CANAL BOAT HIRE in the SOUTH OF FRANCE
on the
CANAL DU MIDI and CANAL DE GARONNE
All About Us
Family-owned hire fleet in Southern France
Minervois Cruisers was established at Le Somail in the Languedoc in the early 1990's by Neil and Val Johnston. Over the years the company has remained the only hire fleet in southern France specialising in all-steel British canal boats, both narrow- and wide- beam. With the growth of large multi-base hire operations, Minervois Cruisers is now one of very few independent family-owned hire boat businesses on the Canal du Midi.
The current owners, Howard and Ann Davies, own one of the most successful hire fleets in the UK, Napton Narrowboats, and acquired the business in 2003.
Since taking over, the fleet has been upgraded, modernised and expanded. For 2008 the fleet now consists of Sovereign Class wide beam boats and Midi-Explorer Class Narrowboats, all built new in UK and shipped to France.
For 2009, a new base at Meilhan sur Garonne, on the Canal de Garonne, has been secured, providing a new cruising area in the Aquitaine region. The same style and class of boats will also be based at Meilhan.
Howard has appointed his eldest daughter Emily and her partner Tony as Hire Base Managers at Le Somail. At the new base at Meilhan, the managers will be Mike and Kath, who used to run the base at Le Somail.
All of them are English boating enthusiasts and will assure our customers of a warm welcome.