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Do I need a licence?
No "driving" licence is required for a hire boat on the inland waterways. Your boat will however be licenced to use the waterways local to your chosen hire base and this will be included within your holiday cost.

What is included in the holiday price?
Your holiday hire cost will include the self-drive hire of your chosen boat for the rental period. Extras include a colour TV and all bedding and towels. We provide free car parking for the duration of your holiday.

Can I take pets?
Well behaved pets are welcome on board the 'April' however owners are responsible for ensuring that they do not sit or sleep on any bed linen or seating areas. Therefore owners are responsible for providing their own floor blanket or pet basket.
A charge of £35 per pet will be made per hire period and included in the booking fee. A maximum of two pets per booking is allowed.
The 'April' is not insured against damage caused by pets and therefore any costs incurred as a result of damage or additional cleaning will be met by the hirer out of the security deposit.

What should I take with me?
Not too much: storage space on any narrowboat is limited, though ours has more than most!
Your boat will be very well equipped with all necessary cooking utensils, crockery etc. In addition, wet weather overalls are generally provided for the helmsman (although hopefully not used too much!). Life jackets are always available on request, especially for young children.
Clothes: be prepared for all weather condition! Footwear is particularly important: don’t wear shoes that might slip on a wet deck, Remember also that the sun's rays are much more powerful when you are on the water, so sunglasses, protective cream and a sun hat are recommended to avoid burning.
Food: there are plenty of excellent waterside pubs and restaurants, but you will need to bring simple provisions for the boat.
Mobile phones are useful when you’re cruising – they can be charged using the phone’s normal car adaptor.
Games, books, cameras, fishing rods, etc: there will always be time at the end of a day’s cruising for some quiet relaxation. If there isn’t, you’re going too fast.
Additional specific items you may want to bring include a camera and binoculars, Try to pack belongings into soft bags rather than suitcases as storage of cases will be a problem unless you are prepared to have them on the beds during the daytime.

Where can we stop overnight?
On the UK canals, you can stop overnight anywhere along the towpath side without charge. You must however avoid mooring overnight within 50 meters of a lock or other navigation landmark to allow other boats to pass unhindered. On most other navigations, there will be clearly marked places where you can moor for the night or during the day.

How far can we travel in a day?
On most of the inland waterways the maximum speed is around 4 mph (a brisk walking pace) however the average speed is closer to 3 mph. In calculating how far you can to travel in a day, you should work on the basis of "lock miles”. To do this count each lock as one mile and add the distance in actual miles to make "lock miles". Divide this by 3 mph to give the total time in hours to cover the required distance including locks.