I think I mistakenly posted earlier in the review thread.
In early June we will be in Bath, and planned a B&B for myself, my daughter, and her newly teenaged son.
There is a narrow boat company that offers overnight accommodation in an anchored boat.
I wonder whether anyone has experience with this? We won't navigate, we will sleep.
Another time I will rent a boat to navigate, and wonder whether anyone has advice and insight into that possibility.
I've never heard of a narrow boat B&B, but it could be fun.
There are lots of companies that do boat hire on canals, all over the UK. It's a great holiday--we did it a few years ago on the Llangollen canal and had a terrific time. The boats are easy to use, even the very long ones (ours was 55 feet) and, with most companies at least, well appointed.
Hi MomMom -
Many years ago I took - with my brother and a couple of chums - a sixty foot narrow boat from Gargrave (Yorks) up the Leeds-Liverpool Canal to Blackburn and back. Much more interesting than it sounds. The niceties of narrow boats and the locks and tunnels you’ll encounter on any canal are fairly easy to learn and usually somebody from the hire company will show you the ropes in first couple of miles before leaving you to it.
Living on a narrow boat is, in my experience, a ‘cosy’ experience (I thought it was very pleasant and comfortable, even allowing for the chemical toilet). Ours had a shower on board but this means you have to fill the water tanks up fairly frequently, and of course that chemical toilet will need emptying (there are canalside ‘facilities’). But if you were planning on swinging any cats, well I think you can forget that!
I think you’ll have a whale of a time! Have a great trip and let us know how you got on!
Ian
My wife and I (we are Americans) have hired narrowboats twice, once in 2016 and in 2018. We had a great time. We met a lot of people but no other Americans. If you google “narrowboat” you will find a lot of resources, including a very helpful forum. Cruising a canal from pub to pub is a very enjoyable way to spend a week or ten days. I have posted trip reports for both years’ trips.
The links below are to those trips. There is a big narrowboat component in each.
I cannot comment on the narrow boat B&B, but when you are ready to navigate one, here are some links I have used to fuel my dreams. We have tried a "normal" boat twice, but not a narrow boat - yet.
https://www.waterwaysholidays.com/canal_boat_holidays.htm
https://www.shirecruisers.co.uk/routes/long-boat-holiday-routes.php
