“First off ui think the boat harmony2 was bit to expensive ,rear toilet smelly even though engineer put aload of blue stuff toilet cleaner i believe, didn't really solve the issue ,so rear accommodation was a bit a uncomfortable, we left Wroxham boat yard and opened sliding roof and it came off its runners and got stuck,so had to return to boat yard to get fixed ,so not a good start, so for price ,go for a newer boat or Broom”
“Boat was very tired looking.
Beds were uncomfortable
Cut our holiday short because my back hurt because of beds.
Not luxurious for the price.
Dissapointed”
Dear Louise
We’re sorry to hear that the boat did not meet your expectations and that discomfort from the beds led you to cut your holiday short.
This is one of the older boats in our No Frills range, which is intended to offer a more traditional and affordable boating experience rather than a luxury one. However, it should still provide a comfortable and enjoyable holiday, and we’re disappointed that this was not your experience.
We appreciate you sharing your feedback and will pass your comments about the beds and the general presentation of the boat to our team for review.
Yours Sincerely
The Team at Barnes Brinkcraft
“Paid the full amount, received confirmation paid but no receipt , no confirmation of boat, no info regarding pickup drop off , provisioning , insurance or anything else.
Not very helpful.”
Dear Jerry
Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We’re very sorry that, after paying in full, you were left without the information and reassurance you expected.
We normally send holiday information in stages as the arrival date approaches, including details about your boat, arrival and departure, provisioning, insurance and what to expect on the day. There is also further guidance on our website, but we appreciate that this should have been made much clearer following your booking.
We are reviewing the information sent at this stage of the booking process and will make sure you receive everything you need well before your holiday. Please contact us directly if you have any immediate questions and our team will be very happy to help.
Yours Sincerely
The Team at Barnes Brinkcraft
“Problems with first one boat not steering properly then replacement not having any gas, wasted 2 hours of our day. Unfortunately not the worst part. Went to reception to discuss only to be told there was nothing wrong with the first boat m, implying it was it us. Unfortunately for the chap telling me this the lads at the boats had already said an engineered had come and added oil as they found it didn't steer when they tested it, his attitude was argumentative from the outset and basically was implying is staff were lying. Won't be using you again I'm afraid”
Thank you for your feedback. We’re sorry that the start of your hire was disrupted and that you were left unhappy with the way your concerns were handled.
When the first boat was checked, our team was unable to identify an ongoing steering fault. However, we completely understand that if the boat did not feel right to you, particularly at the start of your hire, you would not have felt comfortable continuing with it. We therefore arranged a replacement boat.
We also apologise that the replacement did not initially have gas available. This should have been checked before the boat was handed over and caused further unnecessary delay.
We offered to refund the two hours of hire time that were lost, but we appreciate that this does not undo the frustration or improve the way the conversation at reception made you feel. Regardless of the outcome of our checks, your concern should have been listened to and explained calmly, rather than leaving you feeling that your account was being dismissed.
We are sorry that this experience has led you to decide not to return.
“This was the worst boating holiday we've had in over 20 years of visiting the Broads. Having used Barnes Brinkcraft several times, along with other boatyards, the initial arrival service was frosty to say the least. Having been promised things when booking, only to be told that never happened, we were also on a boat that, in any first-timer's hands, would have been seriously dangerous. The steering was seriously unresponsive, and the throttle was very sticky with no possibility of gentle acceleration or slowing down. Not an enjoyable boat to drive. The rev counter only worked when the 24V alternator was working, the rest of the time, you had no rev counter, making fuel efficiency very difficult. The revs would sometimes increase or decrease on their own. The weed filter had to be cleared after just 3 days, and it had to be done by one of their engineers because it was situated under the bed. This would give the impression that the boat was not properly checked over between renters. The cooking facilities were woeful, a microwave combi with no instructions, even the engineer could not tell us how it worked. The internal door between the bedroom and living area did not shut properly, and the latch on the toilet door did not work. The only saving grace of the boat (Sonnet 1) was the excellent battery life. The reception staff weren't really prepared to hear how much all this spoiled our holiday, but were very quick to charge us a little more for diesel. All very disappointing. Barnes Brinkcraft have always, in the past, been excellent, but on this occasion you have let yourselves down with a very shoddy boat and poor service to match, and not so much as an apology.”
