Canal Voyagers Blog

Liverpool Trip / 2010 Schedule Out

2009-06-28T23:06:00Z

Pioneering Pair Paving the Way / 2010 Schedules Announced In June, Snipe & Taurus became the first hotel boats ever to cruise the brand new Liverpool Canal Link. Not only that, but they were the first motor and butty pair of narrow boats to traverse the new navigation, and the first full-length & beam (70 foot by 14 foot when breasted) to 'test the waters'. The Liverpool Canal Link extends the Leeds and Liverpool Canal by way of Liverpool's Central Docks and Pier Head to the South Docks. It now gives boaters a destination close to the city centre with moorings in Salthouse Dock and the world-famous Albert Dock complex. It is a broad canal with 2 new locks as well as the retored 4 locks on the Stanley Dock Branch that gives access to the Link. It's always nice to be first on a new stretch of canal, and the new Liverpool canal link was a really exciting waterway to cruise. The Liverpool Dock complex is immense and even in narrow boats the size of Snipe & Taurus you do feel rather small as you descend the Stanley lock flight into the first dock next to the enormous tobacco warehouse to see a Mersey ferry gliding by a few hundred yards ahead of you. The views across the Mersey on a clear day as you cruise into the dock system are astounding with the imposing warehouses looming either side of you, you follow a line of buoys which guide you through the safe channels in the vast expanses that are Liverpool's famous docks. A wonderful pontoon mooring yards from all the attractions and amenities made it a joy to visit the city, and also made it easier for guests arriving and departing cruises there. The voyage to Liverpool was such a success that we shall be repeating the cruise next year, and our 2010 schedule included overleaf provides details. We shall also be attempting to cruise the Droitwich canals (pending the completion of restoration works this winter), allowing us a new access point to the River Severn near Worcester and the opportunity of a new cruising 'mini-ring'. As well as the popular cruises on the Oxford canal, the Anderton Boat Lift, the Royal River Thames, historic Chester and the newly appointed UNESCO World Heritage Site of Pontcysyllte aqueduct, we shall also be visiting some different waterways in August and September. The Grand Union canal will be a feature, with three cruises covering stretches of the famous canal between Warwick and London. We shall also be spending a couple of weeks on the Rivers Lee and Stort in Hertfordshire – a hidden oasis only a few miles from the capital city. These two trips offer some wonderful cruising through grand reserviour-filled river valleys, with the opportunity to spot plenty of wildlife in a unique habitat. The trips also give us the chance to see the development taking place at the 2012 Olympic site, whilst offering excellent transport links to the boats with London stations so close by.

