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Skipper or flatbed?


Eloisec93

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Hey guys 

So my mum has bought herself a 50ft narrowboat.

It's currently at hilperton marina but she wants it moved to Evesham marina.

 

On water it's gunna have to be taken the long way round along the k&a then up to Oxford round Birmingham and down to Worcester and onto Evesham.

 

I don't have the time to help her move it so she is looking for a skipper to do this journey.

Can anyone recommend some good skippers for her to look into?

 

The other option is taking it by road on a flatbed. Is there anything she should be wary of putting it on a flatbed (I'm of the opinion boats like being in the water) 

 

Any advice would be appreciated

Thanks 

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21 minutes ago, Eloisec93 said:

Any advice would be appreciated

It depends on how long you have to move it :

 

There are Winter closures now which (somewhere on route) will affect your journey.

 

Delivery on a truck will take 1-day. £1100 - £1300

 

By water (and assuming no stoppages) it will be  £2000

 

By water :

This is a trip of 205 miles, 1¾ furlongs and 234 locks from Hilperton (Staverton) Marina to Evesham Marina.

This will take 120 hours and 46 minutes which is 17 days, 1 hour and 46 minutes at 7 hours per day.

From Hilperton (Staverton) Marina travel east on the Kennet and Avon Canal (Main Line) for 44 miles, ¼ furlongs and 71 locks to Northcroft Lane Arm, then travel east on the River Kennet for 18 miles, 4 furlongs and 20 locks to High Bridge Reading, then travel northeast on the River Thames (River Kennet) for 7 furlongs and 1 lock to Thames - Kennet Junction (Kennet Mouth), then travel northwest on the River Thames (below Oxford) for 39 miles, 4 furlongs and 13 locks to Osney Bridge, then travel north on the River Thames (above Oxford) for ¾ furlongs to Sheepwash Channel Junction, then travel east on the River Thames (Sheepwash Channel) for 1 furlong and 1 lock to Isis Lock Junction, then travel north on the Oxford Canal (Southern Section - Main Line) for 49 miles, 3¼ furlongs and 38 locks to Napton Junction, then travel west on the Grand Union Canal (Warwick and Napton Canal) for 14 miles, ¾ furlongs and 25 locks to Budbrooke Junction, then travel northwest on the Grand Union Canal (Warwick and Birmingham Canal: widened section - Main Line) for 7 miles, 2½ furlongs and 21 locks to Kingswood Junction, then travel northwest on the Stratford Canal (Kingswood Branch) for 1¼ furlongs to Lapworth Link Junction, then travel northwest on the Stratford Canal (Lapworth Link) for 1 furlong to Lapworth Junction South, then travel south on the Stratford Canal (South Section) for 13 miles, ¾ furlongs and 35 locks to Junction of Stratford Canal and River Avon, then travel southwest on the River Avon - Warwickshire (Upper Avon Navigation) for 17 miles, 7¼ furlongs and 9 locks to Evesham Marina.

 

 

Now, assuming £100 per day for a skipper it will be £1800 + fuel costs (another £200) Total cost £2000

 

Carriage by truck will be around £800-£1000 at £150x 2 for the lift out / lift in. Total cost £1100 - £1300,

 

I recently had my boat taken by truck 205 miles, but being a 14 foot widebeam it needed a separate escort vehicle and Police movement licence and restricted times on some roads meaning a 'night out' for the Driver and the Escort driver. Cost was £2280

Edited by Alan de Enfield
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Whitchurch lock on the Thames which is between reading and Oxford is scheduled to be closed until Christmas. There will be others plus pushing up the Thames in red board conditions is not very sensible or comfortable in a narrow boat. I'm not sure a professional skipper would be willing to do that due to insurance issues. 

 

There will be other stoppages. 

 

I'd say go by road unless you are happy to wait until spring.

Edited by magnetman
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8 minutes ago, Graham Davis said:

Alan, do you road figures also include possible crane hire?

 

18 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Carriage by truck will be around £800-£1000 at £150x 2 for the lift out / lift in. Total cost £1100 - £1300,

The prices are just from my recent experiences, always get your own quotes to meet your own boat / needs.

 

In my quote "at" should read 'add'

 

 

Edit to add. The figures of £150 is for on-site hoists (up to 40 tonne), bringing in an "outside" crane especially for a single lift may be more expensive.

 

This hoist lifts NB's, Widebeams and GRP up to 40 tonnes and 18 feet beam.

 

Because of my 'air-draft' I had to have a special low-loader that could travel with the trailer deck at 4" (100mm) above the road. 

