Narrowboats - A Wonderful Form of Transport

One of the best vacations I've enjoyed was spentcanal boats. This was good in some ways, it
with a couple of friends boating on the Norfolkobviously kept them together as a unit. But, the
Broads, located in South East England. These inlandchildren often had little education, and they tended to
waterways are ideal for navigating around some ofbecame separated from the rest of society.
the most beautiful parts of Norfolk and Suffolk,This narrowboat community developed a distinctive
taken at a very leisurely pace.folk art. If you've ever seen a narrowboat you can't
Generally there are two categories of boats inhelp but admire the decorations of brightly colored
use-cruisers, with a cabin and traditional form oflandscape scenes, floral motifs, and patterns, which
steering-and narrowboats, which as the namecovered the outside boat surfaces and continued into
suggests are long, and narrow, normally no morethe cabin.
than 70 feet long and 7 feet wide. ManyNowadays most narrowboats are used for vacation
narrowboats are a little shorter and narrower thancruising, or as permanent homes. Not much freight is
that though, to ensure they can pass through thecarried, though there are some efforts underway to
locks on canals. The majority are steered with a tillerrestore the method of transporting certain goods by
at the stern of the boat, though rarely you mightwaterways to take the pressure off Britain`s roads.
see a narrowboat with a center cabin with steeringIt is now possible to explore more than 2,000 miles
wheel.of canals, passing through some of Britain's most
On the broads, where the width of the rivers aren'tbeautiful and unspoiled scenery. There are now more
really an issue, nor are locks in many parts, eithernarrow boats on the canals than in the heyday of
cruisers or narrowboats, (sometimes known as canalcommercial traffic, and canals are being restored at
boats), can be used. One difference was that whenthe same rate as they were being built 200 years
mooring a cruiser the boat would either be mooredago.
bow to the quay, stern to the quay, or sideways on.In some ways narrowboats have come a long way
Much depended on how other people were doing it.since those used in the 18th and 19th centuries. Many
Due to the length of narrowboats, however, theytoday have features such as greater internal
would always be moored side on to the quay.headroom, central heating, flush toilets, shower or
By the early 19th century, some 4,000 miles ofeven bath, decent cooking facilities, and refrigerator.
canals crisscrossed England, Scotland, and Wales. TheDon't be surprised to see some even boasting
previous century's industrial revolution required asatellite television, and internet-connection using a
means of transporting goods around the countrymobile phone. The boats are powered with diesel
which was both cheap, and relatively fast. And that`sengines, rather than being pulled along by a horse.
where the narrowboats came in.Yet, the traditional shape of the boats has remained
Goods were transported along the canals and rivers,the same. The sense of freedom, and leisure, with a
loaded with all types of goods from coal to bricks,slow pace of life has continued down till today. Locks
and some foodstuffs. At first they were pulled alongstill need navigating, and without doubt, there is a real
a tow path by a young boy, or a horse.sense of belonging when you are on a boat.
On some canals they used teams of horses whichThe building of Britain's canals ushered in a dramatic
pulled streamlined boats carrying up to 120era of change-but one with a curiously ironic twist.
passengers at an average speed of ten miles anThe same canals now provide a way of escape from
hour.the pressures of the modern-day world they helped
Over time, families began to live together on theto create.