Boats, Boats, Boats! Taking a trip on the Chichester Canal

Magda
Jun 8
4 min read

Once upon a time, when we were looking to buy a house in Chichester, I remember walking down a pathway and unexpectedly finding ourselves on the beautiful towpath along the Chichester Canal. It has taken us a good few years to return, but we finally headed back to find out if the Chichester Canal boat trip is worth adding to your S.E.A. goals.

At a glance

Postcode: PO19 8DT
Parking: Limited free parking on site, or you can park on the surrounding roads for up to 2 hours for free.
Cost: £10 per adult, £7 per child. (There are usually two scheduled boat trips a day, at 12:00 and 13:45).
Toilets: There are toilets in the reception/café area, plus one on board (though we didn’t use that one).
Food: No food is served on board, but there is a café at the basin and plenty of other options nearby.

An honest review

I absolutely love a boat trip - honestly, any boat will do! It has become a bit of a tradition in our family that every trip and mum-centered occasion is marked by pretending we are real sea dogs. Obviously, we are not. Whenever we are actually in charge of a boat, we spend half the time stuck in reeds and trees, but let’s not let technicalities spoil good fun! This time, to mark Mother’s Day weekend, we let someone else do the driving on the Chichester Canal.

We were incredibly lucky as we were the only passengers booked on the boat. The weather was supposed to be awful, but as per usual, the forecast was wrong and we were blessed with lovely sunshine.

As you enter the boat, you go below deck into a large room with tables, chairs, and windows all around. It is quite basic, but the whole boat has a lovely, traditional barge vibe, so we didn’t expect luxury. Unfortunately, the windows were a bit dirty and smudged in places, so it was a little tricky to take clear photos from inside. That didn’t matter, though, because we spent the vast majority of the trip up on the top deck with the skipper and the mate! We only needed to go back below deck a few times for a few minutes when instructed by the skipper for low bridges.

The boat can hold 22 people. If it is full (or near full), passengers need to swap around to take turns standing on the top deck, as it’s a very small space. We were fine standing up there with the three of us plus the two sailors, but I reckon if you added two more people, it would be a squash and a squeeze.

The trip itself was lovely. It took around 1 hour and 15 minutes, and it was wonderfully peaceful and relaxing. The most exciting bit was watching how the skipper managed to turn the boat around in the narrow canal. We were absolutely sure it wouldn't fit (I definitely need far more attempts trying to turn my much smaller car around in a much wider road!). We had a great chat with the skipper and the mate, who were both very knowledgeable and happy to answer the many, many questions from the Chief Adventurer. He very much enjoyed spotting ducks and swans, and looking out for fish in the surprisingly clean water (I always assumed canal water was murky, but here it was crystal clear!). Apparently, there are sometimes seals in the canal too, but despite looking out fervently, we didn't spot one this time.

Most of the people running the Chichester Canal boat trips are volunteers, and they were so welcoming and accommodating. We were actually a few minutes late for our scheduled departure, and they very kindly waited for us. The Chief Adventurer even got a free pin badge, which he was delighted to add to his collection.

There is a small area on the boat where I believe you can usually get food and drink, but it was not in operation during our trip. However, in the main basin, there is a little café serving drinks, ice creams, and cakes, plus a pub next door if you fancy something more substantial. We actually headed over to Chichester Gate (just on the other side of the road) to grab a bite to eat afterwards.

We loved our canal boat trip. It isn't a full day out by itself, but it is a brilliant activity to bolt onto other local adventures.

Top Tips for your S.E.A. goal

Pair it up: If you want to make a full day of it, consider adding the boat trip to another local adventure like visiting Bosham, Fishbourne Roman Palace, Chichester Cathedral, or even grabbing a cinema trip or bowling at Chichester Gate. If you’re feeling energetic, you could even go on a 4-mile walk alongside the canal leading all the way to Chichester Harbour.
Prepare to be flexible: If you can, check the booking system last minute to see how many people are scheduled on a trip. The fewer people on board, the more time you get on the top deck!
Pack supplies: Bring some snacks and water, just in case the mini café on board isn't open during your sailing.
Hold on tight: Hold on to the kids tightly when you are outside. The top deck isn't the world’s most secure area, and nobody wants to fish a soggy child out of the water!