Layout
The layout of most boats is similar. There’s open seating in the front that’s not very comfortable but you can’t beat the view. The best seats face forward. Some seats (benches, actually) face backward, requiring you to turn around to see ahead.
Always push the rear hatch completely open during the day. Even moderately tall people (5’8”) can easily whack the top of the head on the edge of the hatch if it’s not completely open. Stepping out through the double doors in the front of the boat is also tricky. And after tying up the stern line, make sure the tiller is not over you when you stand up. It took two nasty bruises before I learned to check for this.
If you’re of unusual statue or girth, negotiating the interior of a narrowboat can be a challenge. A 6-foot-tall person can stand upright inside most boats but a narrowboat roof is bowed and the walls slope inward. Traveling the length of a narrowboat is also a challenge. The passage next to the main berth and bathroom is quite narrow and those sloping walls don’t help. You quickly learn to walk like an Egyptian. Carefully study the floor plan, especially the kitchen layout, of a boat you’re considering hiring if you have difficulty negotiating sharp turns. The location of the counter opposite the sink is very important and when possible, choose a boat where the sink, cooker and refrigerator are on the same side of the boat.
Carefully inspect larger boats before you leave the boat hire. These are difficult for the boat hire to clean in the turnaround time and partiers find ingenious places to leave behind unpleasant surprises.
Pricing
If you go online to book a boat, you’ll need to specify the number of passengers, which canal, length of stay and the departure date. Boat hires sort their boat by number of passengers, number of toilets, amenities and stern styles. Those criteria go into assigning a boat to a pricing band. That price band is sort of a multiplier when calculating the cost of a boat on a certain day. You’ll pay more for that boat in the summer, less in the fall and spring. Bank holidays also affect pricing.
The number of passengers is probably the biggest criteria in assigning a boat to a pricing band and it also determines the length of the boat. A 2-4 person boat comfortably fits two, a 4-6 person boat comfortably fits four, and so on. The upper passenger limit is about 12 and these are essentially party boats.
Larger boats generally have bunk beds or single beds on either side or both. A dinette table usually converts to a double bed. A narrowboat double bed is quite narrow and short, however the aisle side of the double bed in the center of the boat usually has nothing at the foot, so a larger person can stretch out without disturbing the bedding, made easier because of the lack of a top sheet (See “Duvets” Life on Board).
Realistically most boats are very similar and often amenities such as a second toilet, Wi-Fi, a microwave, extra closets or a fireplace can significantly affect how much you pay.
Single toilet
Four people can probably share a single toilet for a mid-week break (four nights, return early the fifth day) assuming no intestinal distress, but not an entire week (seven nights, return the eighth day).
In my experience, there’s no problem with four people sharing a single toilet except at night. In the example boat layout on the previous page, you’ll see that on the Axbridge, someone sleeping on the dinette double in the front of the boat can reach the main bathroom without passing by the people sleeping in the double bed in the middle of the boat. On the Wensleydale, however, the person sleeping on the dinette double must open a door to get to the bathroom, possibly awakening the sleepers in the double bed. And on the Wensleydale, the person sleeping on the double bed in the rear of the boat also has to open a door to get to the bathroom.
The Wensleydale, though still a very nice boat, has another disadvantage compared to the Axbridge. The kitchen arrangement makes it difficult for people to pass one another. You quickly learn to back up or sit at the dinette to let someone through. These are admittedly minor quibbles, but after a week on a boat with four people, the little things add up.
Of course the Wensleydale is a cheaper boat than the Axbridge because it’s shorter and has the single bathroom, but you may decide that in the long run you’d be better off with the more expensive boat, especially if you have to unexpectedly rush back to the marina to pump out that single toilet’s storage tank.
A shorter boat, while it may be cramped or lack some luxuries, is a little more maneuverable, especially in a narrow canal. A very short boat, like a day boat, however, is a little too maneuverable.
You’ll also be surprised how little things like the fact that the Wensleydale has sliding doors for the central bedroom gets very annoying. As the boat lists (tilts), the doors will unexpectedly slide open or shut because the latches that hold the door in place are easily dislodged. You can walk through a door, turn around because someone called your name and then walk right into a closed door when you turn around! The Axbridge also had many more little shelves to hold belongings, which becomes very important. So when looking at a price band, realize some of the little things are important.
Then again, how do you put a price on the fact that when other boaters pass the Wensleydale, they shout, “Cheese, Gromit!”