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Everything You Need to Know to Cruise with Confidence Driving a canal boat (also called “steering” or “helming”) might seem daunting at first — especially if it’s your first time. But don’t worry — it’s much easier than it looks. With a little patience, some basic technique, and a steady hand, you’ll be confidently cruising […]

Your Step-by-Step Guide to Getting Started on the Water If you’ve never hired a canal boat before, one of the most common questions is:“What happens when we arrive — do we just get handed the keys and set off?” Absolutely not! A proper canal boat handover is a key part of the holiday — it […]

If you have ever sailed with us it is highly likely you will have noticed the very imposing ‘Ainscough Mill’ as we travel east after passing through ‘The Wharf’. It’s been the home of luxury apartments for the last ten years but it has an interesting history with strong links to the Leeds and Liverpool […]

Following the British Expeditionary Force’s chaotic evacuation from the Dunkirk beaches in 1940 there was a very real threat of invasion by the rampant German military. Their plan for invasion was code named ‘Operation Sea Lion’ and they planned to sail by August 15th. The aptly named General Sir Edmund Ironside was tasked by Sir […]

This spell of very cold weather has led to stretches of the canal network icing up and has us remembering the devastating winter of 1962/3 which effectively killed the canal network as a commercial proposition. From December 1962 through to March 1963 the canal network was completely frozen and unpassable despite the efforts of icebreaker […]

It’s easy to take our local canal for granted if you are a frequent walker or a cyclist. We have some beautiful countryside alongside the canal including the 7 mile Rufford Branch which boaters can use to access The Ribble Linkand onto the Lancaster Canal and 42 miles of lock free cruising. This post looks […]

When you sail with us our experienced skippers will try and include a little insight into the history of the Leeds and Liverpool canal whilst you enjoy a relaxing sail along one of the oldest and longest navigation canals in the UK. The concept of a series of navigation canals came as a result of […]

Afternoon Tea – A Brief History The quintessentially English habit of Afternoon Tea dates back to the 1840’s and was designed tostave off hunger between Lunch and the set Evening Meal. It was indulged in by the upperechelons of society who would declare ‘open at home for tea receptions’ for up to 200 guests toattend […]

Our 30’ narrowboat is a familiar sight as she cruises the West Lancashire stretch of the canal buthow much do we really know about the Leeds Liverpool canal ? The canal was originally proposed in the 1760’s with Yorkshire stone and coal barons keen to finda way of getting their products to the thriving port […]

The Leeds Liverpool canal is 127 miles long and is the second longest waterway in the UnitedKingdom. There are 91 locks to travel through. Officially completed in 1816 it took 46 years ofmanual labour to complete. Join us on our Lancashire Canal Cruises narrowboat for a relaxingcruise from Scarisbrick to Appley Bridge via Parbold. It’s […]