Which season is your favourite on the canals? As the nights begin to draw in and the weather cools, do your thoughts turn to outdoor adventure? After a summer of picnicking on the towpaths and sipping wine on the deck, perhaps it does sound a bit topsy turvy to relish the autumn. But judge not until you’ve tried it. The canals are quiet again at this time of year. The wildlife is busy and plentiful Read more…
When we greet our guests and welcome them on board our holiday canalboats, we sometimes have a chat about how they came across our little company. Last week, we had to laugh when we learned that in desperation, our guests had pleaded with the Google search box to find them a “posh posh posh narrowboat.” Luckily, we came up top and it turns out that we were the perfect fit for this couple. There are Read more…
Quality Coordinator This newly-created position is designed to ensure our holiday narrowboats are of the highest standard. No marina or boat experience necessary, but you must be a good organiser and communicator. The Quality Coordinator will liaise with a small team of cleaners, engineers and maintenance staff so that our holiday and day trip boats always meet our customers high expectations. Reporting to the marina owners, you will oversee standards of cleanliness, equipment, repairs, supplies Read more…
Narrowboat training Many of our hirers have never set foot on a canal boat before their holiday and so narrowboat training is vital. Although we offer a comprehensive handover for all our guests, we are happy to do a bit of extra ‘hand-holding’ for the novices who come aboard. Once you’ve booked with us (or even before!), we encourage you to watch the Canal and River Trust’s guide to narrowboating, known as The Boaters’ Handbook. Read more…
To all you narrowboat novices: we say, don’t be put off by these fellas . Locks can look intimidating and you do need to take things slowly and carefully. But here’s the thing: as you exit your first lock, you will have been a little apprehensive together, figured it out together, practised some new skills together and will be talking about it for years to come. We love the fact that most of our hirers Read more…
Hey, looks like we have made a bit of a splash in the local news! And we were lucky enough to be featured in the Harborough Mail. Woo hoo!
A romantic weekend getaway can range from a five-star penthouse at the Ritz to a two-person tent in a festival field. You may not yet have considered a gentle adventure on a narrowboat. Sometimes the decision is about price but then again sometimes it’s about the tone of the weekend and although as the co-owner of Boutique Narrowboats I’m obviously biased, I’d like to explain why I’d plump for a canal boat every time. A Read more…
For those of you who have booked the Boutique Narrowboat over the next couple of months, you will probably already have Packing Plans. If you’ve been on a canal boat before, you’ll know all about the limited storage and nonslip shoes – both are standard bits of advice from holiday boat operators and pretty obvious even to the most virgin of boaters. As we prepare Lesley Ann for her first hirers, we’ve been tweaking the Read more…
After months of working on Lesley Ann at Debdale Wharf Marina, the time has come for her to be lifted off her hardstanding. After a couple of hiccups – including a broken crane – we have lift-off for our narrowboat. [sswp-slide sswpid=2289] Next stop is a berth in the water at Debdale Marina while we complete a few finishing touches, then it’s off to her new home in North Kilworth Marina. Can’t Read more…
I’ve just been looking through some paperwork and came across this article written for Canal Boating Times a couple of years ago. It made me smile – but I stand by every word! Try something new; you never know where it might take you 🙂 Goodbye to an edgy youth? Sign me up, says Sharon Peach. At the age of 45, I’ve become the owner of two new membership cards, thanks to a wonderful man, Read more…