Floating fun on the canals
A boat trip’s an education for all ages, says Aine Fox
“Left a bit, now right a bit, OK, straighten her up”. With those confident directions, we’ve safely navigated past our fellow canal boaters as we emerge from the tunnel.
The orders are given by my first mate. He’s nine, and taking to his new role like a duck to water.
Black Prince Holidays states on its website that no previous experience is needed to hire a canal boat – so it seems like the ideal adventurous getaway for first-timers like our group of three adults and three children.
The company, which has nine holiday hire bases across England, Scotland and Wales, promises a British Marine Federation-accredited handover before letting us loose on the water.
Ian, our guide, is a former canal boat resident, so we are in good hands. His ex-military background also means his hour-long induction is thorough but engaging, firm but with a humorous overtone to temper our nerves.
He assures us we’ll be fine as he waves us off – the adults slightly apprehensive, the children bursting with excitement.
Our weekend break from Acton
Bridge begins with a two-anda-half hour journey along the Trent and Mersey Canal. Standing at the stern, with one hand on the tiller – we stay in first gear as we get our bearings. Even when we switch to top speed, we’re motoring along at around 4mph. Ian advised us that a good gauge is to travel at about the speed of someone walking along the towpath – a canal boat holiday is meant to be enjoyed at a slow pace. We get off to a shaky start as we end up with our rear wedged into the shallow edge of the canal – prompting a rush for the long poles stored on top of the vessel, which we use to push ourselves off. It’s the first of a few that day, as we get to grips with the steering, negotiate tight corners or pass other boats. By day two, we realise the turns aren’t really that tight and there is plenty of space between us and other boats.
There is a blissful serenity at points where we seem to have the canal to ourselves, lush green foliage on either side, reeds so high we joke this might be what it’s like to travel through the Amazon rainforest,
and silence but for birdsong and the gentle hum of our engine.
The tunnels are daunting at first but soon become the most anticipated part of the day for the youngest on board. Pitch dark but for our headlamp, they make a suitably scary backdrop for telling ghost stories, as well as for contests to produce the best echo.
It hadn’t occurred to any of the adults that travelling during the day would always require one of us to be out at the back, steering. So a good
ratio of adults to children on your trip is advisable – with supervision on the front and back outdoor areas a must, and of course someone on hand to make tea for the captain. Our ‘Duchess 6’ boat is named Jessica Ellen. At 69ft long and 6ft 6ins wide, she sleeps six of us in three compartments, but can fit eight when the eating area is made into another bedroom.
Planning your route is advisable: have an idea of how long it might be
until the next attraction, and most importantly time it so you moor up before dark.
While the boat’s kitchen is wellequipped, booking into a pub en route in advance for at least one evening is a nice change of scenery, and allows for a well-deserved beverage after a day’s captain-ing. A must-see on our route is the 147-year-old Anderton Boat Lift, where visitors can take a guided boat tour of the River Weaver before a trip in what the Canal and River Trust describes as an “an incredible edifice”, likening it to a “giant three-storey iron spider”. The Dutton Stop Lock is the only one on our route and is described by Black Prince as the “perfect ‘practice’ lock”. With only a few inches of difference in the water levels, we get the fun of opening the gates and steering into and out of the chamber without any risk of sinking.
It’s simultaneously been an actionpacked yet relaxing break, getting to grips with new skills but happily settling into life in the slow lane.
How to plan your trip
Black-prince.com offers a threenight break from £1,175 for up to six sharing, from their Acton Bridge base, departing April. Diesel costs extra at around £15 per day.