 

 

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Edited by Alan de Enfield
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Worth putting in a request on shiply and uship for an idea of transport prices. 

 

No need to register just an email address and wait for quotes to arrive. 

 

Handy to check the lay of the land even if you don't end up using any of them. 

From Hilperton marina website 

 

"We have on site a Jones 971C Crawler Crane capable of most canal related lifting requirements"

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15 minutes ago, magnetman said:

Worth putting in a request on shiply and uship for an idea of transport prices. 

There was a post on here recently where someone had just done that.

They agreed and accepted a quote, the paid the transporter, arranged a crane - the transporter never arrived and could not be contacted.

 

I'd strongly suggest contacting freight companies specialising in boat transport, who have proper insurance and are recommended by users (not just recommendation on a 'check-a-trade website)

 

A few suggestions :

 

http://bargemovers.com/

 

http://www.mjtcranes.co.uk/transport/tuckeys/

 

https://www.boathaulage.co.uk/

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53 minutes ago, Eloisec93 said:

 

On water it's gunna have to be taken the long way round along the k&a then up to Oxford round Birmingham and down to Worcester and onto Evesham.

 

Hilperton to Evesham is surely significantly quicker via Bristol, Avonmouth, Sharpness, Gloucester and Tewksbury.

But even on your route via Oxford I would take the South Stratford rather than going via Birmingham and Worcester.

 

Yup:

This is a trip of 112 miles, ¼ furlongs and 26 locks from Hilperton (Staverton) Marina to Evesham Marina.

This will take 43 hours and 5 minutes which is 6 days, 1 hour and 5 minutes at 7 hours per day.

Edited by David Mack
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5 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

There was a post on here recently where someone had just done that.

They agreed and accepted a quote, the paid the transporter, arranged a crane - the transporter never arrived and could not be contacted.

 

I'd strongly suggest contacting freight companies specialising in boat transport, who have proper insurance and are recommended by users (not just recommendation on a 'check-a-trade website)

 

A few suggestions :

 

http://bargemovers.com/

 

http://www.mjtcranes.co.uk/transport/tuckeys/

 

https://www.boathaulage.co.uk/

Another one who I used a few weeks ago to move my 16 tonne steel trawler was ES Frisby based in Peterborough. 

 

As for the pooling websites you do have to do some due diligence obviously. 

 

 

 

 

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4 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

It depends on how long you have to move it :

 

There are Winter closures now which (somewhere on route) will affect your journey.

 

Delivery on a truck will take 1-day. £1100 - £1300

 

By water (and assuming no stoppages) it will be  £2000

 

By water :

This is a trip of 205 miles, 1¾ furlongs and 234 locks from Hilperton (Staverton) Marina to Evesham Marina.

This will take 120 hours and 46 minutes which is 17 days, 1 hour and 46 minutes at 7 hours per day.

From Hilperton (Staverton) Marina travel east on the Kennet and Avon Canal (Main Line) for 44 miles, ¼ furlongs and 71 locks to Northcroft Lane Arm, then travel east on the River Kennet for 18 miles, 4 furlongs and 20 locks to High Bridge Reading, then travel northeast on the River Thames (River Kennet) for 7 furlongs and 1 lock to Thames - Kennet Junction (Kennet Mouth), then travel northwest on the River Thames (below Oxford) for 39 miles, 4 furlongs and 13 locks to Osney Bridge, then travel north on the River Thames (above Oxford) for ¾ furlongs to Sheepwash Channel Junction, then travel east on the River Thames (Sheepwash Channel) for 1 furlong and 1 lock to Isis Lock Junction, then travel north on the Oxford Canal (Southern Section - Main Line) for 49 miles, 3¼ furlongs and 38 locks to Napton Junction, then travel west on the Grand Union Canal (Warwick and Napton Canal) for 14 miles, ¾ furlongs and 25 locks to Budbrooke Junction, then travel northwest on the Grand Union Canal (Warwick and Birmingham Canal: widened section - Main Line) for 7 miles, 2½ furlongs and 21 locks to Kingswood Junction, then travel northwest on the Stratford Canal (Kingswood Branch) for 1¼ furlongs to Lapworth Link Junction, then travel northwest on the Stratford Canal (Lapworth Link) for 1 furlong to Lapworth Junction South, then travel south on the Stratford Canal (South Section) for 13 miles, ¾ furlongs and 35 locks to Junction of Stratford Canal and River Avon, then travel southwest on the River Avon - Warwickshire (Upper Avon Navigation) for 17 miles, 7¼ furlongs and 9 locks to Evesham Marina.

