Canal Boat life with Drifters

Canal Boat on the Grand Union Canal

Our canal boat trip starts from the picturesque banks of Stockton Top marina just half a mile from the historic town of Warwick. We are going to travel aboard the narrowboat Caroline Mary – hired out by Drifters operator Kate Boats.’

The three year old Caroline Mary is a  58 foot, 15 tonne narrow boat.  If you are thinking that is a very long boat you would be right. It was definitely going to be a challenge to keep it going in the right direction.

This is a well appointed modern vessel which features extremely comfortable double beds, a well equipped kitchen with cooker and microwave, two toilets and a shower. Caroline also has a very efficient heating system. We were definitely very cozy in our floating home.

There is a wide choice of canals in these parts. The Birmingham canal route system has more feet of canals than the city of Venice. You can cruise the 137 miles of the Grand Union canal or sail the Oxford canal which even takes you as far as Stratford upon Avon.

Canal Boat – lock life

These canal networks do have lots of locks, so you will need to know what to do with your windlass, and be prepared to exert a degree of brute strength over the heavy canal paddles.

The science of locks and the water in water out thing was explained to us. Several times by different people in fact. Still wasn’t quite sure what was going on.

The canals and their banks at this time of year are quite glorious. Autumn sunsets, sunrises and bright rainbows through the showers are stunning. The hedgerows are laden with apples, rosehips, hawthorn berries, hops, sloe berries and brambles. Bulrushes and tall grey green grasses wave you gently along your way.

We pick our own brambles one day and have them for breakfast with yoghurt. We even popped a couple into our gin and tonics as we wound our way at a blistering top speed of 4 miles an hour along the waterways.

Canal boating day two

We needed a bit of help to moor up on the first night as darkness was descending and we were still looking for the perfect spot. A lovely guy called Peter who lived on his boat, the Athena, helped us out by staking our mooring ropes into the weeds. We even need a gang plank on this occasion. It is my first time walking the plank. We walked up the hill to the recommended Kings Head pub, where we had a delicious meal and a well earned glass of wine.

We are a bit distressed the next day when we discover that the plank has fallen into the canal and we can’t actually get off the boat to get it back. Thankfully there is always a dog walker coming by who will help you to retrieve any poorly placed planks.

We found this offer of help at every turn on our trip. Everyone is so helpful and friendly. It’s one of the things we love about the canal community.

There are many birds along the canal too. Swans and ducks are everywhere. We also saw moorhens, coots, Canada geese and the odd Sparrow hawk combing the fields for a meal. The ducks wake you up in the morning nibbling the weed on the bottom of your boat and quacking loudly.

Turning round in a canal boat

The second day was very rainy and quite cold but we battled on at the tiller for a few miles. Seasoned boaters are all well prepared for this sort of weather. They either glide past totally clad in wet water gear, or they moor up and put the fire and the kettle on. We did a bit of both.

But first, to get to where we were going, we had to do a three point turn. Always a challenge in a 58 foot craft. A couple of chaps walking past in their woolly hats were called over to help. Ian and Oliver coached us round. They were encouraging and supportive. When else do you get someone saying to you ‘You’re perfect just the way you are!’ even it if it is just about your prowess on  a narrow boat. An audience had gathered for the spectacle stopping under a nearby tree and getting their flasks out!  Only on the canal.

We moor up the next night at Braunston, a rather cute canal side village. Home to sign writers, boat repairers and one of the last canal side shops. It is also the site of another flight of locks which lead up to Braunston tunnel. The tunnel takes twenty minutes to get through and was excavated more than a century ago by hand. It was all done by candlelight. Astonishing. Two teams started the digging from either end and didn’t quite meet in the middle, so the tunnel has a bit of a kink in the mid section.

Canal boat folk

We met a family who had hired a narrow boat for the birthday of their 80 year old grandma. The boat had colourful balloons attached and the younger members of the family were tackling the many locks on route. ‘Where is the birthday girl?’ we asked. ‘She’s having a lie in.’ the grandson explained.

We patronise the little canal side shop in an effort to save it from extinction. I purchase some butter and some cheese. I also obtain an enamel coffee pot painted in canal boat style, some Oxford Canal coffee (made from the finest Papua New Guinea coffee beans) and some Braunston marmalade. That should keep it open a while longer.

Julie my friend and trusty shipmate proves to be the most adept at keeping us on the straight and narrow and does most of the work at the tiller. I was on and off doing the locks and mooring off. We did three locks up and three locks down. We weren’t so keen on tackling some of the longer routes which have up to 110 locks en route!

Braunston village

We ate that night at the canal side pub the Admiral Nelson. The Nelson is another rather chic pub with nice food we recommend. It has been on this site for many years and indeed in times past, part of it doubled as a morgue for dead boaters!

The Braunston marina has its own residential homes built around it, complete with mooring for vessels. There is also a canal boat paraphernalia shop selling ropes and lamps and things. I availed myself of a copy of Towpath Talk, the local free paper.

Coming back along the route we find ourselves in a double lock scenario with a boat of five experienced canal boaters. It does feel a bit like a blind date as someone else piggy backs on your lock space, but it is customary if someone arrives at your lock at the same time or is quite close behind you. If you can share your rising waters, why not?

I haven’t slept so well for years as I did on our boat. You are out in in the fresh air all day and the boat is so snug at night, insomnia doesn’t get a look in. We loved our boating experience. It’s a delightful parallel domestic existence and there’s always something to keep you busy on board. A great holiday all round.

Canal boat information

Drifters Waterway Holidays offers 550 canal boats for hire from 45 bases across England, Scotland and Wales.
There are over 3,000 miles of waterways for you to discover, all at your own pace and you don’t need to be an expert. Tuition is included as part of Drifters’ holiday packages.
2022 hire prices start at £550 for a short break (three or four nights) on a boat for four, £760 for a week.
Narrowboats range from 32ft to 70ft and can accommodate from two up to 12 people.
For more information visit https://www.drifters.co.uk/ or call 0344 984 0322 @Drifters6
For more information about visiting the canal network www.canalrivertrust.org.uk @CanalRiverTrust #LifesBetterByWater

Book a boat trip online through KateBoats here

More canal boat articles here