Canal Voyagers 2009 Newsletter

2008-09-02T23:09:00Z

Second season, and looking forward to a third! With a quiet and beautiful beginning to 2008, we cruised down the Kennet and Avon, completing the Caen Hill flight in record time. Previous owner Emma Fearnley came to lend a hand and some experience with guests pitching in on a seamless decent on a warm spring morning. We also had surprise guests on the K&A, as one duck hitched a lift between locks and another tried to make a nest in the engine room, only to be ushered out by Neil! We were bowled over by the Staffs & Worcs in June – a stunning canal hidden behind the industrial towns of the Black Country that has now become one of our favourites. In Oswestry on the Montgomery Canal, we found ourselves caught up in the middle of a National Canoe Marathon. We sat quietly in a lock in the rain, observing the chaos around as 50 canoeists portaged around us! The Macclesfield and the Peak Forest Canals were firsts for us – surpassing our expectations with breathtaking views and charming towns en-route. The finale for the cruise at Bugsworth Basin was the icing on the cake, a marvel of industrial heritage. Corinne was wowed by the Caldon Canal in July, and took her first trip on a steam train on the Churnet Valley Railway. Quote: “It was very noisy and rather hot… but quite exciting really!” This year also produced another first – our first guest to take a dip! Don’t worry, there was no harm done, he merely stepped off the boats onto what he thought was the towpath but was actually the cut. Wet to the knees, his shoes were dried in the engine room for the next day’s adventures. A long day up to the boat museum at Ellesmere Port in Cheshire was an unexpected bonus to the season, with a warm welcome from the staff and so much to see we’ll have to plan a return soon. What 2009 has in store for Snipe & Taurus Beginning our season at Easter weekend, we’re going to swiftly head North. Our routes take us through Worcester & Wales to Liverpool, the European Capital of culture for 2008, where we will explore the newly rejuvenated Albert Docks. The newly built Liverpool Canal Link will permit access to the dock complex from the Leeds & Liverpool Canal for the first time and carry Snipe & Taurus past the famous Liver building. Another new trip on our schedule this year, from Kinver to Gloucester, includes a trip down the River Severn visiting Worcester, Gloucester docks and the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal. The beauty of the Staffs & Worcs Canal in July and the chance to explore some fascinating riverside towns and cities en-route we anticipate will make this a popular cruise. Continuing our river adventures, we’ll be heading upstream on the River Avon to explore Shakespeare’s Stratford for the first time. With Gloucester, Tewksbury, Evesham and Pershore on the way, mid-summer in the Cotswolds will be a real treat. In September, we have two cruises offering a chance to see the Wey Navigation, exploring the River up to Godalming and Guildford. These cruises also includes one of the grandest stretches of the Royal River Thames, with time at Windsor, Hampton Court and Henley on Thames. And Finally… When we see you next year we will be Mr & Mrs! We have a date set for February, and being handy with a rope, tying the knot should go without a hitch!

Wildlife Survey 2008

2008-09-02T23:09:00Z

What could be more cheery on a wet, grey autumnal day than the image of a busy little kingfisher on a daily dash up and down the canal? We’ve been delighted to see so many kingfishers on our waterways this year. As well as being a strikingly beautiful bird, kingfishers are an important indicator of the general health of the waterway environment. We’ve even seen them in urban areas, showing the important role the canals have in greening our towns and cities. In last year’s British Waterways National Wildlife Survey, the kingfisher was the fourth most common sighting behind the mallard, swan and heron (see table below). It also seems that the warm autumn days following another damp summer appear to have caused confusion. Dragonflies, which normally disappear by autumn, are still around, and the skipper has spotted butterflies in the last week, landing on the cabin roof. Dragonflies, damselflies and butterflies seem to be adversely affected by our recent unusual weather patterns, hence the focus on them in BW’s annual National Wildlife Survey this year. We’re taking part and filling in the survey form – why not take a wander down to the canal and see what’s in your neighbourhood? Take part in the British Waterways 2008 National Wildlife Survey 2007 Wildlife Survey Results Breakdown by species No. spotted Mallard 431 Swan 382 Heron 366 Kingfisher 314 Coot 272 Moorhen 256 Bumblebee 215 Dragonfly 192 Damselfly 148 Cormorant 130 Bat 128 Frog 128 Mink 106 Fox 92 Grass snake 89 Watervole 71 Toad 59 Terrapin 49 Otter 29 Grebe 27 Total survey animal count: 3724