 

 

Now, assuming £100 per day for a skipper it will be £1800 + fuel costs (another £200) Total cost £2000

 

Carriage by truck will be around £800-£1000 at £150x 2 for the lift out / lift in. Total cost £1100 - £1300,

 

I recently had my boat taken by truck 205 miles, but being a 14 foot widebeam it needed a separate escort vehicle and Police movement licence and restricted times on some roads meaning a 'night out' for the Driver and the Escort driver. Cost was £2280

Thank you so much this information is such a great help! I will pass it on to my mum ?

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15 minutes ago, zenataomm said:

Would it be worth doing a bit of both?

Boat to somewhere like Uxbridge who have their own crane, lift out there (if they have road access for that size? I once had a 30ft craned in there) 84 road miles to Evesham.

 

I have found that as far as cost for a truck it is not based so much on miles as on hours taken / possibility of other jobs.

 

If he is doing a 3 hour delivery it (in reality) takes up a day as he is unlikely to have enough hours left (on the tacho) to be able to do anything else.

It may be only 2 or 3 hours to actually ship the boat, but he has to get there, and then get back afterwards. You will be charged for a day almost irrespective of the actual time taken - UNLESS he can get a back load, ie take another boat back with him.

 

As far as my delivery was concerned I used a truck based less than an hour from my departure marina, the journey would be approx. 5 hours, but as he wasn't allowed to travel before 6pm (Nottinghamshire Police requirement to avoid 'rush hour') and as he got to the other end he was not allowed to travel before 9:00am (North Wales Police requirement)

He (and the escort vehicle) departed at 6pm, got just over half way and stopped for the night, the following morning he set off at 9am and arrived at the destination at about 11am.

 

He had to sort out the best route due to my air draft and the road bridge heights.

UK road bridge heights are 16' 6". My air draft is 15', allowing for the thickness of the trailer chassis he had to have the hydraulics at their lowest (4" road clearance) to give him 6" bridge clearance.

 

There is more to trucking a boat than meets the eye.

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Transporting a narrow boat by truck only requires a haulier with an extendable trailer for anything over 40ft. It’s best to use one based near one end of the trip to minimise the empty mileage although as Alan says it’s a day job in reality. I moved my 50ft NB to Ireland and then back again a couple of years later and used an Irish haulier who delivered it from Calcut to the ferry in Liverpool where it went unaccompanied to be collected in Dublin by his boss who arranged the crane and had it in the grand canal before we got there. On the way back we passed it on the M50 into Dublin and when I phoned the driver at 9am the next day he was on his way back to Liverpool and the boat was at Calcut.

 

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On 25/11/2019 at 16:18, Eloisec93 said:

Hey guys 

So my mum has bought herself a 50ft narrowboat.

It's currently at hilperton marina but she wants it moved to Evesham marina.

 

On water it's gunna have to be taken the long way round along the k&a then up to Oxford round Birmingham and down to Worcester and onto Evesham.

 

I don't have the time to help her move it so she is looking for a skipper to do this journey.

Can anyone recommend some good skippers for her to look into?

 

The other option is taking it by road on a flatbed. Is there anything she should be wary of putting it on a flatbed (I'm of the opinion boats like being in the water) 

 

Any advice would be appreciated

Thanks 

I'll say something I often do when people come to the forum with this sort of dilemma. Which is to suggest the owner moves it themselves, with a little expert help at first so they get the hang of it. Partly because it'll generally work out cheaper than road haulage or paying a boat mover, partly because you'll get to know your boat in the process, but mainly because it's much more fun. I'm biased, I like going boating! In fact I've often gone along on such trips with people, and nearly always enjoyed it.

Some factors I think you should consider:

How soon does your mum need the boat (a) removed from where it is now (Hilperton), and (b) arriving where it's going (Evesham)? This may depend on personal circumstances; commitments coming up, and does she plan to live on it or just use it for weekends and holidays?

Does she, or any friend or relative who could go along as crew, have previous boating experience? Preferably on rivers or canals, but people who've done lumpy water sailing usually adapt quite well to being inland.

Is she confident that the boat, especially the engine, is in reasonable condition to set off on a long trip? If not, get it checked over by a professional.

