GroupRide Booking confirmation and route plan Minibus Transfer · from USD 280
Two minibuses, Saturday, three pickups to Chester
Manchester. 29 passengers, a named manifest, and the safeguarding rule for a group with under-18s.
Two 16-seat minibuses, three pickups, one destination. Twenty-nine passengers and eight boat bags is more luggage than two minibuses hold, and clause 02 says what to do about it. Six under-18s changes the driver arrangement and clause 03 covers that.
Two 16-seat minibuses, Saturday 24 October, three pickups from 06:45, arriving Chester by 08:30. Seating is fine at 29 of 32. Eight boat bags plus personal kit does not fit; either a third vehicle at USD 180 or a van, or two bags per crew rather than three. Decide by Wednesday 21 October.
Order record
- Minibus Transfer, 2 vehicles16 seats each, Manchester to Chester and return USD 620
- Three pickup pointsAshfield boathouse, Sale, Altrincham Included
- Return, 17:30 from ChesterSame vehicles and drivers Included
- Luggage vanNot booked. See clause 02 Included
- Driver waiting at destinationFull day, drivers remain with the vehicles Included
- Parking at ChesterPass-through at cost USD 24
Deposit of USD 161 settled 1 October 2026 · USDC on Base · balance of USD 483 due 21 October
Route
The plan, by vehicle
| Time | Vehicle A | Vehicle B |
|---|---|---|
| 06:45 | Ashfield boathouse, 14 aboard | Ashfield boathouse, load kit |
| 07:05 | Depart | Depart |
| 07:20 | Sale, Northenden Road, 6 aboard | Direct to Altrincham |
| 07:35 | Depart, 20 aboard | Altrincham, Stamford Park, 9 aboard |
| 08:30 | Arrive Chester, Sandy Lane | Arrive Chester, Sandy Lane |
| 17:30 | Depart Chester | Depart Chester |
| 18:45 | Ashfield boathouse | Ashfield boathouse |
Both vehicles return to a single point. If anyone needs dropping at Sale or Altrincham on the way back, tell the driver on the morning rather than at 18:00, so the route is planned once.
Luggage
The problem, and three ways round it
| What you have | What fits | Gap |
|---|---|---|
| 8 boat bags, roughly 90 cm each | 4 per minibus in the rear well | Fits, just |
| 29 personal bags | About 20 across both vehicles | 9 short |
| 2 sets of oars | Neither vehicle. They are 3.8 m | No |
The oars are the decisive item. A 16-seat minibus is 5.9 m long inside and nothing takes a 3.8 m oar safely, including on a roof rack that these vehicles do not have.
Add a van
Luton van with a driver, takes all the kit and the oars, travels with the group. Solves everything and is the option most clubs take.
Club trailer
If Ashfield has a trailer and a towing driver, our vehicles do not tow but yours can follow. Tell us and we will plan the convoy.
Reduce personal kit
One bag per person rather than two. It solves the bags and does nothing about the oars, so it only works alongside one of the above.
Under 18s
What changes because six passengers are minors
| Requirement | Detail | Whose |
|---|---|---|
| Both drivers hold an enhanced DBS check | Confirmed. Certificates on file | GroupRide |
| A driver is never alone with a child | Structural. There are always 9 or more aboard | GroupRide |
| A responsible adult on each vehicle | Required. Name them by 21 October | Ashfield |
| A named manifest per vehicle | Required, with the under-18s marked | Ashfield |
| Supervision of the young people | Throughout, including at Chester | Ashfield |
| Parental consent for travel | Assumed held by the club | Ashfield |
| Head count before every departure | By your adult, not by the driver | Ashfield |
Before
What we need by 21 October
- The luggage decision from clause 02
- A named manifest per vehicle, with under-18s marked
- The responsible adult named for each vehicle
- Any accessibility requirement. Neither minibus has a lift and there is a step
- Confirmation of the 17:30 return, which the regatta schedule may move
- A single contact number for the day, reachable by both drivers