Blue Otter Boats

23/01/2025

✨ Exciting News! ✨

Blue Otter Boats has been awarded Best Canal Boat Hire Experience in the LuxLife Marine Tourism Awards for the third year in a row! 🏆🚤

A huge thank you to you, our wonderful guests, for every review, rating, and recommendation that has brought us here. Your support means everything to us! 🙌

We’re also grateful to our trusted booking partner, Hoseasons, for helping us create memorable narrowboating holidays. From the moment you book to the day you disembark, our team is dedicated to delivering exceptional service.

Ready to experience the joy of narrowboating in 2025? Don’t just take our word for it—book your next adventure today! 🌿⚓
👉 https://lux-life.digital/winners/blue-otter-boats-ltd-3/

Best Canal Boat Hire Experience 2024 – YorkshireLUXlife Marine Tourism Excellence Award 2024

18/01/2025

🚤 Otter-ly Amazing News from Stratford-upon-Avon! 🦦🐟

An otter with BIG ambitions (and an even bigger appetite) has been spotted in Stratford-upon-Avon, dragging a huge fish along the path near the Recreation Ground before diving into the River Avon for a proper fish feast! 😲🐾

Charlotte Yarnold was out walking her dog when she caught this incredible moment on camera—proof that the River Avon isn’t just for narrowboats, but also for otters with fine dining tastes. 🐾✨ The video has already captured the hearts of thousands online, and we’re otter-ly charmed by it.

This reminds us why we love Britain’s waterways so much—there’s always something magical happening, whether it’s an elegant narrowboat cruise or a furry friend having the catch of the day. 💙

Have you ever spotted an otter on your travels with us? Drop your stories and pics in the comments—we’d love to hear! 🛶📸

The otter, undeterred by passers-by, is spotted dragging a huge fish along the path in time for a snack.

16/01/2025

It takes just a half-day cruising from Skipton to reach Gargrave. Along the way you will go through open countryside with spectacular views, enjoyed by kingfishers, dragonfly, otters, swans, ducks and geese that call this stretch of the canal home.

The visitor moorings in Gargrave are a tranquil and shady spot to enjoy a couple of nights. It’s also a great place to donne on the hiking boots for a walk on a stretch of the Pennine Way.
https://blueotterboats.com/walking-the-pennine-way/

11/01/2025

Winter Serenity on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal

As the seasons change, the Leeds & Liverpool Canal takes on a whole new charm. ❄️✨ A blanket of snow covers the towpath, and the stillness of a frosty morning invites a quiet moment of reflection. The water glistens under the low winter sun, while nature lies peacefully at rest.

There’s something magical about this time of year on the canal — a crisp walk along the frozen banks, spotting the quiet beauty of winter scenes that often go unnoticed.

At Blue Otter, we love seeing the canal through every season, and winter has a serenity all its own. If you’re dreaming of canal adventures or simply enjoying winter from your window, we hope this view brings a moment of calm to your day.

05/01/2025

🎲 Feeling adventurous? Let the numbers decide your 2025 holiday activity!

Here’s how it works:
👉 Pick a number between 1 and 9.
👉 Follow the steps in the image.
👉 Your final number = your next adventure!

Are you destined for a peaceful paddleboarding trip, or is it time to conquer your fears with bungee-jumping? 🤔 Either way, narrowboating (we’re #9!) sounds like the perfect way to wind down after all that action! 😅

Let us know what activity you land on in the comments!👇
Ready to plan your next holiday? 🚤 Discover more at www.blueotterboats.com 💙

04/01/2025

Blue Otter Wootton Wawen is on the Move! 🚤

Exciting changes are afloat! Blue Otter Wootton Wawen is relocating to a brand-new mooring at Stockton, near the picturesque village of Long Itchington — frequently cited as one of England’s most desirable places to live.

From this central location on the Grand Union Canal, you’ll have even more options to explore some of England’s most iconic waterways. Cruise west toward Warwick, Birmingham, and the Warwickshire Ring, or head east for scenic routes toward Banbury, Oxford, and even London.

With six charming country pubs, beautiful footpaths, and stunning countryside right on the doorstep, Stockton offers the perfect starting point for a relaxing and memorable canal holiday.

We can’t wait to welcome you to our new home and help you discover even more of England’s historic waterways. Keep an eye out for updates — bookings for Blue Otter Stockton are already available through our trusted agent Hoseasons



https://blueotterboats.com/blue-otter-stockton/

23/12/2024

SPOILER ALERT!

