Affordable holidays on the beautiful Lancaster canal

Phone Number: 01524 928829

Mobile Number: 07453 366221

Customer Reviews

Booked 3 nights in Dolly Mixture in June for my Dad's 70th. Paul was very welcoming and gave us a great induction to get us started. The boat was immaculately clean and very well equipped. Weeks later and my Dad is still boring my mum with stories about the trip. Great time had by all!

by Neil Bryson ★★★★★

We had a lovely long weekend on a moored Dolly Mixtures. Every aspect was superb. Nothing lacking and very well appointed. Once we had put our belongings in we had a visit to nearby Lancaster before a tasty pub meal heading back to a cosy stay. Next day lovely walk south to Garstang Marina’s cafe via the towpath. Monday a longer walk north to the spur branch. Birdsong aplenty. The local swan begged at the window each morning. Magical.

by Graham Sedgley ★★★★★

Just had 4 nights on Dolly Mixture mid September 23 really enjoy my time on the Lancaster Canal Dolly was very easy to steer and control (being on my own with a boxer dog and first time boater) Nice and comfortable badge,Chris is a very relaxed instructor made it easy to take control with confidence will be doing it again for sure can't fault Water Babies. Paul

by Paul Rogers ★★★★★

Just had 4 nights on Dolly Mixture mid September 23 really enjoy my time on the Lancaster Canal Dolly was very easy to steer and control (being on my own with a boxer dog and first time boater) Nice and comfortable badge,Chris is a very relaxed instructor made it easy to take control with confidence will be doing it again for sure can't fault Water Babies. Paul

by Paul Rogers ★★★★★

We hired Dolly for a week in early September 2023. Went down South as far as Bilsborrow and north up to Hest Bank. Came back to the mooring at Forton mid week so we could re stock. The boat was great: very well equipped and easy to sail plus plenty of room for the two of us. The fun part was planning the route, where to moor overnight and finding a pub. Would definitely do it again!

by Martin Axo ★★★★★

We hired Dolly for a week in early September 2023. Went down South as far as Bilsborrow and north up to Hest Bank. Came back to the mooring at Forton mid week so we could re stock. The boat was great: very well equipped and easy to sail plus plenty of room for the two of us. The fun part was planning the route, where to moor overnight and finding a pub. Would definitely do it again!

by Martin Axo ★★★★★

Well what can I say, it was the best holiday we have had for years. Great customer service and so friendly. We travelled up and down the canal and found our favourite spots I highly recommend bridge 90 if you like it rural and quiet. The boat was great there was everything you needed down to tea and coffee. Waterbabies is highly recommended and will definitely be going again. Thank you again for such a great holiday. Lee and nichola

by Lee and nichola ★★★★★

This was our first time on the Lancaster canal. It made a welcome change to just cruise along without the stop-start of operating locks. We went south to Garstang, worth a visit, then headed north. Attractive countryside and we also enjoyed many of the canalside gardens. Dolly Mixture was great: nice to handle, well equipped, comfortable and most important no maintenance issues. With many thanks to Chris & Karen; we had a good week. John & Sarah Herefordshire June 2023

by John King-Salter ★★★★★

Highly recommend using "water babies". We had previously hired from 'big' hire companies but Chris & Karen made it all feel a lot more personal and nothing was too much a problem for them. Excellent communication all along. Lancaster canal is very scenic and compared to some other canals, nice and quiet. Dolly Mixture is a fine example of a narrowboat, with good easy steering and quiet engine and the internal layout is brilliant. Everything you need for a canal holiday!! We will be back onboard again soon.....

by Iain & Adele Milner ★★★★★

What an absolute pleasure from start to finish with Karen and Chris from Water Babies. This was our first time barging and Karen and Chris both went out of their way to make sure we felt confident to set sail on our own. Communication was first class and clear instruction from Chris on the first day ensured we had a fun filled few days. Dolly Mixture has absolutely everything you could need and the Lancaster canal is an easy first trip. Many lovely places to moor and lots of wildlife. We took our dog along with us which added to the fun; she loved it as much as we did. We will definitely be back and would recommend Water Babies to anyone wanting to try barging or those who are more experienced wanting a lovely few days.

