Have you got any questions about narrowboating?

Want to chat to us in person?

Do you love looking at boats?

Then you’ll love the London Boat Show 2018! We will be exhibiting at the Boat Show this January, and we are taking our day boat March Adventurer. When we last exhibited at London it was back in 2000 when the show was still at Earls Court, and we’re looking forward to going again. The stand number is WC001B.

Fox Boats is very much a family business. Charlie Fox’s daughters (Paula Syred and Tracy Baxter) run the company and their husbands both work as boatbuilders. Paula first joined the company in 1986 to restart the hire fleet with just three boats.

At the Boat Show you can meet Paula herself on the stand, and Emily and Gerald will also be there for part of the time. We will be sharing information about our holidays, daytrips, mooring and marina services: Don’t be afraid to come and ask us about all things boaty!

The first London Boat Show was held at Olympia, before moving to the Earls Court Exhibition Centre in 1957. At Earls Court boats could be viewed afloat, in the venue’s pool.  The London Boat Show moved to ExCeL in 2004. It’s a lot of fun for anyone remotely interested in boats and boating.

This year’s world-famous show has been re-defined and re-imagined to make it better than ever. Visitors can climb aboard classic boats and modern yachts, browse the latest marine technology, and mingle with some sailing legends. There will be a variety of on water experiences and exclusive deals, with lots of retailers offering all things nautical. In fact there are over 300 exhibitors expected this year.

Lock and Waterside Pub

The UK is proud to have more canals than Venice, and offers stunning scenery to holiday makers on Britain’s waterways. Climb aboard a narrowboat at the show and imagine your next inland waterways cruise. Complete with a representation of a working lock, you can enjoy a drink at the lock-side pub while the children play in the garden.

So, whether you’re a seasoned boater, or want to experience something new on a fun day out, the London Boat Show has something for everyone. We would love to see you there. The show takes place from 10th to 14th January 2018. It was traditionally ten days long, but from 2018 will be five days long.

A standard day ticket is £20 but there are various concessions for children, families, groups, students and disabled visitors. ExCeL London is at Royal Victoria Dock, E16 1XL. (The best way to get there is using the Docklands Light Railway.)

If you enjoyed this article about the London Boat Show, subscribe to our blog in the right sidebar; look for ‘Follow Blog’. (We don’t send spam or salesy type stuff – just interesting articles about boats and waterways!)

The post Meet Fox Boats at the London Boat Show 2018 appeared first on Fox Narrowboats.

The boatbuilding and maintenance team were delighted to receive these kind words from Mike and Malena about the work undertaken on their boat over recent times.

Once again Fox’s have done us proud with a great job of painting our narrow-boat. They have always been good to deal with, everybody has been kind and helpful. We’re attaching 3 piccies. The first is when the boat was new in 2005 (not from Fox’s) seriously under-powered with an outboard motor. The second after Fox’s extended it and replaced outboards with Isuzu 35hp inboard. Superb workmanship by Alan; and the last is this year when we had it repainted with another superb job by Gary. Not to forget Tracey and everybody else who were always pleased to see us and never minded when we took photographs of work in progress.

thanks to all Mike & Malena

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“Having now arrived safely back at our home moorings we just wanted to write to you all to thank you so much for repairing Venturer for us.
Back in October we were at our ‘wits end. It made us believe that our ‘boating days’ we’re well and truly over!
Only after speaking to Alan were we reassured that all was not lost and that Fox’s would be able to repair our boat for us.
Since October you have all been terrific and frequent communications and reassurance have been a real comfort to us.
Venturer’s hull and engine well repairs seem to be all that we had hoped and we are sure that we can now look forward to future boating.
Not that Fox’s reputation needs it but rest assured we shout your praises to everyone we meet on the river!
Our grateful thanks to you all once again.
Best wishes.
David and Jane”

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Pam

Name: Pam

Role: Marina Assistant

Responsibilities: Reception, Till reconciliation, Day Boat handovers and invoicing

How long have you been working for fox boats? 7 years

Favourite thing about working for Fox Boats: Having the knowledge to pass on to customers when doing boat handovers. I even did a day boat handover to Rick Wakeman

Funniest memory/experience of working at Fox Boats: Trying to remain professional when a delivery driver accidentally went through a puddle and covered a cyclist in our road, who then came in to complain.

Something interesting/unusual about you: I was born on Remembrance Day. On my 40th birthday I was in Munich listening to the glockenspiel. The time and date was 11am 11/11/11.

Best thing about living in Cambridgeshire: Flat land and scenery

If you could name one of the boats, what would you name it? I used to have a boat which was called Aquaholic.

The post Staff Spotlight – Pam appeared first on Fox Narrowboats.

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It’s best to make sure that your winter preparations are done before the waterways have frozen – if you don’t have time to do it yourself, book it in to be carried out by our staff team before the cold sets in.

If you plan to winterise the boat yourself here, are 3 basic steps to help you protect your narrowboat or canal boat from the cold.

