Moonraker Narrowboat Company

If peace and quiet are what you desire, you can moor up miles from anywhere with just the countryside, the wildlife and the sky for company. Or perhaps you'd prefer a pint, a hearty meal and some good conversation at one of the many canal-side pubs with your bed just feet away. Maybe a fine restaurant in one of the towns or cities on the canal? The choice is yours.

From the moment you cast off, you're in a different world. You can go where and when you want, at your own pace. The most glorious countryside England has to offer unfolds before you, all the bewildering variety of wildlife is at your fingertips, and yet all the comforts of home are right there with you.

There is so much to see and do on a canal holiday, and narrowboating is simple. Push the lever forwards to go, backward to stop or reverse. The tiller controls the left and right bit and that's it! Even if you've never driven a boat before, after twenty minutes or so of our expert tuition, you'll wonder what all the fuss was about!

Locks are all part of the fun. They're not difficult, and you'll often share them with another boat, thus dividing the labour. One of the appeals of the Kennet & Avon, Moonraker's home water, is the Devizes flight of 29 locks, the UK's greatest lock flight, which includes the world-famous Caen Hill flight of 16 back-to-back locks. A daunting sight, but no problem for a crew of average fitness!

Moonraker's splendid boat is Medusa, a 55ft wide-beam narrowboat-style, 8-berth craft with truly stunning accommodation! We now have interior shots of Medusa here.

Moonraker is now able to offer special-occasion treats, like a gourmet meal prepared and served to you at a mooring of your choice (subject to access). Imagine the scene on a special anniversary: the water, the moonlight, some favourite music, and a fabulous meal! We can also offer skippered hire, and crewed day trips. These do take a fair amount of organisation, and will be priced individually according to your requirements, so do talk to us if you have some special ideas!

From your first dealings with Moonraker, to your discovery of your boat with its complementary wine, chocolates and flowers, you'll know you are dealing with a company that is... Simply Superior!

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Medusa

Medusa is a 55ft by 10ft beam, 8-berth widebeam steel boat in the narrowboat style. In other words, she looks completely traditional from the side, but is a bit on the fat side from fore and aft!

As you can imagine, the accommodation this allows is fabulous. Entering the boat through the extra-wide front doors, you are in the saloon/diner. Free-standing furniture, including a double sofa-bed, graces this cabin, which has a lovely solid fuel stove as its focal point. For those less-than-fabulous days of bad weather, Medusa's saloon has colour TV, video, DVD and CD entertainment systems for your pleasure.

Moving aft, there is a galley that would not disgrace a good-sized flat, with lots of room to move about and all the equipment a gourmet chef would require.

The 'private' accommodation consists of a four-bunk cabin (which can be configured lots of ways), a Victorian style bathroom, and a wonderful double cabin aft, with a king-sized double bed.

Lastly comes the engine room, with lots of storage space for bags etc.

This boat is available now - refer to the price guide for pricing information - with the usual Moonraker benefits of cancellation cover, free fuel, gas and parking, and a 10% discount for second and subsequent weeks. On top of these, we can also offer services ranging from a grocery pack on arrival, to a complete meal served on board. We may also be able to offer skippered hire (for all or part of your holiday), which we believe is a first on the canals!

The Kennet & Avon

The K&A is now one of England's prettiest and most admired canals. There are many attractions from the World Heritage Site of Bath, to the more modest, yet equally delightful towns of Bradford, Devizes and Newbury. The Dundas and Avoncliffe aqueducts, and the famous Caen Hill flight of 16 locks, will appeal to the enthusiast, while there is wildlife aplenty. Throughout, there are some of the country's best pubs to be sampled!

A full exploration of the canal is a hard-working three-week cruise, but a week will allow you to sample the best of the western half of the canal. Why not try it for yourself?

For further information on all our services plus pricing, booking and availability, please contact us on the number at the top of the page or visit our website.

We offer:

• Canal boat holidays
• Boat hire