wwwbigrideaulakeboatrentals.com Reviews

Bent J 2024.07.04

     

Verified

Amazing trip and best place to rent a houseboat We just returned from a one-week vacation trip on Big Rideau Lake renting a houseboat from “Big Rideau Lake Houseboat Rental” and decided to write a review of our experience The booking process was speedy, easy and friendly and Heather provided a very comprehensive list of terms/conditions and what to bring. The houseboats are some of the best maintained and equipped we have ever rented, super comfortable mattresses. Rob did an excellent job explaining how everything worked from AC/Fridge/freezer/heater to navigation aids and is also on standby 24/7 for any questions and help. Cruising on the Rideau Canal offers so many hidden gems, shops, and restaurants plus some of the cleanest waters, great swimming and the best bass fishing. And the lock staff are so helpful, if you have never gone through a lock before, don’t worry. It was a very nice week on the water, very inexpensive and highly recommended for all age groups. We are back next year.

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Lise L 2023.09.23

     

Verified

Fabulous week on Colonel By houseboat Fantastic week on Colonel By houseboat. We traveled from Portland to Lower Brewer and back. The houseboat was clean, easy to navigate, efficient and perfectly equipped for a very comfortable stay. The scenery is breathtaking. We particularly enjoyed our over night stays at Newboro and Jones Falls. We strongly recommend Big Rideau Lake Houseboat Rentals for a superb boating experience. Thanks Heather and Rob for making sure everything is top notch for your guests! Lise and Mark

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Paula B 2023.07.01

     

Verified

Wonderful Had a great time on the Rideau with Big Rideau Houseboat Rentals. The boat was very well equipped, tidy, easy to manoeuvre, buoys and ropes in excellent condition and navioncs to take the guess work out of navigating. The people at the locks were friendly and professional and provided us with a top notch experience. All the boaters we encountered were eager to talk, lend a helping hand and give you tips to help make your holiday the best it could be . The kayaks and paddle board saw a lot of fishing action and you can’t beat a fresh fish hot off the grill. Thank you Hein family . We will be back 😀

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john l 2023.06.19

     

Verified

Trip of a Lifetime My 18 year-old son and I just returned from a week-long houseboat rental. We had a tremendous time. Heather and Rob were a pleasure with whom to work. Our houseboat (the Santa Maria) was extremely clean and well appointed. The Rideau Canal chain of lakes is a lesser-known gem of a vacation destination: beautiful water, excellent fishing, and conveniently located (only an 8-hour drive from the DC area). I cannot recommend Big Rideau Lake Boat Rentals strongly enough.

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Marc2512 2022.07.11

     

Verified

Wonderfull Although we have some boating experience, this was our first trip on a houseboat. Rob and Heather made the trip effortless. The Navionics provided made navigation of the locks and lakes a breeze. The boat operated with ease. We took the smallest houseboat available (L'ill Hobo) and it filled all our needs (two of us, plus medium sized dog). One warning for those looking to take their pet with them - at times it may be difficult to find docking on land, requiring you to moor at a buoy or anchor and swim your dog to land to do his business. Also, our sole complaint on our trip - restaurants on the Rideau will not accept dogs. One exception to this was The Cove in Westport, they gladly allowed Beau to join us on their spacious patio.

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petcottages 2022.06.14

     

Verified

Our house on the water We rented a 37’ houseboat in June 2022 for a week and absolutely loved the experience! The owners were very nice and obviously care a lot about the boats which are extremely well maintained and equipped. Everything went very smoothly at the locks and the staff are always there to help if needed. It was our first time touring the Rideau canal and certainly won’t be our last. It’s a very beautiful part of Ontario.

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Ann S 2022.04.19

     

Verified

Amazing Trip Booked Again , A must do trip for the family Simply Amazing Trip. Rideau Canal is the #2 Unesco Site in the world and prestine waterways . From beginning to end it was a perfect vacation . We have rented boats in many countries over the past several decades, this company are truly professional and think of all comforts . Due to COVID we decide to rent locally in Ontario and visit the Rideau , we have done houseboat rentlas on the Trent a few times and wanted to try a new adventure . With our 3 teenagers in tow who had been locked down for over a year , this was the best trip ever for them , freedom to explore the outdoors . Like other reveiws from start to finish Rob , Heather and Rees are very proffessional . The houseboat was extremley clean and many upgraded features and equipment other companies do not provide . They gave us a third Kayak at no extra charge which was a more than generous contribution. The kids used them everyday and went on many explorations . The Rideau Canal beauty and tranquility is just what we needed, easy to social distance and relax . The fresh water lakes are so clean and prestine , we swam alot . The beds were also extremely confortable, slept like babies . Extremely well stocked high quality kitchen equipment was also a bonus . The check in process was simple and Rees helped with loading our baggage on the boat . Heather s check in / introductory lesson , Rob s more thorough lesson was very professional , educational and their detail for safety is very comforting for a family of 5 . We just booked today for two weeks this summer . . The children did not want to do anything else but spend their vacation on Big Rideau Lake Boat Rentals . It s also a very affordable family vaction

