How to operate canal locks solo
Doing a lock on your own is the same process as doing it with crew but you need to do everything yourself so the steps are modified thus: 1. When
Continue readingHow to operate canal locks, with crew
By far the easiest and safest way to get through locks is with crew. Even one other person on the boat makes things quicker and simpler as they can go
Continue readingCanal locks: an overview
Because canals were man-made and created to cross the landscape, they inevitably had to deal with changes in the height of the land: hills, valleys and so on. You might
Continue readingGoing along (and turning around) on the canals
Once you’re motoring along, the world’s your oyster. You can chug for an hour, ’til lunchtime or all day if you choose, it’s entirely up to you. Such is the
Continue readingUsing your horn & lights on the canal
The horn Every narrowboat should have a working horn. Typically mounted somewhere on the bow, this can be used to alert other boats of your presence around tight, blind bends,
Continue readingSecuring your canal boat with ropes
In seven years of living on a narrowboat I never learned to tie a proper knot, much to my shame. However, when you have a boat you are going to
Continue readingSpeed limits on the canals & rivers
Let’s not go mad on that throttle. The general speed limit on the canals is 4mph and frankly if you’re doing that, you’re going too fast to be civilised anyway.
Continue readingHow do you slow down / stop a canal boat?
The bad news is there are no brakes on a boat. Thus you have two options to slow down. Firstly, just put the throttle into neutral (so the engine is
Continue readingSteering a canal boat
In essence, things are very simple. For throttle, you’ve got a lever that gives you a choice of forwards, backwards and neutral, with the speed varying according to how far
Continue readingUsing your canal boat on rivers
When I first took my boat on a river, it was a scary experience. Whereas canals are shallow and (mostly) have no flow – so even an engine failure isn’t
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