Kiwis Kruise Kanals

From ocean sailing to European waterways

We have been discussing exploring the European waterways for a few years. The seed was planted 6 years ago when we cruised the Nivernais canal in France with some English friends. Meandering along visiting small towns and villages, drinking local wines, and experiencing another culture was rather enticing.

A year later in 2013, instead of canal cruising, we were joined by friends from around the world as we cruised through the Pacific islands for nearly 6 months on Alibi, our sailing catamaran. Click on here to follow that trip: Alibi’s Pacific cruise

Alibi

In 2016 Alibi circumnavigated the North Island of NZ, again joined by friends and family. She spent 3 months in the Abel Tasman and Queen Charlotte and Marlborough Sounds Follow this link for more on this trip: North Island circumnavigation

2017! This was to be the year we embarked on this venture. John started by looking at suitable boats, completed the required ICC and CEVNI certificates required for cruising Europe’s waterways. However it was not meant to be! Life intervened with family commitments, plus, a prior verbal agreement, made over a few glasses of wine a few years earlier, saw us crewing for Jim and Karin aboard Victoria crossing the Atlantic Ocean.

We did have a small glimpse of canals in 2017 when we spent a few days in a narrow boat on an English canal and river with John’s daughter Jenni and her husband Greg, and Tommo and Sally who had been crew for us on the trips in the Pacific and around the North Island on Alibi.

April 2018. This dream is about to be realised.

Join us as we look for a boat and explore the inland waterways of Europe.