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Peter F 2021.10.04

     

Verified

Amazing get away with tranquility! Great comfort, ease of use, super well set up and stocked, totally relaxing, very attentive service!

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Chris K 2021.10.03

     

Verified

Navigating through history Big Rideau Lakes House Boat Rentals – Houseboat clean and well-maintained. Fully equipped kitchen, all-round comfort. The 42-foot Sun Quest is surprisingly easy to handle. Heather and Rob are attentive to the details and know the area well. The charts and Navionics helped us navigate like pros. Rob’s itinerary suggestions enhanced our house-boating vacation. Cliff diving near the isthmus is worth the slight detour. And Colonel By Island...great for hiking, excellent for dark-sky star gazing. Locking through on the Rideau Canal is living a part of history. Best part of the week is when we all began talking about “the next time.” We’re already making plans.

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Richard 2021.09.27

     

Verified

Fun and relaxing houseboat vacation! We had a wonderful week on board “Nina” from Big Rideau Lakes Boat Rentals. The boat was very well equipped and very comfortable. We had brought a mattress topper with us, but after checking out the mattress realized we did not need it. The kitchen was very well equipped and had everything we needed. All systems worked very well and were very easy to use. The attention to detail in all aspects of the boat was obvious to us. Check in was smooth, quick and pleasant- thanks Heather! The orientation to the boat was informative and helpful. Any questions we had were answered clearly. The on water boat instruction was fantastic. Even though we had many years of experience on small and large boats, Rob’s guide to handling a houseboat was much appreciated and we employed the strategies he taught us to successfully lock through and dock in tight spots. Meals on the front deck (the barbecue worked great) were delightful. The Navionics app on the supplied iPad was outstanding. Upon our return we were greeted by Heather and Rob with big friendly smiles. We would highly recommend Big Rideau Lakes Houseboat Rentals for a houseboat holiday on the Rideau Canal Waterway. It is obvious that Heather and Rob are very proud of their business, and put a lot of effort into providing the best service possible. We believe that this results in an excellent value for a boating holiday on the Rideau system and have booked again for next year. Thanks Heather and Rob!

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Wendy K 2021.09.22

     

Verified

Simply the Best Vacation We spent 2 weeks on the Rideau System , from start to finish Rob and Heather are true professionals and their boat exceeded our expectation . There was just the two of us so we chose Locks Of Fun and it was lots of fun . We were really impressed by the quality of everything and every detail thought of , Love the teal theme and newness of the boat throughout . Very comfortable bed . The booking process and check in was a breeze , Heather checked us in and showed us some basics of the boat to start with, then after we loaded Rob came on and gave us full on detailed lesson on every aspect of the boat , even his drive lesson was very good for us to brush up on our skills , we use to own a boat on the Rideau for many years , sold it 5 years go and missed the Rideau so much . The tranquil and prestine Rideau Waterway has not changed at all . We rent from Portland to upper brewers then to Merrickville and back . As always the lock personal were very helpful . We met other customers who had their boats also and everyone was having a wonderful time . they were also very impressed with Big Rideau Lake Boat Rentals professionalism . We just booked again for 2022 +

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JoAnne H 2021.09.14

     

Verified

Lovely lakes, clean and basic boat, difficult manager. I will start off by saying that the Rideau Lakes and Canal are beautiful waterways and we enjoyed our time on the water, moored in the lovely village of Westport and at the locks. There were amazing birds, turtles and wildlife, the stargazing was great and the weather perfect. The boat was clean and basic and and everything functioned well. This had the potential for being an amazing vacation. We were 5 very experienced boaters with multiple amazing houseboat rentals in 3 countries. The only thing that causes us to give a 3 star review is, as also stated by the last reviewer, interactions with Heather. Her briefing upon boarding was a very negative experience, bordering on a rant. The technical instructions by Rob were very good and efficiently presented. Upon returning the boat we were firmly told to stay off the vessel while Heather did her final inspection. She agreed it was in good shape and clean. Unfortunately we had left our large cooler bag with food in the fridge while loading up. We watched Heather open the fridge from the shore but she did not mention the bag to us. When we realized 90 minutes later that it was left behind, we called to say we would be coming back for it. There was a long pause and we were told the cooler and food had been thrown away. Gourmet meats, cheeses, maple syrup, etc., a very nice cooler bag. Really? She might have mentioned it during the inspection. It definitely put a damper on the last day.

