Practical Boat Owner – May 2018

WHIO

Whio is the Maori name for the

Blue Duck, an endangered New

Zealand water-bird. Found in

fast-flowing rivers their populations

are struggling to urvive against

introduced predators such as

possums and stoats.

If you like life at a slower pace
then canal boating is for you

The author working a lock

drop the tiller for a minute, but you can of
course pull in to the towpath in many
places. No one will rush you and you’ll
find fellow boaters are only too happy to
help you through a tricky manoeuvre.
Everyone seems keen to chat and there is
little of the schadenfreude attitude of
yachties waiting for someone to make a
mistake in a crowded anchorage.
The canals are increasing in popularity
and that goes for the tow paths too.
They’re now very popular with walkers,
runners, cyclists and anglers. I came to
the canals via an increasing need to find
flat walks. My bugbear is cyclists who
come up behind you silently with no

warning. I’ve been known to shout

“Where’s your bell?” on a few occasions.

A quick sidestep into the path of a silent

cyclist to avoid overhanging hawthorns

could lead to a nasty wet smash.

The history of the canals is a fascinating

subject and there are examples of

magnificent Victorian engineering to be

seen on any cruise. From simple elegant

brick bridges to staircase flights of locks to

enormous iron constructions such as the

Anderton lift in Cheshire; built in 1875 and

raising boats 50ft in 250-ton hydraulic

caissons in about three minutes.

For a very readable story of the decline

of commercial to recreational use the

classic book is Narrow Boat by LTC Rolt.

There must be a copy on nearly every

boat in the ‘cut’. Another popular modern

author is Terry Darlington who, in his

Narrow Dog series, has written amusingly

about cruising his boat on waterways in

the UK, France and, intriguingly, the East

Coast of the USA.

There’s much to learn about the history

of the narrowboat. I still don’t understand

why tillers are Z-shaped, and what is the

meaning of the ogival patterns painted on

many bow doors? Many people know about

the traditional roses and castles designs on

hatches and utensils – but why... where did

they come from? I’ve heard it’s a reminder

of a rural past, but the boat spends most of

its time in rural surroundings with flora and

fauna just an arms-reach away. And the

castles look rather ‘Mad King Ludwig-style

of Bavaria’. Odd.

On the canal tradition is still important,

but the 21st century is making its

presence felt, often for the better. It is

increasingly common to install a hybrid

engine system and some owners are even

designing all-electric boats. It must be

wonderful to glide along in utter silence.

So is narrowboating worth it? Give it a try

before you start checking Rightmove

for houses in Fiddlers Green!

You’ll find fellow

boaters are only

too happy to help

32 Practical Boat Owner • http://www.pbo.co.uk

BOATS