2009 Cruises and 2008 Discounts

2008-08-22T23:08:00Z

2008 Autumn Discounts - Late Bookings Exclusive online offer....................... We are currently offering £100 off any remaining cabins on this season's cruises. Grab an Autumn hotelboat cruise now! 7 nights £500 per person single cabin, £540 ensuite double/twin cabin5 nights £375 per person single cabin, £415 ensuite double/twin cabinRemaining Cruises: 6 Sep Brewood to Atherstone (7 nights)13 Sep Atherstone to Warwick (7 nights)27 Sep Oxford to Lechlade (5 nights) 2 Oct Lechlade to Oxford (5 nights)7 Oct Oxford to Reading (5 nights)12 Oct Reading to Newbury (5 nights) 2009 Routes & 'Early Bird' Discount Book a 2009 Cruise before 1st November 2008 and only pay 2008 prices! The prices quoted are full board, inclusive of VAT where applicable at current rates and rating. 2008/Early '09 Prices 4 Nights 5 Nights 7 Nights 9 Nights 10 Nights 12 Nights 14 Nights Single Cabin: £400 £475 £600 £775 £850 £975 £1100 Double/Twin En-suite Cabin: £440 £515 £640 £855 £930 £1055 £1180 Please take a look at our schedule for the 2009 season, detailed below. Detailed descriptions for each cruise will soon be available in our 'Cruises' section here. If you have any questions please send us and email (info@canalvoyagers.com) or give us a call on 07921214414. Kind Regards Corinne & Neil Schedule No Start Date End Date Nights Cruise 1 Sat 11-Apr Sat 18-Apr 7 Newbury to Oxford 2 Sat 18-Apr Sat 25-Apr 7 Oxford to Warwick 3 Sat 25-Apr Sat 2-May 7 Warwick to Kinver (via Stourbridge) 4 Sat 2-May Sat 9-May 7 Kinver to Nantwich 5 Sat 9-May Sat 16-May 7 Nantwich to Llangollen 6 Sat 16-May Sat 23-May 7 Llangollen to Maesbury 7 Sat 23-May Sat 30-May 7 Maesbury to Middlewich 8 Sat 30-May Sat 6-Jun 7 Middlewich to Liverpool 9 Sat 6-Jun Sat 13-Jun 7 Liverpool to Northwich 10 Sat 13-Jun Sat 20-Jun 7 Northwich to Whaley Bridge 11 Sat 20-Jun Sat 27-Jun 7 Whaley Bridge to Stoke 12 Sat 27-Jun Sat 4-Jul 7 Stoke to Stone 13 Sat 4-Jul Sat 11-Jul 7 Stone to Kinver 14 Sat 11-Jul Sat 18-Jul 7 Kinver to Gloucester 15 Sat 18-Jul Sat 25-Jul 7 Gloucester to Stratford 16 Sat 25-Jul Sat 1-Aug 7 Stratford to Coventry 17 Sat 1-Aug Sat 8-Aug 7 Coventry to Market Harborough 18 Sat 8-Aug Sat 15-Aug 7 Market Harborough to Warwick (via Welford) 19 Sat 15-Aug Thu 20-Aug 5 Warwick to Banbury 20 Thu 20-Aug Tue 25-Aug 5 Banbury to Lechlade 21 Tue 25-Aug Sat 29-Aug 4 Lechlade to Oxford 22 Sat 29-Aug Sat 5-Sep 7 Oxford to Windsor 23 Sat 5-Sep Sat 12-Sep 7 Windsor to Godalming (via hampton court) 24 Sat 12-Sep Sat 19-Sep 7 Godalming to Henley 25 Sat 19-Sep Sat 26-Sep 7 Henley to Hungerford 26 Sat 26-Sep Sat 3-Oct 7 Hungerford to Bath 27 Sat 3-Oct Sat 10-Oct 7 Bath to Devizes (via Bristol) 28 Sat 10-Oct Thu 15-Oct 5 Devizes to Newbury

Left To My Own Devizes

2008-04-20T23:04:00Z

The start of the season & another poem from Chris Goldsmith to add to the collection!Another Cruising season starts in Newbury, my home town.Thirty locks upto the summitThen there's four locks going downBenham lock, the Butty fits inLess by judgement, more by luck,Now we've got an extra crewmanon the fore end sits a duck!Pushed off line at tail of Copse LockBoats conjoined, oh dearie me,Stem to stern. Just one thing for itHave to cut the fender free.Will we ever get to Kintbury?Wedged in Drewalt's, side by sideCan't go forwards, can't go backwards'Cos the butty's just too wideHungerford, it's Wednesday mornSaint Georges Day, but no one knowsEarly morning trip to floristCome back sporting a red roseMany locks 'twixt here an CroftonHave reduction paddle gearSixty turns to raise and loweryou should hear me curse and swear!Past Wootton Rivers in the rainThen on to Honey StreetWhere Mr Gibson has a dogThat will get underneath my feet.Friday Lunchtime. Here's DevizesAt the wharf I meet a friendMove to boats to get a mooring Then it's Lunch, and Journeys' End.

