity, the London Canal Museum (LCM), does offer these on selected days of the week. For details of LCM trips, dates, availability and prices please see their website at https://canalmuseum.org.uk/visit/boat-trips.htm.

Trips usually start and end on the towpath just above City Road lock (near Danbury Street, London N1).

We can start or end the trip at other points but the time for travel from City Road lock to the start point, and/or travel from the end point to City Road lock would need to be included in your booked slot.

Our typical three hour trip heads west from City Road lock, going through the Islington tunnel and St Pancras lock up to Camden and return. We normally turn around above Kentish Town lock. On a full day trip you can get to Little Venice, or Victoria Park, and back again to City Road lock.

Trips start and end on the towpath just above City Road lock, unless otherwise agreed in writing. The nearest road access is from the canal bridge on Danbury Street N1. For full details and a map see the find us page.

Indicative pricing for private and corporate boat hire is listed at our private hire page. To obtain a definitive quote please make a booking request using the links under Make a booking on this page.

You may bring food and drink, including alcohol, on board. Both boats have a fridge, and Angel II has a gas cooker/oven. If you bring alcohol we do require that those members of your party who drink do so responsibly. This is for the safety of everyone on the boat and also other canal users.

The skipper will terminate the hire if he considers anyone’s safety is at risk.

Smoking and vaping are not allowed on either boat. For those who need to, there may be an opportunity to do so on land when passing through a lock.

The front deck is open and accessible from the passenger cabin. It seats six people comfortably.

You may join the skipper on the rear deck, but this is only comfortable for two passengers at a time due to space constraints.

The front “window” and the two “windows” immediately adjacent to it are made of vinyl and these can be rolled up to open up the front. This can be a little fiddly so it’s best to ask your skipper to do this before you depart. The remaining windows in the passenger cabin are glass and slide open.

People with varying levels of mobility regularly make use of our boats. However, it is important to appreciate that because the boats were designed along traditional canal narrowboat lines, people with mobility issues may find getting on and off the boat awkward or difficult. There is always a gap between the boat and the bank, and the boat deck is likely to be at a different height than the bank.

On Long Tom there are three steep (30 cm/1 ft) steps from the deck to the cabin and they turn corners as you ascend/descend.

On Angel II you have to step over the side of the boat on to a bench and from there on to the deck.

Note that we reserve the right to refuse access to the boat should the skipper be concerned about safe access.

Assistance dogs are always welcome.

We also allow one small to medium sized, well-behaved dog on board, as long as everyone in the party is happy with that. The dog is expected to remain within the cabin for the trip.

The owner may have to carry the dog on and off the boat, as access to our boats requires negotiating the gap between boat and bank, and some fairly steep steps.

Full terms and conditions for boat hire are available at our terms and conditions page.