Narrowboat Experience Day

Who is this course for?

If you’re new to the world of narrowboating, or just curious to see what it’s all about, then this is the course for you. It’s also ideal if you’re planning a boat-hire holiday and want to get some hands-on experience before your adventure.

What does the day involve?

You’ll be onboard our dedicated training boat with one of our experienced instructors. They’ll take you through all aspects of safely handling a narrowboat out on the water. As there is no qualification associated with this day out, our instructors can tailor the day to whatever you’d like to enjoy.

By the time you pull back into the marina, you’ll have gained a huge amount of practical hands-on experience (and had a few laughs along the way!).

We have an incredible ‘training area’ on our doorstep that includes, wide locks, tunnels, bridges, a small aqueduct, a foot swing bridge, and a road swing bridge. If time allows, we can even include the incredible Foxton Locks.

During your experience day you’ll get the chance to cover:

• Boating Safety
• Pre-start checks
• Getting underway
• Boat control, speed and steering techniques
• Turning the boat around (winding)
• Stopping in a hurry!
• Mooring up and leaving a mooring
• Navigating bridges and tunnels
• Locks and using them safely
• Ropework and knots

As mentioned, it’s a hand-on course, so you’ll get to try all these skills for yourself.

About the training boat

Your day out will be onboard our dedicated training boat, ‘Gwendoline May’. As well as being a lovely boat to handle, Gwendoline May has everything you’ll need by way of visual aids, training props and equipment to help you get the most from your day. She also doesn’t mind the occasional bump!

When do the courses run?

We schedule a number of Experience Days throughout the lighter months of the year.  You can view the full list of pre-set dates on our booking calendar. However, if none of the dates suit you, we can normally arrange any alternate date. Please just get in touch. The only pre-requisite is that we need a minimum of two students to operate an Experience Day.

What’s provided (& included)

• Endless teas, coffees and biscuits
• Small ‘group size’. A maximum of three students
• Fully qualified RYA Inland Waterways instructor
• Free parking

What you need to provide

• Your lunch
• Warm comfortable clothing & sensible footwear
• Waterproof clothing (ideally including trousers)
• Enthusiasm

Here’s a few common questions:

• Will I be with other students? We need a minimum of 2 students to operate an Experience Day and a maximum of 3.  So ordinarily, you will enjoy your day with other likeminded guests.
• Can I book a private day? Yes, we can arrange a ‘bespoke booking’ so long as there are at least 2 of you for the course. Please contact us.