Why buy a canal boat?
What is the attraction of a canal boat and the lifestyle? It’s a combination of things. There’s the simple tranquility of the canals; ignoring for a moment any interruptions by
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A quick history of the canals
In the middle of the 1700s, Britain was undergoing a revolution – the Industrial Revolution. Factories had begun to turn out goods en masse instead of them being made slowly
Continue readingWhat kind of people go canal boating?
It’s worth having a read of this page all about the number of people using the waterways, as a background to the rest of the information on this page. It’s
Continue readingHow many boats are on the British canals?
People often ask me whether the number of boats on the system is increasing and whether it’s getting crowded. According to the CRT’s boat licensing statistics, there has been an
Continue readingWho’s doing what on the canals?
The modern day canal is being put to all manner of uses, a far cry from its industrial birth. Whilst a fair number of people use their boat as their
Continue readingAn introduction to the British Canals
According to the Canal & River Trust, the charitable organisation tasked by the UK government with managing most (but not all) of the canals in the country as well as some
Continue readingWhy don’t you get all-solar narrowboats?
It sounds great, for sure. A narrowboat needs only 1-2kW to move along (once it has begun moving) thus a 20kWh battery pack could sustain 5-10 hours travel (presuming standard
Continue readingWhich is the best canal for a novice narrowboater?
This is a question I’m asked often and it’s quite a hard one to answer because, by and large, the canals are all much the same when it comes to
Continue readingDealing with canal bridges
One of the other hazards, if that’s the correct word, that boaters will encounter on their travels is bridges. These occur in varying forms and for the most part, the
Continue readingSafety & security aboard a canal boat
Let us turn to the final aspect of canal life that needs addressing and that is one of security and crime. Sometimes the canals can seem dark and threatening, and
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