Stoke Bruerne to Warwick in rhyme

2007-08-29T23:08:00Z

Chris Goldsmith's poetic take on our cruise from Stoke Bruerne : Crawling through the tunnelBouncing off the wallHire boat ahead of usHad no idea at all Follow him for milesTill he turns aroundNo locks till BuckbySo we're covering some ground Hire boat full of youngstersOn a bend near Gayton dockNudist on the counterGives the ladies quite a shock Moor up on a water pointWhile we have our grubCrew are in the galleySkipper's in the pub Eight of us for HolcotGoing to the fairNeil's booked us a taxiTo get everybody there Traction engines, shire horsesAll are very niceGoing back to BraunstonDriver moans about the price Met with Duke & DuchessIn the pound near Braunston dockWhen we stopped to take on waterJust below the bottom lock Here's President and KildareComing up the Stockton flightWe're following a hire boat downWe could be here all night Fosse Road bridge and Welsh Road bridgeAnd Leamington are passedCruising into WarwickAnd it's journey's end at last It only now remainsTo do the two locks at the CapeAnd it's off to pack our casesReady for the great escape So here's to Snipe & TaurusAnd to all her galant crewWill we ever meet again?Oh, I do hope we do

A GRAND (UNION) DAY OUT

2007-08-28T23:08:00Z

Another poem penned by one of our guests, Mr Chris Goldsmith: A GRAND (UNION) DAY OUT First swing bridge is out of actionNeeds a nut and bolt to mendNeil finds one in his toolboxSoon we're under way again Very soon arrive at FoxtonGo to see the inclined planeAbsolutely fascinatingI shall have to come again Foxton locks, a double staircaseFive in each, a daunting taskVery little room for errorDo we make it? Need you ask? Up the arm that leads to WelfordWhere two counties they abutWelford village is NorthamptonWhile in Leicester lies the cut Several miles of level waterLie before us. On we goDown to where the folks talk properSouth of Watford, don't y'know! Broken gear in Watford staircaseShort delay while we take stockNote to crew, please don't raise the paddlesTill the boat is in the lock Near the end of Blisworth tunnelBoat approaching seems in doubtBacks away and clears the entranceWaits for us to motor out Queuing up to do Stoke BruerneLunchtime will be late, I fearDouglas wants his mother's ruinMe? I want a pint of beer All to soon the week is overOn the whole, its been good funTime to plan next season's cruisingFalkirk wheel, anyone?

A Twitcher's paradise!

2007-06-22T23:06:00Z

We had some lovely guests on this week (Lapworth to Banbury), 2 of whom were quite keen bird-spotters and managed to spy 39 species - duly noted below: Song Thrush Grey Wagtail Bluetit Great Tit Blackbird Swalow House Martin Robin Rook Crow Jackdaw mallard Moorhen Mute Swan Collard Duck Wood Pigeon Sparrow Canada Goose Pheasent Magpie Green Finch Buzzard Grey Heron Aylesbury Duck Sky Lark Chaffinch Bullfinch Dunnock Gold Finch Kestrel Starling Tufted Duck Coot Pied Wagtail Black Headed Gull Linnet Wren Yellow Hammer Cole Tit And one fro the crew - a Barn Owl!