If you've caught the trailer for the latest Wallace & Gromit adventure, Vengeance Most Fowl, you might have noticed a narrowboat making an appearance!

In the film's climactic moments, a thrilling chase unfolds across an aqueduct inspired by the iconic Pontcysyllte Aqueduct in North Wales. However, since the story is set in Lancashire, the talented team at Aardman Animations made a few creative tweaks, swapping the stone piers for brick to resemble the region’s historic railway bridges.

For a narrowboat adventure without the drama, book a tranquil escape aboard a Blue Otter Boat, available through our trusted partner, Hoseasons

📷 Gromit balances precariously on a narrowboat as it crashes through barriers on what fans think looks like Pontcysyllte Aqueduct
(Image: Aardman Animations)

Canal & River Trust

20/12/2024

Best wishes of the season… see you in 2025!

20/12/2024

Something about this booking suggests it’s a rather special Christmas present 🎁

Book with our agent and then let us know if you would like us to issue a gift voucher to go under the tree.

22/11/2024

🌊✨ Black Friday Bonanza: Your Canal Holiday Awaits! ✨🌊

Dreaming of tranquil waters, charming towpaths, and unforgettable adventures? 🛶 This Black Friday, Blue Otter Boats is making your getaway dreams come true!

Book through the Black Friday Sale and enjoy exclusive deals on spring, summer, and autumn canal holidays. 🌿☀️🍂 Whether you’re after a peaceful escape or a romantic adventure, our bespoke narrowboats promise a journey you’ll treasure forever.

📅 Limited-time offers, perfect for 2024 getaways
📍 Explore Yorkshire’s and Warwickshire’s stunning canals
💺 Luxury comfort, your own pace

📖 Secure your escape now – head to the Hoseasons website to book!🚤

21/11/2024

Celebrating 80 Years of Excellence in UK Travel & Tourism

Yesterday , the Blue Otter Boats joined 600 others from the tourism industry at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole to celebrate a remarkable milestone: Hoseasons’ 80th anniversary, marked by their legendary annual conference.

It was our first time attending this iconic event that is a highlight of the UK tourism calendar, honouring the partnerships and people that continue to shape the industry’s success.

Founded in 1944 by Wally Hoseason, the company began as a family-run operation offering houseboat holidays on the Norfolk Broads. Today, Hoseasons has grown into a powerhouse of UK travel, offering thousands of holiday properties, lodges, parks, and boating experiences, including luxury narrowboat holidays like those offered by Blue Otter Boats.

Hoseasons’ success lies in their commitment to creating memorable holidays while building enduring relationships with their partners. Their dedication to innovation and excellence has made them a trusted name in UK tourism for eight decades.

This was evident yesterday through the highlights of the Conference; a mix of industry insights, inspiration, and celebrations of success. This year’s theme, “Celebrating 80 Years of Excellence,” paid tribute to the company’s incredible journey and shared a bold vision for the future.

The conference featured keynote speeches, updates on market trends, and exciting plans focusing on sustainability, digital advancements, and enhancing customer experiences. A glittering gala dinner capped the evening, complete with many awards recognising outstanding achievements and plenty of opportunities to connect with industry peers.

At Blue Otter Boats, we came away proud to be part of the Hoseasons story, offering unique and bespoke canal boating holidays that bring guests closer to nature and the charm of the UK’s waterways.

Congratulations and a MASSIVE thank you to Simon Altham and the whole Hoseasons team for an amazing event marking 80 years of excellence! Here’s to the next chapter of redefining holiday experiences together.

20/11/2024

Planning your 2025 holiday? Find us in the Black Friday sale.
We look forward to welcoming you on board from April to October 2025.

10/11/2024

Lest we forget.

On the quiet towpath of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal near the settlement of Low Bradley, south of Skipton, there is a memorial marking the site where a Wellington aircraft HZ251, flying from Skipton-on-Swale near Thirsk to Silloth in Cumbria, lost a wing and crashed into the canal embankment on September 23rd 1943.

Seven Polish airmen were killed instantly. Five of them were the crew of another aircraft which had been grounded, stranding them away from their base.

Read the full story here:

Polish Airmen’s Memorial, Bradley, North Yorkshire On the quiet towpath of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal near the settlement of Low Bradley, south of Skipton, there is a memorial marking the site…