Narrowboats are just like (a motor) home

October 19, 2018 Jennifer Petkus 0 Comments

Often upon telling someone about narrowboating I’m quizzed about the amenities a boat provides. Is there a toilet? Is there a bed? Can you bathe? For some reason people think that traveling on a 60-foot-long, 7-foot-wide iron boat is roughing it, but in fact a narrowboat is a perfectly civilized adventure.

On our recent trip on the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal in South Wales, we rented the 55-foot-long Ffion. Although it’s not a luxurious accommodation, it was a more than adequate home for three people on a seven-night/eight-day trip. My husband and I slept on an admittedly narrow double bed. Our friend Lee slept on one of two single bunks at the rear of the boat (she used the other bunk for her luggage).* We also had a full kitchen with gas stove and cooking rings, refrigerator, sink, microwave and toaster. There was one bathroom with toilet sink and shower and another with sink and toilet only.

The boat’s electrical system is powered by batteries that are kept charged by the diesel engine. An inverter turns the DC batteries into 240V AC. The diesel engine also heats water for showers and cleaning. A separate furnace heats water for the radiators.

Being a relatively short boat, we didn’t have a full saloon. The dinette bench and removable table served as our seating and eating area, supplemented by folding chairs. We had a TV, DVD and radio but we never used it. (The TV antenna attaches to the roof of the boat with suction cups, but the plug to the TV was damaged. It really didn’t matter because we knew TV signal reception was very limited on the canal.) We also could have asked Cambrian Cruisers, our boat hire, for DVDs to watch on the trip but we didn’t bother.

Layout

The layout of Ffion is similar to most hire boats. Beginning at the front is the open air well deck with bench seats. The propane gas bottles are also stored immediately behind the prow. The water storage tank is also located under the well deck. It can be filled by unscrewing a cap. Through the double doors you enter the boat’s cabin by descending two steps. The TV, DVD and radio are found at the front right of the seating/dining area. There’s a small closet on the left opposite the TV.

The kitchen is next with a little counter holding the toaster and microwave and underneath the refrigerator. Opposite is the sink, cabinets and stove. The bathroom follows although the above diagram doesn’t reflect the actual layout. After the bathroom is the main bedroom and then the second bathroom. Finally in the rear are the two bunk beds, although this area can be fitted with a double bed. Finally there’s an additional closet and a drying cupboard where wet clothes can be hung. The engine controls are also located at the rear of the cabin.

The boat we rented, like every hire boat we saw on the canal, has a cruiser stern. It’s a large open area where about three people can stand. There’s a railing at the stern to keep you from falling off the boat.

One thing you’ll notice about Ffion is that anyone using the rear toilet blocks passage through the boat. The door shown in the layout can’t be closed while someone is sitting on the toilet. It actually has to be opened and latched to the wall that runs next to the sink opposite, but that’s not obvious from the diagram.

Also looking at the diagram it’s obvious that anyone walking the length of the boat has to follow a zig-zag path past the dinette table and bench, a 45° turn through the kitchen, walk sideways past the main bathroom and double bed (unless you’re a small person) and then a sharp turn at the second toilet. This is no criticism of this boat; it’s just a consequence of cramming all these amenities into a boat less than 7 feet wide. Some hire companies offers boats more than 8 feet wide, but understandably they cost more to rent and are more difficult to steer (but have bow thrusters to compensate).

The maximum length of a boat on the Mon & Brec is 60 feet but Cambrian Cruisers doesn’t rent one that wide. A 60-foot-boat probably would have a seating area separate from the dinette and some of that space could be used to store luggage. Some boat hires on the Mon & Brec do rent 60-foot-boats.

Storage

Ffion was comfortable for three people. Had Lee’s brother joined us on this trip, he would have slept on the dinette bench configured as a double bed, making it difficult to use for seating and dining. There’s really very limited storage on a hire boat as well. There are some drawers below the dinette bench, underneath the double bed and underneath one of the bunk beds, but except for the two closets, that’s it for storage. (The shelves and drawers in the kitchen hold a very comprehensive assortment of plates, cutlery, glasses and pots and pan. You will not want for any cooking utensils.)

It’s best to bring nothing more than a carry-on bag, and preferably a soft-sidedone at that, but that’s admittedly difficult for international travelers. Jim and I ended up moving our luggage back and forth from the dinette to the bed. That was combined with putting up and taking down the dinette table.

Amenities

Ffion was provided with just about every amenity we needed, but from past experience we knew we’d need more toilet paper and paper towels than are provided. (We should also have picked up some hand soap for the bathrooms.) Otherwise Ffion had everything we needed, from aluminum foil to egg cups to colander. There was even a bottle of wine in the mini-fridge.

We did buy eggs, milk, butter, cheese, jam, bread, coffee, cereal, juice, sausage, lunch meats, condiments, vegetables and fruit at grocery stores and farmers‘ markets. We ate all our breakfasts and several evening meals on board. We fried eggs and sausage, boiled pasta, heated marinara sauce and boiled many pots of water for our instant coffee (there was a french press provided). We could have made entire meals, in fact, but mostly we snacked. (Instant coffee, milk and sugar packets were provided as well as tea bags, but not enough for three people for eight days.)

Photo tour

I think it’s obvious from these pictures that life on a narrowboat isn’t roughing it. Some boat hires provide luxe amenities like wood fireplaces, marble countertops and even a bath tub or hot tub, but Ffion’s simple charms were more than sufficient.