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I'm sure there is a section on widebeams on this canalworld forum...Could someone point me in the general direction please?

 

I am on the verge of buying a narrowboat but latterly a friend commented on widebeams as an alternative.

I live in N Wales very close to the Llangollen and shropshire canals (middlewich/chester).

 

Thanks in advance

 

FN

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16 minutes ago, Fly Navy said:

I'm sure there is a section on widebeams on this canalworld forum...Could someone point me in the general direction please?

 

I am on the verge of buying a narrowboat but latterly a friend commented on widebeams as an alternative.

I live in N Wales very close to the Llangollen and shropshire canals (middlewich/chester).

 

Thanks in advance

 

FN

I don't think I have seen a dedicated section to widebeam boats, although there have been a few topics. Stick "widebeam" in the search function.

 

You will need to take a run up to get a widebeam over the Welsh aquaduct.

Screenshot 2019-03-18 at 17.01.04.png

Edited by rusty69
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If the alternative is to not move, rather than move, then a widebeam is ideal in that area of the country. Llangollen is a narrow canal.......

 

The SU is "wide" from Nantwich to Ellesmere Port - except for a bit that isn't wide - but it would be incredibly limiting to use/operate a widebeam on it - you'd soon get bored and want to go further. Hence, all but one boat on that section is narrow. The one boat, is permanently moored and never moves.

 

If you really want that.....then you could do it. But I don't see the point, myself.

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A quick web search gave me these two maps. They are not the most detailed and I don't know how accurate they are but they are a start, when you see where you want to look at closer then you may need to buy a Nicholson's Guide. 

 

http://www.aqualinemarine.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/where-to-cruise.pdf

 

http://www.jim-shead.com/waterways/mwp.php?wpage=Inland-Waterways-of-England.htm

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33 minutes ago, Fly Navy said:

I'm sure there is a section on widebeams on this canalworld forum...Could someone point me in the general direction please?

 

I am on the verge of buying a narrowboat but latterly a friend commented on widebeams as an alternative.

I live in N Wales very close to the Llangollen and shropshire canals (middlewich/chester).

 

Thanks in advance

 

FN

Fat-boats are far, far superior to thin-boats (I have a 14 foot beam boat)

But they only work in places designed for them to work and the majority of the Canals are not suitable - yes they may have 'wide' locks but the canals themselves are not suited.

'Fly over' to the other side of the country and you'll fit in fine with a 'fatty'.

 

I know my place - and its on the Rivers or the Sea.

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2 hours ago, Fly Navy said:

I'm sure there is a section on widebeams on this canalworld forum...Could someone point me in the general direction please?

 

I am on the verge of buying a narrowboat but latterly a friend commented on widebeams as an alternative.

I live in N Wales very close to the Llangollen and shropshire canals (middlewich/chester).

 

Thanks in advance

 

FN

Hi

 

In all honesty you dont want a widebeam oop there as it cannot move anywhere. However speaking from personal live aboard experience a widebeam is so vastly better in every way than a sewer tube that if you are thinking of locating to say the River Trent and above then its a no brainer. they handle better, are more stable and the comfort difference is unimaginable. Most people on this lovely forum have never owned one and have zero experience of them so dont be suprised re the answers bless em ? If we decide again to live in a suitable area  then this sewer tube will be sold and a comfy boat with a sensible beam bought once more :cheers: 

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Bridgewater Canal is wide, as is the Leeds Liverpool, which gives access to the East of the country from where, if you must head South, you can have it lifted and splashed a bit further South, for a few hundred quid.

 

How far are you from, say, Runcorn?

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1 minute ago, Richard10002 said:

Bridgewater Canal is wide, as is the Leeds Liverpool, which gives access to the East of the country from where, if you must head South, you can have it lifted and splashed a bit further South, for a few hundred quid.

 

How far are you from, say, Runcorn?

You beat me to it.

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1 hour ago, mrsmelly said:

Hi

 

In all honesty you dont want a widebeam oop there as it cannot move anywhere. 

I've had to shift more than a few, the Grand Union North of Berko really is not ideal if you like boating ratherthan just moving because you have to.

The channel is saucer shaped, so anything over 8-9 feet will bounce off both sides underneath, or dredge both sides at the same time.

I moved a 12 footer from Marsworth to Gayton Junction, and there were at least 3 long pounds where both sides of the baseplate were sticking in the mud for most of the length. (Below Slapton, Below Church Hammond and then above Cosgrove to Stoke Bruerne Bottom)

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45 minutes ago, matty40s said:

I've had to shift more than a few, the Grand Union North of Berko really is not ideal if you like boating ratherthan just moving because you have to.

