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The Boaters HandbookThis video is a must watch for anyone who has never ventured out on the canals before. Just like a road there are rules that you need to be aware of for safe travel and we want your first canal experience to be one of the best it can be, not one where you wonder why you booked it! So please heed our advise and watch this video, it holds the answers to all your questions and explains exactly what to expect.
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Acorn turned and on with training
Drifting Wood Canal Breaks have already introduced many new comers to cruising the Llangollen Canal and this is why we have the following in place to ensure your first experience is the best it can be!
So you've made the leap and decide to book ... How can you best prepare for you first time cruising and handling a narrowboat? From your first point of contact we will ask if you have any previous experience handling a narrowboat, if the answer is yes, you are experienced great ... but there are many people for whom this is a first and we don't want it to be a bad experience hence what we offer new comers!
Laura will point you in the direction of the Boaters Handbook, which is available directly on our website ... please note, it is vital that you follow this advise so that by the time you come to board you will already know what a Windlass is, which side of the canal you should be on, what is the correct etiquette when passing moored boats, what the speed limit is ... the list does go on. Knowledge is power and if you arrive having watched this video, and we do mean more than the night before you come down! There's 25 minutes of extremely important information to absorb and we can't stress enough what a difference it will make to your holiday, so the more you take on board before you arrive the more you will benefit from the hands on tuition, as it will make sense rather than us using these 45/60 minutes trying to explain what you should already know, after all only a fool would jump in a car for the first time and pull out onto a road without knowing something first!
During your training you will be shown how to turn the boat around, this is the first thing we'll show you in practice, how to steer, how to safely pass moored boats, how to operate a lift bridge, passing through bridges, stopping and mooring up, how to know if you are travelling too fast, and what to do if you are unsure of events happening in front. If there's anything you aren't sure of Dana is more than happy to show you and run through it with you. She will accompany you to the Whitchurch Marina where we set you off on your own, following a fuel top up and emptying of the waste tank.
We do only allow new comers to travel in the direction of the town of Llangollen. Again, this is because we want you to have time to settle into handling your boat and as you won't face any locks until the second day, at the earliest, you will by then have the confidence to tackle them and being only two locks (each way) it is a far easier route to introduce you to the world of cruising canals. We break no bones about it, your first day can be stressful and for many usually is BUT to see those people return a few days later beaming ear to ear and relating to us all the 'incidents' they bore witness to tells us we have made the right decision with regards to trying to introduce people to the canals in a way that means they want to return and venture further afield ... We also have a DVD and printed version of the Boaters Handbook on board so you should never be left feeling at odds ... plus don't forget we are only a phone call away 24/7
So you've made the leap and decide to book ... How can you best prepare for you first time cruising and handling a narrowboat? From your first point of contact we will ask if you have any previous experience handling a narrowboat, if the answer is yes, you are experienced great ... but there are many people for whom this is a first and we don't want it to be a bad experience hence what we offer new comers!
Laura will point you in the direction of the Boaters Handbook, which is available directly on our website ... please note, it is vital that you follow this advise so that by the time you come to board you will already know what a Windlass is, which side of the canal you should be on, what is the correct etiquette when passing moored boats, what the speed limit is ... the list does go on. Knowledge is power and if you arrive having watched this video, and we do mean more than the night before you come down! There's 25 minutes of extremely important information to absorb and we can't stress enough what a difference it will make to your holiday, so the more you take on board before you arrive the more you will benefit from the hands on tuition, as it will make sense rather than us using these 45/60 minutes trying to explain what you should already know, after all only a fool would jump in a car for the first time and pull out onto a road without knowing something first!
During your training you will be shown how to turn the boat around, this is the first thing we'll show you in practice, how to steer, how to safely pass moored boats, how to operate a lift bridge, passing through bridges, stopping and mooring up, how to know if you are travelling too fast, and what to do if you are unsure of events happening in front. If there's anything you aren't sure of Dana is more than happy to show you and run through it with you. She will accompany you to the Whitchurch Marina where we set you off on your own, following a fuel top up and emptying of the waste tank.
We do only allow new comers to travel in the direction of the town of Llangollen. Again, this is because we want you to have time to settle into handling your boat and as you won't face any locks until the second day, at the earliest, you will by then have the confidence to tackle them and being only two locks (each way) it is a far easier route to introduce you to the world of cruising canals. We break no bones about it, your first day can be stressful and for many usually is BUT to see those people return a few days later beaming ear to ear and relating to us all the 'incidents' they bore witness to tells us we have made the right decision with regards to trying to introduce people to the canals in a way that means they want to return and venture further afield ... We also have a DVD and printed version of the Boaters Handbook on board so you should never be left feeling at odds ... plus don't forget we are only a phone call away 24/7
