The Leeds Liverpool Canal was built for short boats, 62foot long. Mersey flats, boats designed for sailing on the rivers Mersey, Ribble and Douglas, were used in the early days of the canal. The short boats were based on these craft. Following the completion of the Leigh branch the locks between Wigan and Liverpool were extended to 72ft to allow boats from the rest of the canal network access to Wigan and Liverpool. Narrow boats were charge half the toll of the wider short boats. Boats were originally pulled by mules and horses. Later they had engines and towed unpowered butty boats. The working boats were carrying loads of coal and other goods until 1972. Some of the working boats are still on the canal.

In the 18thCentury the boats were owned by Capitalists. Mine owners, Liverpool merchants, titled land owners owned boats to move the good that made them rich. In 1795 less than 4% of boats were owned by the boatmen who sailed them. The canal companies owned boats but some decided it was better business to let carrying companies run the boats and boatmen. There were carrying companies which owned boats and hired captains to steer them.

There are still boats working on the canal though they now maintain the canal rather than carry cargoes for industry.  B.W.B. have a fleet of boats used to carry replacement lock gates, remove rubbish, dredge, carry clay etc

Commercial craft on the canal were based on the Mersey flats, 60ft long. Boats were mostly owned by collieries and given themed names after planets, rivers or simply names ending in or starting with a particular letter. Leeds - Liverpool barges were of a much higher living standard than narrow working boats. They had two cabins and more living room than those in the midlands.

Although built for commerce and industry canals have been used by leisure cruises since before the end of commercial traffic. LTC Rolt popularised leisure cruising in his book Narrowboat in which he wrote about his travels in a converted working boat at the start of World War Two. After the war lifeboats from large ships were adapted for use on canals. Dingys and pleasure craft from the Lakes were popular and purpose built wooden cabin cruisers were built for the canals. In the 1960s fibre glass cabin cruisers were in fashion with Norman making some of the most stylish cabin cruisers. From the 1980s onwards metal narrowboats became the fashion, these now dominate the canals and can cost as much as a house.

The Family Fleet