The main UK network of narrow (and some wider) canals was built in the late 1700s and early to mid 1800s. It was the transport system that helped the industrial revolution come about. By the standards of those days, the network cost a fortune to build and one way of keeping building costs down was to limit and standardise the width of bridges over the canal, and similarly limit the width and length of the lock chambers.  The narrow standard (majority of UK canals) became 7ft wide with locks limited to 72ft in length (a few canals limited locks to 62ft or 58ft in length). The early canal engineers had invented a system for carrying freight by boat - not passengers. So 'long and narrow'  narrowboats became the norm for boat design on most UK canals - even though some later canals were built for wider boats.

In fact all of the commercially hired boats on the Scottish Lowland canals are narrowboats, although there are a number of shorter but widebeam charity vessels principally catering for the disabled. At just over 65ft overall, Willow is currently the longest vessel used commercially on the Scottish Lowland canals, but she is nevertheless a 'narrowboat'. The maximum recommended length for the locks here is 63ft. But, because Willow is a 'narrowboat', she is able to safely fit (diagonally) into the wider Scottish locks. British Waterways (Scotland) management are very aware of Willow's length - indeed they helped facilitate her move north to Scotland, and provided a mooring at the Falkirk Wheel to suit her length.

So we class our accommodation as being spacious by hotel narrowboat standards - but accommodation is nevertheless small by the standards of even UK on-shore hotel rooms. Our guest double bed (some hotel narrowboats provide twin 18 inch wide beds) is a narrowboat standard width of 4ft - whereas a standard UK double bed is 4ft 6ins. One US client told us that 4ft width is the standard single bed width in the US - other US clients have told us that's 'baloney' (their words) - but clients do need to be aware of these things before coming. The en-suite shower room is spacious by other hotel narrowboat standards but, again, undoubtedly small by on-land hotel room standards.