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What should I take on a canal holiday?
Canal boats are self catering, so you will need to bring enough food and drink for your holiday. But don't buy too much, since part of the fun is discovering all those wonderful waterside pubs and shops selling local produce! Your canal holiday operator can tell you where the nearest shop is.
Your boat will be well-equipped with a hob, oven, grill and fridge, and many modern boats will also have a microwave. You will be given all the necessary cooking utensils and crockery, linen, and bedding.
In addition, we recommend you bring: towels (including tea towels), a torch, non-slip deck shoes, hard-wearing gloves (for working the locks), waterproof clothing, a camera, and a waterways guide (available from boatyards or downloadable).
Wet-weather overalls are sometimes provided for the helmsman, and life-jackets will be available at the hire-base free of charge.
Top-of-the-range canalboats will have a 240V connection so you can bring along electrical appliances, such as hair-driers. Other boats will have a cigarette lighter-style 12V connection, which can be used to charge your mobile phone if you have a lead that adapts to it. Your canal holiday operator will give you a run-down of the onboard facilities before you arrive, but to give you an indication of what you can expect to find, many canalboats will have a rating from 1 – 5 stars.
