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Harecastle headroom?

Rustykev

By Rustykev
in Holidays Afloat

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Rustykev Contributor

Rustykev

Posted
Posted

This is one of two posts re headroom/draught

 

We are currently at Stone, intending to go through Harecastle tunnel. Nicholsons says headroom limit is 5'9". Really?? That is damn tight and would mean we only have 1" freeboard with our boat ROOF, let alone the topboxes, which bring it up to 6'6".

 

Comments please?

 

 

 

GoodGurl Experienced

GoodGurl

Posted
Posted

It's more like 7' 6" but the gauge (chains) will tell you before you go in, my OH is 5' 11" and he don't bend down going through standing on a cruiser stern.

  • 8 months later...
Rob-M Veteran II

Rob-M

Posted
Posted

Does anyone have a definitive answer to the headroom in Harecastle...? Having measured to the highest point I'm looking at needing 6' 8" headroom minimum.

nicknorman Veteran II

nicknorman

Posted
Posted

Why not ask CRT? I do know that things improved when they removed the towpath, which was suspended over the canal - ie you can now transit in the centre, not having to go to one side. It never seems that tight to me, although you do have to keep in the centre.

I am only 5' 10'' and knocked my head the first time we went through this tunnel in 2010. Haven't been right since.:tired:

T'was the high heels!

Alan de Enfield Veteran II

Alan de Enfield

Posted
Posted

30 ft narrowboat and I'm 6 foot

 

Maybe our rear-deck was particularly high but when we went thru' a couple of years ago i was almost on my knees just peeping over the roof at the 'very low spot' half way through.

nicknorman Veteran II

nicknorman

Posted
Posted

30 ft narrowboat and I'm 6 foot

 

Maybe our rear-deck was particularly high but when we went thru' a couple of years ago i was almost on my knees just peeping over the roof at the 'very low spot' half way through.

I guess you haven't done Gosty Hill tunnel!

nebulae Proficient

nebulae

Posted
Posted

Stanedge is lower.Thats why they make you wear a hard hat !My hat had brick dust on it when we left the tunnel. Last time I went through Harcastle,I did not have to duck apart from a short stretch in the middle.I am 6ft and the rear deck of the boat is about 20ins above waterline.

alan_fincher Veteran II

alan_fincher

Posted
Posted (edited)

Does anyone have a definitive answer to the headroom in Harecastle...? Having measured to the highest point I'm looking at needing 6' 8" headroom minimum.

6' 8" will not be close to being any kind of problem in Harecastle.

 

It is nothing like as low these days as some make out, and almost certainly some of the Trent and Mersey bridges you go under to get to it are lower than the lowest bit of the tunnel.

Edited by alan_fincher
Machpoint005 Veteran II

Machpoint005

Posted
Posted

6' 8" will not be close to being any kind of problem in Harecastle.

 

It is nothing like as low these days as some make out, and almost certainly some of the Trent and Mersey bridges you go under to get to it are lower than the lowest bit of the tunnel.

Especially the road bridge directly after the lock at the Red Bull. That's a chimney slicer.

Rob-M Veteran II

Rob-M

Posted
Posted

6' 8" will not be close to being any kind of problem in Harecastle.

 

It is nothing like as low these days as some make out, and almost certainly some of the Trent and Mersey bridges you go under to get to it are lower than the lowest bit of the tunnel.

Thanks Alan, I'll be moving Scorpio down to Etruia after the Ellesmere Port Boat Gathering and don't want to get stuck. The looby being the highest point unless we stick a few barrels up the bows.

Rich Rising Star

Rich

Posted
Posted

It is tight. Top boxes will certainly have to come off.

That's what we thought. Took the top boxes off, having checked with BW, and while we were waiting for our turn through a hotel boat came through with flower boxes c/w flowers on top. 5ft 9in depends on the water level, BW said.

Liam Veteran II

Liam

Posted
Posted

Also worth bearing in mind that the headroom may be reduced slightly at the moment with all this rain we've had recently.

bottle Veteran II

bottle

Posted
Posted

Now I realise it would be nice to know before you get there but it has height gauges at the entrances.

 

Might be a time to practice reversing skills. wink.png

Dave_P Veteran

Dave_P

Posted
Posted

My interior cabin height is around 6'4" and I have roof boxes which add a bit too. I went through Harecastle with no problems. Like others have said, there's lower bridges on the T&M.

alan_fincher Veteran II

alan_fincher

Posted
Posted

Thanks Alan, I'll be moving Scorpio down to Etruia after the Ellesmere Port Boat Gathering and don't want to get stuck. The looby being the highest point unless we stick a few barrels up the bows.

 

Can't the middle of the mast be extracted, if you are worried about it?

 

But because we are talking about something that is only high in the very middle of the arch, I would have thought a complete non issue.

Phoenix_V Experienced

Phoenix_V

Posted
Posted (edited)

I guess you haven't done Gosty Hill tunnel!

We went through Gosty a few years ago. The roof was inches from the top of the boat, suprising there is no height gauge as it dips down several hundred yards in! the steerer had to crouch down so he didnt have any view but that didnt matter as the tunnel was so narrow the boat self steered!

 

edited to add; does anyone know the official height of Gosty

Edited by Phoenix_V
magictime Experienced

magictime

Posted
Posted

Especially the road bridge directly after the lock at the Red Bull. That's a chimney slicer.

 

We did the T&M last year and it was the first time we even had to think about removing the chimney to get under low bridges. Alas, thinking about removing it was all we could do - we could not get the damn thing off! I think the previous owner had managed to paint it on. It was almost a relief when a low bridge (probably the one you mention, but I forget) took it off for us.

furnessvale Influencer

furnessvale

Posted
Posted

If running empty, GU and similar boats need to take their cratch down to go through Harecastle. A couple of water barrels do not lower it enough, 25 tons of slack will though!

Very true. When empty, Alton had 13 oil drums in the hold. To pass Harecastle, 11 of those drums had to be rolled to the back of the mast and that was with a north western deckboard which is 4.5" lower than a standard GU.

 

Loaded I could actually see where I was going!

 

George ex nb Alton retired

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