John and Annie Henshaw took their first narrowboat holiday in 2002 and in Narrowboating for Novices they've shared all the knowledge they've acquired over the years - and which they wish they'd had when they were just beginning! Invaluable for both the complete newcomer and those with limited experience of narrowboating, Narrowboating for Novices is a combination of guide book and instruction manual, which will help you to:choose which canal to explore (they're not all the same!)
find the best maps and guides
discover interesting places to visit near the canal
pack everything that's necessary for the trip (and leave out things that aren't)
become confident in steering the boat, turning it around & mooring it
negotiate bends, bridges & tunnels
work locks efficiently, confidently & safely

In Narrowboating for Novices you will find:An instruction-manual section, written in a clear, readable and often humorous way, explaining everything you need to know in order to have an enjoyable and safe narrowboat holiday and including anecdotes of the authors' own experiences on the canals.
Descriptions of thirty nine canals, their course, locks and tunnels, and their ease or difficulty of navigation
Descriptions of places of note that can be seen from each canal (such as interesting buildings, sculptures and unusual locks, bridges and aqueducts)
Descriptions of interesting places to visit - including historic houses, heritage railways, nature reserves, wildlife centres, museums, ancient churches, theme parks and much more - each with address, website and an estimate of how long it will take to walk there from the canal
Fifty four sketch maps which show the courses of the canals, together with the locations of notable flights of locks, aqueducts, tunnels and places to visit.

If you're new to narrowboating or have limited experience of the canals, this is the book for you.