An Engaging Moment

2007-05-18T23:05:00Z

Neil & I are engaged! Apparently, it was supposed to be a birthday surprise (my birthday is next week), but once he had the ring (which he chose, and secretly pinched one of my other rings so that he could get it sized) he couldn't wait anymore... For all you un-romantic types, I should stop reading here if I were you, it could get a bit soppy! He took me out for what I thought was an "early birthday dinner" at Oscars (very nice by the way) in Nantwich - citing the reason that we have guests on my Birthday, so it wouldn't be as easy. It was a beautiful evening, after a really hot day, so we went for a walk, because our table wasn't booked until 9pm We were walking around the church - and found ourselves alone, Neil stopped & turned to face me, and after a few false starts, and bit of stuttering, he produced the ring and well "popped the question"! Of course I said "yes" without even thinking about it, at which point he uttered the immortal line: "Phew, it would have been a rubbish birthday present if you'd said no!" I have tried to take a picture of my ring, but it doesn't ever seem to come out right, but it's beatuiful. Anyway, I am sure that is far more detail than anybody needed/wanted to know, but it's a major event for us, and I think it's worth shouting about (even if Neil would rather keep quiet)!! Coirnne x

Experiencing the Anderton Lift

2007-05-01T23:05:00Z

The month of May began with an exciting first for Corinne and myself - a trip on the River Weaver with Snipe & Taurus. It was our first time taking the boats down the Anderton Boat Lift, and to say we were a little nervous would be an understatement! The lift operates half a dozen times a day, and is of course perfectly safe and represents a wonderful attraction in itself, but as hotelboat owners, you always get a little bit nervous when taking your boats into an unusual situation. Our fears were completely unfounded and once in the lift, we immensely enjoyed the 50ft 'trip' to the bottom and out onto the Weaver. The guests enjoyed themselves too - it was a first for them all and they had a great time - they were even passing cake out the window to the boat operators on the way down! The lift operates via two counter-balanced caissons on hydraulic rams - so you can give the boats in the other caisson a wave as you pass in the middle! It is a marvel of engineering skill and shows just how much money there was in commercial salt production in the area that it was even commissioned in the first place! Originally tidal and later made navigable between Winsford and Frodsham, the River Weaver has been used since the 17th Century to carry salt produced in and around the town of Northwich. Today however, it is used mainly by pleasure craft, but is still maintained as a commercial waterway. Following a request by some of our guests, we followed the Weaver downstream towards the Weston Canal and the link with the Manchester Ship Canal, alongside the River Mersey. This is a stretch of beautiful countryside, with some excellent views out into the river valley. An abundance of wildlife to see had some guests scrambling for their second roll of film! Weston Point signifies the navigable end of the waterway for craft as 'small' as Snipe and Taurus - they have travelled on the Ship Canal before, but this has to be arranged well in advance and involves quite a bit of red tape. Weston docks were the home of British Waterways Freight Services for a long while, although with subsequent cutbacks the docks have long since closed. The chemical works now domiates the location, making the scene less picturesque than the rest of the navigation, but no less interesting. From here, we turned back and proceeded upstream to Northwich town centre. The Salt Museum in Northwich was worth a visit, and gave guests a fascinating insight into the town's history. Mining rock salt has been the main industry of the area, and the town's distinctive timbered architecture was necessary because the subsidence from mining made the ground too unstable for brick buildings in times past! All too quickly we left Northwich and it was time to return up the Boat Lift. We feel fortunate to have explored a wonderful waterway with some lovely guests. Neil.

Our maiden voyage, in rhyme!

