Journal

header picnic on boutique narrowboat romantic weekend getaway

Why a luxury canal boat is the perfect location for a romantic weekend getaway

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

By Sharon Peach, ago
Luxury canal boat hire

Packing for your narrowboat holiday

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

By Sharon Peach, ago
canal boat hire lowered into water

Moving day for the Boutique Narrowboat – Lesley Ann – what’s next?

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

By Sharon Peach, ago
first canal boat holiday article

Our first canal boat holiday – extraordinary!

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

By Sharon Peach, ago
luxury canal boat hire bedroom on the boutique narrowboat

Introducing our new luxury canal boat hire business

Our new luxury canal boat hire business launched in Leicestershire just a few weeks ago, in time for Summer 2018. Our first boat is Lesley Ann, which we designed especially for couples, and you can book her for holidays and short breaks here. [sswp-slide sswpid=2222] But it’s become clear that there are a whopping number of “luxury” canal boats for hire and that’s a shame because I do hate a cliché. Do a search on Google Read more

By Sharon Peach, ago
Hire narrowboat going through Kibworth on the Grand Union canal Leicester section

Canal boat breaks on the Grand Union canal (Leicester Section)

The Grand Union canal (Leicester section) boasts some truly undiscovered landscapes. Known as one of England’s least busy waterways, this canal is ideal if tranquility and beauty are important to your holiday or short break. We are based at North Kilworth , a marina which is situated midway through the 20 mile lock-free section of the Leicester Line. From here, you can travel northwards, exploring a tunnel at Husbands Bosworth and on to the notorious Read more

By Sharon Peach, ago
View of Foxton locks from a hire boat

Restoring our narrowboat in the virtual world – how WhatsApp has become our Pandoran Biosphere

Like the characters from the movie Avatar, Aaran and I mainly meet in the virtual world these days. The restoration of our narrowboat takes him to Debdale Marina and me to my laptop. WhatsApp has become our Pandoran Biosphere. “The Contact Form is up on the website,” I type into my phone. “Can you give it a quick try out for me?” “I’ve found the perfect Eye Bolt,” comes the cryptic reply. Perhaps the Avatar avatars Read more

By Sharon Peach, ago
Carpentry on our narrowboat in Leicestershire

How we are incorporating scaffolding boards into our Boutique Narrowboat – Lesley Ann

Is there no end to the wonders of the scaffolding board? From the moment we decided we wanted reclaimed wood cladding to feature as design elements on the narrowboat, Aaran has been driving around with planks of scaffolding on the roof of his van. And with good reason. He has just finished the wooden shutters on the front wall of Lesley Ann, which will also act as the king-size bed headboard. Oh my word. They Read more

By Sharon Peach, ago
Foxton Locks hire boat

Our canal boat weekend break – a trip from North Kilworth to Foxton to Debdale

What a beautiful weekend, we’ve had, cruising between marinas at North Kilworth to Debdale. The guys at North Kilworth have been amazing, allowing Aaran to use the slipway to fit Lesley Ann’s new top. But now it’s time to move on to Debdale, where we can lift her out of the water for the next stage of her refit. It’s given us a wonderful opportunity to take her out on the Leicestershire waterways again, and we’ve Read more

By Sharon Peach, ago