by Lynda Woodburn ★★★★★

Had a lovely week on Dolly Mixture although the weather could have been a little better, (It was the end of March) It still didn't spoil our enjoyment of the holiday, The great thing was we could go back to the mooring and use our car to go into Blackpool Morecambe and Kendal when the weather wasn't ideal for the canal, we would recommend this holiday to anybody with the added bonus of Chris and Karen who are a lovely helpful couple and there lovely boat which was spotlessly clean and had everything we needed,

by Pam Stevenson ★★★★★

Spent a week over Christmas on Dolly mixtures. The boat was well presented when we collected her - even down to a Christmas tree, glow cubes and a few nice (edible and drinkable) extras. We had a really relaxing time, and seeing Lancaster castle with no tourists on Boxing Day was lovely. Local shop at Galgate is excellent, everything you could want. Would we go again? Yes!

by Angela Knisely-Marpole ★★★★★

We had a great few days on Dolly Mixture. First time canal boaters. Chris showed us how to drive and operate all the onboard equipment. Very soon we were under way. Heading north we got to Carnforth and back in 4 days. The boat was easy to manoeuvre and great fun to drive. We saw lots of wild life including Kingfishers. We also stopped at a few canal side pubs. The book that we were given made navigation easy and showed where to moor, shop and explore. The boat was comfortable and clean. Thanks to everyone at Water babies

by trevor lewis ★★★★★

I can't praise Jay and Water Babies enough. The boat is well maintained, has everything you need and performs perfectly. Jay is a lovely person who can't do enough for you. We aren't new to Narrowboating but if you are , do not hesitate at all as Jay will stay with you as long as you need him to and explain everything in his friendly, at ease manner. The Lancaster is a gorgeous canal with loads to explore or picturesque if all you want to do is relax. The mooring where Water Babies is based in itself is stunning to begin with and the holiday just keeps on giving. Can't fault the company one bit. Fantastic.

by JEREMY KELL ★★★★★

I have just spent my first week on Dolly Mixture on the Lancaster Canal. This was my first experience on a narrowboat and I was a little nervous as I was on my own. The owner, Jay, was brilliant. He was friendly and extremely patient teaching me navigation skills. This massively put me at ease and made my holiday more enjoyable. The boat itself was very comfortable and immaculately clean. I have spent a lovely, relaxing week on the Canal, visiting Lancaster Castle and other spots along my journey. I can highly recommend Jay and Dolly Mixture... you won't be disappointed.

by Leigh Leather ★★★★★

Just spent 3 days on dolly mixture. Absolutely fantastic we loved it . Beautiful boat , so clean , great facilities. Jay can't do enough for you . If you have never done it I would recommend . Thanks again

by Christine and Nigel ★★★★★

Just completed (May 2019) very pleasant 7 days on Mint Imperial. As regular boaters we can say that the boat was spacious for 2 people and satisfactory for 4 with all the normal facilities you would expect. A comfortable boat. We headed for the northern end of the canal and the boat performed well and was easy to manage. Countryside was excellent with a number of pubs to reduce the demands on the galley. Can particularly recommend the Bay Horse which is only 2 miles from the moorings and therefore useful for first or last nights. If you are new to boating Minty would provide an excellent first experience. The more adventurous (six locks) can go down to Glasson Basin and visit the excellent Port of Lancaster smokehouse.. Wonderfull produce! David & Susie

by David Clarke ★★★★★

A wonderful 5 days on Mint Imperial in the May sunshine. Friendly, personal and efficient service from Paul throughout - including allowing a preview of the boat to check its suitability for an 89 year old, helpful handover and very quick resolution of a mechanical problem. Thanks. Can highly recommend Water Babies, the comfortable well-equipped boat and the Lancaster Canal.

by Stephenson family ★★★★★

Fabulous weekend on the lovely 'Dolly'. So well equipped, clean and cosy that we wanted for nothing. A big thank you to Water Babies for allowing us to bring our two waterbabies - only the young dog got her paws wet!. We'll be back...

by Gill & Andy ★★★★★

A December weekend but nonetheless enjoyable. Paul was very welcoming and informative and the boat was fantastic. The stove in the evenings was great asset drying foulies the first two days and warming the frosted fingers after that. The Canal was scenic and pubs friendly. A first class experience overall.

by Charlie Young ★★★★★

9th-14th Sept. Fantastic 5 night break on Dolly Mixture, good instructions from Paul prior to setting off. Bit daunting at first but you soon get the hang of things. Well equipped comfortable boat, loved every second, the scenery, pace of life and friendliness of people on thx canal, can't wait to go back.

by Michael Ashworth ★★★★★

9th-14th Sept. Fantastic 5 night break on Dolly Mixture, good instructions from Paul prior to setting off. Bit daunting at first but you soon get the hang of things. Well equipped comfortable boat, loved every second, the scenery, pace of life and friendliness of people on thx canal, can't wait to go back.

