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Canal boat holiday guide for beginners – EVERYTHING you need to know

by Victoria Pollitt | Aug 1, 2020 | Advice, Transport

Our 14 most important tips for first time canal boaters

You don’t need a license or even any training to ‘drive’ a narrowboat but it can be a daunting experience to take the helm of such a long vessel for the first time.

Boat hire companies should tell you the basics before you set off but the more you know, the less stressed you’ll be to enjoy your holiday.

We recently took our two children on our first canal boat holiday and made plenty of mistakes!

Here’s what we wished we had known – read our full guide for novice canal boat users.

And if you are taking children don’t miss: Our 10 top tips for taking children on a canal boat holiday

Which side of the canal to travel in your boat

Navigate along the middle of the canal where the water should be deeper but when passing another moving boat, stay on the RIGHT – remember it is the opposite side to road travel in the UK.

Speed

The speed limit is 4mph, walkers will overtake you. Slow down when passing moored boats, other moving boats, when going around corners and approaching tunnels. If you make a breaking wash behind you, you are going too fast.

How to stop

You use reverse to slow down and to stop a narrowboat. Small thrusts on the throttle and then back to neutral will slow the boat down quickly and smoothly.

Right of way

When approaching a bridge or a tunnel with room for only one boat, the craft nearest has the right of way. When waiting, stop and keep to the right.

Give way to non-powered craft like canoes and rowing boats.

Steering

The tiller is at the back of the boat. Move the tiller in the opposite direction to the way you want to go – pushing it right sends the boat left and left sends it right. It can be hard to remember this when you are panicking!

Try to always think ahead as a canal boat can be slow to react to a turn, especially at low revs when you will have less control. The turn will continue after you want it to if you don’t centre the tiller before the turn is completed.

Also be aware that as the boat turns in the middle, the front might be okay but the rear may hit something. To move the back of the boat (the stern), push the tiller the way you want the rear to go.

If you are in danger of hitting something put the throttle in reverse to slow down or stop.

How to park/moor a narrowboat

You can park where you like as long as it does not create an obstruction such as just before a lock, near to a bridge, on a corner or at a water point.

Approach slowly and when you are parallel with the side, use reverse gear. Get close enough so that a passenger can step off safely with a rope.

Look for mooring points with rings in the ground as these are the simplest to use. Otherwise you can use a mooring pin/metal stake which you hammer into the ground. Make sure you hammer the mooring pin right into the ground or it may be pulled free by the weight of the boat.

Tie the boat at the front and back, I asked our instructor to show me twice how to tie the ropes to ensure I got it right and was very glad I had.

Keep the rope tight – if it is loose, the boat will bang against the side when other boats pass or can come away altogether if not knotted properly.

Askrigg narrowboat from Anglo Welsh, bond class

Bond class narrowboat, Askrigg

How to turn your canal boat around

If you need to turn your narrowboat around, there are turning places every few miles called winding holes or swinging areas.

These are wider parts of the canal, marked on maps that you can plan for in advance.

When you are turning, keep the propeller and rudder away from shallow water and debris. Aim to put the bow/front of the boat into the winding hole, reverse and then go forwards and away in the other direction.

Look out for the wind or current causing difficulties and if necessary, someone can step on to the towpath and use a rope to help.

The wind once prevented us from making a turn and a friendly man on the side asked us to throw him a rope so he could help out. He said it had happened to several boats before us which made me feel better!

Tunnels

Listen and look out for boats already heading towards you through the tunnel if it is too narrow for two boats.

If the way is clear, put on your headlights and sound the horn before entering the tunnel. Turn the internal lights on too.

Make sure nobody is on the roof or the side of the boat.

Coming out from a tunnel

Small bridges

When heading towards a small bridge, the space to navigate through can appear alarmingly narrow.

Do your best to line up the boat as you approach, get the front end into position and under the bridge. Then steer the back through. You may hit the sides but it shouldn’t do any harm at a slow speed.

Swing bridge

You use a lock key to wind the bridge up, it can seem as if it is not fully open if it hangs a little over so be careful when navigating underneath it.

Close the bridge behind you unless there is another boat waiting to use it.

Canal swing bridge

Locks

A lock is used to raise or lower a boat to the level of the water ahead.

They can be pretty daunting the first time you use them as there is a lot to think about.

There is usually a queue of boats so wait your turn and don’t be afraid to ask someone to help you. We did and having expert reassurance from seasoned boaters made the lock experience more relaxing.

Remember, if you are going up, the lock needs to be empty first and if you are coming down, the lock has to be full.

One person needs to get off the boat before the lock, armed with a lock key called a windlass. They slowly and carefully open and close the gates and the paddles which let the water in and out, in the correct order.

The person at the helm has to steer the boat into the lock and keep it as far forward as possible as there is a ledge/cill at the back which the boat can get caught on – look out for the cill marker to show you where it is.

