Holiday Terms & Conditions
All Inclusive Holiday Terms & Conditions – updated October 2025
1. Your ‘Lead Hirer’ Contract
Your contract is with Herbert Woods LLP (referred to throughout as “HW”). The following sections form the terms & conditions by which, both you the lead hirer, ALL party members, and HW will abide by. You will assume responsibility for all guests who make up the party and ensure compliance by all members. The contract is deemed to take effect once HW or one of our third-party booking agents have issued confirmation of booking via post or email. The contract is made in England and is governed in all aspects by English Law.
2. Booking Conditions
HW do not accept lone sailors and there must be a minimum of two adults over the age of 18 to hire a boat. HW at its discretion, may, consider a competent and experienced sailor under 18 but this will be after consulting with insurers and must be discussed with the office before booking. The lead booker MUST be over the age of 18 in all cases. At any time, HW may refuse to accept a booking at its discretion and reasons for this may not be disclosed to you.
3. Payments
All holidays, including any extra charges such as pets and parking must be paid for, in full, 56 days prior to the start of your holiday. A 25% deposit will be required at the time of booking unless your holiday date is within the next 8 weeks. Failure to pay in full by the due date may result in your holiday being cancelled and charges being applied in line with our cancellation policy (see section 7).
We no longer accept cheques apart from in exceptional circumstances and we reserve the right to charge an administration fee of £25 to cover bank charges.
Partial instalments towards your holiday can be made at any time using the online ‘My Booking Portal’, or via transfer from your banking app. Please ensure you quote your 5-digit booking reference and use the following bank details –
Herbert Woods LLP
Sort Code 40-20-85
Account 70011487
IBAN GB04HBUK40208570011487
Travel documents will not be released until full payment has been received by HW.
4. Insurance
Herbert Woods does not provide travel or cancellation insurance; we strongly recommend that you have your own travel insurance to protect against any unforeseen event that would require you to cancel your holiday. Holidays are only refunded in line with the cancellation fees and timings in section 7, regardless of reason.
Please also ensure that your vehicle insurance is adequate for holiday parking, as HW shall not be liable for any damage, theft, or loss to vehicles and their contents. You may also be subject to a fine for not parking in the car park as indicated by our office staff. By parking on our property, you acknowledge and accept these terms.
5. Damage Waiver & Fuel
The price of your holiday includes a non-refundable damage waiver, which covers accidental damage to the boat or it’s equipment. This waiver does not cover damage or loss caused by negligence or by failing to comply with the rules of being on the water. Please review carefully the items and charges listed under Lead Hirer Obligations in Section 10.
Your boat will depart the marina with a full tank of fuel, included in your holiday price. No refund will be given for any remaining fuel upon your return. If you choose to add additional fuel during your holiday, these costs will not be reimbursed.
We kindly request that you use GTL fuel wherever possible to support our commitment to carbon emission goals.
6. Damage, Misuse and Cleaning
By confirming your booking, you agree that you are responsible for the safe and proper use of the boat and all its equipment during your hire period. In the event that the boat, its fittings, or its equipment are returned damaged, or where damage or loss has occurred as a result of misuse, negligence, or failure to comply with the operating instructions, Herbert Woods reserves the right to charge the payment card used to make the booking for the cost of repair or replacement.
A minimum charge of £200 will be applied in such circumstances. Where the cost of repair or replacement exceeds this amount, a full itemised breakdown of the charges will be sent to the lead hirer, and the balance will be charged to the same payment card.
If, upon return, the vessel is found to require an excessive level of cleaning beyond the normal turnaround process, a cleaning charge of £100 will be applied to the payment card on file.
If the payment card used to secure the booking has expired or become invalid at the time of check-in, you may be required to provide updated card details or pay a refundable damage deposit before the start of your hire.
Card details are stored securely through our PCI-compliant payment provider using tokenisation. No full card information is held by Herbert Woods. Charges will only be made where necessary to recover genuine costs arising from damage, misuse, or excessive cleaning.
7. Alterations & Cancellations by Lead Hirer
If you wish to change your booking after it has been confirmed, HW will do its best to accommodate your wishes. However, HW have no obligation to make any change other than to make an adjustment to the party names. Changes to holiday party names are to be communicated in writing by the Lead Hirer.
Other *changes to the booking may be possible but will incur a £50 admin fee which is payable at the time of amendment.
Alterations to holiday date or cruiser may be possible dependant on availability and will be allowed once per booking. A change of date must be within the next 12 months. If the change requires an upward charge, payment will be required in full, along with the £50 admin fee.
