Canal Boat Terms Explained: A Beginner’s Guide to Narrowboat Language
On a narrowboat, the kitchen becomes a galley, the front becomes the bow, and turning round involves something called a winding hole.
It can sound like a whole new language before you have even unpacked the picnic.
If you are planning your first narrowboat day near London, knowing a few common canal boat terms can make the briefing easier to follow. Here is a simple guide to the words you might hear aboard and along the Grand Union Canal.
Finding Your Way Around the Boat
The bow is the front of the boat, while the stern is the rear. These names stay the same no matter which direction the boat is moving.
Port is the left-hand side, and starboard is the right-hand side when you face the bow. Think of them as fixed directions for the boat, not based on which way you happen to be looking.
The tiller is the bar used to steer. It controls the rudder, and its movement can feel unusual at first: moving the tiller left turns the front of the boat right, and vice versa. Our first-time narrowboating guide explains the basics.
The galley is the boat’s kitchen, where you prepare lunch and put the kettle on. Probably one of the easier boating terms to remember once someone offers you a cup of tea.
Understanding the Waterway
A towpath runs beside the canal. It gets its name from the horses that once walked along it, towing working boats through the water. Today, you will often see walkers, cyclists and people enjoying the canal from the bank.
A pound is the stretch of canal between two locks. Locks connect these sections where the water levels differ. Learn more about what keeps them supplied in our guide to how canals stay full.
A lock is a gated chamber that raises or lowers a boat between different water levels. Water enters or leaves the chamber, and the boat rises or falls with it.
Our beginner’s guide to canal locks explains how it works.
Recognising the Equipment
A windlass is a removable metal handle used to operate the paddle mechanisms at many canal locks. Those paddles control the flow of water into or out of the chamber. If your trip involves working locks, the handover will cover how to use the equipment.
Fenders are the protective cushions you see around boats, often made from rope, rubber or plastic. They help protect the hull when it rests against a bank, wall or another boat.
Stopping and Turning Around
Mooring up means securing the boat in place, usually with ropes at a suitable stopping point. You might moor for lunch or when returning to the marina. We will show you how during your handover.
A winding hole is a widened part of the canal where boats can turn around. These turning places vary in size, so the right one depends on your boat and route. Knowing where to turn is part of planning your outward and return journey.
Put the Words into Practice
These terms soon become more familiar when you can see the equipment and places they describe.
At Cow Roast Marina near Tring, our first-time canal boat hire includes a practical handover covering steering, stopping, mooring and working a lock. You don't need previous boating experience, and you'll have time to ask questions before setting off.
Bring your crew, pack a picnic and discover the canal at your own pace. You will soon have plenty of reasons to say, “I’ll be in the galley.”
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