Is Your Canal Boat Ready for the Winter?The temperatures are starting to drop and summer cruising is well and truly over. For those of you with boats on Britain’s canals and ....

A winding hole is a widened area of a canal (usually in the United Kingdom), used for turning a canal boat such as a narrowboat. HistoryWinding holes ....

  We get asked questions all the time about owning boats and living on them, and we have a wealth of knowledge in the sales office that we share with our customers, but a....

Boats are in a constant battle with the elements and the water all around them, and therefore regular maintenance is the key to stop the water from winning!Whatever your boat is ma....

Top Tips for getting ready for summer cruising on your canal boatNow the summer is here, that long narrowboat cruise will be in your thoughts. It can be a fun filled experience;&nb....

A correctly deployed narrowboat centre line can make a huge difference to your cruising pleasure and safety, particularly if you are a solo cruiser.Having a centre rope allows you ....

Knowing how to be a considerate boater and having a basic knowledge of what to do and what not to do on the canal will go a long way to making your time on the canal a happy and pl....

Why are boats named?There are many reasons why boats are named, but they are mainly named for identification and communication purposes. They are also often named for sentimental, ....

Solar Panels People regularly ask us about solar panels, and they often think that they can be quite independent with a just few panels on the roof. This, however, is not as true ....

A question that we are often asked is, “Which Inverter should I get?There are, however, a few questions to ask first.1. What do you want to be able to use while out and about....

LIFE ON CONTENTED - PART TWOOver the years we have made Contented our own home. She is no doubt completely different from when we were handed the keys. We have learnt that where th....

Weedhatch Explained.A weedhatch is a device used to gain access to the propeller and shaft, saving you from having to get in the water whilst on the inland waterways  A n....

Tips on checking your boats safetysystems ready for Spring cruisingVentillationVents can get dusty orgreasy over time and get clogged up so that they work inefficiently and reducet....

Hatches, Vents and Cratch BoardsThere are various ways of getting extra light and ventilation in to your boat, below are just a few…..Houdini HatchesHoudini hatches are fitt....

Stern TypesThere are three stern options on a narrowboat, Traditional, Semi-Traditional and Cruiser Style.  Here we explain the difference between them in order to help y....

What is a Boat Licence?If you want to keep and use any type of  boat (even a Kayak or a canoe) on the Inland Waterways of the UK, including the canals and rivers, you will nee....

Basic tips for maintaining your narrowboatOwning a canal boat can be a great experience, but you'll need to know at least the basics for maintaining your boat. If you look after yo....

Christmas on a Narrowboat Christmas isjust around the corner! After having an eventful summer the last thing you're thinking about is Christmas. Does anyone else feel it has come a....

Top Tips for Fitting Out A Sailaway NarrowboatYou will need a number of different skills to fit out a narrow boat shell. The key ones are carpentry, plumbing, gas fitting, electric....

New Boaters usually have many questions, but one of the most frequently asked questions is about continuous cruising. In this article we are going to try and explain just what is a....

Sinking Is Every Narrowboaters Worst Nightmare!Every boaters worst nightmare is for their boat to sink, especially if it's due to their mistake. Apparently boat sinkings are on the....

The gas locker on a used narrowboat and it's installations will be inspected as part of the Boat Safety Scheme examination, however as there are four years time between each inspec....

Our Top Tips for Getting Your Used Narrowboat to Pass the Boat Safety SchemeThe Boat Safety Scheme is a public safety initiative owned by Canal and River Trust and the Environment ....

PreparationStart by preparing your narrowboat for cruising, a great place to start would be to read Venetian Marinas  blog about preparing your narrowboat for the season ahead....

Advice On De Fouling The Propellor On A NarrowboatThere is often a lot of debris in the canals, particularly at this time of the year after winter winds have blown twigs, leaves an....

Winter CruisingThere aremany advantages and plenty of fun to have during the winter months on the canalnetwork, so if you fancy staying aboard this winter follow our top tips tosta....

Nappy Pinsalso known as piling hooks, iron hooks or mooring hooks. They are commonlyknown as nappy pins due to their shape.What Is It…A nappy pin is basically a mooring aid ....

Knowing howto behave on the water will make your boating experience amore pleasurable one. Some issues are caused through inexperience and lack of knowledge;others unfortunately ar....

How to Live on Your Narrowboat Over The Winter Time People who are new to boating often ask whether it’s possible tolive on a narrowboat over the Winter; the answer is Yes it....

The answeris YES! Winterising yourboat will help you avoid costly repair bills should your boat be damaged by thefreezing temperatures during the winter. If you intendto stay ....

Why Do We Black The Hull?The Basics – The hull is blacked to protect the bottom section of the boat, so specifically the area of the boat that is in the water and just above ....

Heating Options For A Narrow Boat There are basically three heating options available to the boater which can be used together or separately. A diesel fired central heating system ....

What are Canal LocksLocks are a mechanism buit to enable the canal to go up or downhill by altering the level of the water of the canal. There are several different types of l....

Before you leave the marina and go on a cruise it is important that you have planned your journey. You wouldn’t go on any other type of holiday without first planning your tr....

Advice on Steering A Narrowboat on CanalsNo license is required to steer a narrowboat in the UK. The controls are very simple on a narrow boat and the basic skills are very to easy....

Knots for Narrowboating Out of many thousands of knots that have been developed over the years, a basic selection is all you should need for most of your narrowboating requirements....

Tying up Your Boat To MoorWhen mooring your narrowboat it is essential to make sure that you know how to tie it up securely to prevent the boat from drifting away and also to prote....

Although we are having some fabulous sunny summer weather at the moment and the winter seems far away, it is always a good idea to keep your boat well maintained.  The summer ....

The purpose of a Boat Safety Certificate (BSC)  is to minimise the risk of accidents happening on a narrowboat.  The scheme is initiated by The Canal and R....

Are You Looking For A Liveaboard Narrowboat? If you are considering a life style change and want to set off on a new venture and liveaboard a narrow boat then we can help....

Guides On NarrowboatingVenetian Marina has been doing some excellent narrow boat blogs recently which are full of advice and are really good guides to narrowboating.  The late....

Get the best out of Your Narrowboat during the Winter TimeDo not cruise the canals on your narrow boat during very icy weather if the canal is frozen over with thick....

Advice on How To Clean Your Narrowboat Propeller When it is Clogged up With LeavesNow that  winter has arrived the leaves are falling fast off the trees into the canals and ri....

Winterise Your NarrowboatWinter is almost upon us and it is time to start thinking about winterising your narrowboat.  Over the past few winters the UK has had some very ....

A safety reminder to all narrowboaters; clean your mushroom vents! Ventilation on a narrowboat is vital for boat safety, without ventilation you could die of carbon monoxide p....

There are two main types of toilet that most narrowboat are fitted with these are the cassette toilet and the pumpout toilet.  However in recent years a third type has come on....

Does Size of Your Narrowboat Matter?Whilton Marina regularly gets requests for details of narrowboats no longer than 57ft and widebeams.So why do people ask for....

I have just been on to the marina to put a new Boat Safety Certificate on to a boat that a customer has just purchased from us, for the record I am not a boat safety examiner it wa....