Canal boat holiday.

PH4NT0MBL4DE

PH4NT0MBL4DE

PH4NT0MBL4DE

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I'm thinking of doing something different for our wedding anniversary and hiring a canal boat for a day so we can spend abit of alone time together away from everything. Has anybody done this before? Are they easy to drive? And could a young married couple ( 23 years old ) appreciate this kind of activity or would we be bored?

Thanks.
 
I've done a few nights on a mates parents boat.

Its a lot of work - doing locks ect, Driving them isn't the easiest - once you get used to it its not that bad.

they are great fun, have a few beers sat on the roof in the sun, bbq in the evening its great fun.
 
been on one several years ago on the kennet and avon with a group of family. actually pretty good fun and/or relaxing depending what you want (apart from ending the trip with a large haematoma on my thigh and not being able to walk properly for a week where i fell into the boat from the bank :D ).

everyone else found it easy to drive but i tried briefly and found it quite hard for some reason and ended up zig-zagging. im sure with a bit of practice it gets easier.
 
They are easy enough to drive, just take it easy and steer gently.

It's very relaxing just cruising down the canal, saying hello to other boats passing by and seeing the wildlife and scenery. Moor up and go for a pint and meal and one of the pubs along the canal but don't drink too much :p

Locks are great fun, a bit of work but fun.
 
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Driving the boat isn't that hard :)

I've done canals with the missus (relaxing) and the Norfolk broads with mates (mental) - both were really enjoyable.

If you want "us" time it's a good choice.

It's going to be a quiet holiday, unless you get off the boat in a city/large town and go out for the night but that's kind of the point of this type of holiday. Drive during the day, watch the world go by slowly, then in the evening go out for a drink at a waterside pub or have a quiet one on the boat. Great to unwind.
 
Years back we were lucky in that my friends father owned one and he would let us use it for the weekends for the cost of fuel. We were only in our 20's and had some great times.They are very easy to control, you'll master it within 30mins.

I'll be honest in that some weekends were nothing more than a pub-craw afloat but if you can catch some nice weather they are a great way to unwind. I'd say if you enjoy walking and being outside you'd enjoy it. If it's only two of you it may be harder work than you expect, depending where on the canal system you are. If there are systems of locks to be negotiated it can be hard work (especially if there just the two of you) The pace of life slows and even though you may only be a few miles from somewhere you are familiar with it feels different. Even now there are lots of pubs located near canals so if you don't feel like cooking you can eat out. If you were canny you might plan ahead and have something arranged for the anniversary.

They are good because can you suit yourself, get up when you like, stop when you see something interesting. If you like to see stuff and do stuff at a slower pace they are definitely worth a go. If you're looking for a lovers weekend away, then maybe not ideal.

Biggy is the weather, they are horrid when it rains. If you want to keep moving you'll need waterproofs even if there are no locks to negotiate you still need to be outside to steer! (assuming it's a traditional narrow boat)
 
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See that's what is worrying me is the weather as we are in novemeber it is going to more than likely rain on the day we go. The locks sound like a bit of a ball ache. I wouldn't mid but I don't know if they will take away some of the intimacy so to speak. Well I will keep it as a possibility at least. I do like the idea its just will she.

You guys got any other great ideas to do on an anniversary?
Thanks
 
PH4NT0MBL4DE said:
See that's what is worrying me is the weather as we are in novemeber it is going to more than likely rain on the day we go. The locks sound like a bit of a ball ache. I wouldn't mid but I don't know if they will take away some of the intimacy so to speak. Well I will keep it as a possibility at least. I do like the idea its just will she.

You guys got any other great ideas to do on an anniversary?
Thanks
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Could try Norfolk broads instead and hire a river boat as opposed to narrow boat.... Norfolk has no locks :)

I've done both and it's a different kind of holiday, but still really enjoyable. The first one was just a massive pub crawl, the second one was in Norfolk with family and was pretty much just another massive pub crawl :p

If you do go Norfolk, hire a motor boat to pull alongside your main boat. That way you can moor anywhere, and then use the small boat to go to the pub in the evening. Otherwise you have to moor outside the pubs which usually costs some sort of fee, although you get it back if you eat at the pub. Also difficult to get a spot later in the day, but during November I can't see you having many issues.

The river boats all tend to have canopies too, so you can still boat during the rain without getting wet.
 
NiCkNaMe said:
Could try Norfolk broads instead and hire a river boat as opposed to narrow boat.... Norfolk has no locks :)

The river boats all tend to have canopies too, so you can still boat during the rain without getting wet.
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This, narrow boat is better if you have a group as there's a bigger seating area. With two of you one of you has to stay up top at the back and steer/throttle which means realistically both of you will only be at the back unless you don't want to see your wife.

Get a river boat, can both sit together and putter along. Canopied as Nickname says means rain isn't a problem.
 
You won't get far in a day, I'm not sure it's a particularly good day trip as most of the day will be spent getting used to the boat.
 
You may not be allowed to go through locks on a 'day boat' anyway, depends on the company you're hiring it from, so it may be a case of driving it a short distance somewhere country'y and enjoying the rest of the day relaxing in a floating caravan.

They're not that difficult to drive but you have to think/anticipate well ahead, with both trottle and steering, don't be afraid to ram it into reverse if things look a little dicey. Even with a bit of experience I managed to ram one into a bridge and bent some of the roof.
 
I did this when I was about 13, my parents and other family hired two boats. It was great fun and I would definitely recommend it. Obviously weather might be an issue but we got quite lucky with the sunshine. The boats are fun to control and I remember there being lake-side pubs to stop off at and eat, though I wasn't paying that much attention to that side of things.

It's definitely not something you do for a day. I think ours took at least a week.

Personally I think it's more of a family thing than a couple thing. Sure locks are a pain but they're fun for kids. If you're going up a big hill it's hard work as there is one after another after another.. If you're both outdoors people then you'll enjoy it regardless.

It's a mix of relaxed cruising and mild chaos.
 
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