2007-04-20T23:04:00Z

A poem written by our guest, Chris Goldsmith, about our first cruise of the year... Through the central part of BirminghamPast Old Turn and Winson GreenHear the engine throb and thirminghamLike the skipper she sounds keen Dudley Port, a short detourFor a trip round the museumBy the tunnel we can moorVintage buildings? Let's go see 'em! Wolverhampton twenty oneDown the flight in record timeLocal kids are not much funBl***y nuisance, little swines! Now we're off the BCNOn the Shroppie we must goThrough the stop lock. Northward, thenEver onward, going slow Passing cuttings deep and narrowOn embankments way up highGoing straight as any arrowThrough the landscape on we fly Easter Sunday, now at BrewoodBoats tied up for miles aroundGetting near the time for fewoodMoorings at the yard we found Habitations rather sparseFor a little while I dozedMarket Drayton we can't passGot there early - it was closed Coming down the Audlem flightA Bolinder I thought I heardMinutes later - I was rightTwo working boats, and then a third Nantwich for a morning's restQuite a pleasant little townHurleston Junction. Well I'm blessedMet a hire boat coming down Down the locks at BunburyA two-rise, wide staircase, no lessPause and think. Now let me seeWe can't afford to make a mess Beeston iron and Beeston stoneTricky locks for us to tryBeeston castle stands aloneOn a hilltop just nearby Coffee break - a full three handerNow at last, we're on a rollWent ashore and had a ganderRound Ma Hardern's glory hole Friday morning, into ChesterLet's go see the city wallNorthgate locks we'll give a resterKing Charles' tower standing tall So here's to Neil and CorinneAnd to Abi (she's the crew)Boating life to them was foreignBut they soon learned what to do Thanks again to Chris Goldsmith for some wonderful prose!

Getting Brewood-y

2007-04-07T23:04:00Z

A little poem by Chris Goldsmith, one of the guests on our first cruise (Birmingham - Chester)(To be sung to the tune of a Teddy Bears' Picnic) If you should travel the cut today there's something you should knowA few short miles from Autherley look out a festive showFor every boat that ever there wasIs moored at Brewood this evening becauseIt's Easter time and everyone wants a picnic Every boater for miles around has stopped for the evening hereI'll have to leg it for half an hour if I want a pint of beerI've found a pub with traditional aleBut it's miles away so you'll hear me wail"Why choose tocay to moor up and have a picnic?" Picnic time for boaty folkThe little boaty folk are having a lovely time todaySee them with a pint and smokeIt's just because today's a holidayI could wish them all to chokeIt's got beyond a jokeThey're making me curse and swearCorinne & Neil are really unhappy the way it's turning outBecause they can't moor up anywhere! Tomorrow morning we're off again with Chester our final goalWe're barely making two miles an hour, but don't have to stop for coalAnd with any luck our next port of callWill have the space to welcome us allAnd won't be full of trippers who want a picnic!