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Kevin H 2021.09.07

     

Verified

Room for improvement, but met our expectations. Summary: The boat met our expectations and had everything that we needed. My opinion of the professionalism differs from the majority of the other reviews. We booked about nine months in advance to ensure that we could get the week we wanted. The booking process was relatively straight forward and Heather answered all of our questions. A suggestion for improvement: it would be better to receive the contract immediately, as we sent the deposit but waited until spring for the contract. We had a 5 hour drive prior to our arrival at 10:30 AM, and Heather seemed to be a little disorganized as she rummaged around for about 15 minutes while eating a bagel before starting the check-in process. After checking in, she gave us a tour of the boat which included too many admonitions not to touch or break things. During the entire trip we had low-level anxiety that we were going to break something small and get lectured on our return. We then had a tour from Rob which covered some of the same instructions that Heather had given, but Rob seemed to be more laid-back. For example, Heather said "Don't Touch the fridge controls" where Rob showed us what each indicator meant and told us that it was best left in Automatic mode. Heather asked Rob to add a third Kayak for our kids which resulted in a minor argument between them and Heather turned to me and said "I'm running a day-care here." An inappropriate comment to make about your spouse in front of your customers. Rob's short lesson on maneuvering the boat was helpful. I would have liked to leave and return the dock a few more times, but he didn't think it was necessary. The return was much smoother, we were unpacked and on the road within an hour. Again there was an argument when Heather and Rob couldn't find the change they needed when I paid for the pump-out and fuel.

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James S 2021.08.22

     

Verified

Wonderful Experience Similar to all of the other reviews, our time with BRB boat rentals was excellent from start to finish. My brother and I rented two of their boats and couldn’t have been more pleased with everything. Boats are super clean and very easy to handle and have everything you need for the week. Everything leading up to our arrival was clear and we were loaded and away within 90 minutes of arrival. Rob even tossed a third kayak onto the boat for the kids at no extra charge. The Canal system is really an incredible feat and the family enjoyed every minute. We had the 40ft with 3 adults and two young kids (and a dog) and there was more than ample room for us all. Heather and Rob were both very welcoming and professional and were very quick to answer the few questions we had once we got underway. All in all, a great week supported by a great team. Many thanks !!!

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Stewart L 2021.08.10

     

Verified

Relaxing Houseboat Adventure We rented a 32 foot houseboat. It had a 50 horsepower, high thrust , 4-stroke outboard, which powered the boat well. We used very little gas. Visited Narrows, Newboro, Chaffey's and Davis Locks. The highlight was Davis Lock where there was good swimming and lots of docking. There was a great restaurant in Newboro (Stirling Lodge). We ate there twice during our journey. No problem with any locks. In fact we had to guide others through the locks a few times. It's smart to move your boat in the morning and get to your destination and get moored early. Saw and heard lots of very large loons on the way - also some turtles and an otter. Rob and Heather provided very good instructions, which we followed closely. An iPad is provided with Navionics software - a really great tool that kept us on course and feeling confident about where we were going. That made a big difference. Rob told us to try Colonel By Island, but we were too chicken to get off the pink line - maybe next time. Apparently Colonel By Island has lots of mooring balls and some docks - and a nice sheltered area to explore - has washrooms. We encountered a big ferry at Chaffey's lock, but fortunately it was on the blue line and we were going the other way. I wouldn't want to meet that big ferry in tight quarters. The boat was well fitted and really ideal for 2 people or a couple with a small child. The boat came with kayaks, paddles and all the safety equipment. People were very friendly along the way and helped us when needed. A couple gave us some fish they had caught and we struck up fun conversations in the locks and while docked at the locks. The lock people are very nice and helped us find mooring. They are very knowledgeable and help you with your boat in the locks. The key is to go slow, not be in a hurry and ask for help when you need it. I would highly recommend going as far as Jones Falls for those on their first trip. We did a trip up the Trent Canal last year on a different houseboat. I really like the houseboat provided by Big Rideau Houseboat Rentals - it was very responsive, easy to drive and had more modern controls. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend a week adventure with Big Rideau Boat Rentals to those who are prepared to follow directions, take their time and be respectful of others on the waterways. We hope to do another trip on the same boat in the future.

