Charter Hotelboat Willow's Crew and Hosts

ABOUT YOUR CREW:
Photos of us are a bit embarrassing, but we have been told that they are necessary on a page like this - so we've kept the one's of us reasonably small - Meg, of course, isn't embarrased.

The B&W photo shows me 50 years ago - sitting on a lock gate at New Martins Lock on the Llangollen canal - hire boating, 1958.

Background to Scott Marine Services: (This technical bit is necessary because of our training activities)
Scott Marine Services was initially only involved in narrowboat engineering - started by our son, Craig, who operated from workshops at Grindley Brook Wharf on the Llangollen canal. He lived there aboard his ‘Colecraft’ narrowboat ”Nemesis”. His initial training was as an apprentice mechanic with a prominent Hire Fleet. Nick & Irene later joined him as business partners. Scott Marine specialized in the complexities of boat charging and electrical systems to suit the liveaboard lifestyle. Craig is also an accomplished narrowboat skipper, starting his professional boating career as a crew lad on a well known hotel boat pair, “Rose & Castle” (from age 13yrs during school holidays). This early semi-professional training was invaluable and Craig became an MCA Boatmaster as soon as age permitted. Having been trained in hotel narrowboating skills on 'Rose & Castle' over the subsequent years he acted as relief skipper for ‘Rose & Castle’, and of course on ‘Willow’, when he wanted a break from his spanners.

In it's very early years the hotel narrowboat pair, 'Rose & Castle', was owned by the famous Willow Wren canal carrying company - then leased to it's operator/skipper, and subsequent owner, Dave Dare. Willow Wren were one of the last commercial narrowboat carriers latterly operating mainly on the Grand Union. Many of the old boating skills were passed on to the 'new' hotelboat operators. As well as being one of the first to be involved in hotelboating, Dave also owned the Basingstoke canal based 'Gourmet Cruises'. With a family association from the early 90's, over the years Dave has passed on to the Scott's much of his real depth of knowledge of traditional narrowboating skills. Much of that skill emanated from traditional working boat practices used by the likes of Willow Wren of years gone by - skills that are passed on rather than learned in books.

Nick & Irene Scott joined Craig, in Scott Marine Services, in late 1998 and now own and operate charter hotel narrowboat 'Willow'. From 1999 to 2001 Nick & Irene hosted Gourmet Cruises (Restaurant & Trip boat business owned by Dave Dare), on the Basingstoke Canal. As the principal MCA Boatmaster at Gourmet Cruises, Nick was involved with staff training to Boatmaster level as well as, of course, spending many many hours at the helm. Before living aboard Nick was a police sergeant, having specialized in police training - skills now applied to narrowboat training. Irene, coming from a hotel background, undertook the catering and hosting aspect of Gourmet Cruises.

Willow was converted to a Hotel narrowboat during the winter of 2001/2. Nick & Irene’s current lifestyles therefore combine catering, boat handling and training skills, with their love of narrowboating. Irene is also an accomplished boater but prefers the hosting and catering aspects of the business (trust me you would not want Nick to do the cooking). In addition to preparing our home cooked cuisine, Irene can also operate a narrow lock 'pretty sharpish' (I wouldn't like to get in her way).

WILLOW IS A NON-SMOKING BOAT.