Refunds associated with transfers to a lower priced boat or date will be at the discretion of HW.
Please note that major changes may be treated by HW as a cancellation by you and will be subject to charges detailed below.
*Changes – adding pets, dinghies, changing bedding specifics or adding a microwave will not incur an admin fee.
If you are forced to cancel your holiday you must notify HW as soon as possible via email. Refunds will be processed in line with the table below and will be processed within 14 days. Refunds will be made via the same method as most recent payment. You must therefore advise HW if you believe a card has since expired or if the account or card is out of use due to probate or similar. These cancellation terms do not affect your statutory rights.
Cancellation Charges
56 Days or more – Loss of full deposit
29 to 55 Days – 50% of total booking price
15 to 28 Days – 75% of total booking price
1 to 14 Days – 100% of total booking price
8. Alterations & Cancellations by HW
HW will not cancel your holiday within 56 days of your departure unless it is for reasons beyond our control, or if full payment has not been received.
If HW cancels for reasons other than non-payment, they will inform you as soon as reasonably possible and you will be offered either:
(a) A holiday of comparable standard (if available) together with a full refund of any price difference; or
(b) A full refund of any monies you have paid.
HW may at its absolute discretion refuse to hand over a boat where, in the opinion of HW a person or group is likely to cause damage, or distress to the boat, other persons or property. In such an event, HW will be under no obligation to refund, compensate, or indemnify you.
We reserve the right to terminate a holiday at any time if in our reasonable opinion you or any member of your party is unsuitable to remain in charge. Reasons for unsuitability include, but are not limited to, ill health, inexperience, suspected or actual influence of alcohol or drugs, or because of irresponsible behaviour which is causing or likely to cause danger to you or any other person(s) or damage to any property. In such an event, HW will be under no obligation to refund, compensate, or indemnify you.
In the unlikely event that your holiday is cancelled by HW and cannot be rescheduled due to a material change in our business operations (examples being, but not limited to, pandemic, war, terrorist activity, flooding), we will issue a statement of intentions to all Lead Hirers as soon as viable.
9. Start and Finish of Your Holiday
Unless otherwise communicated, the arrival and check out times for your holiday are as specified on your booking confirmation paperwork.
In the event of problems preparing the boat, the right is reserved to delay departure without compensation until a repair is complete. This is for your own safety and the enjoyment of your holiday. HW will endeavour to make any such waits as comfortable as possible and will prioritise those on short breaks.
10. Lead Hirer Obligations
Your obligations as lead hirer are as follows
· To inform HW if you are likely to arrive after 4pm due to traffic or other unforeseen factors, or as late as the following day, so we can make alternative arrangements for your handover.
· To advise us of any party members with limited mobility before booking so we can risk assess and provide information on the most suitable cruiser.
· To provide full attention and active participation during handover. By signing handover paperwork, you are agreeing that you are competent in the boats operation and functionality, are satisfied with the condition of the boat and the training that has been given.
· To not allow any person aged under 14 to control the boat or to allow additional passengers to board that are not listed on the manifest.
· To wear life jackets as instructed whilst moving around the outside of the boat.
· To adhere to all speed limits on the water and navigational instructions.
· To read the skipper manual thoroughly.
· To ensure pets do not cause damage to upholstery or create excessive mess on the vessel. Charges may apply.
· To return the boat and onboard equipment in a clean and tidy condition, and vacate by 9am on the day of departure.
· To not smoke or vape on the boat. Charges will apply in relation to any damage or odour.
· To carry out daily maintenance checks as instructed and report any maintenance issues as soon as discovered. Complaints regarding problems with the boat that have not been reported as soon as discovered, will not be responded to after the holiday has finished.
· To not put anything other than 2 ply toilet paper down the toilet. Wipes and sanitary products that claim to be flushable are not suitable for boat toilets and flushing them will cause a blockage which you may be charged for.
· To report accidents immediately to the boatyard, providing full details on all vessels involved and obtaining names and phone numbers of all witnesses. Upon return to the boatyard a full statement will be required.
· To report to HW at the end of your holiday any vessel damage, broken, lost or stolen items whether accidental or otherwise.
The following charges will be administered if required, and full recovery sought
Letting off fire extinguisher or life jacket without cause – £70
Putting wipes or sanitary products down toilet – £50
Evidence of Smoking or vaping on board – £250
Late return on day of departure – £150
Cleaning fee for unsatisfactory condition of boat, including pet damage – £150
11. HW Obligations
Our obligations to you are as follows
· Provide a fully tolled vessel with an up to date safety certificate. Please note – at the start of the season all boats are tolled but in some instances the display stickers will have not been received to display on the boat prior to your departure.