Keeping It Green

2007-01-25T00:01:00Z

Our guests have a great love of the natural and urban heritage that surrounds our waterways. It's one of the reasons they choose to holiday with us. Sustainable and environmentally-aware tourism is an important part of what we do - and we thought that you would be interested to read about some of the ways that we look to acheive our goal. As the owners and operators of Snipe and Taurus, we are proud to be continuing a business that has always been associated with ensuring our canals and their traditions are preserved. It is important to us that as a hotel boat business we are not only aware of our heritage responsibilities but also of our local and wider environment, ensuring that we are not damaging the very environment our guests come to enjoy. The heritage surrounding the waterways in the U.K. is perhaps their best-known aspect. The company that originally owned Snipe and Taurus, Inland Waterway Holiday Cruises, was established when the leisure industry on the canals was in its infancy. Hotel boats worked along side cargo carrying narrowboats, but while cargo declined, the passenger boats have developed, and helped preserve the waterways and their traditions. We are one of the few businesses continuing to operate a pair of boats, and use associated traditional skills. By working a butty we are preserving skills used when boats were horse drawn. We encourage guests to join in and learn these skills if they wish. Our boats are decorated in the traditional manner, with roses and castles, all the decorations and signwriting is hand painted. Scrubbed white ropework is still used and the traditional brass is kept shining. Our cruises not only take our guests through wonderfully isolated areas of the countryside, but we pass through the industrial midlands, allowing our guests the opportunity to appreciate the industrial heritage of our canal system. We arrange excursions to visit canal-side sites including Wedgwood and Cadbury World, tourist attractions built around factories originally dependent on the canals.By accommodating nine guests, we have little detrimental impact on the places we visit in terms of numbers. This is also advantageous for our guests as they have the opportunity to be visitors, not mass tourists. We encourage the appreciation of touring a small area – at slow speeds, on our holidays less definitely equals more, our objective is to give value in terms of quality, and not quantity of places visited. Travelling at about 3 miles per hour, we cover around 70 miles per week. Rather than rush around tourist sites, our guests can take pleasure in the quieter things in life: the beauty of ever-changing landscapes, reflections on still water, good food and the company of friendly interesting people. We have a library of wildlife and waterway reference books to complement what our guests see en-route. Although most of our power is produced by our main propulsion engine, we have a backup generator to supplement the main engine. The 'Whispergen' generator was not the cheapest option available, but it has many environmental advantages. It is powered by an internal combustion ‘Sterling engine’, which is highly efficient and keeps exhaust emissions to a minimum. Nearly all the heat produced in the engine is recovered via internal heat exchangers, and is pumped through a calorifier and radiators to provide domestic hot water and to heat the boat. Fuel consumption at normal running is as low as 0.4 litres per hour. The overall efficiency of the engine is therefore as high as 80-90% compared to a conventional diesel engine at 20-30%. Also, as its name suggests, noise emissions are also minimal. For the main engine a Deutz D 4.29 oil cooled diesel engine was installed. It was carefully chosen, because of its exceptional standards for low noise and exhaust emissions. The engine complies with the Lake Constance (Bodensee) BSO II emissions regulations – the most stringent regulations for marine engines worldwide. Low engine exhaust emissions are created by fuel being injected at very high pressure, and the cylinder head running at high temperature, therefore fuel combustion is made more efficient and nitrous oxide emissions reduced. The 240v power produced while the engine is running for propulsion is stored in batteries so guests have the luxuries of a hotel 24 hours a day, but without a generator disturbing the peace of the countryside once we have moored for the night. To help power efficiency further low energy halogen lighting is installed throughout. Engine noise emissions are low because the engine coolant is oil, which does not transmit noise, as a water coolant does. Also, the engine has been flexibly mounted to reduce vibration, and the whole unit has been enclosed in a sound proofed box to reduce the noise even further. As proof of this it has been noted that birds often don’t fly away from the boats, but sit still as the boats pass. To utilise excess heat from the engine a series of heat exchanges have been installed so domestic hot water is created and stored in an insulated tank. Therefore, even after the boats have tied up for the night, we are using ‘free’ hot water to serve the galley, washing machine, three showers and all cabin washbasins. The central heating for the motorboat, again through heat exchangers, can be run from the main engine; naturally both boats are fully insulated to reduce heat loss. The diesel fuel consumption per week is approximately 150 litres. This propels the two boats with a total weight of 45 tons and runs the electricity, heating and hot water for nine passengers and four crew. Our boats cruise waterways for which they were designed, so with considerate navigation, we do not damage the flora and fauna that have made the waterways their home. Through the low emissions and efficient energy usage discussed above, we intend to help them thrive. All drinking water is carried in integral tanks with a total capacity of approximately 300 gallons. They are filled from ‘water points’ provided by the navigation authorities and though we ensure they don’t run dry the boats can run with a full complement of guests for up to three days without filling up. The average daily water usage in a family home is around 200 gallons per person. We combat this by encouraging guests to be careful with water and showers are fitted rather than baths for efficient water use. To prevent wastage through unnecessarily washing towels, our policy is to change towels once during a seven-night cruise unless the guests request otherwise: guests infrequently request more changes. Very importantly, for water conservation, the w.c.’s flush into holding tanks with water drawn from the waterway, so drinking water is not wasted on sewage disposal. The navigation authorities provide sewerage and refuse disposal points, but we are conscious to keep refuse to a minimum. Our cruises are carefully planned to start and end within easy access of rail and coach stations. In spite of the constant negative reports on the railways in the last few years, we are pleased to state that by implementing a well-planned courtesy transport initiative the vast majority of our guests travel effotlessly to and from the cruises by train. Our joining instructions direct guests to a mainline railway station and we then provide courtesy transport to / from the station using a local minibus service. Our aim is to increase our efforts to provide sustainable tourism, using public transport and then one minibus journey to / from the boats. We greatly appreciate the importance of purchasing locally produced food and using local services. We use a local firms for courtesy transport and we certainly do not have our own vehicle following the boats around the country. As we cruise, we purchase from many different local suppliers, but we can be highly dependent on them. All to often we arrive in a village expecting to be able to buy supplies, to find that the village or farm shop has gone! This is often easily solved with ingenuity and a 'pioneering spirit', and adds to the adventure and fun. Using local produce is enormously appreciated by our guests. They take great pleasure in knowing they are sampling local Welsh lamb or being sent on a mission to find some Wiltshire Lardy Cake for afternoon tea. We realise that we too are part of the rural economy, and we aim to sustain it through considerate purchasing. We take great pleasure in purchasing our diesel from cargo carrying boats. They traditionally sold coal from the boats to houses along the canal, but have expanded to now act as mini tankers carrying diesel for sale too. Not only do we buy the fuel from an environmentally friendly distributor, we catch up on canal gossip too! The innovative methods we use to lessen our effect on the environment need not be unique to boating holidays. Many of the environmental issues we address as a company can be applied to many ares of the rural tourist sector. We hope that by setting an example in our approach, we can inspire others to consider the wider implications of tourism on the environment and recognise that quality and sustainability can co-exist.