The channel is saucer shaped, so anything over 8-9 feet will bounce off both sides underneath, or dredge both sides at the same time.

I moved a 12 footer from Marsworth to Gayton Junction, and there were at least 3 long pounds where both sides of the baseplate were sticking in the mud for most of the length. (Below Slapton, Below Church Hammond and then above Cosgrove to Stoke Bruerne Bottom)

Yes and there lies the problem. Bloomin eejuts that buy them and put them in completely the wrong place!!

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Thanks guys. Apprecieated.

Richard: 45 mins from Runcorn, so a drop in the ocean if you'll excuse the pun!  Anything further than that (say an hour) will make the hobby unattractive.

 

But are the (widebeam)canals and surrounding scenery as beautiful as the llangollen canal and surrounds!

I have to say - the widebeams are gorgeous below decks and I 'think' they would suit me better, but I don't want a 'nice house in a lousy area'!

 

Widebeams seem to be the same price as their equivalent length narrowboats.  Strange!

 

Do widebeams roll more than NB's?

Is insurance the same?

Running costs the same?

 

Thanks

 

FN

 

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16 minutes ago, Fly Navy said:

Running costs the same?

Painting, licence, insurance, mooring are all MORE expensive than a sewer-tube.

As C&RT try and reduce the numbers of 'fat-boats' coming onto the system they have introduced a sliding scale of increases over the next few years.

From memory a 12' wide boat will be 50% higher licence fee than a 'same-length' skinny-boat.

 

Mooring fees tend to be 30%-50%-100% more than a NB.

Edited by Alan de Enfield
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2 hours ago, Fly Navy said:

Thanks guys. Apprecieated.

Richard: 45 mins from Runcorn, so a drop in the ocean if you'll excuse the pun!  Anything further than that (say an hour) will make the hobby unattractive.

 

But are the (widebeam)canals and surrounding scenery as beautiful as the llangollen canal and surrounds!

I have to say - the widebeams are gorgeous below decks and I 'think' they would suit me better, but I don't want a 'nice house in a lousy area'!

 

Widebeams seem to be the same price as their equivalent length narrowboats.  Strange!

 

Do widebeams roll more than NB's?

Is insurance the same?

Running costs the same?

 

Thanks

 

FN

 

Narrow boats don’t really roll unless you encourage them. Widebeams will roll less because they are wide. I could suggest that, the roll of a narrowboat, or a widebeam, on a canal concerns you, perhaps canal boating is not for you :) 

 

The Bridgewater is nice, passes through lots of Cheshire countryside. Only you could decide whether the Llangollen is lots nicer - enough to outweigh the benefits of a widebeam.

 

Ive been checking out widebeams and the cheapest seem to start around £60k, whereas a narrowboat in reasonable nick can be had from about £25k upwards. I think you get a better and fairer comparison if you calculate £/sq.ft.

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The Leeds and Liverpool has some stunning scenery, especially at the summit.

 

As you would expect for a northern canal, it also has dark satanic mills ?

 

However the most scenic canals in my opinion are the narrow cross pennine ones and thus unsuitable for widebeams.

Edited by cuthound
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Reading all the different threads that Fly navy has started and questions he has asked I would suggest before you do anything else, I think you got close to buying a boat once. That you sit down ant think very carefully what you want from boating on the inland waterways, whether you want some where to live and never move, a very restricted cruising area with a lot of accommodation space or whether you want to travel and look at different parts of the system. Once you have made that decision you can then decide what boat would fit that brief best for you

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Bits of the L&L are stunning, ths Bridgewater is pretty good but not part of CRT's empire and I think moorings hard to come by. The Shroppie is lovely but only really accessible by narrow boats. Horses, as they say, for courses. 

One thing to think on is how long it takes to get to the boat - a long motorway drive cuts out a lot of the fun. Having it ten minutes away makes a huge difference, especially when you have to do maintenance stc. 

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2 minutes ago, peterboat said:

My moorings are the same wide or narrow, I don't think I could go back to a narrowboat but am glad I started with one. Most of the north is widebeam country I would not go down south in one.

Correct. as we have said many times before on other threads. The GU and the K and A are too small for widebeams, too narrow and shallow in too many places. My widebeam had a draught a smidgen under 3 ft and was brill on the Trent and oop norrf.

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