From a Dream to Reality: Our Journey into Canal Cruising
By Liz Smailes
In 2016, Ben and I were living abroad in Asia, both of us with succesfful careers in travel writing, tourism and hospitality. With our work contracts at the time due to end in summer that year, we started planning a summer holiday in England before starting new work contracts in the autumn. We decided that instead of spending months travelling around to visit friends and family, we’d invite them to join us on an adventure. The plan was to spend a summer cruising the canals on a narrowboat, making memories with everyone along the way.
But when we looked into hiring a narrowboat for an entire season, we were suprised by the cost. Ever practical, we sat down and did the sums. It turned out we could buy a boat, use it for the summer, and sell it afterwards for roughly the same outlay. But, with both of us coming from a hospitality background, it wasn’t long before we saw a bigger opportunity – the chance to create a business for when we eventually settled back in the UK.
Life took an unexpected turn when we received an inheritance after a family bereavement. Suddenly, we were in a position to have a narrowboat built from scratch. Armed with Ben’s cartoon-style sketch of what we envisioned, we visited Nick Thorpe Boat Builders near Stone, and that’s where Blue Otter Boats was born.
Turning an Idea into Reality
We spent three months on the waiting list before the steel shell of our boat began to take shape. We worked closely with a team of joiners, electricians, and plumbers to bring our vision to life. By July 2017, our boat was ready to make its grand entrance into the water at Barnoldswick on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal.
Neither of us had ever been on a narrowboat before – not even for a day trip! So, with a generous dose of nervous excitement, we set off on our maiden voyage towards Skipton, guided by a boating friend. We moored in the canal basin for five nights while final tweaks were made to the boat. It didn’t take long for us to fall in love with Skipton, but we were still keen to find a mooring further south, where the weather would be a bit warmer. After all, having spent 17 years living in tropical climates, every degree counted!
With an adventurous spirit, we set off again, retracing our route back to Barnoldswick, passing through Foulridge Tunnel, past Chorley, and down the Wigan Flight. Our journey took us across the Bridgewater, Trent and Mersey, Coventry, and Grand Union Canals. We spent around three and a half months exploring England’s waterways, soaking up the beauty and character of each canal.
Initially, we had our hearts set on settling along the Oxford Canal. But as we got closer, we met a number of boaters who were leaving the area for various reasons. It made us reconsider our plans. Our journey continued into Birmingham, through the historic Black Country, and up the Shropshire Union Canal. To this day, it remains my favourite stretch of water. Ben, however, was particularly taken with the Llangollen Canal and the thrill of crossing the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct.
Then, by sheer luck, a mooring became available back in Skipton’s Springs Branch – right where our journey had begun. It felt like a sign. We’d fallen in love with Skipton during those early days, and we realised it was exactly where we wanted to be, and a popular tourism base for the future scope of the business. So, we reset our plans and returned to where it all started.
In 2018, we welcomed our first guests aboard Blue Otter Skipton, offering bespoke cruising holidays from the heart of the Yorkshire Dales. What began as a personal dream evolved into a thriving business, combining our love of hospitality with the charm of narrowboating.
Looking back, it’s incredible to see how far we’ve come. Blue Otter Boats is now a part of so many people’s stories, offering a unique way to experience the canals of England. And to think – it all started with a dream, a sketch, and a leap of faith…and then came narrowboat number 2, but that’s a story for another time.
Inspired to explore the canals? Book your cruise with us through our dedicated agent, Hoseasons
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