dmr Posted March 19, 2019 Report Share Posted March 19, 2019 1 hour ago, TheBiscuits said: Which ones are you thinking of? I can only think of one ... He is partly correct, I think many people would regard the Rochdale as a narrow Pennine crossing and the Eastern end as a wide cul de sac. A widebeam would require support from CRT and I have been told that one did go through a couple of years ago and the CRT people involved hope they are never asked to do it again ?. ..............Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cuthound Posted March 19, 2019 Report Share Posted March 19, 2019 1 hour ago, TheBiscuits said: Which ones are you thinking of? I can only think of one ... HNC - your right, there is only one narrow cross Pennine canal. However given the lock numbering it seems like two ? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fly Navy Posted March 19, 2019 Author Report Share Posted March 19, 2019 Thanks all for your views. I'm not looking for a live aboard (far from it!). I'm looking at a weekender now and again, lazy day trips, good scenery and off the beaten track pub lunches! I am 'almost' decided on type of boat but it would be foolish to rule out "the other option" (WB) once the subject was raised by a colleague of mine. Due dilligence (and all that) suggests various issues be considered, including - moorings, distance from house to boat, scenery, running costs, maintenance etc etc. Some of you have now helped me with some of those issues - thank you. I'm almost there with my choice but every time I see the inside of a WB - I 'wobble' - there is so much space and light and freedom compared to a "sewer tube" (horrible connotation!). Having looked at a lot of NB's now, there is so much sameness (dark and dingy spaces/shiney brown varnished plywood/tacky bathrooms) below say £45k....choices are extremely limited. As mentioned above - you get what you pay for. (Frankly this 'sameness' doesn't seem to manifest itself in the WB world, so much (if at all). Having poured over Northern and NW canals for widebeams this weekend it is becoming apparent there are restrictions in my operating area and that WB's may not meet most of my criteria (above)...shame really....I'd love one in theory. Thanks again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBiscuits Posted March 20, 2019 Report Share Posted March 20, 2019 15 minutes ago, Fly Navy said: Having looked at a lot of NB's now, there is so much sameness (dark and dingy spaces/shiney brown varnished plywood/tacky bathrooms) below say £45k....choices are extremely limited. That is the origin of the "London Whiteout" look - paint everything with white paint so it looks like a flat on a property development programme. I detest the look, but do understand why people go for it. I use magnolia ... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cuthound Posted March 20, 2019 Report Share Posted March 20, 2019 9 hours ago, Fly Navy said: Having poured over Northern and NW canals for widebeams this weekend it is becoming apparent there are restrictions in my operating area and that WB's may not meet most of my criteria (above)...shame really....I'd love one in theory. Thanks again. Wouldn't we all ? Still once the patent runs out on the TARDIS (not sure when because the Doctor keeps going back and forth in time changing the start date), the problem of a narrow boat with a wide interior will be solved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Mack Posted March 20, 2019 Report Share Posted March 20, 2019 39 minutes ago, cuthound said: Still once the patent runs out on the TARDIS (not sure when because the Doctor keeps going back and forth in time changing the start date), the problem of a narrow boat with a wide interior will be solved. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bee Posted March 20, 2019 Report Share Posted March 20, 2019 If I wanted a widebeam I would look seriously at the various dutch barges that come up from time to time, I've taken my 11` beam shallow draughted roundish bottomed dutch boat up the GU and K&A and Wey and its quite hard work. It would be much harder in a square sectioned deeper draughted English fat boat. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arthur Marshall Posted March 20, 2019 Report Share Posted March 20, 2019 The reason the narrowness of a narrowboat doesn't matter much for a leisure user is because most of the time you're not in it. You're either standing on the back driving, or sitting outside in the sun with a book and a beer. You're only really inside if it rains, or you're cooking or sleeping. If it's just a weekender, you won't be there unless the weather's good anyway. It's different for a liveaboard, not that I found it a problem. I was either at work, or sitting on the back with a book... There's so much space outside, you don't notice the width inside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBiscuits Posted March 20, 2019 Report Share Posted March 20, 2019 3 minutes ago, Arthur Marshall said: you don't notice the width inside. No. I mustn't. 1 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fly Navy Posted March 20, 2019 Author Report Share Posted March 20, 2019 Many thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard10002 Posted March 20, 2019 Report Share Posted March 20, 2019 10 hours ago, Arthur Marshall said: The reason the narrowness of a narrowboat doesn't matter much for a leisure user is because most of the time you're not in it. You're either standing on the back driving, or sitting outside in the sun with a book and a beer. You're only really inside if it rains, or you're cooking or sleeping. If it's just a weekender, you won't be there unless the weather's good anyway. It's different for a liveaboard, not that I found it a problem. I was either at work, or sitting on the back with a book... There's so much space outside, you don't notice the width inside. I think I'm a leisure user, spending 3, sometimes 4, nights on board each week. However, I dont go far, if anywhere, and spend most of my time inside the boat, rather than outside. I would love a widebeam, on The Bridgewater Canal, but the cost would be too much, as against the £25k or so that our 45ft NB is probably worth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackrose Posted March 22, 2019 Report Share Posted March 22, 2019 On 19/03/2019 at 11:35, 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. I feel exactly the same. I love my widebeam, it's been a fantastic home over the last 14 years and a great boat too and I'd never go back to a narrow boat. To be honest I just don't like them very much at all. I've taken my boat all over the place, right around London on the Paddington arm, up and down the tidal Thames, from Reading to Bristol, even down ditches like the Slough arm. I've never had any problem. It's 12ft wife but it only draws 2ft which is a lot less than many narrow boats so I've never found myself scraping along the bottom of canals. I've been on rivers for the last 8 years. If I can handle this 30 tonne boat on my own I guess it must handle well. Maybe I'll cross the Wash one day and come up north. On 20/03/2019 at 09:41, Bee said: If I wanted a widebeam I would look seriously at the various dutch barges that come up from time to time, I've taken my 11` beam shallow draughted roundish bottomed dutch boat up the GU and K&A and Wey and its quite hard work. It would be much harder in a square sectioned deeper draughted English fat boat. That's not my experience. Every narrowboat I've steered including the one I owned was deeper draughted than my English fat boat. Most Dutch and Dutch style barges are deeper still. