Narrowboat Holidays and Canal Boat Vacations in the UK

If you are thinking about a narrowboat holiday in the UK there are
various options you can consider:

Boat Ownership

Unless you are constantly using the boat, ownership can become an expensive option. £50,000 would be a typical price for a middle range 6 berth boat new, second-hand obviously can acquired for much less, but you have to be careful. With ownership come the costs and responsibilities of moorings, insurance, safety checks (compulsory and otherwise ) and licensing. In fact most of the problems of owning a very expensive motor vehicle! These are obviously worth it if you are actually going to live aboard the craft, but if it is there just for weekend use, it may be difficult to justify the expense, there is also the worry of security when you are not using the craft. Boats have been known to sink due to the automatic baler failing after heavy rain Boat
or the development of a small leak. They can't go down far, as the canals are not deep enough, but the damage can be considerable and expensive. Vandalism and theft can also be a major headache. Boat ownership is the dream of many, but should only sensibly be considered by the dedicated or those intending to live onboard.

Boat Hire

The range and choice of boats available to bire in the UK is immense from wooden Bros sailing boats to "Gin Palaces" and you can find them powered by wind, petrol, diesel, horse, or it is rumoured even steam (though I don't know on what terms).If however it is you intention though to explore the UK canal system beyond the scope of the wider major canals, your choice is limited to vessels that can fit through a traditional single width lock, which is about 7 foot wide ( give ortake a few half bricks ). This really leaves you with the choice of narrow river cruises ( usually GPR nowadays ) or a Narrowboat. Narrowboats will typically come in lengths of 30 to 70 feet. They do get smaller but at 70 feet and certainly above you will have problems fitting into some of the locks and may find some routes restricted to you, something around 66 foot is probably a sensible maximum if you want to avoid problems, especially for a novice. Width should not be an issue, though some older boats do spread with age and can stick in certain locks and the modern hire boat draws far less water than its traditional counterpart so depth should not really be an issue either. Though you will still run find shallow spots to run aground on - its all part of the fun. Usually the boats are powered by a diesel engine, though I believe electric or horse draw boats are available in places. There was also the rumour at one time of a steam powered craft. "Double width" boats are also available, but restricted to the larger canals and rivers like the Seven. They obviously offer much more space and are a sensible option to consider for disabled persons if you have to take a wheelchair.A list of Narrowboat hire companies with a
breakdown of location and facilities can be found atIf you are intending to take a disabled person onboard, or a pet please make enquiries before you book the boat to avoid difficulties.

Narrowboat Timeshare

Narrowboat timeshare maybe an option for the boating enthusiast who does not have the time or money to warrant the sole ownership of a boat. Basically you buy the right to use a boat for a week of a year, which according to the terms of the company may be fixed, or flexible.Above this you will also be allowed to exchange the week through timeshare exchange schemes such as RCI or rent the week out for money, should you not want to use it yourself. For this you pay an initial purchase price and an annual maintenance fee.

Timeshare Rentals

Timeshare rentals an be a useful alternative to hire companies. The boats are usually well maintained and are often offered for considerably less than the cost of a hire week. Owners advertising a single week do not have a lot of money to spend on advertising and therefore can have difficulty getting someone to take up the offer, so discounted prices are often available. The agreement is a private transaction between yourself and the week owner, but the boat is managed by the timeshare company as on of a large fleet and generally standards are high and might include a complimentary bottle of wine and a few flowers.

Boat based courses and activity holidays

There are a number of organisations offering boat based holidays and courses:Cruises for groups like Artists, photographers or Youth organisations offering holidays for young peoplep and Charities for the disabled offering holiday on specially adapted craft.

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