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What's on board
Relaxing
Your boat is light and spacious, with at least 6’ 2” headroom and with large windows in the open-plan living areas so you can enjoy the magnificent views. It’s worth noting that many of our boats are wider than traditional narrowboats! Go outside and you’ll find open front decks large enough to sit out on (except on Condor) and large rear decks so the helmsman need never be alone. Each boat has free wifi and there’s an LCD television/DVD player and CD/radio with Idock in the lounge, and also in the private bedrooms on our larger boats. On Osprey, you’ll get a home cinema system, with a 3ft pull-down screen and surround sound!
Eating
In the kitchen, clever design ensures space for a full-size fridge and cooker, and most boats also have a microwave and a Dualit toaster. All cookers are gas and have a four-ring hob, grill and oven, with one exception - Harrier has a ceramic hob and an oven powered by diesel. Fridges are standard worktop height with small 3-star freezer boxes (108 litre fridge with 10 litre freezer box). In the galley there’s everything you’ll need to prepare superb meals. Pots and pans include a steamer and roasting tins, other useful utensils include a garlic press and a corkscrew/bottle opener, the scissors and knives are sharp and there’s a cafetière and egg cups for breakfast.There’s sufficient cutlery, crockery and glasses on board for the maximum capacity of the boat plus two full extra place settings. We provide a picnic table and enough chairs for everyone. Use them on the canal bank or, if you hire one of our five wide boats, there’s room to put them on the rear deck of the boat. There are free coffee pods for your on-board Nespresso machine, as well as free tea bags and sugars.
Sleeping
A good night’s sleep is essential for a happy holiday so all our boats have fixed beds with luxurious sprung mattresses. Other beds convert to seating during the day, and we supply the highest quality cotton bed linen for each bed – sheets, duvets with covers and two pillows per person. Blankets are also on board, if needed. Remember, beds on boats vary greatly so we clearly state what size beds you’ll find in each boat. When deciding which boat is best for your holiday, consider in particular how many fixed beds you need and whether you’re happy to convert a sofa into a bed each night. If a boat sleeps 6, with 4 people in fixed beds and 2 sleeping on the converted settee, we indicate this as + . It’s worth knowing that, in the majority of our boats with a rear cabin, it’s possible to sleep a third child on a mattress between the two single beds, increasing the maximum capacity of the boat; please contact us for further details.
Washing
In the bathroom, there’s porcelain sanitaryware, a shower with doors (not curtains), a toilet which flushes at the push of a button, a constant supply of hot water, fluffy white bath and hand towels for each person and Gilchrist & Soames toiletries. Some boats have two bathrooms, Heron has a luxurious wet room with his and her basins, Harrier has a roll-top slipper bath and Owl has a hot-tub on the deck (with extra towels and robes provided).
Storage
Everything has its place on our boats. We design suitable storage for the lot, from the spare blankets to the picnic table and chairs. And there’s plenty of room for your belongings; under every bed and settee you’ll find pull-out storage which is easy to access. We recommend you unpack your bags before you set off on your cruise, so that your luggage can be left in your vehicle. That way you don’t take up unnecessary space on board with empty suitcases.
High spec
It almost goes without saying that within the smartly-painted strong steel hull, you’ll find the very highest specification finishes: oak, sapele, walnut and ash panelling and flooring, granite worktops, brass light fittings, wool carpets and designer fabrics. Even our quiet, efficient diesel engines are in immaculate condition. The electricity supply on board will power the appliances guests typically wish to bring on holiday, including mobile-phone chargers, laptop, camera chargers, game consoles and hair straighteners. But please don’t bring your own hair dryer – it will be too powerful; we supply a suitable one on each boat. We’ll tell you everything you need to know about the boat’s power systems during the handover at the start of your holiday.
Outdoor enjoyment
Stored neatly in a locker you’ll find a folding picnic table and chairs, a picnic blanket, a golfing umbrella, and a torch.
Safety equipment
On board there are three fire extinguishers, a fire blanket, a first-aid kit and a lifebuoy. Lifejackets (suitable for age 6 months upwards) are available on request. We also have a selection of lifejackets for dogs.
Visitor information
The comprehensive visitor information on board includes:- Ordnance Survey Explorer Maps OL12 and OL13
- Walking guides
- Emergency services e.g. doctors, dentists, hospitals, vets
- Taxi and bus services
- Pub and restaurant information