FAQs

• Is size important?  -  Tarporley is 72' (nearly 22m) long and 7' wide; she can carry ONLY 12 passengers.  ‘Babes in arms’ do not count.  Nine or 10 adults can sit outside at the front, in the well-deck.  Everyone can be outside all the time, if they want, sitting and standing.  Equally, there is plenty of room inside, and seating for 12 in the front cabin.  There is background heating for any cold periods.
• When/ where can we start?  -  We usually start from King’s Place [KP] between 10am and 11am for a full day trip (approx 6 hours). Afternoon trips normally start at 2pm and finish at 5pm.  Three hour evening trips start no later than 6.30pm and finish during daylight hours.  If you want something different, please This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to discuss, but bear in mind that, for any ‘one-way’ trips, we have to charge for the return trip too.
• Where can we go?  - This depends largely on the time available – please see our interactive map.   The most popular day out is to Little Venice, Paddington, W9 and back.  Others go to Victoria Park, Old Ford, E3 and back.  Please be aware, as we are 72' long we are limited as to where we can turn around.
• Can you take us on the river?  - The Thames tideway has to be taken seriously.  When we take Tarp on the Thames, it is part of a 3/4-day round trip – KP to Limehouse, up the river to Brentford, then up the Grand Union to Bull’s Bridge and on to Paddington, before returning to KP on the Regent’s Canal.  This has to be carefully planned in detail; timings for the river transit are dictated by the tides:  if it is of interest to you, please let us know, but be prepared for us to tell you when and how this could be done.  Cost in the region of £1,200, for private hire; discounted rate for any community group.
• What should I wear?  - Outdoor clothing, appropriate to the time of year and the current weather forecast and a little warmer than usual as it is colder on water, and flat shoes, preferably with a sole that doesn’t slip on hard wet surfaces.  We have buoyancy aids; these may be issued and worn, or not, at the discretion of the customer, except on the tidal river, where they are compulsory. 
• Food and drink.  - We do not provide food, though tea and coffee are available.  Do bring whatever you want and do cook aboard.  Our galley or kitchen has a fridge [with icebox], gas cooker, oven, microwave, hot water and a large worktop onboard.  All manner of crockery, cutlery, glasses and cooking utensils are available (we do expect you to do your own washing-up).
• Alcohol  - Responsible social drinking is perfectly acceptable.  Drunkenness is, however, completely unacceptable and uncontrolled behaviour would risk the premature discontinuation of the trip.  Recreational drugs of any other kind are not permitted on board.  Smoking tobacco and vaping is permitted only out of doors – i.e. nowhere inside the boat, regardless of the prevailing weather conditions.
• Limited mobility?  - Because Tarp is an ex-working boat and was converted for use as community boat  50 years ago, the basic layout is not suitable for anyone unable to negotiate a few steps up and down without assistance. Unfortunately so she is not suitable for most wheelchair-users unless very agile and/or your companions will assist you fully.