Dear Anthony,
Thank you for taking the time to leave such detailed feedback. We’re genuinely sorry to read that this was your experience, particularly as you’ve holidayed with us before and previously found Barnes Brinkcraft to be excellent.
This is clearly not the standard of boat or service we aim to provide, and we’re very sorry that your holiday was spoiled. The points you’ve raised about Sonnet 1 — including the steering, throttle, rev counter, cooking facilities, doors and toilet latch — are all being taken seriously and will be reviewed with our maintenance team. We’ll also be looking into the arrival and reception experience, as you should have felt listened to and properly supported when raising concerns.
We appreciate that an apology after the event does not undo the disappointment, but we are sorry that we let you down on this occasion. Thank you again for bringing these issues to our attention, and we will use your feedback to address where things clearly needed to be better.
Sincerely
The Team at Barnes Brinkcraft
“To book a boat and then to be told last minute when we arrived that it had broken down was extremely disappointing. Yes you gave a full refund which was to be expected.
You could have contacted us beforehand as you obviously knew it had broken down before our arrival time of 9.30am. We won't be booking through you again.”
We’re very sorry for the disappointment caused on the day of your booking.
Unfortunately, despite our engineers working on the boat prior to your arrival, it became clear that the issue could not be resolved safely in time for your hire. We completely understand how frustrating this was, particularly when you had made plans for the day.
We genuinely believed earlier that morning that the problem could be fixed and the boat made ready for you, which is why we had not cancelled in advance. In hindsight, we appreciate that better communication would have helped manage expectations, and we are sorry for the inconvenience caused.
While breakdowns are thankfully rare, boats are mechanical and unexpected faults can occasionally occur despite regular maintenance. We did, of course, issue a full refund immediately, but we appreciate this did not make up for the disappointment to your day.
Thank you for your feedback.
“I rented a boat from this company for what was supposed to be a relaxing 4-hour trip, but the customer service completely ruined the experience.
To start, they gave us the boat an hour late, sitting around wasting our day before we could even get on the water. Because of their delay, our actual boating time was cut short, yet they still charged us the full price for 4 hours.
Trying to get a partial refund for the hour they stole from us has been an absolute nightmare. Their customer service is incredibly rude, unhelpful, and completely evasive. They are more than happy to take your money for 4 hours, but good luck getting any of it back when they fail to deliver on their end.”
We’re sorry to hear that your experience did not meet expectations.
Unfortunately, on the day of your booking, the return of the previous boat was delayed by another customer, which had a knock-on effect on later departures. We completely understand that this was frustrating and disappointing, particularly when you had planned a relaxing afternoon on the water.
Our team did everything possible to minimise the delay, however we were unable to extend the hire later into the evening due to operational and staffing limitations at the end of a very busy day.
We did provide details of how to contact management regarding compensation, as our front-of-house team are not authorised to process refunds directly.
While we appreciate this impacted your trip, we do feel it’s important to recognise that the delay was caused by circumstances outside the control of the staff you dealt with on the day, who were working hard in difficult conditions to assist all customers safely and fairly.
We are genuinely sorry your experience fell short and appreciate your feedback.
