Luxury narrowboats are comfortable and easy to drive, and England's extensive canal system provides endless variety.
Hiring a Narrowboat
The first thing to decide is where to cruise, and the second is to decide where to hire the boat.
- Do you want magnificent scenery, or is the emphasis on industrial history? Do you want to plan a circular trip, or is an 'out and back' journey acceptable? Here is some advice about choosing a route.
- Most hire companies will provide sufficient instruction to allow novices to get underway, and narrowboats are not difficult to drive. Here is a list of narrowboat holiday hire companies in England.
Width – modern narrowboats are usually 6 foot 10 inches (2.08 m) wide, allowing them to pass through the narrowest locks which are only around 7 foot wide.
Most locks are about 70 foot long and narrowboats can be as long as this, but the majority of hire boats are shorter, making them easier to handle and allowing them to pass through the occasional short lock.
Narrowboats are driven from the rear end with the steerer peering along the length of the boat, so even the shorter boats feel very long initially.
Handling a Narrowboat
The golden rule is that everything should be done slowly on a narrowboat.
There are no brakes, and steering in reverse is problematic to say the least. This means that all manoeuvres need to be thought out well in advance, but this is not as daunting as it sounds since narrowboats travel slowly (most canals have an upper speed limit of 4 miles per hour).
The other disconcerting thing (initially at least) is that a narrowboat changes direction by pivoting somewhere near the middle of its length, so that the front end seems to go a long way past the point at which turning seems necessary – interesting when a sharp bend comes immediately before a narrow bridge or lock entrance.
Locks and Bridges
Canal locks allow boats to climb over hills or descend. They are essentially bodies of water trapped between gates.
- To go uphill, the level of water in the lock needs to be the same as the entry point, and this is achieved by opening holes (called 'paddles') in the lower gate(s).
- When the level is right the gate(s) can be pushed open and the boat driven in.
- The lower gate paddles are now closed and the upper ones opened to allow the lock to fill with water.
- Once the lock is full the upper gate(s) can be opened and the boat driven out.
(With experience and careful planning it is possible to work a narrowboat through a lock single-handed, and when this can be done safely it means that the 'captain' can demonstrate how things work to new, novice, crew members.)
Bridges are usually low and narrow – it important to line the boat up well in advance and approach them slowly.
Canal Etiquette
The vast majority of canal users are friendly – it is customary to wave and chat to people on other boats as you pass, and slowing down to pass moored boats and fishermen is expected.
The beautiful scenery, relaxed pace of life, and friendliness of other people you encounter all go to making a narrowboat cruising holiday a very enjoyable experience.
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