You don’t need any credentials to skipper a Nicols motorboat on the Hungarian inland waterways, but it’s lovely to have over-qualified crew.

So I was delighted when my brother Jack, a master mariner for Condor Ferries, could join my family’s boat charter holiday, along with his wife Louise and their son Bruce.

The two-cabin Quattro B sleeps four to six (€2,644 per week), but ‘going large’ to the eight- to 10-sleeper Estivale Octo (€3,657 per week), would add to the pool of drivers and people to watch and entertain our young crew. A bow thruster promised easy manoeuvring.

With direct 2½-hour Ryanair flights from Bournemouth to Budapest, and a minibus driver recommended by the boat base for the 90-minute airport transfer to Kisköre, the plan fell into place.

My daughters Neve, 6, and May, 5, were excited. My non-boating spouse Drew declared “It sounds like a week of stress to me” – until he heard that Captain Jack could join us.

Warm welcome

A heatwave greeted us in Budapest. After zipping through passport control and baggage retrieval, we had a half-hour wait as the minibus turned out to be waiting on the departures side.

Having had a 3am wake-up and just sandwiches at the airport before our 6.30am flight, the children were in surprisingly good spirits during the drive to Kisköre.

The beautiful journey passed vast sunflower fields and villages with stork nests on top of electricity poles.

Hindsight would have made us make a detour for provisions, especially large water bottles and lunch, as at the Mahart-run boat base it was straight into a 30-minute video guide (in English) about the Octo and the region.

This was a challenge to concentrate on with tired, hungry children who wanted to build a den out of the sofa cushions.

The host agreed we could eat at the cafe opposite before the boat demonstration.

Our first taste of gyros was pork, cheese sauce and a cabbage, and lettuce salad in a pitta. May, who usually prefers very familiar food, demolished it.

Drew and Jack went off in search of provisions, and the host kindly drove them to a minimart 20 minutes away. They returned with water, no bread (only available first thing in the morning), ham, cheese and apples.

Drew and Jack then took our bags to the boat and returned saying they’d been shown how to operate it. Frustrated that I’d missed this, but not wanting to put a dampener on the holiday, I asked the host if he could run through it with me. He said my brother and husband would pass it on!

Navigational guidance from the host, who thankfully spoke English, as our Hungarian was non-existent, involved him saying ‘port’ and ‘ferry’ while pointing to pages of the pilot book.

The Hungarian version of the book was invaluable due to the boat base’s annotations of no-go zones for the Octo and suitable marinas.

Engine on

After a 15-minute supervised motor out to a mooring buoy next to a nature reserve island ‘great for a swim’, we returned the host to the marina, and then set off.

Jack showed me how to turn the key in the saloon steering area, wait for 10 seconds, and then press the start button. You can drive from the saloon or flybridge – if you have young crew beware that both controls can operate simultaneously.

By now, we were desperate for a swim but the island moorings were now occupied. As anchoring is not permitted we motored on across Abadszaloki medence, its stunning fauna and flora similar to Masuria, Poland, but the waterways here seemed larger.

We passed a beach area with waterslides and a jet ski zone, busy on a Saturday. There were no mooring buoys to be seen. Jack suggested swimming off the boat but, in the breeze, we’d need the engine to stop drifting and I was fearful of swimmers being near propellers.

So we carried on into Abádi Kikoto which the pilot book promised, via the holiday port symbol, offered free mooring, water and electric. Two staff directed us to a berth and took our lines as Jack moored stern-to.

Ashore we found an inviting restaurant with a 1.6m deep pool and sun loungers. Our berth had a lake view over the breakwater, with swans, a heron, butterflies, and a soundtrack of frogs.

That evening we dined on even tastier gyros, chicken in a tzatziki dressing. After an early night for me and the England football match streamed on a phone for Jack, Lou and Drew, I awoke to the sound of Bruce and Lou padding across the cabin roof to the bow’s table. Neve and May were excited to join them and eat cereal in the sunshine.

