what is the maximum height for widebeam boats on london canals?

[oboat]

@ 10'-9" that would certainly help on the Regents. I also love your internal ceiling profile very Art Deco. I am thinking of using that as an outside profile a bit like the original Paddington Packet boat illustrations.

[blackrose]

@ 10'-9" that would certainly help on the Regents. I also love your internal ceiling profile very Art Deco. I am thinking of using that as an outside profile a bit like the original Paddington Packet boat illustrations.

 

Art deco? Ok... I just thought it was standard oak-faced ply?

[WJM]

Flat bottomed narrowboats (and wide narrowboats) usually have tons of concrete ballast under the floor - often paving slabs. If internal headroom is a big issue then the best trick I know of is to have the boat built with an extra thick baseplate, the extra weight eliminating the need for the concrete ballast - then the floor can be closer to the baseplate. Baseplates are typically 10mm thick so you could specify 20mm.

[ribcageboating]

Top Tip! Woweee this forum is like a gold mine ;-)

[magnetman]

Flat bottomed narrowboats (and wide narrowboats) usually have tons of concrete ballast under the floor - often paving slabs. If internal headroom is a big issue then the best trick I know of is to have the boat built with an extra thick baseplate, the extra weight eliminating the need for the concrete ballast - then the floor can be closer to the baseplate. Baseplates are typically 10mm thick so you could specify 20mm.

post #4

 

I don't think many builders would go as thick as 20mm to be honest but 15mm base and 8mm sides is okay and makes a difference

 

iirc there were some springer like wide boats built with 3/4 (19mm) base but not many.

 

it would be interesting to approach a 'boat fabricator' about it then ask a boat builder and see what the responses would be.

 

of course for 100% ditch crawling you don't need a 'boat' just a floating box with a punt shaped hull and a couple of outboard motors to move it about so you get more inside space

 

edite typo

Edited May 22, 2013 by magnetman

[ribcageboating]

You've lost me now guys..!

[WJM]

Built from the normal thickness of metal, a boat floats too high in the water and wobbles about too much. To prevent this, tons of concrete is usually put into the bottom of the boat to make it heavier and make it sit lower in the water. This concrete is thick and means that the floor inside the boat is actually about six inches above the bottom of the boat. If you are looking for good headroom inside the boat then the best place to start is to get rid of the concrete and have the floor lower. To achieve this some builders will make the bottom of the boat from extra heavy metal so that the floor is only about two inches above the hull - thus freeing up four inches inside without making the boat any taller.

 

And yes, there are builders who will build a 20mm base plate, my neighbour has one.

[ribcageboating]

Good news :-)

[Little Else]

Getting excited now, making cake for the ships cat and filling the car with beer for Captain Bligh. (And gin for me). Gammy foot is getting better slowly but I won't be jumping around. See you all around the system and for beer on Sunday.

 

Libby

[blackrose]

Good news :-)

 

Good news will probably only last until they tell you the price of your 20mm thick widebeam baseplate. There's a very good reason they normally use concrete slabs for ballast, but if money is no object, by all means...

[ribcageboating]

Yes I did wonder....

[Grace and Favour]

Yes I did wonder....

20mm mild steel plate weighs 157Kg per square metre

 

 

You'll need about 70 metres for your base plate

 

(I'll let you Google the price!)

[WJM]

It must be twice the price of a 10mm base plate?

[bargemast]

It must be twice the price of a 10mm base plate?

 

That should be about right, as the steelprice is normally payed by the weight.

 

Peter.

[magnetman]

it is welding 20mm base to 6 or 8mm sides that would bother ne, not the price.

 

something about weld penetration

[magnetman]

if you hit a lock side hard I think there is a risk of weld cracking with an excessively thick base olate.

 

if you hit a lock side hard I reckon there is a risk of weld cracking with an excessively thick base plate.