October 2026 issue
On the cover of the October issue... Jonathan Wilson-built wide-beam boat One Life on the Stainforth & Keadby Canal. By Mark Langley
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Win a '24 Hours at Crick' illustration
Capture the spirit of the Crick Boat Show with this illustration from show sponsor Haven Knox Johnston
Managing the New Normal
Commentary
Britain’s canals are increasingly being tested by prolonged drought, extreme heat and intense rainfall. James Francis Fox asks how the network can adapt – and whether summer restrictions are becoming an unavoidable part of boating
Broad Thinking
Boat Review
With generous living space, unconventional styling and impressive handling, One Life takes a very different approach to wide-beam boat design. Mark Langley finds out more…
264 Miles Alone
Looking Back
Drawing on a remarkably detailed cruising log, we retrace an ambitious single-handed voyage through southern England in the summer of 1969
WW Guide to South Oxford Canal
Cruising Guide
Bookended by bustling Braunston and the dreaming spires of Oxford, this is one of Britain’s finest rural canals. Steve Elliott cruises south…
The Paper Dashers
Looking Back
We look at the express canal boats that once served Britain’s paper-making industry
Drinking in History
Around the Waterways
Amelia Saxena finds out how maker Bryony Taylor’s love of canal heritage has inspired mugs designed with boaters in mind
A Back-To-Basics Boat
Boat-Ownership
After dreaming up luxury and green-spec narrowboats, Hugh Moran strips things back to discover whether less really can be more
Refined Cruising Through The Great Glen
Discover The Caledonian Canal
Frances and Michael Howorth discover the Caledonian Canal from the unusual perspective of a luxury ship
Toilet Trials
Boat-Ownership
Andy Tidy has lived with almost every type of boat toilet, from pump-outs and cassettes to separating systems. He shares what worked, what didn’t and why there may never be a perfect solution
Saul Junction
Waterways Hotspot
The meeting point of the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal and the Stroudwater Navigation offers a remarkable blend of history, engineering and regeneration
40ft Narrowboats
Buying Used
James Francis Fox explores three very different 40-footers on the used narrowboat market
Going to Market
Discover The Market Harborough Arm
Ben Kirkman enjoys lock-free cruising, expansive countryside views and a fascinating canal terminus on the Market Harborough Arm
24 Hours in Bradford-on-Avon
Explore Bradford-on-Avon
Andrew Denny discovers one of the K&A’s most rewarding stopping places – a town where medieval streets, industrial heritage and waterside hospitality are all within a few minutes’ walk of the visitor moorings
HDPE Special
Ask an Expert
The arrival of HDPE narrowboats has caused plenty of discussion among WW readers. We look at what the material offers – and some of the questions that remain
Caring for Carers
Last Word
Adam Porter visits a pioneering project at London’s Paddington Basin where a floating staff room aims to improve the well-being of NHS workers
