It’s not often that you have a real adventure.

But that was exactly how it felt when we set off from Worcester Marina on the narrowboat that would be our home for the next three nights.

 

Evesham Journal:

‘Set off’ sounds sedate. In reality it was a baptism of fire as we took possession of the 25-tonne boat and attempted to navigate our first challenge – the sharp left hand turn out of the marina.

Staff had drawn us a picture of what was required – a neat three-point turn. I’d say we did it in nearer 10, seeing way more of the foliage on the opposite side of the canal than was strictly necessary.

But turn we did in the end – and that little triumph set the mood for the rest of our journey.

The first lesson we learnt – and learned quickly – was to slow down.

Over the three days we travelled from Worcester Marina to Hanbury Wharf before doing another – inexpert – 25-point turn to make the return journey. It’s a little strange to think you could have driven the same distance in less than an hour but slowing down the pace is exactly what a narrowboat trip is all about.

We discovered this as we approached our first lock, with the light failing, and realised our ambitious plans would have to wait for tomorrow. This led quickly to our second lesson – when you are on the water, everyone is your friend.

As we set about making our first pit stop, some very lovely people from another boat jumped out to help us. (I suspect they could tell we were newbies!)

They offered a few very welcome tips and this cheery friendliness was to become a common theme. When you are travelling at not much more than walking speed, it’s almost impossible NOT to pass the time of day with other boaters or even people walking along the canal paths.

For us, it was a voyage around our area but many of those we met along the way had travelled to other parts of the country and then opted to explore it via its waterways. You cannot deny it offers an extra layer of exploration to any trip.

Our first stopEvesham Journal:

A narrowboat life is an outdoor life – someone always has to steer and chat to passers-by – but we were surprised at just how cleverly compact it was aboard.

As a family-of-five we had the two-bedroom, two-bathroom Mandarin Duck model and every nook and cranny was used with the dining room table transforming into another double bed. Heating, running water and a cooker ensure we were cosy.

My three children – aged 13, nine and seven – certainly made themselves at home but, of course, the place everyone wanted to be was where the action was – on the deck.

Confusingly you steer the opposite way to where you actually want to go, to much hilarity.

Staff at the marina gave us a briefing on how to navigate the locks and seemed confident that, with supervision, children could get involved with the locks.

We were doubtful but it proved absolutely true. What seemed daunting on day one was second nature by day three.

Evesham Journal:

In total we passed through more than 20 locks and the last one was as much of a thrill as the first.

In all this talk of travel, have I mentioned the stops?

The whole point of working up a sweat going through locks is surely to enjoy the canalside fare? We had very enjoyable stops at The Bridge in Tibberton and the Forge Studio in Dunhampstead – and sampled some of the goods from The Eagle and Sun at Hanbury and The Chestnut in Lansdowne.

Evesham Journal:

In short, experiencing Worcester and the surrounding area from the canal was like stepping into a secret world we didn’t know existed. It was a holiday, a chance to learn new skills, an introduction to a whole community and a huge dollop of fun.

And now we cannot wait for our next narrowboat adventure.

For details, go to abcboathire.com, call 0808 2966328 or email info@abcboathire.com