The view from up high in a lock on the Llangollen Canal

Navigating a lock on the Llangollen Canal

Water

Filling up water is simple but there aren’t that many places to do it. Boat hire companies recommend you fill up every day, we found that wasn’t essential but every other day is a must.

You can stop at a water point (marked on the map and signposted) and operate the tap using the Yale key your boat hire company should have given you.

You connect one end of the boat’s hose pipe to the tap and insert the other end into the hole of the boat’s water tank.

We were told the water can be drunk but we had taken bottled water.

Pump out

Canal boats have chemical toilets which hold the waste in a tank on board.

We did not need to empty ours but check with your hire company how to at a pump-out point if you are staying on the boat long enough to need to do so.

Have fun

Work together – we naturally found which jobs we were best at and got much better at mooring and doing all the necessary checks.

Take it in turns to steer and relax and make sure you enjoy the slow pace of life, the surroundings, the friendliness of people you pass and have fun.

Our 10 top tips to help you find the best child-friendly hotel for your family holiday

by Victoria Pollitt | Jul 3, 2018 | Accommodation, Advice

How to find a hotel both you and your children will love

Finding the right hotel is crucial for enjoying your precious family holiday. Once you have children you are likely to spend more time at your hotel, even on a more active holiday. Children can get very tired being out all day and often need time to relax in the room and enjoy the facilities. So what are the important things to look for when choosing a hotel?

Hotel location

People often look at the room, the pool, the grounds, the restaurants, the room service, yet they ignore the most important factor – the location.

Is it on the beach, in the right part of town, opposite a brilliant restaurant or a noisy disco? Decide what is important for your family and choose accordingly and read reviews to check there are no hidden surprises.

Make sure you are near to the attractions or the beach you will be spending time at, else children can be worn out before they even start. And check out the transport options nearby or offered by the hotel.

Swimming pool

If it’s a hot summer holiday, you’ll need a swimming pool to help everyone cool off. If the weather is going to be cold or potentially wet – then an indoor pool is a great distraction for a few hours.

For us, a pool is almost essential on a family holiday unless we are doing an all-action city break where we will barely be in the hotel. And a slide or splash area is a big bonus.

Always check the small print to see if an outdoor pool is heated, or if an indoor pool has limited times for families.

The room

A small, cramped room is not much fun with children. Besides all the extra stuff you will have, toddlers and older children need space. And you will all feel on top of each other if the room is tiny.

So aim for a bigger room if possible and obviously you want somewhere that feels clean and fresh. Your children are likely to be crawling on the room floor at some point or may be putting something in their mouth (don’t forget hotel room tv remote controls are among the most contaminated items, yuck)!

Families with three or more children are often forced to book more than one room, which is costly, then everyone ends up sleeping in one room anyway.

Bigger families will have to work harder to find a hotel and destination that will accommodate all the family in one room or suite.

Room amenities

If you’re travelling with young children, you will probably need a kettle and a fridge. And a microwave can make life a lot easier too.

Hotels outside the UK often don’t have a kettle and they are vital for anyone wanting to mix up baby milk or heat food pouches.

If there isn’t one, invest in a travel kettle or contact the hotel to see if they can put one in your room.

Fridges are useful for storing milk and possibly some drinks for mum and dad for after the children are asleep!

We’ve also used hotel fridges to keep supplies like butter and cheese so that we can make picnics to take out.

Eating in or out

Does the hotel have a restaurant? If you check in late or fancy an easier night, a nice restaurant on site is useful.

If you plan to be eating out, research the availability and location of suitable nearby restaurants and read reviews and check out menus to see if they are child-friendly.

Breakfast

A good, included breakfast, can start the day on a high for everyone.

Our children love the familiarity of having breakfast in the same place every day and getting to know where everything is and what they like best. And they enjoy the independence of starting to choose for themselves and even fetching their own food and drinks.

Child-friendly

Do the staff make your children feel welcome?

It might be the best hotel in the world, but if you feel constantly on edge, praying your children behave, then you won’t relax.

The vibe needs to be a family one. Check reviews to see if staff make a fuss of children and enjoy having them around.

Most places call themselves child-friendly, not all are friendly to children.

Outside space

You don’t necessarily need loads of outdoor space but you do need a bit. A dash of green space to run around in, a nature trail or a terrace to explore and sit on, can turn a hotel stay into more of an adventure for children.

We love to explore our hotels, roaming the corridors and outside in the grounds. For example, when we stayed at St Ermin’s Hotel in London, it was great to have a terrace with a bee hive on it.

Childcare

If you are planning to use children’s clubs or a babysitting service, make sure to investigate what is available in advance.

Some kids’ clubs don’t operate all year plus services can be costly.

Play areas

A soft play area or other indoor play area will really make life easier for you and more fun for your children.

A playground outside is always welcomed too and gets a big tick from us.

In Conclusion

Before you start to look at hotels, draw up a list of criteria that will ensure all adults and children are going to be comfortable, relaxed and happy on holiday.

*Is there anything else important to your family? Let us know in the comments below, we would love to hear from you.