boating information

Equipment

A second hand boat bought on a brokerage may well be fully equipped and ready to cruise. If not, be prepared to buy some or all of the following: bedding, cushions, crockery, cutlery, kitchen utensils, windlasses, mooring pins & piling hooks, club hammer, ropes and all the other bits and pieces you can’t live without.

Training

Unlike the rest of Europe, you do not need any formal qualifications to go cruising on Britain’s canals. In theory you could hand over the money for 20+ tonnes of steel and cruise straight onto a busy waterway having never set foot on a boat before. Whilst many people have picked up their experience from sharing a friend’s boat or hiring, there is no substitute to having some professional training. Even people who have been boating for years are surprised how much they can improve their boat-handling skills after a day’s training. Many marinas will be able to put you in touch with someone who can offer training, for example the RYA's (Royal Yachting Association) Helmsman’s course.

Where to start

Many people will decide to buy their own boat after many years hiring. If this is you, then you probably have a pretty good idea of the size and type of boat you want. If your experience is more limited then now is the time to start reading the waterways magazines and getting yourself familiar with the wide variety of boats available. It is strongly recommended that you hire a boat for a least a week before committing to the significant costs involved in ownership. Whilst cruising the canals may look like an idyllic pastime on a nice sunny day, some people find the realities a little more challenging.

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