What is a holiday hire canalboat like?
Most holiday hire canalboats have compact but
comfortable interiors, subdivided into different cabins. Some
beds are fixed, others convert from dining areas etc., others
are bunk beds. Bedding or sleeping bags are usually provided.
All have
cooking facilities, some with fridge and microwave cooker. All
have running hot and cold water from tanks which can be refilled
from canalside taps. Cooking, heating and hot water are normally
propane/butane fuelled. Most have showers, some have baths. |
Toilets are usually flush type into onboard
holding tanks which you will not need to empty during a one week
cruise. Many holiday hire canalboats have TVs and mains power
from onboard batteries and some have recharging points for
mobile phones and video cameras. |
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What sorts of holiday hire canalboats are
there?
Most canal hire boats have robust steel hulls
and cabins with diesel engines beneath the rear deck. They are 7
foot wide because that is the maximum that can fit in a ‘narrow’
lock and hence the correct name of ‘narrowboats’. (Not
‘longboats’ which were what the Vikings had, or ‘barges’ which
were 14 foot wide!)
You steer using a tiller from the rear of the
boat. Although this takes a bit of getting used to for people
used to driving cars from the front it means you can see where
all the boat is heading when you are steering. Other
arrangements have been tried and not been successful!
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Most boats have decks at the front and rear.
The rear deck can be large to allow passenger to sit with the
steerer, this is known as a ‘cruiser’ stern.
Some boats have a
much smaller rear deck and the steerer can get some protection
from the weather from the back of the cabin. This is the ‘trad’
style because it is like on the traditional working narrowboats.
There’s an in-between style which has some protection and some
room for passenger known as ‘semi-trad’. |
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Features and layout of a 6/8 berth
holiday hire canalboat
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1 - Forward Cabin
TWO SINGLE BERTHS OR ONE DOUBLE BERTH AND WARDROBE WITH
SHELVES.
2 - Foredeck
FITTED WITH SEATS AND CONTAINING BOW LOCKER FOR GAS
BOTTLES.
3 - Second Cabin
TWO BUNK BERTHS, WARDROBE AND VANITY UNIT. |
4. Third Cabin.
DOUBLE BERTH WITH WARDROBE AND SHELVES.
5 - Bathroom
SHOWER, WATER FLUSH PUMP OUT TOILET AND WASHBASIN.
6. Saloon
LARGE DINING TABLE SURROUNDED ON THREE SIDES BY SETTEES
AND STOOLS. CONVERTS TO KING SIZED DOUBLE BED.
7 - Cockpit
CRUISER STERN WITH AMPLE ROOM FOR THE WHOLE CREW. BELOW
- ENGINE, 4 CYLINDER WATER COOLED DIESEL ENGINE, SINGLE
LEVER CONTROL. |
Galley
FLOOR AND WALL UNITS, FULL SIZED COOKER WITH OVEN AND
GRILL, ELECTRIC REFRIGERATOR, ROOM DIVIDER AND SHELVES,
STAINLESS STEEL SINK AND DRAINER, HOT WATER CYLINDER,
AIRING CUPBOARD AND WET LOCKER.
This is an Abbey
class boat belonging to Claymoore Navigation. Thanks to
Claymoore for permission to use these illustrations.
Click to see
more Claymoore boats.
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