Lou was keen to visit the waterslides before it got too hot. A hill-top footpath at the marina entrance led directly to Abádszalók beach area, 10 minutes away. The entry fee, 1,000 Hungarian forints each, was just over £2 per person. We sat on towels under the trees. There was also the option of sunloungers (£2).

A swim was refreshing, albeit weedy. The locals – there were no other British tourists – were enjoying inflatables and paddleboards. The children loved choosing their own rubber rings.

We stopped for lunch (more gyros), then walked back, ready for another pool dip.

Onboard facilities

Unlike some boats which leave crew desperate to use amenities ashore, the Octo had two spacious walk-in showers.

“They’ve wasted quite a lot of boat space to the bathrooms” observed Jack, who was in the portside inner cabin. His initial impression of his sleeping quarters was “cramped and uninviting” but once in, with legs under the low-roof section, he could stretch out his 6ft 1in frame and ‘starfish’, although he needed to roll out.

The cabin had a large fan too. Lou and Bruce shared the similarly shaped inner starboard cabin with the air conditioning system. Lou initially liked the very chilled room, having worried about the heatwave without it.

The first morning she described it as “too cold and noisy”, however, she soon embraced it and said they “slept like logs” the rest of the trip.

Two spacious larger cabins in the bow offered clear headroom, with twin beds, which connected as doubles, and a USB-operated fan that moved the hot air about.

Dinner was a delicious sharing platter and Greek salad. The children enjoyed the playpark.

The wind picked up, with staff rushing to drop the parasols, but aside from having to exit the pool, all was well.

The following morning we topped up the water tanks – the connection worked best when held in place by hand – then motored back across Abadszaloki.

Being a Monday, we had the water to ourselves and the nature reserve mooring buoy was free. I took the helm, Drew was at the bow with a boat hook.

With Jack instructing, we motored into the wind, smoothly tied on and had a swim, launching the inflatables in the calm lake. Back on board, with the engine ticking over, Drew untied the boat from the mooring buoy and we smoothly exited.

The main River Tisza channel was empty and keeping to the starboard side, respectfully away from swan’s nests and stationary fishing boats, we made our way to Steg, with its holiday port symbol.

Tight turns

The river tributary turning revealed a low bridge that our bimini would not get under. So we untied the front two straps and gently lowered it back.

We then passed under the bridge and through a swimming zone to moor up alongside a riverbank with tyres tied to it. These were great bumpers but also housed a hornet’s nest.

Being careful to keep the sliding door shut, we quickly exited for a lunch of locally-caught fish and freshly-made lemonade.

Moving on, there wasn’t much space to turn, so we motored away from River Tisza, hoping the channel would widen. It didn’t, so Jack made a tight turn using short blasts of power forward and back. The most similar vessel he had driven to the Octo was the Condor ferry’s lifeboat.

We passed back through the swimming zone and attempted to enter a nearby port but it was too snug and too full. Jack again made an on-the-spot turn, narrowly missing some dangling overhead power lines we only noticed once through.

Splendid Sarud

Carrying on up Tisza River we stopped at Fuzfa Kikoto, where an overhead bridge was busy with cars, lorries and trams. It wasn’t so scenic here, so after a dash to the restaurant for water and ice cream, we returned the way we’d come, bound for Tunderroza Kikoto, a recommended ‘port.’

Counting the river markers, we spotted the only navigable channel into Sarudi Medace for a craft of our size. Our Octo filled the tree-lined gap then we emerged into the protected area of Hortobagyinp.

Following a pilot book arrow, we approached the first marina but it was for small boats. The large boat marina was further along at Poroszlói Kis-Tisza.

We moored alongside cool willow trees. Another tourist haven awaited us ashore, with a playpark that offered hammocks and fitness equipment, large inflatables in the lake that those over 1.2m could pay to enter, a trampoline park, and a swimming area with free sunloungers.

