December Featured Photo
How Winter Threatens to Damage Your Narrowboat – 3 Ways to Protect Yourself
The poles and planks have now been removed from our hire boats and we’ve started the winter maintenance. Bookings are already coming in for the 2015 season so there’s plenty for us to be getting on with.
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.
Charity of the Year
Each year, at Fox Boats, we select a charity to support with fundraisers. Last year, we supported Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice and we raised £2565.46 for the cause. This year, we are raising funds for The British Heart Foundation, and we have had a lot of fun doing so!
Our recent fundraiser was a tombola, there were some great prizes to be won, which were donated by the staff and customers. The tombola raised £222 for the charity.
We had a very successful day of boat trips on the 7th June, where we ran trips from the marina to the west of March, through town past the March Festival and then to the Twenty Foot and back to the marina. We ran the trips from ten in the morning throughout the day, and raised £320. We are very grateful to all the wonderful people who turned up to support the event.
Then on the 31st August, a team of our staff, Tracey & Gary Baxter, Pam Wright, Nicola Baxter, Emily Syred and Alan Stimpson did a sponsored cycle ride around Rutland Water, which was also a great success (and a lot of fun!) and £285 was raised during that event.
Other events this year have included book sales, trips at St George’s Fayre, and our staff giving talks about the marina to groups and organisations.
We will post our final total raised for the British Heart Foundation at the end of the year, and we are currently open to suggestions for which charity we should support next year. Please email your suggestions to reception@foxboats.co.uk
Customer Testimonial of the Month
Kingfisher
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
Directors in the Spotlight
Tracey
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.
3 Things You Must Do When Visiting Cambridge
Cambridge is now one of the top 10 destinations for foreign tourists in the UK, according to figures released in June 2014. The nationwide tourist board VisitBritain reported that the city attracted 404,000 overseas visitors for stays of at least one night during 2013.
London, of course, was the most popular city in terms of tourism, and the rest of the top 10 were Edinburgh, Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool, Glasgow, Oxford, Bristol and Brighton. VisitBritain aims to encourage tourists to look beyond London, which attracted 16.7 million ‘staying’ visits last year.
Known for its university, beautiful architecture, students and so many bicycles, Cambridge is full of quirky English charm and history. Here are 3 essential things you must experience when visiting Cambridge by boat.
1) Heritage
Kings College Cambridge
When exploring the magnificent colleges of The University of Cambridge you’ll discover that some of them date back to the 13th Century! Don’t miss the late Gothic architecture of Kings College Chapel which was started in 1446 by Henry VI and took over a century to build. Here you’ll see the largest fan vault in the world and some absolutely stunning medieval stained glass.X BoatingX CambridgeX cambridge universityX Craft shopX HeritageX PuntingX RiversideX Tourist cambridge
Wiki: Cambridge University
Image GNU attributed to: Sailko
2) Retail Therapy
glass making
You’ll find most of the main national shop names on the streets of Cambridge, but you’ll also discover the local charms and quaint architecture of craft workshops, antique centres, jewellers, and art galleries. Shopping in Cambridge is an unforgettable experience.
All Saints Garden – Arts Craft Market
Image: Licenced Shutterstock
3) Cruising the Rivers
river punting cambridge
If you’re visiting Cambridge you’ll want to try punting, but if you’re visiting on your own hired canal boat you can explore the waterways so much more. When deciding upon a relaxed route for your cruising holiday on the East Anglia waterways Cambridge is a consistently popular choice for our customers. On your way to Cambridge you’ll experience the beautiful British countryside and picturesque villages, discovering ancient churches, wildlife, wild flowers, traditional pubs and the history of the Fens.
Travelling at a leisurely pace, you decide where to moor and what you want to see first. It has to be the prettiest and most relaxing way to see Cambridge, and you can choose between a canal or a barge style of boat depending on your personal preference.
To find out more about boating in Cambridgeshire you may like to follow us on Facebook or Google+.
Hello and welcome to the Fox Boats Blog!
As a family-owned and run business, we decided that we would like to share the side of our business that our website doesn’t – the personal side. With big companies, it’s easy to lose the human aspect, and as we are more of a family than a team of workers, we wanted to share what happens behind the scenes, what it’s like to work at Fox Boats, and the fun things we get involved in!
Paula
Tracey
Gerald
We have a Facebook page and a Twitter account, and we would be delighted if you followed and liked us there, as well as follow our blog for regular updates and useful articles and tips about our boats, the waterways, visiting and living in Cambridgeshire.
Gary
Alan
Pam
Please do leave comments and feedback on the posts, and let us know if there is anything you would like us to cover in the future.
Check back soon for our next post!
Wisbech Standard coverage of June Boat Trips
Wisbech Standard coverage June Boat trips
Thirty two people supported their charity boat trips on Saturday. This year the company is raising funds for The British Heart Foundation.
The trips ran from the marina to the west of March through the town and past the March Festival then heading out towards the Twenty Foot before turning and travelling back to the marina. The hour and a half long trips ran from 10am throughout the day and raised £320.
This makes the total raised so far this year by the company £723. This has been raised through book sales, trips at the St George’s Fayre and various staff giving talks about the marina to groups and organisations.
Read the full story
Fenland Citizen coverage of June Boat Trips
June Boat Trips Fenland Citizen
A total of 32 people supported Fox Narrowboats charity trips on June 7, which were raising money for the British Heart Foundation. Boaters enjoyed an hour-and-a-half trip from the marina to the west of March through the town and past the March Festival before heading out towards the Twenty Foo, The trips, which ran from 10am, raised £320. This makes the company’s fundraising total £723.
To read more go to
Charity Boat Trips are a success
Charity of the years gets another boost.
Thirty two people supported Fox Narrowboats charity boat trips on Saturday 7th June. This year the company is raising funds for The British Heart Foundation. The trips ran from the marina to the west of March through the town and past the March Festival then heading out towards the Twenty Foot before turning and travelling back to the marina. The hour and a half long trips ran from 10am throughout the day and raised £320. This makes the total raised so far this year by the company £723. This has been raised through book sales, trips at the St Georges Fayre and various staff giving talks about the marina to groups and organisations.
Other activities planned for this year include a sponsored cycle ride around Rutland Water and a tombola. The Rutland Water cycle will take place on Sunday 31st August and you can sponsor the team by visiting https://www.justgiving.com/CycleRutlandBHF
Fox Narrowboats operate a hire fleet of Narrowboats boats self-skippered for days and up to two week holidays between Easter and the end of September. March is situated at the heart of the Middle Level Navigations with easy access to cruising on the river Nene and Great Ouse.
This is the second year the company have focused on a charity of the year to support. Suggestions for next year’s charity can be made by emailing reception@foxboats.co.uk