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackrose Posted March 22, 2019 Report Share Posted March 22, 2019 On 19/03/2019 at 23:45, Fly Navy said: Thanks all for your views. I'm not looking for a live aboard (far from it!). I'm looking at a weekender now and again, lazy day trips, good scenery and off the beaten track pub lunches! Get a NB. Unless you're living on it a WB doesn't really make sense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fly Navy Posted March 22, 2019 Author Report Share Posted March 22, 2019 (edited) Could always weld two NB's together I s'pose...... (Where there's a way, there's a weld) Edited March 22, 2019 by Fly Navy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBiscuits Posted March 22, 2019 Report Share Posted March 22, 2019 (edited) 5 minutes ago, Fly Navy said: Could always weld two NB's together I s'pose...... (Where there's a way, there's a weld) You have been talking to @Alan de Enfield again, haven't you! He has two boats stuck together .... (picture please Alan!) Edited March 22, 2019 by TheBiscuits Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan de Enfield Posted March 23, 2019 Report Share Posted March 23, 2019 (edited) 7 hours ago, TheBiscuits said: You have been talking to @Alan de Enfield again, haven't you! He has two boats stuck together .... (picture please Alan!) Each Hull is 6' 6" wide with a total beam of 23 feet - a real 'fatty' The Tender is 10 feet long (3.1mts) and sits between the hulls. Edited March 23, 2019 by Alan de Enfield Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Mack Posted March 23, 2019 Report Share Posted March 23, 2019 34 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said: Each Hull is 6' 6" wide with a total beam of 23 feet - a real 'fatty' So you should be OK in the paired locks at Hilmorton! ? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Bob Posted March 23, 2019 Report Share Posted March 23, 2019 56 minutes ago, David Mack said: So you should be OK in the paired locks at Hilmorton! ? No. The vlokies would only let you do one side at a time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray T Posted March 23, 2019 Report Share Posted March 23, 2019 10 hours ago, Fly Navy said: Could always weld two NB's together I s'pose...... (Where there's a way, there's a weld) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchcrawler Posted March 23, 2019 Report Share Posted March 23, 2019 (edited) 9 minutes ago, Ray T said: I bet he shouts at passing boats moored like that Edited March 23, 2019 by ditchcrawler Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MtB Posted March 23, 2019 Report Share Posted March 23, 2019 And presumably couldn't find an awkward bend to moor on... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peterboat Posted March 23, 2019 Report Share Posted March 23, 2019 12 hours ago, blackrose said: I feel exactly the same. I love my widebeam, it's been a fantastic home over the last 14 years and a great boat too and I'd never go back to a narrow boat. To be honest I just don't like them very much at all. I've taken my boat all over the place, right around London on the Paddington arm, up and down the tidal Thames, from Reading to Bristol, even down ditches like the Slough arm. I've never had any problem. It's 12ft wife but it only draws 2ft which is a lot less than many narrow boats so I've never found myself scraping along the bottom of canals. I've been on rivers for the last 8 years. If I can handle this 30 tonne boat on my own I guess it must handle well. Maybe I'll cross the Wash one day and come up north. That's not my experience. Every narrowboat I've steered including the one I owned was deeper draughted than my English fat boat. Most Dutch and Dutch style barges are deeper still. I get you I would go down south in mine I suppose if there was a connection, and for my 2 hours cruising a day I dont think I would cause any problems. Like you my draught is only just 2 feet but I have had issues on the Leeds Liverpool in the past. I would only borrow a narrowboat to do the system again, I would not buy one unless it was ceep and at the end it would make a profit on sale Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackrose Posted March 23, 2019 Report Share Posted March 23, 2019 2 hours ago, Ray T said: How would one prep and paint the areas on each side of the hulls that face each other? Is there enough of a gap? If the hulls are welded directly together then it's just one long rust trap that you can't paint. On the other hand I suppose there could be a 1ft gap between the two hulls like a catarmaran, but then the whole thing's going to be too wide to get through most double locks on canals. Bad idea either way I think Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tumshie Posted March 23, 2019 Report Share Posted March 23, 2019 8 minutes ago, blackrose said: How would one prep and paint the areas on each side of the hulls that face each other? Is there enough of a gap? If the hulls are welded directly together then it's just one long rust trap that you can't paint. On the other hand I suppose there could be a 1ft gap between the two hulls like a catarmaran, but then the whole thing's going to be too wide to get through most double locks on canals. Bad idea either way I think Are they actually welded or are they just braced - the metal strip at the stern look like it could be removable and the strip at the bows looks wooden, a bit like a scaffolding plank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul C Posted March 23, 2019 Report Share Posted March 23, 2019 So its like a widebeam but with a hulking great vertical wall of metal right down the middle. Hmmmmm.......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Featured Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now