Cruise to the Olympic Park on Usain Boat
If the idea of getting stuck in a boiling tube and being late to see the Olympic Sport you paid an arm and a leg for is bringing you out in a cold sweat, time to look for alternative transport modes to get you there in good time. What could be more chilled than cruising down to the Olympic Park along the nearby canals? Water Chariots have launched the first ever Olympic canal boat service (apparently, no other Olympic site has ever been accessible by river before!) offering trips down the River Lea from Limehouse Marina and Tottenham Hale Lock. With lounges at either end, a fancy bar on board and prices starting at £45, these cruises are being marketed as a limo service to add a touch of luxury to your Olympic experience. We took a ride to test the waters… Our chariot awaited us in the tranquil Limehouse basin amongst the other fancy pants yachts. 
Nothing better than a puntastic boat name thought up by a school kid. 
Rather elaborately stocked mini bar for an early morning sail… 
The view isn’t exactly scenic but there is some nice urban ‘street art’ along the way. 
And by jove, the water is the cleanest I have ever seen it thanks to these Lea Mean Cleaning Machines dredging up all those old shopping trollies: 
Five points if you spot the waterside tanks! (Fret not, these are film props, not warmongering machines). 
And the amazing accidental pun of the day goes to… 
And before you know it, 40 minutes has flown by and you have effortlessly glided your way straight to a stones throw of the Olympic Park. Now that is a smooth ride which beats a sweltering tube ride or traffic jam any day. 
The boats may not be cruise ships but there is something implicitly luxurious about arriving somewhere by water. Each boat can be booked out for whole parties, modified to meet your heart’s desires, or you can just jump aboard and commute in style. Find out more at water-chariots.co.uk.
