Canal boats craned into Crick Marina ahead of fun-packed show over Platinum Jubilee weekend

Canal boats weighing up to 35 tonnes each were craned into Crick Marina ready for boat show this weekend.

MJT Cranes delivered the boats on Monday (May 30) as part of preparations for the 23rd Crick Boat Show which takes place from June 3-5.

A special Trade and Preview Day will be held on Thursday (June 2) for advanced ticket holders only.

More than 50 canal boats will be on display at the show and around 22 of them will be craned in for the event.

Now the UK’s biggest inland waterways festival, with more than 250 exhibitors gathering from across the canal world and beyond, the event is expected to attract over 26,000 visitors.

Monica Tuckey of MJT Cranes that specialises in lifting and transporting canal boats said: “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 22 canal boats, with a combined weight of over 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 added: “We are looking forward to welcoming people to our 2022 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 continued: “Every year Crick Boat Show, the UK’s biggest inland waterways festival, celebrates our fantastic network of canals and rivers. Research shows spending time by water makes us all healthier and happier and we believe that waterways have the power to make a real difference to people’s lives.

“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 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 and to book tickets, camping pitches and moorings, visit www.crickboatshow.com or call 01283 742970, Monday to Friday 9am to 3pm.