Cruising the Trent & Mersey Canal

The best thing to do on this journey is RELAX AND SLOOOOW DOOOOWN. The boat only can go 4 miles per hour, and with lock navigation, your average speed will be about 2 mph. Just accept that you don't have to be anywhere at any time. You have a fully equipped kitchen and can tie up anywhere to take a break.

Quick Tips:

If you aren't familiar with boat handling, I suggest that you INSIST on more instruction than they normally give you. I saw many instances of people floundering about the canal and can imagine that they were not enjoying themselves.

Luckily, I have previous naval experience and this was the best vacation I have taken in 30 years.

Best Way To Get Around:

I heard that you could rent bikes to ride along the tow paths, but we saw none in the week we were underway. Walking through the villages and enjoying the architecture at a leisurely pace is great.

The canal boat was fitted out like a travel trailer. Wood paneling throughout and vinyl flooring. One full bath and one half-bath. Full kitchen with microwave, stove, oven, and fridge. Two single beds, one queen, and one double made from the living room benches. The bow (front) of the boat had a bench on which two people could sit and enjoy the view.

Space was, of course, limited since the boat is only 6 1/2 feet wide, but you soon learn to make do with what you have.

On the down side, the boat was not in the cleanest condition when we went on board. I think the ladies had it cleaner when we returned.

We opted for the Holiday Inn in the city rather than the one right at the marina, because we wanted to explore the town on foot without the hassle of a taxi every time we went out. The rooms are VERY large for England. They were clean and well appointed. Of course, there was no air conditioning. Luckily, this was before the heat wave struck. The hotel is well situated to visit Nottingham Castle and other sights by foot.

We made a point of eating at the many fine old pubs that line the canal at most villages. We never had a bad meal. Children are welcomed everywhere but at the bar itself. The old cliche that English food is poor has disappeared. The food is GOOD!

The food ranged from fish and chips to steaks to more Continental fare. Service was always excellent and friendly. Definitely don't be turned off by the old appearance of the pubs. That's the character you should be looking for in England. If you want modern, then stay home.

One problem that you must be aware of when cruising with a canal boat is the fact that you are moving VERY SLOWLY. You must time your arrivals at the pubs for a lunch time of 11:30am to 1pm. Many of them close after that.

Plan on eating lunch on board as a backup.

First of all, I don't profess to be an expert canal-boat captain. I never set foot on a canal boat until our vacation began. I did have some experience with maneuvering other boats, which certainly helped. I hope to tell those landlubbers who are considering a vacation on a canal boat a few tips that could make their vacation more enjoyable and less nerve-wracking.

First of all, remember that you are moving a boat that weighs about 16 tons, so it will not stop on a dime and it won't turn immediately. The canal boats are suprisingly maneuverable, but you have to give them time to react. Plan your maneuvers ahead of time. The most important thing is to go SLOW. Don't go rushing up to a mooring or lock and then throw it into reverse and expect to stop immediately. That's a sure signal to anyone watching that you are a novice. Cut your power far ahead of time and let the boat coast. You will still have rudder control until it almost stops. Once you are going very slowly and approaching your mooring, come into shore at an angle of about 30 degrees. When your bow is just a few feet from the shore, push your rudder all the way toward the shore and put the engine in reverse. Hold it in reverse until your speed is zero. Then, while your rudder is still hard over toward the shore, put the engine into slow forward, and your stern (the back) will move against the shore. By this time, someone has jumped off with the bow line and is holding the boat. You made it! The main indication of a good boat handler is how smoothly he (or she) brings the boat alongside the shore. He does it slowly. We saw many of the old-timers glide slowly and effortlessly up to the shore single-handedly.

When underway and maneuvering around the many bends in the canal, you should realize that your boat pivots around its center and not the front. Keep this in mind when you swing out to line up with a lock or go around a sharp turn. And, by all means, SLOW DOWN!

You see me, time and again, saying "slow down." That's the secret to the process and also the secret to having a great time on a canal boat. Relax, slow down, and enjoy the scenery and friendship of those around you.

For a landlubber, the working of the locks can be intimidating. That is, until you see how easy it is! The water does all the work. All you are doing is draining the lock or filling it. You should plan on having two people to work the locks and one person to maneuver the boat into and out of the lock. A fourth would be a plus to help keep the boat in position in the lock and to hold the boat on the shore when dropping off and picking up the two lock men (or women). Yes, I saw a lot of ladies working the locks.

There is some etiquette involved when traversing the locks. In order to save water, if you are coming to a lock that has the water at your level, then you should go into it, even if there is a boat at the other level waiting. Likewise, if the water is not at your level, then see if a boat is ready to go in at that level.

How do they work? You come to the lock and drop off your lock crew. They see what the level is in the lock. If it is at your level and you are next in line, they check to make sure all of the floodgates are closed and then push the gates open. The gates have long arms on them that you push against to swing the gates open.

You then leave the shore and maneuver your boat into the lock. It's a tight squeeze with only a few inches to spare on either side, but you will soon learn to go very slowly and line up the boat without a problem.

Once inside, your crew will swing the gates closed. They will go to the opposite end of the lock and slowly open the floodgates or "paddles" to let the water in or out, depending on whether you are going upstream or down. While the water is rushing around in the lock, your boat will be pushed forward and back. It is easiest to just use your engine to stay in position. Look at the side of the lock and keep the boat oriented with a spot that you pick. Alternately, you can throw a line over one of the bollards on either side of the lock and hold the boat in position. Do NOT tie the line off!!! Your boat, depending on the lock, could be going up or down by as much as 15 feet.

Once the level in the lock has come to the same height as outside, the doors are pushed open and the floodgates are cranked back closed. You can then motor out and tie up outside to wait for your crew to close the gates and reboard. If there is another boat waiting to go in, then leave the gates open.

Many times, you will have to wait for another boat to go through the locks, and this is a great time to socialize and help each other out. You meet the nicest people when everyone is in the same "boat," so to speak.

On the one-week cruise we took, we went through 66 locks, which sounds like a lot, but it was fun. The old lock houses and the atmosphere around them is worth seeing. Many times there are pubs or villages at the locks that are waiting to be explored.