Expert: Bill Cissna - 5/28/2007

Question
Bill, My wife and I were considering narrowboating and would appreciate any info/recommendations you could offer. It sounds like a terrific way to see the countryside and meet the locals. Do you have a preference re: England/Scotland/Wales for this activity? Monty

Answer
Monty,
My wife, son and I went narrowboating on two separate vacations (mixed in with some time touring in a car as well) and once we felt we knew what we were doing, we had a lot of fun. We were NOT experienced boaters of any kind, so it can be novice-friendly. But if I gave you one piece of advice -- if it will just be the two of you, don't get a boat any bigger (longer, in particular) than you need it to be! We had a 54-footer both times, and that's a lot for 3 to handle, much less 2. But there are a lot of shorter, easier boats available for rent (or hire, as they call it over there) that should suffice!

It is a very SLOW way of encountering the countryside -- max speed, 4 mph -- but we thought it was great, and you certainly see a different view from the canal. There are excellent books that guide you mile by mile on select canals, and we pretty much planned our trip by -- which pub for lunch? which pub for dinner after we moor up? (and you can only moor up in certain places, not just anywhere along the canal).

We only narrowboated in the center of the Midlands -- the Shropshire Union, Trent & Mersey, etc. -- though the canal that goes up into Wales from the Shropshire Union looked very neat, too. Scotland does not have a LOT of canal mileage, but might be interesting, too. On the first trip, we went from Middlewich to Chester and back; on the second, longer trip, took the entire "Four Counties Ring" starting in Stoke-on-Trent, plus an extra leg up the Anderton Lift.

I would have to say I like the central Midlands, though most folks recommend steering clear of passing through either Manchester or Birmingham urban areas. Probably not a bad idea. As first-timers, I would also try to avoid routes that have TOO many locks; you can spend all your time cranking and waiting rather than cruising.

Naturally, you will want to find a good hire company, and they are not all created equal. I would recommend either Black Prince (which has multiple locations) or Middlewich Narrowboats (think they still use that name) in Middlewich for good-quality boats. Some are not quite as nice or well appointed with other companies.

Bill