· To respond as quickly as possible to any issues reported to us. Our 24/7 on call engineer will assess the situation by phone, and if needed, arrange a visit the next day for non-urgent maintenance.
· To find an alternative vessel in the unfortunate event your boat can not continue your holiday. Please note – HW will not pay any compensation as a result of breakdown, malfunction, loss of time or enjoyment. Any choice to provide a refund of any kind will be at the discretion of Management.
12. Tracking Devices
Under the obligations of our Marine Insurance, all of our boats are fitted with a tracking device. The device allows the monitoring of speed, distance travelled and location of the vessel. The tracker also enables a faster response to Engineer call outs. By agreeing to these terms, you permit HW, our insurers, and the emergency services to access the tracker at any time as deemed necessary. Please be assured that HW respect your privacy at all times and access to the tracker is strictly prohibited by anyone other than authorised staff and only in management approved circumstances.
Tracking data is retained only for as long as reasonably necessary for insurance and operational purposes.
13. Boat Handover and Operation
On arrival the Lead Hirer (or other appropriate member of the hiring party) will be required to complete and sign a boat handover certificate; by signing this document, you are agreeing to accept the boat in its pre-holiday condition.
You are also agreeing to being competent to operate the boat and that you are satisfied the training offered has been clear and thorough, and functionality of the boat is as expected.
If for any reason you are unhappy with your boat on arrival you should notify HW immediately so that remedial action, if appropriate, can be taken. You should not sign the boat handover certificate until you are satisfied that the problem has been rectified. HW will not respond to issues regarding the boat on arrival, once you have left the marina.
14. Complaints and Concerns
If you wish to make a complaint, it is vital that you contact HW during your holiday. In the event that you find a problem with your boat or the service we provide, we ask that you bring this to our attention as soon as possible to give us the opportunity to investigate/rectify the problem and within the holiday period. Complaints must be made within 14 days of the end of your holiday. HW will not enter into communication regarding issues that have not been notified to HW during the holiday period unless there are exceptional circumstances. HW will have no liability in respect of any complaint made outside of the holiday period.
15. Broads Authority or Owners of Private Property
You are responsible for any charges made by the above in respect of loss of or damage to their property or anti-social behaviour caused by you while in charge of the boat. You are also responsible for mooring fees as advertised at each location and the payment directly for any services carried out by bridge pilots.
16. Navigational Restrictions and Byelaws
On no account may you;
· Tow or be towed by other cruisers unless with professional assistance authorised by HW.
· Cruise after dark (your vessel is not insured or equipped for this purpose).
· Permit your boat to be taken out to sea.
· Participate in racing of any kind.
· Pass under Wroxham or Potter Heigham Bridges without using the services of a bridge pilot which you must pay directly for.
It is imperative that you read through all the navigational guidelines within the Skipper Manual.
17. Hirers’ Equipment
You may not take and use onboard the boat any gas / electrical appliances e.g. portable heaters of any type; lighting equipment; hair straighteners; barbecues, or any items which may cause danger to the boat, its equipment or its occupants. HW will not be liable for loss or damage of such items. Please also be aware that in most mooring areas the use of barbecues is forbidden.
18. Injury or Damage to You or Your Property
HW is not liable for death, personal injury, or loss or damage to you or your property, or any property belonging to or in the possession of the Lead Hirer or any member of their party unless it is caused by HW’s negligence or wilful default.
19. Data Protection
A copy of our data protection compliance statement can be found on our website. HW acts as the data controller for the purposes of the UK GDPR.
20. Disputes
Any dispute, difference or question which may at any time arise out of the contract or the subject matter thereof will be between the Lead Hirer and HW and shall be governed by English law and you agree that any dispute will be dealt with exclusively by the courts of England and Wales.
21. SMS and Mobile Communication
To streamline your check-in process and keep you informed throughout your stay, we encourage you to provide us with your mobile phone number when booking a boat, cottage or day experience. This will allow us to communicate with you efficiently regarding important information about your rental.
We utilise your mobile phone number exclusively for sending text (SMS), or WhatsApp messages related to the readiness and service updates of your booking. We may also use this number to contact you for urgent matters throughout your holiday.
Your mobile number will not be used for any marketing, promotional, or advertisement communications from our side unless you have opted in to do so.
Should you have any queries regarding these Terms and Conditions, or require clarification on any of the information provided, please contact us by email at Enquiries@herbertwoods.co.uk. A member of our team will respond as soon as possible.