Site Update

2007-01-03T00:01:00Z

We've made a few changes to the website, notably:- you can now place a reservation online through our automated Paypal booking system. Place your deposit through our secure service and tell us which cruise you would like to book, and it'll be reserved immediately.- we've added more pictures to the site, along with an updated About Us section, to help you get a better idea of what we offer our guests.Keep a look out in the coming weeks, as we have some more exciting Special Offers in store!Corinne & Neil

Taking the plunge

2006-11-08T00:11:00Z

Well there is no turning back now, we've had our brochures published, our website is live and we've got our first bookings! There is only one way to go and that's forward. It's very exciting, and completely terrifing at the same time, sometimes I can't believe we're going to do it, and other times I can't believe I ever dreamed of doing anything else! Neil & I have taken to the canals like ducks to water, so to speak, you've probably read the "about us" bit, so you know where we got the mad idea that we're going to be hotel boaters. We love Snipe and Taurus - our boats (it feels a bit strange to call them that still). Derek & Emma have been endlessly patient with us and our daft questions - I know we wouldn't ever have made it this far without their help. We're moored at Warwickshire Fly Boats which is lovely (if slightly in the middle of nowhere). We can go only home (we've owned them since August, and already they're home) to the boats at weekends at the moment, as we are both still working full time, an in Bournville (yes at Cadbury). On the plus side, we're very near to the Worcester & Brimingham canal so we go for a walk along it most lunch times, just in case we might see a boat or two. If you happen to be moored up and you see us (probably gazing longingly at your boat as we stroll down the towpath, jealous that you're cruising & we're still working our 9-5's) , give us a wave or say hello. Corinne. x

Check out our kool design

2006-11-02T00:11:00Z

Remember when people used the work 'kool' instead of 'cool', what happened to it? Why did it fall out of use? I guess it just wasn't cool anymore (or should I say kool - this is confusing). Anyway, have a look around our newly launched website, it'll continue to evolve over these winter months until we start the cruising again in April.I'd like to say a big thanks to Ed, Gav and all the guys at clevercherry for putting the site together - very impressive guys, well done.

Welcome!

2006-10-08T23:10:00Z

Hello! We are extremely proud to introduce ourselves as the new owner-operators of hotel narrowboats Snipe & Taurus. Our aim is to provide guests with the same excellent service and hospitality that has become associated with the pair over the years.