It was after 6pm and the marina restaurants were closed. Google maps suggested a restaurant a 10-minute walk away and after a wild goose chase around a pretty residential area, we found Lake Bistro back near where we’d started.

The children were delighted to see kittens, while the adults enjoyed a beer. While Jack dashed back to the boat in flip-flops for cash because the bar’s card machine was broken, the staff rustled us up a welcome feast of chips, schnitzel and savoury pancakes with cheese and ham.

Then we fled as the mosquitoes came out, particularly targeting Jack who was hot from his run.

The next day we enjoyed a cool dip but the murky water hid sharp shells. May badly sliced her foot so we were relieved when an English-speaking lifeguard offered to treat and bandage her injury.

Drew and I trekked into the nearest town of Sarud for provisions. Large waterbottles, reasonably priced, gave us a strength test on the 20 minute walk back.

Sarud is all geared up for fishing: in addition to a shop at the marina, a store in the village offered all the latest gear plus a petting farm and Playmobil play area.

We returned to the lake just as May suffered another foot injury – a splinter from a spiky sulyom plant. The lifeguard kindly prised it out for her.

Keen to avoid the shallows until we could find aqua shoes, we hired pedalos with slides to cool off in deeper water. Lunch was on board; sandwiches, yoghurts and iced tea.

Later we dined on more gyros at the marina. We topped up our water tanks, this time requiring a twist adapter, which was next to the tap. Lou and I swept around the boat. Jack and Drew washed the decks.

Departing skipper

Jack, Lou and Bruce left early Wednesday morning in their taxi to the airport, as Jack had to work. We were sad to see them go but it was a treat to open the inner cabin at night and let the cool air out.

That day we hired a bike with a trailer to take Neve and May to Playmobil world and the petting zoo – they loved it and it was a great way to keep them out of the midday sun.

In the evening, conditions changed, as forecast, to hammering rain and strong wind. Neve was scared as lightning flashed, while May slept soundly. It ceased at midnight.

The next morning I was up early to check for damage in the calm sunshine. Sailboats were tipped off trailers, one boat’s mast leaned on the tree beside our Octo.

We were keen to move closer to Kiskore ready for our Friday return, in case another storm occurred. When the light tower flashes on the lake, boat movement is forbidden and would be foolish anyway!

Leaving the berth, I failed to straighten the rudder before attempting to reverse. The challenge increased when Drew left a mooring line attached ‘for control’. However we made it away without any prangs and with all crew accounted for.

It was idyllic to motor gently across the empty waterway, with sandwiches and tea on the flybridge.

We retraced our route through the cut, sounding the horn first, thankfully, as a canoeist and fishing boat were waiting when we emerged.

Cruising down the Tisza, we turned to port at the junction, like homing pigeons for Abádi and its pool. A school party watched as I reversed in so slowly the marina staff awaiting our lines looked bored, but all went smoothly!

We hired bikes to explore the nearby town and enjoyed freshly-made gelato, stocking up on provisions at a large Co-op.

On Friday we departed in shifty winds. I was apprehensive about doing our final mooring with windage, so had a reversing practice at the nature reserve buoy.

At Kisköre marina, the turning space was soon filled by our Octo. The relief at reversing neatly into the finger berth evaporated when I realised the mooring lines were still portside.

It was tricky to hold position in the windy conditions so while Drew readied the lines, I motored back into the Tisza.

Two staff came to assist. Neve and May had been distracted with a bag of crisps. One minute we were lined up, the next we had overshot and the staff were shouting for me to spin deep in the marina.

I said to Drew: “I need to go out and turn around.” Drew calmly said: “I can do it” and I gave up the helm.

The staff were gesturing for us to pass the pontoon end, spin and approach the berth from a 45° angle. Despite me shouting “You’re going to crash the boat”, Drew nailed it, I threw the lines to the staff and they pulled us in. Drew smiled and asked: “Like that?”

Enjoyable adventure

Moored up that evening, new guests boarded the next Octo. My spirits rose as they went careening across our bow. A staff member grabbed the helm to avoid a canoeist and tender and exit the marina.

