Set sail with Dragonfly
Paul Osborn’s Dragonfly Hotel Boat offers a hassle-free, luxury experience
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Dragonfly is a luxury, catered dining and boating experience. Talk us through what customers can expect on the couple cruise.
I suppose the luxury starts with all our cruises being private. As a guest, you have the boat completely to yourself – while the boat handling, cooking, cleaning and washing up is all done for you. It doesn’t stop there, though. We fitted out Dragonfly to be as cosy and comfortable as possible, including a wood burning stove and good quality bedding. She is equipped with WiFi, Alexa, a 42” television with streaming services and, for a change of pace, we stock several board games – ‘Canal Mania’ being a particular favourite! As for catering, our overnight Winter Getaway cruises depart from North Kilworth, go down Foxton Locks and arrive at Market Harborough mid-afternoon the next day. We serve dinner, breakfast, and lunch along the way. The menu reflects my time living in Asia and my Le Cordon Bleu training, and is smart bistro-style, consisting of a fusion of modern British, French and Asian dishes. Dinner is served with wine pairings supplied by Duncan Murray Wines of Market Harborough, which is included in the price. After dinner, guests have the boat entirely to themselves until breakfast, when I rejoin them. I don’t stay on the boat overnight, as this allows guests to experience the wonderful sense of isolation of waking up in the middle of nowhere. I have always loved that intrinsic romance and adventure of the canals, and so it was important to me that guests are able to experience that for themselves. During the trip, adventurous guests are more than welcome to come to the stern and help me steer, sit up front in the bow, or just relax in the saloon with the wood burner going. What brought you to owning and running Dragonfly? My wife Teresa went on narrowboat holidays every year when she was in her twenties, but I’m relatively new when it comes to narrowboats. In fact, I hadn’t been on one until just after lockdown. I fell in love with it immediately. I love the freedom of being able to stop wherever you want in the middle of nowhere and ‘camp out’ in a fully fitted house with all your creature comforts around you, and that love has guided how we have approached Dragonfly. What makes Dragonfly different to other narrowboat holidays? Ours is a completely hassle free, elevated experience where you get a little pampered. We are also different from all the other hotel boats in that we operate more as a private charter, whereas hotel boats are more communal. One obvious difference is our dining experience. I often think that Nick from Duncan Murray Wines is probably one of our best differentiators! He has provided wine pairings for all of the 100 or so items on our menu. What makes this area, and Market Harborough in particular, so special? The very first meeting of hotel boat operators took place at Market Harborough’s Union Wharf in 1950. It makes sense that this area was a centre of hotel boating, because there are over 20 miles of unimpeded waterway through rolling countryside, with the magnificent Foxton Locks staircase right in the middle. I’m delighted to be able to carry on this history, and to give locals the chance to experience the canals and work the locks themselves. What do you enjoy most about the cruises? I love the feeling when a successful trip is over and I have the satisfaction that I’ve done all I can to help the guests have a really memorable experience, but I also love inviting new guests on board and welcoming them into my world. Dinner service is always a highlight for me because I get to put all my Cordon Bleu training to use! For more information visit dragonflyhotelboat.co.uk
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Issue 24
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