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Jeffrey B 2021.08.09

     

Verified

Not handicapped These boats are not equipped for handicapped individuals. Persons with a disability are not considered a capable adult. Owners of boats are not up front and some of their actions are very unethical. My wife and I rented a boat from them and went through the contract signing and boat orientation with no issues. We made it very clear that my wife had had a stroke and my son would be leaving us at the first lock but nothing was said about her at the time. My son was with us on the boat till we reached the first lock just to be sure we could safely manage and then left us to it. As he was leaving us at the first lock he came upon the husband and wife owners of the boat hiding in the parking lot spying on us. Just to remember this point, the lock is 40 miles from boat rental location. My wife and I carried on to next lock and guess who’s waiting for us, the boat owners stating that I was not capable of managing the boat, my wife is no longer a capable adult! They claimed they had received a call from the lock master at the first lock that we were not managing the boat and we had hit tree! If these two things were true how do you come 40 miles in 5 minutes because that is how much time it took to get through the first lock. We also followed up with the lock master and he doesn’t remember making any such call. It was a very unpleasant scene when we returned, when I stated that I had fulfilled my part of the contract the wife who is an owner, yelled at me “but your wife” obviously referring to the fact that she was handicapped. My wife’s status had not changed from when we had signed the rental agreement until this point. They had met both of us and I had driven the boat prior to leaving the dock. I have a boating navigational license and had operated boats for over 30 yrs. it is obvious to us that they had second thoughts about the rental and devised the plan of meeting us at the second lock knowing my son had left and jumping on the boat claiming I was incapable of managing. There was a huge scene while we yelled and argued in the lock, very embarrassing! I will say our money was returned less approximately 1 days rental. I understand the owners side of this issue but they had met us, spoke to us and knew my son would leave at the first lock, why did they allow us to leave the dock? The plan was to sneak around in the bushes at the first lock to make sure my son had left and try a find a valid reason to take the boat back, hence the lock masters phone call and hitting a tree. I previously said I understand their side of this issue but there are ethical ways and descent business practices to manage things like this, high jacking a house boat in the middle of a lock is not one of them. Renters be ware of these 2.

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BarbG2017 2021.08.09

     

Verified

Another Wonderful Houseboat Holiday! We (my husband & I, two teens, and golden retriever) just returned from our houseboat holiday with BRLBR and it was even better than last year (wasn't sure that was even possible!). We booked last October as we wanted the same boat as the previous year (the Colonol By - 36') and are so glad we did as availability was already limited. I am not surprised that they sell out every season - the boats are well equipped, well taken care of, and well fitted - including kayaks, which are great for exploring the beautiful canals and lakes. The covered front deck is perfect for enjoying meals or playing games whilst the top deck provided a tranquil spot for star-gazing with a glass of wine. I highly recommend BRLBR - Rob & Heather really look after their boats and their customers. If you want a unique, fun, and relaxing holiday in the most picturesque place, then book your boat with Big Rideau Lake Boat Rentals today.

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Jane P 2021.07.28

     

Verified

Amazing holiday experience! Just back from an amazing week on the 36 x 12 Colonel By with our 3 kids (11 - 16). This was our first house boating experience and we loved it! We enjoyed the beautiful scenery, swimming, great fishing and all the wonderful people we met. Heather and Rob keep the boats in great condition with well-appointed kitchens. They were good enough to give us 3 kayaks for the kids and we used them every day. The kids were pros at going through the locks thanks to Rob’s instruction and help from the locks staff; a great teamwork experience! It was one of our most memorable holidays and we can’t wait to do it again! Hot tip: pick up some Tim Horton’s donuts for Rob on your way up to Portland to board your house boat (chocolate dip in particular). He will appreciate it 😊

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NatureBuff10000 2021.07.27

     

Verified

Beautiful houseboat vacation We rented a houseboat for the first time and had a fabulous week cruising around, staying at different locks every night, seeing beautiful nature in the channels. The UNESCO Rideau canal system is absolutely stunning, and Heather and Rob do a great job providing houseboat vacations. Rob is only a phone call away, at any time. We called him on our first night at 9 pm for information and he answered immediately. Would definitely rent a houseboat from Heather and Rob again. We loved our holiday.

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maria 2021.06.19

     

Verified

Very enjoyable can’t wait until next year to rent again The Rideau system was beautiful, the houseboat was well equipped with everything you needed. The kitchen was very well supplied with everything you would need and the beds were very comfy. Enjoyed the vacation would recommend it. We rented for a week wished we had rented for two weeks.

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