by Michael Ashworth ★★★★★

September 2018 Lovely break on a Waterbabies Narrowboat. Paul was exceptionally helpful and friendly, couldn't do enough for us. Cruising the Lancaster Canal was relaxing and everyone we encountered along the way was lovely. The only reason I gave this a 4 star and not a 5 star was the boat felt a little tired in terms of decor, but it didn't spoil our week.

by Joanne McNeil ★★★★★

Fabulous weekend 24th to 26th August 2018 Just on Dolly Mixture sailing the Lancaster canal. Paul was wonderfully helpful and gave a thorough training on how to use the boat. The boat was very well equipped and spotlessly clean, The shower was brilliant and beds very comfy. Looking forward to trying it again and cant recommend water babies highly enough.

by steve and family ★★★★★

14th August to 18th August Just had a wonderful few days on Dolly Mixture sailing the Lancaster canal. Fantastic service from Paul the owner nothing too much trouble. Very well equipped, spotlessly clean, comfortable sleeping. Never expected to be smitten with a narrowboat but will definitely be doing it again and can recommend Water babies 10 out of 10 Thanks Paul some lovely memories for me and Dad.

by Bev Sawer ★★★★★

13/08/2018 Had a lovely couple of nights on Dolly Mixture. We could not get leave off work to allow us to have a long weekend but Paul happily met us when we arrived after work on Friday evening and again when we returned the boat on Sunday evening. Nothing was too much trouble. The boat was well equipped and very comfortable and we soon settled into a much more relaxed pace of life for the weekend. Paul gave us expert tuition prior to us going alone. This was something very different to what we have ever done before but we both thoroughly enjoyed the experience. It was a great weekend.

by Tracy and Neil Dawson ★★★★★

Had a lovely couple of nights on Dolly Mixture. We could not get leave off work to allow us to have a long weekend but Paul happily met us when we arrived after work on Friday evening and again when we returned the boat on Sunday evening. Nothing was too much trouble. The boat was well equipped and very comfortable and we soon settled into a much more relaxed pace of life for the weekend. Paul gave us expert tuition prior to us going alone. This was something very different to what we have ever done before but we both thoroughly enjoyed the experience. It was a great weekend.

by Tracy and Neil Dawson ★★★★★

We spent two weeks on Dolly Mixture from 20th July to 3rd August 2018. Meeting Paul was a delight and he delivered top class instructions on how to go about handling the boat and also walked us through Dolly Mixture showing us how everything worked. During the little trip up the canal with Paul we were shown how to turn the boat around before Paul jumped off and our adventure began. It was amazing, we took our bikes with us so we could explore the area once moored up visiting Morecambe Bay, Arnside, Sliverdale and Blackpool. The scenery and wildlife on the Lancaster canal is beautiful and the boat was well equipped and comfy. We loved every minuet of our holiday and highly recommend Water Babies. Thank you Paul.

by Nathan and Josie ★★★★★

What a great day!!, Paul was brilliant, he made our taster day very tasty. his knowledge of the boat, canal and surroundings was excellant, we and our party who joined us later on the trip after being held up on our ridiculas motorway network ( NO such hold ups on the canal ) had a fantastic day. Trundelling up the canal at the speed of Two miles an hour - watching the world go by yet needing to concentrate to avoid running the ducks over and even more so negotiating past another craft or through the low bridges. Happily our craft managed with a little help from our skipper, find a loveley watering hole being the Plough, where we could rest and and think about the exhausting efforts just under taken. ( 3 hrs to do a journey that would take a car 10 mins ). Sadley we had do the same journey back to our moorings. The sun was beating down, and just listening to the slush of the water against the bank was enough to send us into another world - out of the RAT RACE. Gently meandering around the bends in the canal, took me back to the tales of the river bank - peace and tranquilty. Truly excellant day and well worth the effort under the expert guidance of Paul.

by Lynda and John Kendal ★★★★★

23rd July to 27th July 2018 On board Mint Imperial (Minty) we was initially given a tour of the boat by Paul, Minty is very spacious with everything you'll need for your trip - all you need is food and drink (although tea, coffee and sugar is provided). Hubby was given an induction of the steering, location of engine, water and gas while I unpacked. Induction from Paul was very thorough and before we knew it we were cruising down Lancaster Canal on our own (daunting being first timers) but before we knew it we had become more and more confident as the hours past. Everyone is so friendly along the canal and the weather was very kind to us, however, the canal needs a few inches of rain due to the low water levels so mooring was quite challenging at times which just added to our overall experience. The surroundings as you cruise leisurely down the canal is breathtaking, it's like a hidden world and if you are lucky enough, you get might get to see some wildlife you wouldn't normally get to see. We can not recommend waterbabies enough, Paul is always a phone call away if you need to ask any questions. Mandy and Daz