On the whole, if there's a rush, bear in mind that the cold wet weather of winter is not the nicest time to be out doing a long boat trip; this one's 2-3 weeks and includes the Thames from Reading to Oxford, currently on red boards after a very wet autumn. You'll need your engine working properly to make progress up river against the sort of current you'd meet this December. So maybe it'd be wise to follow this scheme?:

First, find an experienced boater to accompany you the first day or two when you set off, and teach you the basics of steering and operating locks. Then potter eastwards along the K&A over the next few weeks. Make sure you have two people ashore to do it when you reach bridge 44, it's very stiff and hard to open/close! Arrange to moor up somewhere over Christmas, maybe before Reading. Perhaps in a marina,  or on the towpath near a town. Taking it easy for much of the winter may seem attractive. Then in say March, head out through Reading and up the Thames. There are some tricky bits, it helps to have someone aboard who's done that before. If I'm available at the time, I might volunteer. The Thames is beautiful and always a pleasure when it's not in flood. You should end up going up the South Oxford in nice weather in April, then enjoying the remainder of the journey during the summer. It depends if you're happy taking your time.

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OP, as @Peter X touches on above, what I don't think you've mentioned is any/all of the restrictions your mum is working within. Is she fully fit and mobile?  Does she have free time? Does she drive? Does she have anyone to crew?  

 

Given accommodating answers to the above, I'd strongly agree with @Peter X above when he says how much value there is in that "delivery cruise".  We took January - March to move ours across country when we first got her and got to know her pretty well in a truly memorable winter cruise. 

 

If she doesn't have the time right now, or the boat isn't winter fit, then Hilperton is, what, 70 odd miles and less than 2 hours from Evesham by road?  My boat was 3 hours away for the first 5 years and it was so little of an issue, she's now a little further - we're still there more than most of the moorers who live around the corner!  Actually, we love having our boat as a base in a lovely part of the country we'd otherwise rarely see.  Why not keep her where she is, at least until the time is right for the voyage?

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I would also be tempted to make the voyage part of the boating experience.... in the spring. 

 

However can see the attraction of road transport in this case.

 

Amazingly there are boats where I am that have travelled 25 miles between marinas  by road ,when the journey by river can be done in a day (subject to tide times). People, in that case, with more money than sense.

 

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On 28/11/2019 at 04:42, Peter X said:

I'll say something I often do when people come to the forum with this sort of dilemma. Which is to suggest the owner moves it themselves, with a little expert help at first so they get the hang of it. Partly because it'll generally work out cheaper than road haulage or paying a boat mover, partly because you'll get to know your boat in the process, but mainly because it's much more fun. I'm biased, I like going boating! In fact I've often gone along on such trips with people, and nearly always enjoyed it.

Some factors I think you should consider:

How soon does your mum need the boat (a) removed from where it is now (Hilperton), and (b) arriving where it's going (Evesham)? This may depend on personal circumstances; commitments coming up, and does she plan to live on it or just use it for weekends and holidays?

Does she, or any friend or relative who could go along as crew, have previous boating experience? Preferably on rivers or canals, but people who've done lumpy water sailing usually adapt quite well to being inland.

Is she confident that the boat, especially the engine, is in reasonable condition to set off on a long trip? If not, get it checked over by a professional.

On the whole, if there's a rush, bear in mind that the cold wet weather of winter is not the nicest time to be out doing a long boat trip; this one's 2-3 weeks and includes the Thames from Reading to Oxford, currently on red boards after a very wet autumn. You'll need your engine working properly to make progress up river against the sort of current you'd meet this December. So maybe it'd be wise to follow this scheme?:

First, find an experienced boater to accompany you the first day or two when you set off, and teach you the basics of steering and operating locks. Then potter eastwards along the K&A over the next few weeks. Make sure you have two people ashore to do it when you reach bridge 44, it's very stiff and hard to open/close! Arrange to moor up somewhere over Christmas, maybe before Reading. Perhaps in a marina,  or on the towpath near a town. Taking it easy for much of the winter may seem attractive. Then in say March, head out through Reading and up the Thames. There are some tricky bits, it helps to have someone aboard who's done that before. If I'm available at the time, I might volunteer. The Thames is beautiful and always a pleasure when it's not in flood. You should end up going up the South Oxford in nice weather in April, then enjoying the remainder of the journey during the summer. It depends if you're happy taking your time.

I agree. If you can do it yourself it's much more satisfying. There are probably a few people on this forum who can help your mum move if you post a request in the Crew Wanted section. I've done that before myself and had some great help. Just come to your own arrangements, whether that's fuel for their car to get there, train fare to get back, lunch, etc. There's really no need to pay people.

 

The only caveat is the lock stoppages. If your mum can wait until spring it would be easier, but if not then maybe the flatbed is the way to go. Look up Ray Bowen. He's a boat transport broker and he's very competitive.

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