Did you go on holiday last year? Did you mainly work from home? Were you hoping it would be all back to ‘normal’ by now?

If there’s one thing 2021 has taught us it’s to be flexible with whatever we have planned! But it’s also important to have hope, and plan holidays and get-togethers to look forward to.

While the Covid-19 pandemic has caused an increase in common mental health problems such as anxiety and depression, our blog offered some good tips to help you to cope.

Read: How a Narrowboat Holiday Can Improve Your Mental Health

For those wanting to be well-prepared before setting off on a trip, we shared a few insider secrets that every new boater should know. These simple safety tips will ensure that your first cruise is a great success, and that everyone has the best holiday.

Read: Get Ready to Go Canal Boating (Even if You’ve Never Done It)

In February the UK government advised against booking a summer holiday abroad in 2021, and introduced quarantine hotels. On Valentine’s Day romantic restaurants and hotels were closed due to lockdown. So some couples opted for booking a romantic narrowboat break to look forward to later in the year, knowing that all bookings were covered by our Covid guarantee.

Read: Valentines: Why Narrowboats Are the Most Romantic Break

In March, you might have wondered whether it was even wise to book a canal boat holiday. This article explains why narrowboat staycations actually became a popular choice. (Early booking for 2022 is advisable.)

Read: Can I Book a Narrowboat Holiday for 2021?

Have you ever wondered if it is difficult to go around corners in a canal boat? What happens if you run aground? How do you turn a 70 foot narrowboat around? In this blog post we shared Zen and the art of narrowboat handling with you. Boat handling is such a fun skill and can be learned at any age, from childhood to retirement, which makes a narrowboat holiday such a great experience for family groups.

Read: 3 Skipper’s Tips to Start Steering a Holiday Narrowboat

As the Covid-19 restrictions were lifted in England in July, there were no longer limits on social contact, meaning that people could meet inside or outside with as many people as they wanted. This gave holiday makers far more choices of places to visit on the Fenland waterways. However, at Fox Narrowboats we kept all of our safety measures in place, including our triple clean boat procedures, as we do everything that we can to keep our staff and customers safe.

Read: 3 Waterside Pubs to Visit Now Restrictions Have Lifted

Does your boat have a distinctive bow? Do other boaters ask you, “What number is it?!” Are you proud to know the history of your boat? Then you may be the owner of a Charlie Fox narrowboat!

Read: Charlie Fox Narrowboats: Where are They in 2021?

Actors Gyles Brandreth and Sheila Hancock returned to our screens in 2021, and in case you missed it you can catch up with their ‘Great Canal Journey’ to Cambridge and the Fens by watching episode one of series 13 on All 4. They started their journey in the town of March, where Fox narrowboats are based, and visited Emneth, Ely Cathedral, and Cambridge.

Read: Great Canal Journeys visit Cambridgeshire Fens

And finally, are you intrigued by England’s legends and mysteries? Want to discover local folklore on your narrowboat holiday? Got any Harry Potter fans in your family? The Cambridgeshire Fens were one of the last places in England where people still believed in witchcraft. Discover the witchy history of Cambridgeshire’s Fens in our Halloween article.

Read: Finding Fenland Witches For the Curious Canal Boater

Hopefully you’ve enjoyed reading these highlights from last year’s blog. Never miss an article again. Just look for ‘Follow Blog’ in the sidebar on the right and enter your email address. We’ll send you occasional stories, tips and advice about narrowboating around the Fens. (We never share or sell email addresses – your details are safe with us.)

If you want to take a canal holiday this year check availability now. We have some great deals to look forward to.

You may also like: Why January is the Best Time to Book Your Hire Boat Holiday

Image credit:  Fox Narrowboats

The post 9 Unexpected Things We Learned About Narrowboating in 2021 appeared first on Fox Narrowboats.

Are you new to narrowboating?

Are you planning your first canal boat holiday?

Do you want to be well-prepared before you set off?

Let us share a few insider secrets that every new boater should know. These simple safety tips will ensure that your first cruise is a great success, and that everyone has the best holiday.

Who’s in charge?

Before you board your narrowboat you may like to choose a skipper for your group. Our trained instructor will make sure the skipper and crew know how to handle your narrowboat, and have all the skills needed for the Fenland waterways. We will also provide any information you may need about our local navigation conditions and tides.

As you board your holiday boat you can rest assured that the Fox Narrowboats team will have already prepared it, checking that the engine and fuel systems are in good condition, and that the boat meets all of the standard Boat Safety Scheme requirements.

Plan Your Route

You can make a rough plan about where you want to go using the waterways guide book provided with the boat. You may also like to plan your route from home before you visit Fox Boats, with an online service such as BoatSatNav or CanalPlanAC. But bear in mind that when cruising you may not always be in an area with a good phone signal, so you will also need the guide book as a backup. To really enjoy yourself it’s important to allow enough time to complete your journey without rushing, and allow plenty of time for stops and visits to local villages, towns, landmarks and other attractions. You can add the number of locks in your route to the number of miles and divide by three to get an idea of the number of hours your cruise will take. However, it may take longer if you need to wait to use a lock, or if you find a lovely place that inspires you to stop for longer!

There should be enough fuel on board for your trip, but depending on how long your planned journey is, and how many crew members are on board, you may need to factor in re-filling the water tank at a waterways service point. These boaters facilities will be marked in your canal guide book.

Make sure you keep your mobile phone charged as you travel, in case of emergency. There are charging points on board. You may like to save the Fox Narrowboats number into your phone.

Safety First

Even though you may be on holiday, boating and drinking is not such a good idea. Alcohol is often a contributory factor to drowning accidents in the UK. The chances of a boating accident happening increase when you drink alcohol, so we advise waiting until you have moored up for the day, before enjoying a drink. We also do not recommend cruising in the dark, or when there is poor visibility. If you do have to do this please take extra care.

Shipshape

Before you set off, spend some time getting to know your boat. The back end is called the stern, the pointy end is the bow! If you are standing at the back of the boat, in the steerer’s position, the right side of the boat will be starboard. The left side of your boat is called port.

And finally, before you begin your cruise make sure you know the location of any safety equipment, such as lifejackets, the fire extinguishers, fire blanket, first aid kit and a torch. Your Foxboats instructor will show you where to find the anchor, bilge pump, mooring stakes and hammer, boat pole, gangplank, and windlasses. A windlass is an essential L-shaped tool that allows you to work the locks. You should also make sure you know where are the emergency shut-offs for the battery, gas and fuel. It may seem like a lot to learn but this will all become clear when you arrive for your Fox Narrowboat handover, and our friendly staff will be there to answer any queries you may have.

Having read this article we hope you now feel confident enough to nominate yourself the skipper of your crew! You may also like to read: What’s it Like to Actually Steer a Narrowboat?

More to read: The Top 10 Narrowboat Holiday Ideas for 2021

For more ideas to add to this year’s holiday plans, sign up for digital updates from this blog. (We never share or sell email addresses – your details are safe with us.) Just look for ‘Follow Blog’ in the sidebar on the right and get insider knowledge about the Fenland Waterways.

The post Get Ready to Go Canal Boating (Even if You’ve Never Done It) appeared first on Fox Narrowboats.