I have traded three times into canal boats and it was great! Very scenic and lots of fun. I traded in once with RCI and twice with DAE Europe. I was also offered an exchange to canal boat from UKRE but it was at a time my schedule was really uncertain so I had to turn it down. The first trade was when I was single and I took a date along. The last two times were after I was married, and my wife I think loved it even more than I did. She wants to go back and do a different canal to see a different area. I am awaiting the final go-ahead on a six month project in eastern Europe, and after I get the word on that, we will probably put in a request using one of our two remaining UKRE exchange credits.
They train you on operating the boats, which is not difficult. The one thing that takes a bit of getting used to is steering with a tiller instead of a wheel. At first, it feels you ought to be turning the tiller the opposite way than you should, but you get over that quickly. On the English canals, you also have to operate the locks yourself (unlike the French canals that have lockkeepers). The canal boat staff also trains you on that and it is not really difficult, although it does seem a bit intimidatiing the first time or two. Other boaters at the locks are also very open to helping those for whom it is their first time.
There are canalside pubs where you can stop and eat meals, and also a galley onboard where you can prepare meals. They give you a guide to things to see and do along the particular canal.
This is an exchange I very highly recommend.