Most people assume that they require a license to drive a canal boat on waterways but the truth is that none is required at all. And neither is any boating experience. Most legislations permit navigation of waterways without a license for rental yachts and boats that have a length of not more than 15 metres and a maximum speed of not more than 12km/h. So, everyone who dreams of taking a river cruise can make them come true especially with a renowned boat rental company such as SamBoat. Click here to book the yacht or boat of your choice.
No license or beforehand experience? No problem!
Cruising the waterways is accessible to everyone. By understanding a few basic instructions, even beginners can control canal vessels since they're designed to run within the established regulations, and therefore, no experience or license is required.
SamBoat has made their vessels quite easy to operate such that if a person decides to hire a boat for the first time, they can operate it seamlessly. Before being handed a vessel, you will be issued with clear, hands-on instructions to familiarize yourself with waterways cruising and become in full control of your canal vessel.
From these instructions, you will understand how to dock the vessel and how to pass other vessels. If you would prefer more guidance, you can be assigned a member from their team to accompany you through your journey to enhance your confidence in operating canal boats. Once you are familiar with the controls, you will be mastering forward maneuvers and reverse maneuvers, stopping, mooring, and slowing down in no time.
Just like other activities on the water, canal cruising is all about understanding the basics and taking your time. Gradually, you will figure out the numerous pleasures of a yacht holiday.
Safety Rules and Conditions for Cruising
Just like roads, navigation in waterways is subject to rules and regulations of conduct. Companies that provide river boats for hire are classified specially to allow them to rent their boats to holidaymakers on the condition that they offer suitable instructions. Once the holidaymakers are done with their "apprenticeships", they are permitted to sail the boats using a "pleasure card". The instructions are provided when collecting the rental boats and contain the major maneuvers that you will require and the regulations to observe once in the waterways.
When collecting the rental boats, you will introduce you to navigation. They will offer you the necessary instructions to go ahead with your planned routes without having a license. The holiday-specific instructions cover things like the types of locks that you may encounter and any challenges to anticipate in the region.
If you're a beginner, the instructor will recommend the routes that will offer you a calm stat on your cruise which in turn will give you time to familiarize yourself with the cruise and waters. The instructor will inform you of any difficulties in navigation and what you need to know when handling adverse weather events especially if they're floods.
Furthermore, you will be given a telephone number to contact the base team in case you experience challenges in the waterways. The contact is usually accessible at all times. They will be happy to help you.
