Country Kids - Crusing the canals

When we first started talking about getting a little crusier and taking to the canals as a family, there was a mixed reaction, and a fair bit of negitivity about mixing children with canals, won't they be bored? Won't they be a handful? They are bound to fall in!

The canals are blissfully peaceful sections of countryside, but they are full of live and are infact a great place for children.

Obviously water can be dangerous but with common sence crusing the canals with children can be a wonderful experience.

We spent 4 weeks aboard our little Norman 20 motorboat, we met plenty of fellow canal dwellers, some who lived aboard, some who just took to the boats on the weekend and some who were just enjoying a holiday aboard a rental narrowboat.

Many of the liveaboard people we met were older, in their retirement years, but several had fond memories of their younger days aboard a small crusier with their young families. Each with so many stories to tell of how they had fantastic adventures many many years ago, following a simular path to what we were now on in the 21st century, yet there were very few other young families enjoying the canals along with us and even less small cruiser boats, which is a real shame.

In this busy digital world there is something important about taking time out to witness nature and the simple pleasures you can find.