Tthe essential gutting afloat.

The essential guide to getting afloat.
What do you want from your holiday ?
We tell you all you need to know about a holiday on the inland waterways .
What it will cost,who will enjoy it,where you can go,and even whether you can take your pet.
Who can drive a boat?
The majority of our inland waterways that you will encounter are calm and placid ,with few currents,
and no tides. The boats are easy to handle, and anyone who can drive a car can quickly control one.
Once you have grasped the first principles,helped by the information and techniques described in his book.

You do not need a licence, and if you are hiring a boat you will be given full tuition before you set off
before you set off .Most waterways will have locks along the way, and these are part of the fun .
On some rivers, such as the Thames, the locks are manned,making this an ideal waterway for the less
active ,but on canals and other rivers you will work the locks yourself .
Do not be put off by this. Again you will be given full training on how to work them, and quickly the
whole of the party will see them as part of the fun and challenge.
Do you have to be fit?
In terms of your fitness a canal holiday has sometimes been described as being a cross
between gardening and a round of golf. You do not have to be super-fit ,but must be reasonably
steady on your pins.
Even so,some generalisations can be make. If there are only two of you, operating lock on your own
will be slow, so choose a canal with no locks, such as the ashier, or few locks, or choose
a river such as the Thames, where the locks are manned,or the broads which have no locks.
Narrow locks are easier to operate than broad one, which can be heavy. Avoid large flights of lock
unless you enjoy the challenge,or have a keen crew.
However,if you are less mobile,or are not travelling as a party,you can still enjoy the waterways on
one of the many hotel boats. These are fully crewed ,and all you have to do is sit back and enjoy the
passing scenery, And if you are still not sure if the waterborne life is for you,you can hire a day boat
on a river or canal near you,for a modest sum,and see how you like it.
Children afloat
Kids love the waterways, and quickly take to the life afloat. As you world expect being near to water
you have to take normal reasonable safety precautions. Anyone under the age of 16 should wear a
life-jacket at all times, and this applies to older none swimmers, and the less active members of the
group. There is nothing cissy about this the waterway professionals such as work boat crews wear
them at all time and lock-keepers put them on in adverse conditions.
The boat yard will supply as many jackets as you need, though these will usually be the bulky,
permanent buoyancy types. If you are thinking of doing more boating after your holiday we
recommend you buy the self inflating variety for your vulnerable crew members, as they are less
obtrusive,and do not impede your actions. Very young babies are less of a good idea, unless you
have one member of the party who can keep an eye on them at all times.