“We booked a boat and we could not see out of the perspex as was scratched you had to stand to see clearly which was not adequate. When we got back we complained to the manager and the manager was very rude and sarcastic and said well you've been out half the day and it's like if you ordered a meal and something was wrong with the food you're asking once you've ate it for a refund. I said this is different we booked in faith and if we had returned back we would of cut into our time and they probably still wouldn't of given us a refund. As soon as we got back and I expect to the manager he was like well I can see out of it I can see perfectly and I'm shorter than you he wouldn't have it it was rude and stated I'm not giving you a refund wouldn't give me a word in each way was very cocky and arrogant he said you can speak to my brother if you like but you'll get the same I'm not giving you a refund all I was asking for was a partial refund because of the perspex was scratched and smeary you couldn't see out of it you had to sit on the raised seat uncomfortable on the bar to see properly I would suggest anybody that wants to hire a boat with barns brink craft to request to see the boat before they hand it over to you make sure that you can see out of the perspects or glass before you take the boat out so you can have a good day out and see where you're going. Don't let them bully you make sure the boat is right for you and that you can see out via the glass or perspex if you can't see out ask to see another boat and if you're happy with that boat and you can see out then all well and good don't let them bully you in having a boat that is inadequate. Better still stay clear from barns brink crafts boats as there is other boats in the area that our better than this business and much more politer staff and not just to take your money.”
Dear Anonymous
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback regarding your recent boat hire with Barns Brink Craft.
We are sorry to hear that your experience did not meet your expectations. However, having reviewed the circumstances of your visit, we are unable to offer a refund on this occasion.
When you collected the vessel, you had the opportunity to inspect it before setting out. As the boat was accepted and used for the duration of your hire, we consider the service to have been delivered. Had there been a concern with the condition of the boat at the outset, we would have welcomed the opportunity to address it at that time — including offering an alternative vessel, as others were available on the day.
Our team takes pride in the condition and maintenance of our fleet, and the boat in question meets our standards for hire. We understand you may disagree with this assessment, and we are sorry that the conversation with our manager felt unsatisfactory. We always aim to handle feedback respectfully, and we will take your comments on board regarding how complaints are handled.
We genuinely hope you enjoyed your time out on the water, and we wish you all the best.
Kind regards,
Sara
Barnes Brinkcraft
“We have raised concerns with the main office the day after hire regarding your electra 1 vessel breaking down and heard nothing back
We had two young kids on board who got a bit hysterical when boat broke down and we started to drift crashing into river bank until a kind couple towed us back
On top of your vessel breaking down the ropes on your boat were not long enough to moor at our how hill destination, very disappointing”
“Reception very friendly & communicative. The teaching of how to act on and around the boat was very informative.
The boat however was extremely dated. (If we had known how dated we would have picked a newer boat)
A little grubby, we had taken our own cleaning bits just in case which came in handy. Very cold due to the very large holes around the middle of the boat where it goes back & forward. We had to stuff it with blankets & towels to try and keep out the cold.
The mattresses were not really mattresses more like what you would have on garden furniture. Very uncomfortable. Not much sleep had.
When we left we were waiting in the car whilst one of our party used the restroom.
The cleaners entered and were in there for around 10-15 minutes. There’s no way a thorough clean was done to a 6 bedroom 2 bathroom boat in that time.
The kitchen window would not shut properly so we had to wedge it with a knife.
We enjoyed the broads and the concept of it. Would definitely go for a much newer boat if we went again.
Not sure though with Barnes Brinkcraft due to the hasty clean.”
Hi Andrew
Thank you for taking the time to leave such detailed feedback – it’s genuinely appreciated, and I’m really pleased to hear you enjoyed the Broads themselves and found the team friendly and helpful during your arrival.
I’m sorry that Brinks Emperor didn’t meet your expectations. You’re absolutely right that she is one of the older boats in our fleet, and part of our “no frills” range. These boats are priced to offer a more affordable way to get out on the water, but they do have a more traditional, well-used feel compared to our newer models. That said, they should still be clean, comfortable, and fully functional, so I’m sorry to hear where that wasn’t your experience.
The points you’ve raised about the mattresses, window, and draughts are particularly helpful and will be followed up with our maintenance team – those aren’t things we’d want guests to be dealing with during their holiday.
