Exploring inland waterways is one of the most popular forms of activity holiday in Britain. You can drift through miles of glorious countryside, investigate fascinating relics of former industries and, not least, marvel at the feats of engineering - the locks, tunnels and aqueducts - that carry the canals throughout the length and breadth of the country.

Getting onto the water couldn't be simpler: you just hire a boat. But what sort of boat? How do you handle and maintain it, and how do you manoeuvre it through locks, tunnels and swing bridges? If you get really keen how should you go about buying your own boat?

Canal and river cruising answers all these questions and more. Written by an expert, and produced on collaboration with The Inland Waterways Association, it is a concise, authoritative guide to the practical aspects of cruising canals and navigable rivers. It gives you all the information you need to ensure that you and your crew have a great time, wherever you go on the waterway network.