If you and your family love narrowboating and canal holidays, make Christmas shopping easier for yourself and check out these unique gift ideas. All of these presents can be ordered on line, so you can avoid the shops this year.

Although you don’t need to learn lots of fancy knots to moor up a narrowboat, it can be fun to learn some different types. Knots and Splices by Steve Judkins and Tim Davison is a great little stocking filler. It’s a small book that teaches some basic knots, splicing (joining ropes) and whipping (stopping the end unwinding). There are clear diagrams on every page. If you want to be a knot-tying geek this book will help the boater in your life to choose the best knot for any situation!

Many narrowboats around the country are actually floating businesses, known as Roving Canal Traders. In the summertime they sometimes join together to create a floating market, and last week in Nantwich they held their first ever Christmas market. The pandemic has left a lot of independent traders struggling, so if you can, This Christmas: Buy it Off a Boat! (2020 Gift Guide).

These anchor charm earrings are made by Ronni the Witchcrafter. Ronni used to be a roving trader, trading from her narrowboat, and now trades from The Hippie Shed, doing popular livestreams on Sundays from her Facebook page. She describes herself as a “HedgeWitch boater with an online and travelling Fairtrade, boho, hippie emporium, selling clothing, giftware and handmade Items. Check out www.WitchCrafter.co.uk

Dru Marland lives aboard a boat on the Kennet and Avon canal in Wiltshire. Dru’s Etsy shop has original art work, maps, badges, illustrated poetry books, and art prints. Most of these items have a waterways theme. I love the Winters Eve pack of five greeting cards which shows a winter’s scene on board the boat. Dru says, “The stove’s going, the firewood’s piled high, and there’s whiskey and poetry. ‘It must be cold in the winter,’ say people who couldn’t really be more wrong!”

For the serious boater how about this leather windlass holster? A holster on your belt leaves both of your hands free to use handrails properly, and reduces the risk of dropping it in the water. This is a handcrafted gift. In fact, Etsy is great for supporting small craft businesses. Try browsing for canal-ware painted with traditional roses and castles, canal boat mugs, or a personalised narrowboat art print. This one says, ‘Enjoying life at 4mph’.

The late John Cunliffe wrote a number of Rosie and Jim books to accompany the popular 1990’s children’s TV series. Rosie and Jim are two mischievous rag dolls who live aboard a narrowboat called the Ragdoll, and come alive when no one is looking. My children used to enjoy Rosie and Jim: 50 One Minute Stories when they were younger. It’s a collection of the stories which John writes in his book at the end of each of the Rosie and Jim TV programmes. The book is illustrated with decorated capitals at the start of each story. There are more suggestions of boating books to buy here: The Ultimate Canal Boater’s Christmas Gift Guide.

And finally, to get younger children excited about their next narrowboat holiday try this Early Learning Centre Happyland Water Lily Canal Boat. The playset comes with two character figures and suits ages 18 months to five years. When it is not floating in the bath it can be rolled along the floor.

If you’d like to avoid tiring shopping trips looking for individual presents, why not treat the whole family to an unexpected boat outing? Our day hire vouchers for a trip on a narrowboat are for up to 10 people and make a wonderful Christmas gift. Read more: The Surprising Christmas Gift That the Whole Family Will Love.

Contact us today to arrange a gift voucher.

From all at Fox Narrowboats, Merry Christmas and happy shopping!

PS: One more gift for you! Click ‘Blog’ (top right) and look for ‘Follow Blog’ in the right sidebar to get the latest helpful holiday tips for next year. (We never share or sell email addresses, we’ll only be sending you our local, insider knowledge, every two weeks.)

Photo credit: Personalised gift HannahsNarrowEscape Etsy

The post This Year’s Christmas Gift Guide for Narrowboaters appeared first on Fox Narrowboats.

 

If you have someone in your life who loves canal boats and narrowboating, let us take the stress out of this year’s Christmas shopping by offering you five unique and unusual stocking fillers for your boating friends and family. Grab one of these for the canal boater in your life today, and save yourself some time during this busy holiday season.

1) Imray Waterways Guides

The Imray guides are popular paperbacks for river users planning trips along the Rivers Nene, Ouse, Cam and the Middle Levels. These spiral bound books offer commentary and essential notes with detailed mapping of each section of river. If you dream of narrowboat holidays it’s fun to peruse the routes and imagine which one you might take next summer. They are available on Amazon or in our chandlery at our marina in March, Cambridgeshire.

2) Charlie Fox: Building a Legacy

For history enthusiasts and owners of Fox narrowboats, this unique 60 page soft book tells the life story of Charlie Fox and was compiled by his granddaughter Emily. Fox narrowboats are known for their distinctive bow shape and each of Charlie’s boats had their number welded into the steel of the front. The book tells the story of Charlie from young child, to that of the man who built narrowboats and went on to create the Fox Narrowboats Marina at March. Read more.

3) DVD Guides

For those wanting to enjoy the beauty of our Fenland waterways from the comfort of their own home this collection of DVD guides is ideal. 500 years ago Fenland Britain was a series of vast freshwater lakes, or “fens” with a few sporadic islands sticking up above the water. Today the drained fens are the richest farmland in Britain, and the drainage channels can be navigated and link the River Nene at Peterborough to the River Great Ouse at Denver. The Middle Level DVD explores not just the recommended route across, but the many backwaters as well. It is available separately but could also be bought as part of a set of three that includes the rivers Nene, Great Ouse and River Cam. Read more.

4) Waterproof Camera/Phone Bag

What a great idea for someone who loves spending time on or near the water! Get your gadgets protected with this collection of covers for cameras, mobile phones and tablets from Overboard.

5) Day Hire Vouchers

If you’d like to treat the whole family to an unexpected outing, the day hire vouchers for a trip on March Adventurer are for up to 10 people. Tuition, lifejackets and fuel are all included. Our marina in Cambridgeshire is surrounded by some beautiful waterways. With lots of room at the front and rear of the boat everyone can be outside while cruising the rivers and taking in the picturesque scenery and wildlife. Our day hire narrowboat has a galley complete with hob, fridge and sink, a dinette equipped with crockery and cutlery, a toilet and a seating area. Read more.

We hope these ideas solve some of your gift buying dilemmas, and we wish you a very happy Christmas and New Year from everyone at Fox Narrowboats.

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