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Canal navigation referance by boat length


Mick in Bangkok

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10 hours ago, David Mack said:

No need for a map really as the situation is simpler for length than for width. If your boat is under about 60 ft long and 7 ft wide you can go (almost) anywhere. Narrow boats longer than about 60 ft are unable to use the Leeds and Liverpool east of Wigan, the Rufford Branch and Ribble Link, the Huddersfield Broad, the Calder and Hebble between Salterhebble and Wakefield, the Tinsley flight up to Sheffield and the Ripon Canal.

Some wrong info here, with regards to Leeds Liverpool and Sheffield, you can do it in a 61ft 6” but tight going down, rudder needs to be able to tuck back, tight opening gates and you get wet from leakage from top gates, far easier with one boat in the lock. 62ft is the recommended length for LL and 61ft6” for Sheffield. To be honest it’s not enjoyable going down in a 61.6 as you need your wits.

Edited by PD1964
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19 minutes ago, PD1964 said:

Some wrong info here, with regards to Leeds Liverpool and Sheffield, you can do it in a 61ft 6” but tight going down, rudder needs to be able to tuck back, tight opening gates and you get wet from leakage from top gates, far easier with one boat in the lock. 62ft is the recommended length for LL and 61ft6” for Sheffield. To be honest it’s not enjoyable going down in a 61.6 as you need your wits.

Thats why I said "about 60 ft". To anyone like the OP thinking of buying a boat the choice is between something less than 60ft long, which is effectively go-anywhere, or else going for something nearer 70ft where you benefit from the extra length, but can't do significant chunks of the northern part of the network. There really isn't much point in going for a boat 61ft 6in or 62ft which will do some, but not all the Yorkshire waterways.

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27 minutes ago, David Mack said:

Thats why I said "about 60 ft". To anyone like the OP thinking of buying a boat the choice is between something less than 60ft long, which is effectively go-anywhere, or else going for something nearer 70ft where you benefit from the extra length, but can't do significant chunks of the northern part of the network. There really isn't much point in going for a boat 61ft 6in or 62ft which will do some, but not all the Yorkshire waterways.

Yes totally agree, I doubt I’ll do the LL again on a 61.6, just too much hassle watching the cill. If you can get away with a 55ft perfect for everywhere, especially if single handed.

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5 hours ago, David Mack said:

Thats why I said "about 60 ft". To anyone like the OP thinking of buying a boat the choice is between something less than 60ft long, which is effectively go-anywhere, or else going for something nearer 70ft where you benefit from the extra length, but can't do significant chunks of the northern part of the network. There really isn't much point in going for a boat 61ft 6in or 62ft which will do some, but not all the Yorkshire waterways

This is really my aim to consider the compromise between lost living space and lost canal cruising. I am considering CCing with summer months on the canal

and from research to date looking at 65-70 ft. as best option or m60 ft. for a particularly nice boot.

 

Mick

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11 hours ago, Neil2 said:

That's my understanding of LOA, but I bet lots of boats don't include the rudder.  From a narrowboat perspective you want to know if the boat will fit certain locks.  If the rudder can be turned enough so that it doesn't extend the boat's length in a practical sense then I suppose it's reasonable to exclude it when quoting the length. 

 

When it comes to a boat said to be 60-61 foot though, I'd want to be 100% certain how it's been measured.

Never take the sales particulars of lengths as gospel if approaching an absolute limit. Boats are sometimes built longer than stated because it saves cutting metal. 

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4 hours ago, Mick in Bangkok said:

This is really my aim to consider the compromise between lost living space and lost canal cruising. I am considering CCing with summer months on the canal

and from research to date looking at 65-70 ft. as best option or m60 ft. for a particularly nice boot.

 

Mick

Have you been on a 57/58? Don’t think bigger is better to live on, I have a 61.6 and could quite easily live on a 55, It’s all down to the layout, It’s far easier on something less then 60, finding moorings especially winter, doing locks, planning your route, especially if single handed, so easy to be too near to the cill and get drenched or caught.

Edited by PD1964
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19 hours ago, PD1964 said:

Have you been on a 57/58? Don’t think bigger is better to live on, I have a 61.6 and could quite easily live on a 55, It’s all down to the layout, It’s far easier on something less then 60, finding moorings especially winter, doing locks, planning your route, especially if single handed, so easy to be too near to the cill and get drenched or caught.

I do like the idea of a vintage engine and back cabin so a longer boat would be better for this option but otherwise 57' to 60 may be considered. I would be with my wife so would have an extra pair of hands to assist. Also the ability to have guests without using the salon is an appealing idea but I am still in the research stage so considering options 

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On 05/08/2019 at 12:26, David Mack said:

No need for a map really as the situation is simpler for length than for width. If your boat is under about 60 ft long and 7 ft wide you can go (almost) anywhere. Narrow boats longer than about 60 ft are unable to use the Leeds and Liverpool east of Wigan, the Rufford Branch and Ribble Link, the Huddersfield Broad, the Calder and Hebble between Salterhebble and Wakefield, the Tinsley flight up to Sheffield and the Ripon Canal.

You're wrong about the Rufford Branch and Ribble Link. Last month I did them and my Nb is 62' 6". I didn't have to do any shuffling about to fit in the locks, in fact I shared most of them with another boat without any problems. The official CRT limit for the Ribble Link is 62ft.

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  • 1 month later...
On 07/08/2019 at 07:36, Grassman said:

You're wrong about the Rufford Branch and Ribble Link. Last month I did them and my Nb is 62' 6". I didn't have to do any shuffling about to fit in the locks, in fact I shared most of them with another boat without any problems. The official CRT limit for the Ribble Link is 62ft.

Interesting that the booking system did not stop you booking the Ribble link, dint someone get prevented by the system for having a boat with draft over the limit, you would have thought it would be the same with length.  I bet Savick Brook was tight though.

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On 05/08/2019 at 23:04, PD1964 said:

Some wrong info here, with regards to Leeds Liverpool and Sheffield, you can do it in a 61ft 6” but tight going down, rudder needs to be able to tuck back, tight opening gates and you get wet from leakage from top gates, far easier with one boat in the lock. 62ft is the recommended length for LL and 61ft6” for Sheffield. To be honest it’s not enjoyable going down in a 61.6 as you need your wits.

And the Calder and Hebble us likewise in a 60ft boat. Except that, perversely I quite enjoy the challenge!

Edited by Mike Todd
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On 20/09/2019 at 07:45, john6767 said:

Interesting that the booking system did not stop you booking the Ribble link, dint someone get prevented by the system for having a boat with draft over the limit, you would have thought it would be the same with length.  I bet Savick Brook was tight though.

My boat is licensed with CRT as being 62ft so it wouldn't have flagged up that it was over the limit. I only discovered it was 62' 6" when I bought the boat and the surveyor measured it and showed me.

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