NOTICE: SORRY WE ARE FULLY BOOKED UNTIL OCTOBER 2010.

TRAINING & CONSULTANCY COURSES/CRUISES:
Want to live aboard your own narrowboat, and/or extensively cruise the English Canals?  Perhaps you would like a taste of what living aboard a private boat (as opposed to a typical hire boat) is really like, before putting in a lot of money and effort.  We can help!  Our training and consultancy cruises are a very cost-effective option for those wannabe liveaboards.

True ability in narrowboat handling only comes with ongoing practical experience built on a sound understanding of the principles involved. Our canal boating is greatly effected by the way the boat reacts to the canal water around it, which is itself curtailed within the channel of the canal. Our boating is very different to boating on sea or estuary.  Many of the techniques we use come from the methods used by traditional boatmen. Without proper understanding you will not become truly proficient.

Between October and March we operate our formal winter season training & consultancy courses described in the following paragraphs. These winter season formal courses are now only offered to couples - sorry, not to single persons.

Of course at any time of year those contemplating a 'liveaboard lifestyle' can come with us for a 'consultancy cruise'. Put simply, these let you get the flavour of what living aboard is really like but in a relaxed way.  Such a cruise can still let you get an insight into efficient boat handling, but it concentrates on other consultancy issues such as an understanding of the boat systems required for living aboard, tips on buying a narrowboat, understanding and obtaining different types of mooring or 'continuous cruising' - and just getting an idea of whether or not the lifestyle would suit you, before spending all that money.

Consultancy Aspects:
We are committed to the liveaboard lifestyle and want to help.  Although it isn't exhaustive (there isn't the space here), we have written some brief articles to get your mind working whilst you consider setting up suitable systems for living aboard a narrowboat - follow the links 'Boat Equipment'. That information is free for all, whether you come with us for a course or not.  We also discuss these aspects, in depth, during our courses (some call it brain picking). Perhaps a 'consultancy cruise' to get the feel of living aboard would suit.

Once you become a client by coming on one of our cruises/courses, we can assist with an email consultancy service to try and iron out specific consultancy queries you may have (that service is also extended to those who are yet to come on a course provided they have already paid their booking deposit).

Sorry but we just don't have the time to enter into consultancy email correspondence with those who are not yet clients - but feel free to browse this site and to read free articles we have written for canaljunction.com.

Boat Handling Aspects:
What we DO NOT aim to do:
If, as a novice, you are looking for a practical 'hands on' and straight forward narrowboat handling course to help get your boat from A to B - then our training is NOT designed to fulfill that function. There are a number of RYA boat handling courses available which can fulfill that function for beginners. From our observations, we would recommend Terry of 'TR Boat Handling' - he is clearly a very proficient boatman (and patient instructor). Willow is a heavy and powerful commercial hotel narrowboat - probably not the best 'hands on' training boat for potentially nervous novices.

What we DO aim to do:
True advanced narrowboat handling only comes with ongoing practical experience built on a sound understanding of how and why the boat reacts as it does to the skipper's commands and the effect of the water around it. So, the main aim of the boat handling aspect of our course is to provide that understanding, with demonstration of some very advanced techniques to illustrate and prove the theory. Many of the techniques and boating practices that we recommend descend from the practical methods historically used on working narrowboats, rather than by adapting ‘seagoing’ techniques to canal use. Even as a relative novice, that understanding will enable you to apply the principles as your actual boating experience develops - it gives you the 'ammunition' to progress in the right direction.

There is a lot to cover in just a few days. In that short period we cannot convert you into an instant competent narrowboat skipper - so we won’t try to. Instead we measure success, not with the issue of paper certificates, but by giving clients the ability and understanding to, themselves,  climb the learning curve to become a competent, confident and safe narrowboat skipper. 

The syllabus, of course, does include some narrowboat handling basics. But we will not dwell on those factors for long and we will soon progress onto the more advanced aspects of narrowboat handling, to our knowledge, not being taught formally elsewhere. Newcomers to narrowboating may not be able to practically master these advanced aspects during their first few days of narrowboating but we are confident that, given the understanding of the techniques, they will be able to master these skills with practice and in time. 

Course Costs: You pay no more than our ordinary hotel boat tariff.  Sorry, our formal courses are now only offered to couples, and not to single persons. 

Hotel Boat Facilities: During your visit with us you are, in effect, chartering our knowledge base and our hotelboat facilities for a purpose - to learn about boat handling and the liveaboard lifestyle. Much of the boat and the en-suite guest accommodation is laid out in very similar fashion to a comfortable, quality, 57ft private narrowboat.  Of course Willow is longer but the extra length is taken up by our separate private crew quarters in the stern. Some 'training' clients just come for a few days to cruise and 'chill out', as a try-out to see if they would like the life. Others have been on courses and have come back - not just for extra training, but because they enjoyed the break from the stress of 9 to 5.

How to Book: All booking are through our main website. If you would like to apply to come on a course/cruise with us click on the link.You are placed under no obligation by transferring to our main website.

Liveaboard Equipment  12v Charging systems  Water/Space Heating