Before Booking
Three nights is the minimum hire period.
The boats are always available from April to October. It may be possible to make them available outside these dates by arrangement.
No, you do not need a licence to hire one of our boats. You will be given detailed instruction on how to drive and navigate at handover. All our boats have bow thrusters that provide sideways thrust so they are pretty easy to get in and out of harbours. After that it is just steer and forward and reverse gears.
Pets can be allowed in some instances. This is by prior arrangement and will incur an extra cleaning fee in some cases.
Yes, you can bring your own bikes with you. You will need to bring some straps and it is advisable to also bring locks.
If someone has a mobility issue, it may be too difficult to board, disembark or to move freely around the boat. Please contact us and we can talk through your situation.
Yes, usually this can be a great holiday for young children. We provide lifejackets that they should always wear when on deck just in case.
The minimum age for hiring from us is 21.
Permits are not required on the River Shannon but any rivers off it do require a permit, which can be obtained via inland Fisheries Ireland (click here for details). We do not hire or sell equipment so bring your own or visit www.tjsangling.com.
Costs
Prices depend on the size of boat and on the time of year. The price ranges from €700 for three nights off peak season to €1600 per week on the 37 ft boat in peak season.
A booking deposit of €300 is all that is needed to secure the booking. Full payment is due 2 weeks before the booked date.
Diesel is not included. The boat will be full when you pick it up and you need to bring it back full. There is a convenient 24hr fuel station beside our hire base in Killaloe.
No, there is no charge for staying at public harbours. There are charges for plugging into shore power or use of facilities where these are available. Payment is via a smart card available locally.
Yes, there is a charge on some lock and bridge passes. It is a small fee of around €2.50 usually and can be paid from the smart card.
We require a damage deposit of €750. If the boat is badly damaged, then this will not be refunded. If there is minor damage, some of the deposit may be returned.
Collection and Return
Lough Derg Cruisers are based in Killaloe, Co. Clare at the Southern end of the Shannon navigation, with direct access to Lough Derg and North up the Shannon.
Boats must be hired from and returned to our base in Killaloe. In exceptional circumstances we may be able to accommodate an alternative but additional fees would apply.
The boat can normally be picked up at 4pm on the day of departure and must be returned by 11am on the day of return. Depending on availability, we may may be able to organise pick up or return at different times. Call us to check.
Yes, you will be able to park your car at our base within our gated car parking area.
Cruising
It can be tricky at times coming into a harbour if there are windy conditions but all of our cruisers have bow thrusters and extra external driving positions and that makes it much easier. You will only leave our base once you have the confidence to do it after our instructions.
Stay in one of the many public marinas on Lough Derg and up the River Shannon. See all the information on our marinas page and make your plan.
Yes, we provide 150N inflatable lifejackets for all adults on board which are more comfortable than foam ones. For children, we provide size specific lifejackets.
If something goes wrong with the boat, call us and we will do our best to help as soon as we can. If there is an emergency, call 999 or 112 and ask for the Coast Guard. There are Coast Guard and RNLI stations on Lough Derg.
There is a full galley on board with gas cooker including oven, sink with hot water and a fridge. We have Nespresso coffee machines on all our boats (only work when plugged into shore power). There are no washing machines or hair dryers. There are washing machines at many marinas and you can bring a hair dryer that can be used when plugged into shore power. All our boats have two paddle boards on board.
Yes, all our boats have two showers on board. The water is heated when the engine is running. There are also shower facilities at many of the public harbours.
Yes, all our boats have diesel heaters on board.
Clothes for all seasons! All bed linen and towels are provided. The galley is well equipped.
Several marinas on the Lake and River have diesel. See our marinas page for locations. You can do a final fill up just opposite our base on your return.