Step 1. Pump Your Bilge

Condensation and water dripping from the windows, the stern gland, the weed hatch or the deck can all result in water collecting in the bilge and engine compartment. Clear any mud, leaves and debris from the scuppers, deck, gunwales, roof edges and channels around the roof hatches. Make sure that any extra water does not originate from a plumbing or engine leak.

Then, to prevent hull corrosion, grab some bilge cleaner from the chandlery, use according to instructions, and pump out any excess water from the bilge. If you leave that water sitting there, it could encourage the growth of bacteria and emit a nasty smell after a few weeks. If the water contains any oil or grease this should be pumped into a container and disposed of responsibly. Boatyards or local councils can advise the nearest place to safely dispose of oil; nobody wants to see it floating in the Cut! Any water left remaining in the bilge can be sponged out by hand – a lovely, messy and tedious job!

It’s a good idea to install a bilge pump float switch to keep the water under control while you’re away from the boat. Give the stern gland a good twist to discourage any further leaking. You may also want to check the antifreeze levels in the engine coolant system. (Testers are available in shops that sell motor spares.)

Step 2. Empty the Water Tank

The main reason to empty the water tank is that frozen water pipes can expand and burst causing a leak in the accommodation while you’re away. But the second reason is that any water left in the tank for some time will develop bacteria and odours and become unpleasant quite quickly! Run the tank as empty as you can by opening all the taps, and then switch off the electric water pump. You’ll hear the strange sound of the buzzing pump motor when the tank is empty. Don’t let this run on for more than about 30 seconds or you’ll risk damaging the motor. When you leave the boat you should leave the taps turned on and the pump turned off. In the bathroom, leave the showerhead hanging loose in a way that allows any water to drain out. It’s also advisable to empty and rinse your pump-out or cassette toilet.

Step 3. Switch Everything Off

Turn off the 12 volt electrics using the battery isolation switch and turn off the propane or butane gas supply. Check that any 240 volt supplies are also turned off and left safe. Safely store a generator in a gas-tight locker. Then remove anything valuable, close the curtains and lock the boat up securely.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of jobs to do, every boat is different. If you have some good tips for ‘winterisation’ feel free to share them with us on our Facebook page.

Disclaimer: These tips are for guidance only. If you are unsure about any element of DIY boat maintenance pleases seek advice from a reputable marine engineer, or book the work to be done at Fox Narrowboats.

The post How Winter Threatens to Damage Your Narrowboat – 3 Ways to Protect Yourself appeared first on Fox Narrowboats.

Fox holiday narrowboat

“Dear Team at Fox’s Narrow Boats

Just wanted to say thank-you for the brilliant break we had with you last September, everything from the booking to the holiday went really smoothly. Having only sailed on yachts I was wondering what a Narrow Boat holiday would be like, it was fantastic. The briefing and boat handling gave us all we needed to know.

The boat was well laid out, clean and comfortable, having everything we need to make the holiday perfect.

The Fens Waterways are peaceful and within a matter of minutes we were excited to see a flash of Blue as a Kingfisher flew to a nearby tree.

cambridge boating kingfisher

We found plenty to places to visit and eat, cooking a full English in the galley and eating at the front of the boat as the world went buy was relaxing.

I have certainly recommended your company to others and hope you have a busy season and will be back soon.“

Jon and Jenny

The post Customer Testimonial of the Month appeared first on Fox Narrowboats.

Tracey

Fox Boats is run by Paula Syred and Tracey Baxter, who are the daughters of Charlie Fox, the man who founded Fox Boats in 1952. They have a team of 7 dedicated staff, who love to help people have amazing holidays and day trips on the waterways in Cambridgeshire. Before putting the staff in the spotlight, we decided it was only fair to turn the spotlight on Paula and Tracey, and to share more about them!

Favourite thing about running Fox Boats:

P: Meeting so many different people from around the world when they visit the UK for a canal holiday adventure.

T: Turning customers’ ideas into reality when they order a bespoke boat.

Funniest memory/experience of running Fox Boats:

Paula

P: Receiving a lecture from my father on professionalism and two minutes later he went to do a hire boat handover and promptly walked off the end of the landing stage, leaving only his trademark bush hat floating on top of the water.

T: Thinking about my father’s mantra for boat painting: “Awkward bits, corners and ends and edges first” whilst I’m varnishing what seems like miles of wooden matching.

Something interesting/unusual about you:

P: I was born in March, however my birthday is in August!

T: I have boated in many areas.  Kayaking around the Twenty Foot loop for charity was a challenge, as it is a 26 mile trip!

Best thing about living in Cambridgeshire:

P: The magnificent sunsets.

T: Cycling through open spaces.

Vision for the future of Fox Boats:

P: To continue providing quality holidays and day trips for many years to come.

T: To be running the company when the Bedford – Milton Keynes waterways link comes to fruition putting us on a navigable circular ring.

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