While I pointed the boat into the canal side and killed the engine, my friend grabbed the control line (permanently attached to the roof of our 57ft long narrowboat, the Orla) and brought her to a stop as I switched off the ignition.

Thanking God that I paid attention in our safety briefing the previous day, I realised that day two of our voyage on the Llangollen Canal, through Shropshire and Wales, might be difficult to forget. But our problem was sorted amazingly fast. One quick phone call and 45 minutes later we were moving again, after the Viking Afloat engineer speedily tracked us down on our remote towpath. Our boat hadn't broken down - it was merely suffering the adverse effects of leaves caught around the propeller and I had failed to notice the engine labouring as it overheated. By sunset, the familiar chugging noise was back to normal. IS4til a friend suggested canal cruising in a narrowboat, I never even thought of it as somewhere for a holiday. But after just a few hours on board I was amazed by just how relaxing it was.

The surprises began when we were shown around our narrow boat,the Orla, in the hire company's base at Whitchurch, near Nantwich. She was centrally heated, with two permanent double beds with spring mattresses, another pull-out single bed and a double which converted from table and seats in the galley.

double-filtered drinking water. This really was a home away from home. Chuck in the flush toilets in the smallest room, a better power shower than I have found in any hotel and no wonder the British Tourist Board happily accords these boats its top four star ratIng.

As we loaded up, we made use of tea and biscuits already on the boat. Then Michael introduced himself as our guide and his comprehensive safety briefing ranged from lighting the oven to tackling a sudden emergency.

It was nearly dusk when we found a suitable mooring place (which are well signposted and appear regularly on canals). With The Wagoners Inn at Platt Lane, a traditional country pub, well signposted from the canal, we were soon quaffing ale and pub food in hearty portions while the boat was securely tethered to the bank.

The dawn was damp but bright, and soon we chugged through rolling hills, lakes and fields of Shropshire's countryside.

With modern life such a rush, it takes a while to acclimatise to life at barely 4mph. Breathtaking scenery aids relaxation on a winding canal, where you rarely see other boats for miles at a time. A narrow boat is completely self-sufficient and generates electricity at night for daily cruising. The only thing you must remember is to regularly top up the 100-gallon fresh water tank.

Luckily, there are plenty of clearly marked water points along British Waterways-managed canals. With water full to the brim we continued towards Chirk before getting waylaid again by the Poachers Pocket - another hostelry with ample mooring space.

We cruised back across the aqueduct (I was happier with my friend at the helm) and this time moored up at Hindford, which just happens to be the location of The Jack Mytton, a wonderful inn with a massive 88-seat restaurant.

The following day, in the old Shropshire town of Ellesmere we moored up by the old Shropshire Union Railways and Canal Companies store.

The locals couldn~t have been more friendly and welcoming. With a freshly-made piping hot pasty, we relaxed on the canalside.

We were back at the Whitchurch boatyard early next day . Getting into a car, and back into life in the fast