500 tonnes of canal boats to be craned into Crick Marina for Boat Show

As part of preparations for the 24th Crick Boat Show, which takes place over the bank holiday weekend (27-29 May), 25 canal boats, weighing up to 35 tonnes each, will be craned into Crick Marina. Crick Boat Show is organised by Waterways World in partnership with the Canal & River Trust and Crick Waterside & Marina. Now the UK’s biggest inland waterways festival, with over 200 exhibitors gathering from across the canal world and beyond, the event is expected to attract over 26,000 visitors. Monica Tuckey, of MJT Cranes which specialises in lifting and transporting canal boats, explains: “Helping with the preparations for Crick Boat Show is always one of the busiest times of the year for us. Ahead of the show opening, we will be transporting and craning 25 canal boats, with a combined weight of close to 500 tonnes. They range in length from 57ft to 70ft, and weigh between 15 and 35 tonnes each. Then after the show is finished, we take them all back again.” Peter Johns, Publisher of Waterways World and Show Director, says: “We are looking forward to welcoming people to our 2023 Crick Boat Show, the nation’s biggest inland boating marketplace and a fantastic day out alongside the Grand Union Canal in Northamptonshire. “During the show build-up, one of the most dramatic sights is when these huge canal boats - that have arrived by road - are winched up into the air and placed onto the marina waters or onto the land in the Show’s land based marina. “The maximum speed on our canals and rivers is just 4mph, making them the perfect place to relax and slow down, but as our exhibitors travel to the show from all around the country, it’s often impractical to send a boat by water. And the wide beam boats can’t fit through the locks on the Leicester Line of the Grand Union Canal, as it’s a narrow canal.” Matthew Symonds, National Boating Manager for the Canal & River Trust, adds: “Every year Crick Boat Show, the UK’s biggest inland waterways festival, celebrates our fantastic network of canals and rivers. “Canal & River Trust cares for and brings to life 2,000 miles of canals and rivers across England & Wales. Our ongoing mission is to protect and preserve this oldest working heritage network in the world and make it available for people to use and enjoy. Still used and navigated by boats as it was hundreds of years ago, these unique places are available and on the doorstep for millions of us to use and enjoy for our health and wellbeing. “A 58-mile stretch of the Grand Union Canal passes through Northamptonshire, and we look forward to welcoming people to the Canal & River Trust Marquee at the Show, to find out more about enjoying the canals in their area.” Crick Boat Show offers a great day out for all the family with dozens of boats to look round, free boat trips, live music, children’s activities, a real ale marquee, and a large variety of exhibitors, both boating related and general stalls. All children aged 16 and under receive free entry to the Show. For more information, visit www.crickboatshow.com or call 01283 742970, Monday to Friday 9am to 3pm.