Lough, Dock & Two Minor Collisions
O
ur journalist Gemma Weir takes her family on a luxury boating
experience with LeBoat for a new staycation experience...
We all have our favourite sort of adventures that we tend towards most times we venture to our local travel agent. We walk into the office with the brochure under our arm and the page corner of our usual haunt dog eared, deposit in the bank and ready to book. But maybe, every now and again, we should try something brand new. I had been eyeing up a luxurious boating holiday with LeBoat for some time and realised that now was the perfect time to take the plunge… (Cue water themed metaphors!) Carrick- on-Shannon was our departure point for our trip around the Fermanagh Lakelands.
LeBoat had so kindly offered to host myself and my husband, Jim and our little boy, Solly for three nights on one of their beautiful comfort class boats: Elegance 3. I looked at this fabulous six berth boat and wondered if anyone would take it off me if they knew I had difficulty reverse parking a Kia Picanto? I felt as though someone had just given me the keys to the Stena Line. The nerves subsided after a warm welcome and full briefing on how to operate the boat. I was taken through everything from manoeuvring to boat to the interior operations. Captain Weir felt pretty confident that she could get her family down the river without causing any major catastrophe.
Elegance is amazing! She is light and airy with spectacular views from the full sized sliding doors to the rear. The seating area is large and secure (an absolutely essential element for those travelling with little people who like to wander!) The kitchen area is very well equipped, we had everything we could possibly need and more! Gas cooker, fridge with little freezer compartment and all of the utensils, cutlery and crockery that you could
4
paradise and the perfect stop for
more gentle walks and a bite to eat.. We took in the best of both worlds on
possibly need. As you venture along the hall way, you will find three bedrooms, two double and one twin, two of the rooms have ensuite and there is also a third separate WC along the hallway.
Boating is a must try for the newbies like ourselves. It has the potential to be so many different sorts of holiday; a romantic couples hideaway, tottering along the sleepy canals to moor at one of the quiet villages where you can pop to the local pub for a cheeky pint before returning to the boat for the evening. Friends, all up top, appreciating each others company and making memories on the water, having all the time in the world to natter and laugh; and a new learning experiences for families as they learn the ropes of the locks along the waterways for the first time and take time out from endless iPad screens. People actually talk to each other on these sorts of holidays, they read books and they go slow. The joy in a boating holiday isn’t necessarily the
destination, although, the stops on the journey are beautiful, but the process of sailing from A to B is the main part of the experience! We decided to take two days on
the water and the third day, we took to the road to explore the surrounding area of Carrick-on- Shannon. This really is a lovely part of the world; it’s a little network of beautifully kept small villages and hamlets all woven together. Time slows down on the water
and you forget about having appointments to be kept and time constraints; you take on a much more laid back attitude of ‘we’ll be there when we’re there’. We moored up for the night just as the sun was going down. Elegance is a larger boat to manoeuvre but nice and slowly does it. Dromod is a sleepy little village with a spooky train station that is defiantly worth having a little nosey at. It was a new experience for us to slip into our wellie boots and to just dander and take in the peace and quiet. On down the river and our second stop saw us in Roosky, an anglers
this trip. For our third evening, we headed back to Carrick-on-shannon and took to exploring by car. This was a great way for us to really get to explore a little more. We headed into Sligo for a spot of shopping and some lunch sitting by the river. A boating staycation with LeBoat is the most fabulous way to relax, unwind and take life at a whole different pace. When routine has us all buzzing around with the stress of work and family and the daily grind of reality, this was a little golden nugget of serenity. This is a trip that is highly recommended, and LeBoat are the people to book through. We were well versed with all the information we needed to be able to enjoy our new experience and the staff are friendly, accommodating and make sure that you have everything you could possibly need for a holiday experience like no other.
To make your maritime memories contact LeBoat:
leboat.co.uk.
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