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I have always had a rather romantic view of boating holidays. One of my all-time favourite books is Jerome K Jerome's Three Men in a Boat, and, despite the fact the characters get into all sorts of scrapes on the Thames, the pace of life and detachment from everyday living really appeals. When Black Prince Holidays said it was looking for a dog owning family to try a short break on one of its canal boats, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to shatter my illusion! In Jerome's book, three friends are accompanied on their adventure by Montmorency, a small Fox Terrier who never did care for the river. I was sure my dog, Max, would be more enthusiastic about canal life, but I was worried that his obsession with swimming would make him jump ship at every opportunity. The human crew consisted of myself, husband Simon, brother Neil and mum Jill. A few weeks before our holiday we were sent a copy of The Boater's Handbook, which gave diagrams for operating the locks and advice on what to do in various situations. I noted that 'dog overboard' was not one of the scenarios mentioned. It did say that about 30 per cent of Black Prince customers have never been in a canal boat before and the company does not let you go until you are confident that you can manage the boat.
We picked up our boat - Laura, a Duchess 4 - at the Black Prince base in Stoke Prior, just outside Bromsgrove on the Birmingham to Worcester canal. Once we had unloaded our luggage into the boat, we went to the reception where we were given a map and advised on the best route to take in the time we had - down to Worcester and back again. We then went back to the boat with an engineer, who showed us how to drive it, how to work all the equipment onboard and the routine maintenance that needed to be done, such as keeping the propeller free from debris. All aboard As we all boarded the boat, I was a bit nervous about how Max would make the small jump. He was a little hesitant at first and would have been fine if I hadn't tried to help. He ended up between the boat and the bank with his back end in the water and I had to pull him out by his harness. This was the only time any of us went in the water, and, by the second day, we were hopping on and off with ease. We had been advised to nominate a skipper for the voyage. Simon volunteered for the responsibility and read through the Skipper's Handbook that we found on board the boat. We set off, Simon steering, and were talked through the first lock by another Black Prince employee. We had been given a couple of lock keys to open and close the lock paddles, which looked like large right-angled spanners, and Neil and I operated this first lock successfully, lowering the boat about 10 feet. | It was suggested that we travel downstream from Stoke Prior, as upstream we would have gone straight into the Tardebigge flight of 30 locks - the largest flight in Britain. We were certainly not ready for this yet. While Simon continued to steer and Jill unpacked and put the kettle on, Max and I sat up at the front (or the bow to use proper boating speak) and watched the world slowly chug by. Max soon made himself at home and seemed fairly uninterested in the surrounding wildlife - even when an angry swan hissed in his face! Within the first mile, stretched out with a mug of tea in hand, I spotted ducks, ducklings, swans, a watervole, cows, sheep, lambs and three herons. I had just found myself being lulled into a pleasant reverie when there came a shout from the skipper, "Lock!" This would be our first unassisted lock and we were all nervous. We pulled up to the bank so Neil and I could jump out, and we opened the first gate so Simon could steer the boat in. The locks are only just slightly wider than the boats, but as you are going so slowly, it does not matter too much if you touch the sides. We closed the top gate and opened the paddles on the bottom gate so the water could drain out, and the water level dropped. The view from the boat at this time was of damp brick walls rising up as the boat sank down into the dark lock chamber. Max had been relaxed up until this point, but going through the lock was just too strange. He wanted off, so Jill took him inside the boat where he was much happier, and this became our lock routine. Feeling relieved and a bit smug that we had come through the first lock unscathed, we were confronted with a line of five more. We soon realised that locks tend to come along like buses. Life afloat We travelled for about three-and- a-half hours and decided to moor up before it got dark. There were bollards along the towpath, which we tied the boat to, and we washed, ate and were glad of our beds. There was a lot more headroom in the boat than I imagined, and, although the inside was cosy, it wasn't at all claustrophobic. Neil is six foot tall but didn't have to stoop because the floor is actually below the water line. I opened the curtains the next morning to see a duck swim past the window. The second day was our only full day of sunshine and it was glorious. Max loved lying at the front of the boat with the sun on his face and we moved his bed out there to make him more comfortable. Occasionally he would prick up his ears with interest if there was an unusual bird or small furry creature, but generally he was happy just to chill out. The best bit about taking a dog on the canal is that the towpath is never ending. Because the boat travelled at walking pace, Jill and Max could hop off for a walk and then just hop back on when they had had enough. The towpath was a great source of excitement for Max, as there was plenty to sniff and lots of other dogs to meet. By the end of the second day, I really started to ache, mainly around the shoulders, as some of the lock paddles were hard to turn. We got to Worcester quicker than we expected and it was strange pulling into the city by canal. We passed through residential areas, under busy roads and through an industrial estate. It was a peculiar view of a city and a stark contrast to the green rolling hills we had been used to seeing from the boat. We found everyone on the canal to be friendly and encountered no hostility between holidaymakers and those who make the canal their home. Resident boaters are keen to help, and, because of the slow pace of life, people always have time for a chat. On our return journey, we encountered a problem with one of the locks. A long boat ahead of us had got stuck in the lock, causing the boating equivalent of a traffic jam. On a canal, there is no such thing as a diversion, so our only option was to moor up and wait. The boat that was stuck was around 100 years old, and, in the days when it was built, boats were made as big as possible for the size of the locks. Over the years, due to ageing and weathering, the bricks in this lock had dropped, causing the boat to get wedged. A few other people were waiting to pass through the lock, but British Waterways was already in attendance and trying to pull the boat out. Passers-by, including Simon and Neil, gave a hand trying to pull the boat free, but, in the end, they had to enlist the help of a Land Rover. Journey's end A canal holiday is the sort of vacation where you don't need to wear a watch. Just eat when you are hungry, sleep when you are tired, and get up when you are ready for action. It's relaxing but not in the same way as a week lying on a beach with a book. It can be hard work, but, while you are navigating the boat, you are so focused on the task in hand that your normal life is a distant memory and any troubles are left behind. Although I ached after our short break, I felt refreshed from the change of lifestyle and still believe there is something very special about this unique type of holiday. When we returned the boat, still in one piece and ahead of schedule, we prided ourselves on our excellent teamwork and new boating skills. Max just jumped into the back of the car and slept all the way home. |