I’d also like to reassure you regarding the cleaning. What you saw was our linen team going on board to remove used bedding – the full clean is carried out separately by our housekeeping team and takes considerably longer. I completely understand how that may have looked from the outside, though, and we’ll take that on board in how we manage changeovers more visibly.
It’s good to hear you’d consider returning to the Broads, and if you did choose to holiday with us again, I’d strongly recommend one of our newer or higher-grade boats. They offer a very different level of comfort, particularly in terms of warmth, fixtures, and sleeping arrangements.
Thank you again for your feedback – it helps us improve, and I’m sorry this particular trip didn’t live up to expectations.
Best wishes,
Sara Thwaites
“We didn't have a proper induction and had to call as no gas when using hob.
The boat had a toilet on but no paper provisded, nor were there matches to light the hob or tea towels to dry the pots.
We had to waste 1hr of our 8hr trip moored up waiting for someone to come by road to get the gas working. They also brought other things that were missed from the boat too.
The boat wasn't well looked after and parts broken/missing.
Boat load and steering awful.
Not a great experience when you thing how much we spent on it.”
Hi Mr Winterburn
Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback – I’m really sorry to read that your day didn’t live up to expectations.
First and foremost, you’re absolutely right that the boat should have had gas available and been properly checked before you set off. The delay you experienced is not the standard we aim for, and I completely understand how frustrating it must have been to lose part of your day on the water.
To give a bit of context (not an excuse, just transparency), we had just opened the site for the season and our usual day boat manager is currently off on long-term sick leave. A new team member stepped up at short notice and, with a sudden burst of good weather and far more bookings than expected, things didn’t run as smoothly as they should have. We’ve already reviewed what happened to make sure this doesn’t repeat.
Just to clarify for future customers reading this, we don’t advertise that we provide items like tea towels, crockery or cutlery on our day boats – but the essentials, like gas and a properly prepared boat, should absolutely have been in place.
What matters most here is that your experience fell short, and we’d really like the opportunity to put that right. Please do get in touch with me directly at sara@barnesbrinkcraft.com, and I’ll personally make sure we sort out an appropriate gesture of goodwill.
Thanks again for your feedback – it’s genuinely appreciated and helps us improve.
“Your staff are very well adept to ignore the paying client. To be told at 1300hrs that the boat will be ready in one hour. HA. 1600 HRS eventually. We were openly put in our place. "The elite boats" get the service. Perhaps other boatyards have the edge on you. Well they do in my experience over 40 years. Thanks for a dismal start to our experience. Couldn't think of a more unresponsive occasion to be ignored and clearance of your busy period. Perhaps some common sense could be applied. However I doubt that your owners are even bothered. First and last choice of Brinks. Good luck in the future. I do not wish any ill to any company. You reap what you sow.”
Hi Alan
I am sorry you felt ignored. Unlike some boatyards, we do not clean the elite fleet boats first, but clean the boats as and when they come back to the yard.
We also try to communicate very clearly that boats will become available between 2 and 4 pm. Given that the staff have a 1/2 hour break at 1 pm we should not have promised that the boat would be available at 2. but we will use this review as an opportunity to learn and improve our customer service
All the best,
The Barnes Brinkcraft Team
“The boat we had leaked water and was very cold draughts all through the boat had loads of problems they fixed most of them but they couldn't fix the rain water or all the draughts”
Dear Michael
So sorry to hear your boat wasn’t as warm and watertight as it should have been. We’re glad most issues were resolved during your stay, but we’ll review this carefully to make sure it doesn’t happen again.
All the best,
The Barnes Brinkcraft Team
Hi John - Thank you for your feedback. We’re sorry to hear you felt misled. We do double-check our pricing, but the cost of a holiday can vary quite a lot depending on the length of stay, the boat chosen, and the time of year. That’s why some holidays can be closer to £850 and others nearer £2,000.
We always aim to make our pricing as clear as possible and we’ll review the information on our website again to make sure it reflects this. Thank you for bringing it to our attention, and we hope you might consider us again in the future.