Drew summed the boat charter holiday up as “80% lovely, 20% stressful”, which I think is a good ratio for a charter in unfamiliar waters and vessel!

We loved the region and felt very safe. The Octo was a dream in the wide waterways and comfortable moored up – in between it was great to have Captain Jack on board.

We later saw an older staff member single-handedly move an Octo around the marina in high winds, leaping off to pull in lines, tie on, then hop back on to stop the engine.

No experience is required to drive these boats… but it helps!

Captain Jack’s tips for boat handling

Know your boat

Every vessel is different, even sister ships have different handling characteristics. Consider your boat’s side profile and how the wind will push it. If you have a cabin it’s likely the bow will be blown down first with a beam wind. At what wind speed do you lose control of the boat due to power limitations? Practice berthing in light wind conditions, then try manoeuvring out in open water with a bit more wind and get comfortable with your limits.

Engine kicks

It’s tempting to use minimal engine power when manoeuvring. Slow is pro after all. This works great in light conditions but as the wind picks up you need more power to overcome the elements without gaining too much speed. Engine kicks work well, by putting the rudder hard over and giving a good burst of power through the propeller then bringing it back to stop you can apply a lot of turning effect without increasing speed. Using this technique you can turn any boat around in confined areas, and find it far easier to overcome the elements.

Be proactive

Boats have a delayed response. Not only is it a large mass with inertia, it also takes time to move the mechanical parts to a new position and start applying the force you want. Think ahead. If you’re coming into the berth at a good angle and a nice speed, what’s the next move? Why not turn the rudder away from the berth ready. You can then kick astern to slow her and kick ahead to bring the back end in.

Coming alongside into wind

Get the bow in position first and ideally tied on, turn hard over away from the berth to get the stern in.

Getting off the berth in a beam wind

The bow will be blown down towards the berth, so don’t fight it. Put the wheel over towards the quay, kick ahead to lift the stern.

For best effect leave the forward spring line attached and use it to hold the bow in (using a fender to protect it) and lift the stern out into the wind.

Once the stern is out 30-40°, come astern until safely clear and bring the boat around.

The ferry glide

You can easily maintain a course when making way and a strong steady wind or current can simulate this.

Drive into the wind or current, whichever is stonger, never with it at your stern. Once you match your speed to the force of the elements you will be stopped in the water but under power.

If the wind isn’t strong enough for your lowest engine speed use kicks ahead to maintain your position.

Once in this steady state you can use very small rudder adjustments to glide in towards the berth, then straighten and repeat until you have glided in or out laterally.

A guide to boating on the Hungarian inland waterways

Freshwater setting

Located in the heart of the Hungarian Great Plains region, the Mahart-run Kisköre base is on the shores of Lake Tisza, also known as Kisköre Reservoir – Hungary’s largest artificial freshwater lake. At 127km² in size, and connected to the 966km River Tisza, it’s a vast area to explore.

The lake next to Abádszalók town offers a fun first stop with its sandy beach, water slides and activities such as jet skiing, kayaking and paddleboarding.

Other nearby attractions include:

• Tiszafüred spa resort where you can swim thermal waters of 39°C
• The Ecotourism Centre of Lake Tisza at Poroszló, home to the largest freshwater aquarium in Europe Tiszacsege, at the entrance to the Hortobágy nature reserve Tiszaújváros thermal baths
• The 19th-century Andrássy Castle at Tiszadob
• Tiszalök nature walk with its long wooden footbridge and trail
• Bodrogkeresztúr – a birdwatching hotspot known for eagles, corncrakes and storks. The village also hosts several Tokaj wine cellars
• Adventurous boaters can navigate on the Bodrog River to Sátoraljaújhely on the border of Slovakia; and to Sárospatak, with its view of Rakóczi Palace; and up to Tokaj – the heart of Hungarian vineyards – where you can leave the boat at Mahart’s Tokaj base.

