boating features

Safe boating

As soon as the weather starts to improve thousands of people flock to Britain’s canals and rivers to try their hand at narrowboating.

Where to take your canal holiday

The UK canal network is so vast that sometimes deciding where to take your canal holiday can be a pretty daunting task.

The pleasures of a canal holiday

With a unique mixture of bucolic countryside, industrial heritage, and sprawling urban scenery, it’s no wonder the UK canal network is undergoing something of a renaissance.

Celebrity boaters

They spend their days jetting to and from exotic destinations, living it up in five-star hotels, and getting stalked by paparazzi. So you may be surprised to learn that quite a few celebrities have tried their hand at boating on the humble British canals.

A day in the life of a lock keeper

What's it like to be a lock keeper? Natalie Bennett spent a day with Sam Thomas, keeper of Thames Lock on the Grand Union Canal in Brentford.

Learn the boating lingo

Do you know your port from your starboard? Do you know the difference between an on-line and an off-line mooring?

If not, the Waterscape.com beginners' terminology is just what you need to brush up on your boating language.

How do locks work?

Part one of our first time boater series explains what locks are and how you should operate them.

Cruising rings in the West Midlands

Explore timeless English countryside, traditional market towns and cosmopolitan cities - all in one holiday. Take a voyage around these popular cruising rings in the West Midlands.

Top tips for winter boating

Ice on the canal, freezing pipes and slippery surfaces, boating in winter is a whole new ball game. Stay safe with these top ten tips for boating in colder weather.

Boating FAQs

How to licence your new boat, where to find stoppages and other answers to the questions we're most frequently asked by boaters.

Boaters' Update

Welcome to the British Waterways' (BW) monthly e-newsletter, The Boaters' Update on Waterscape.com.

40 years of memories

Life continues at 40: How messing about on boats saved Britain’s waterways.

Cost-conscious boating in the credit crunch

Times are tough, but there are simple ways to save money behind the tiller. Careful and considerate boating can lead to cost-savings for boaters and help to keep the waterways in a good condition. A win win situation for all!

Planning to protect our canals and rivers

A new way of planning how our water environment is protected and improved has been launched by the Environment Agency and the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency.

Watch the Hatton Flight lock gates replacement

What really happens at a stoppage? What's actually involved with the replacement of lock gates? Find out, with a unique opportunity to watch the replacement of lock gates at Hatton Flight.

Weird and wonderful canal boats

Although you may not think it to look at them, narrowboats and barges can be used for all sorts of unusual purposes. From floating cheese shops to bike-selling barges, the simple canal boat can come in many different guises.

Top five boating holidays

Spring is in the air and the Easter break is just around the corner. But where are the best places to go boating in spring 2009? Take a look at our top five holiday ideas.