Narrow Boat Holidays – Suitable for the Family
Why Narrow-Boat Vacations are Great for Young and Old Alike
Aug 24, 2009
Finding the right sort of holiday that will suit everybody is a challenge that many families aspire to. For those who want to combine activity, a touch of adventure and the comforts of home, the narrow boat holiday may be just the right thing.
What is a Narrow Boat?
Narrow boats are canal barges that have traditionally plied the canals and waterways in Britain since the Industrial Revolution. Originally designed for carrying goods, nowadays narrow boats have mainly been built or refitted to be floating homes.
The average narrow boat is a veritable home from home, even down to such modern conveniences as televisions, DVDs, washing machines, showers and toilets. For the family that wants to go self-catering and has children who want to enjoy something different, the narrow boat holiday is a real option.
What Does it Cost to Hire a Narrow Boat?
Narrow boats can sleep between two to eight persons. The shorter boats, approximately 45 ft in length, have two berths and the larger ones which can be up to 68 ft long, can sleep six to eight persons.
A rough guide is that for a family of four it would cost £1,000 for boat hire, with an additional fuel cost on top of that. Similar to hiring a car in this respect, the hirer takes possession of the boat fully fuelled and would be expected to return it in the same condition.
Food is not included as narrow boat holidays are essentially self-catering,and it is wise to stock up as one normally would. However thanks to the ubiquitous country public house, there are always other options for those who prefer to eat out.
Last minute deals are available for those who are willing to take a chance on availability. At the time of writing a weekend's hire from Friday evening to Monday morning is being offered for slightly below £400.
How Much Fuel Does a Narrow Boat Use?
Well, how long is a piece of string, as they say. Narrow boats are powered by quiet running diesel engines. The bigger the boat, the more fuel will be needed to propel it. The other unknown factor is that some people are content to move only a kilometer or two each day, whereas others may have more ambitious plans that incur being on the move the whole time. A deposit of approximately £85 is usually taken at the beginning of the hire in order to cover the cost of topping up the fuel tank ready for the next hirer.
Is a Narrow Boat Holiday Suitable for Children?
Children big and small enjoy narrow boat holidays. The older ones may decide that they want to take over the running of the boat from mum and dad who can then enjoy a "supervisory" role. Younger children enjoy the ever changing scenery and the whole adventure of being on a floating home.
However for toddlers the same standard of vigilance is required as would be necessary in the proximity of any source of danger. All children under the age of 18 who are non swimmers must wear a life jacket whenever on deck.
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