The boat

No previous boating experience is required to hire the Nicols fleet. The four-cabin, 80hp, Nicols Estivale Octo boat is 13.5m long and 3.8m wide, and was bright and spacious thanks to large windows and sliding doors to the rear terrace.

Sitting below deck with the front windows open and the flyscreens in place was lovely and breezy.

The fully-equipped kitchen boasts a 220lt fridge with a freezer compartment, a four-burner stove and an oven. The cabins were comfortable and two bathrooms spacious with doors off the main corridor and also sliding doors into the bedrooms in the bow.

The heads is operated by a push-button vacuum flush. Steering is from a helm in the saloon, or on the flybridge. There is a swim ladder and deck shower on the stern.

A narrow walkway to the bow’s sundeck required a side shuffle.

• The base provided children’s lifejackets, towels and tea towels
• Accommodation maximum capacity: 10 people
• Recommended capacity: four adults/four children
• Living area: 11m²
• Water capacity: 1,000lt
• Fuel capacity: 270lt/14 days
• Other equipment: bow thrusters, 220V shore power connectivity, radio/CD/MP3 player

Essentials for children

• Sun protection vests
• Goggles
• Buoyancy aids
• Aqua shoes in the shallows
• Entertainment – raid charity shops for DVDs as there’s a DVD player, we also took Dobble, OK, Monopoly Deal, colouring pens and books
• An extra adult! It was a lot less stressful at the helm when there was one adult to entertain the children and another ready to assist with mooring lines etc.

Pilotage and weather

• Pilot books for the region (provided by the base)
• Naviboat app
• There was a chart plotter in the saloon, but we preferred to use the annotated Hungarian pilot book up on the flybridge
• Acuweather for ‘Sarud’ proved to be good for accurate weather forecasting via its website

Costs

It’s a great holiday for enjoying the high life of being on a large motor cruiser, spending ‘thousands’ on everything, yet actually prices were cheaper than England.

In marinas, you can expect to pay £3 for beer. Nearby villages were the cheapest for fresh gelato ice cream (around £2).

• Airport minibus transfer costs 50,000 Hungarian forints (£105) each way. We recommend the minibus taxi hire: Miksa Kiss, email
  repteriutazok@gmail.com
• Charterers are required to pay a returnable deposit for the Octo of €2,000 against damage (as the boat is worth ‘well over a quarter of a million’.)
• There was a tourist tax of 550 forints a day per adult, which amounted to 12,100 forints (£25) for us. This tax enabled the use of the ‘holiday ports’ with unlimited water and shore power.
• We were charged for 12.2 hours of fuel, gas and electricity usage by Mahart (we had been advised to expect €18 for every 1 hour used) = 83,863 forints. In total, this was 97,963 forints (£206).
• Ryanair flights cost £656 for my family of four, plus baggage.
• The Octo costs £3,045 to hire through Nicols.

Useful Hungarian phrases

Keeyram –please

Cusonum – thank you

Szia! – hi Kikötő –port

Boat charter options

In addition to Hungary, Nicols offers self-drive cruisers for parties of up to 12 people in France, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal and Ireland.

• Mahart is the company managing the Kisköre and Tokaj bases. Charterers can book directly with Mahart or via Nicols.
• www.nyaralohajozas.hu
• www.boat-renting-nicols.co.uk

Authors note: The photographs of children not wearing lifejackets were taken during very calm conditions, in a freshwater setting with no tide or waves, all the children can swim and float. It was baking hot and the buoyancy aids were very bulky, we wanted to make the holiday enjoyable for the children so on occasions when they were seated or several adults were standing by, we allowed them to go without. We taught them to crawl across the bow to the seating area and always to keep one hand for the boat. Half the time, they were inside playing hide and seek, colouring and drawing etc when under way as it was so hot on deck. Unfortunately, some of the more scenic shots occurred without lifejackets, please be aware that the children did wear buoyancy aids for much of the holiday and safety precautions were taken at all other times.

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