# Narrow Boats



## bry1975 (Feb 6, 2004)

Yo,

Has anyone experience of narrow boats?

I've never been on one, and i'm interested in 'em.

Cheers

Bry


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## Nin (Jul 16, 2004)

They're long, thin and not much headroom (if you're 6'3"" like me).

Cold in Winter and warm in Summer, but good fun and you generally get to meet a good crowd.

There is a huge waterway network in the UK and you can travel in style thoguh some very beautiful countryside, and some pretty exciting cities too. The best option is to rent one and have a go, see how you get on.

Nin


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## MarkF (Jul 5, 2003)

Nin said:


> They're long, thin and not much headroom (if you're 6'3"" like me).
> 
> Cold in Winter and warm in Summer, but good fun and you generally get to meet a good crowd.
> 
> ...


I reckon you meet a similar crowd at any morris dancing festival or Steeleye Span gig, don't forget your beard and cardie









Seriously, I live just 5 mins from the Leeds/Liverpool canal and like to watch the narrow boats most Sundays on my weekly bonding with nature walk. I particularly like watching the newbies, especially when they get the boat nose too close to the lock gates, get hooked, and then have to leap for their lives when the boat gets to about 45 degrees







just before it sinks. I like that a lot


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## bry1975 (Feb 6, 2004)

Thanks Lads,

Really, I'm gonna have a look around the british waterways museum









Regards

Bry



MarkF said:


> Nin said:
> 
> 
> > They're long, thin and not much headroom (if you're 6'3"" like me).
> ...


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## Nin (Jul 16, 2004)

> I reckon you meet a similar crowd at any morris dancing festival or Steeleye Span gig, don't forget your beard and cardie


Aye you're not wrong there Mark. The Cropredy Folk Festival is a mecca for beardy boaties - A damn fine crowd most of them, including a few interesting characters who have opted out of the mainstream and just chill out on theor narrow-boats all year.

I met one guy who'd taken his across the channel to France for 18months. Flippin scary prospect crossing the shipping lanes in an 8kt narrow boat ....


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## pg tips (May 16, 2003)

A friend of mine lives at Fleckney in Leics which is a few miles from Foxton Locks click here

10 locks to go up 75 feet! on a busy Sunday you can wait hours to get up or down!


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## JoT (Aug 12, 2003)

My old man bought one a few years ago .... I thought he was the most unlikely person to get interested in narrow boats .....









In my limited experience .... one trip ....







I thought it was pretty cool .... did about 15 miles in a day .... found a pub and got pissed .... next day helped out a boatload of townie girls tie their knots ... found a pub ... got half- pissed and got laid .... all in all a good few days







Oh yes ... fell in the canal the next day and lost my camera ....


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## MarkF (Jul 5, 2003)

John's right, alcohol plays a big part in the narrow boat enthusiasts life, in summer, to a man (or woman) they are always pissed, the deck awash with empty bottles. It's a good job they don't go any faster







Summer time is the best time for seeing boats sink in the locks







I will get a pic up in the summer!


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