Sci-fi And Shakespeare

David Johns heads to Stratford, via some lively locks, and relives some wonderful childhood memories of the Avon.

Climbing Crofton

Crofton Locks are a gentle stroll for walkers, but they represented a water supply headache for canal engineers, plus a barrier to invading Germans – and the signs are still there to be seen...

Back To Black

As we approach the Blacking Season you may find this tale a useful reminder of getting your coverage (like the famous lager advert) into the places others fail to reach.

Heading For The Homestead

After the wide open spaces of the river Avon, David Johns returns to more familiar (and narrower!) territory.

Spring Madness

Spring fever is in the air with mad hares and queer coots, says Pip Webster, who tells us what to look out for around the cut.

The Dormouse That's Roaring Now Winter's Over

Waiting out the winter in front of a glowing hearth has left liveaboard David Johns ready to get fired-up again and head off for the trip of a lifetime.

So, you want to​​​​​​​ buy a boat...

What to buy can be fraught with difficulties, here Neil Barnett takes a sideways (but not necessarily inaccurate) view of the whole idea.

Keeping Up Appearances

The canal-builders usually went in for practical, unpretentious construction, but just occasionally there was a call for something different…

Worcestershire Wander

Take a walk that combines two contrasting waterways: the broad reaches of the river severn, and the rural meanderings of the droitwich barge canal.

Ducking And Diving

There’s more to the average duck than meets the eye, as Pip Webster reveals.

Erewash Excursion

There’s more to the Erewash valley than the Erewash Canal: follow a circuit around the valley’s navigable and abandoned canals, through a green but formerly industrial landscape.

Why the BSS?

Just because a boat was fine four years ago, that doesn’t unfortunately mean it’s still ‘safe’

Our Boat Hideaway

With flat batteries and suspicious electrics, this 56-footer needed some TLC but it soon came back to life as a much-loved cruiser.

The Little Things...

What makes a boat truly stand out from the crowd? Sometimes you just need a little finesse.

Pocklington Progress

East Yorkshire’s Pocklington Canal restoration has been rather a ‘stop / go’ project over the years. But now things are finally coming together, with a reopening in prospect.

Battling The Elements

With falling snow and heavy frosts, winter calls for preparation for liveaboards who don’t want to get caught out if the Big Chill arrives.

Underneath The Mistletoe

Druids worshipped it for more than kissing at Christmas, as Pip Webster explains.

On The Wild Side

School holidays means time for the annual family pilgrimage on the Thames for Sarah Mackfall and Richard Harrison.

Stay Positive With Sound Battery Care

It was a bit of a shock, I can tell you. When I pressed the starting button, instead of the throaty thud of my JP3 engine powering into life... there was a barely audible click followed by an ominous silence. Now, in the 25 years we’ve had our boat Justice, I can’t, hand on heart, say we’ve NEVER had problems starting our engine.

The Boat Boy

Growing up with grandmother who ran the Three Pigeons pub opened up a new world for a young child who never lost his love of narrowboats and their working crews on the busy canals.

An Engine Service? That's Proper Work

From car journalism to the canals was a change of pace, but living on board tug Harry is a constant eye-opener.

New Horizons

If you’ve bought your first boat, there are bound to be a few adventures along the way as you set off...