by Amanda Laycock ★★★★★

9th July to 12th July 2018 on board Dolly Mixture Well we were inexperienced boaters but not any more! Armed with Paul's thorough instructions whilst walking through the boat (delivered with a great sense of humour) and an introductory cruise together (including turning the boat) we felt confident to go it alone. We had a fabulous time. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Great canal side pubs in Lancaster. So relaxing. Very comfortable on board. The wildlife and scenery are a delight. If you've never done it before you couldn't find a better place to start. Paul is at the end of the phone if you need him for anything (which we didn't) and there are no locks on this stretch of the canal. Thank you very much Paul. We can't wait to come back.

by Kathryn and Graham ★★★★★

What a great week (22-29 June 2018) on Dolly Mixture. She is very well appointed and very comfortable with everything you need on board. Paul was very supportive at hand-over on arrival day with lots of useful tips and information. I found the Lancaster Canal to be very quiet and relaxing. Exceptional weather was a bonus. Highly recommended . Thank you Paul (Waterbabies).

by Neil Brown ★★★★★

A taster day bought as a gift - thoroughly enjoyed by all. Paul is very knowledgable and enthusiastic and keen to impart his love of canal life - we really enjoyed our day and would love to book a weekend next time

by Sharon Mason ★★★★★

Just returned from out first trip with Water Babies. The boat was very well equipped. Paul was very friendly and helpful, we were able to pick Dolly Mixture up early. Great holiday, would go again. Thank you Paul.

by Peter & Sylvia Miles ★★★★★

This was our second holiday on a Water Babies boat and we and our two dogs had a lovely time, Paul was very friendly and even Texted us to say we could pick Dolly Mixture up early as She was ready to go. Everything you need is at hand on the boat and the canal is lovely. The four of us will be back next year. Thank you Paul.

by Graham & Sue Adams ★★★★★

Spent a lovely week on Mint Imperial. Very relaxing and our 3rd time with Water Babies on the Lancaster canal. Thanks Paul we had a great time and might see you again soon.

by Marion Cooper ★★★★★

What a great find! Paul was extremely helpful in pre-briefing us before our lovely four night excursion on 'Mint Imperial'. The boat was very well laid out inside and we had a great time on our canal boat adventure up to Bolton-Le-Sands. Thanks again Paul, Jenny and Phil

by Phil & Jen Warry ★★★★★

Great holiday on Mint Imperial and exactly what was needed. Beautiful part of the world to explore. Both mother in law and 8 year old daughter are now converted bargees and myself and hubby have reawakened the joy of mucking about on the river! Instructions were clear and Minty contained everything required for s comfortable stay. We will be back again.

by Claire May-Smith ★★★★★

Had a lovely trip down to Lancaster, plenty of wildlife to photograph. Paul was very friendly and great with his advice. Couldn't recommend it more. Very enjoyable weekend

by Angela Calvert ★★★★★

Had a lovely 4 days in Mint Imperial. The boat was really well equipped and nothing was too much trouble. As the boat was free on our first day, Paul offered for us to pick it up early which almost gave its an extra day cruising - really thoughtful. Lancaster Canal, itself is a great canal to cruise and having no locks made it a really relaxing break. Many thanks .

by Ashlie & Gareth Hughes ★★★★★

Had a lovely 4 days in Mint Imperial. The boat was really well equipped and nothing was too much trouble. As the boat was free on our first day, Paul offered for us to pick it up early which almost gave its an extra day cruising - really thoughtful. Lancaster Canal, itself is a great canal to cruise and having no locks made it a really relaxing break. Many thanks .

by Ashlie & Gareth Hughes ★★★★★

I highly recommend Water Babies for a canal boat holiday. A great experience.

by Karen McManus Latham ★★★★★

Wonderful trip. Five Stars

by Liam Wilson ★★★★★

Chris & I had a 'Taster' Day on Dolly Mixture, one of the company's two narrow boats. What an experience! Paul was both a great host and trainer. We Really enjoyed our day!

by Chris Long ★★★★★

Paul was very helpful and provided great local knowledge. Dolly Mixture was a lovely boat. Had a great time of relaxation and reflection.

by Mark Muller ★★★★★

Paul is an amazing instructor, very calm, and helpful. The children all had a turn as well as the adults, wonderful reception, and food... really enjoyable day.

by Angela Howe ★★★★★
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