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Wheelhouse build


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3 minutes ago, Polishicebreaker said:

 

Hello, 

I'm considering popping a wheelhouse over my widebeam stern deck.   Has anyone done similar with some nice pics etc? 

 

cheers        Ed

Before you go ahead, (assuming you will be dong some cruising) just check the available air-draft in your planned cruising grounds.

 

Adding a wheelhouse, the width and height of a 'fat-boat' can seriously affect your ability to get thru arched bridges.

(Arched bridges narrow with height)

 

A much higher Narrowboat can go thru a bridge than a widebeam.

 

Hopefully the picture is self-explanatory.

 

 

 

Inkedarch-bridge-1351942475ctY_LI.jpg

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52 minutes ago, Polishicebreaker said:

 

Hello, 

I'm considering popping a wheelhouse over my widebeam stern deck.   Has anyone done similar with some nice pics etc? 

 

cheers        Ed

Yes I have a large double glazed insulated wheelhouse on my widebeam, as yet I have not found a bridge that I cant fit under. It takes down so I could do that however as I say I have been ok up to press. Now I have been through the Glory hole at Lincoln which was tight to say the least and up to Titus salters mill on the Leeds Liverpool but these are northern waters designed for big boats.

If I was to repeat this exercise I would go hydraulic  rather than a manual take to bits, also remember to keep the wheelhouse narrower at the top than the gunwales, and the front screen sloping forward so less rain falls on it. I can email you pictures if you want

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8 minutes ago, peterboat said:

Yes I have a large double glazed insulated wheelhouse on my widebeam, as yet I have not found a bridge that I cant fit under. It takes down so I could do that however as I say I have been ok up to press. Now I have been through the Glory hole at Lincoln which was tight to say the least and up to Titus salters mill on the Leeds Liverpool but these are northern waters designed for big boats.

If I was to repeat this exercise I would go hydraulic  rather than a manual take to bits, also remember to keep the wheelhouse narrower at the top than the gunwales, and the front screen sloping forward so less rain falls on it. I can email you pictures if you want

I completely agree but having had some experience you know what is possible, whilst someone new to the waterways may not give consideration to the width / height equation

 

Start with a 14' wide boat and adding another 4 or 5 feet to its air draft can have consequences.

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1 hour ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Before you go ahead, (assuming you will be dong some cruising) just check the available air-draft in your planned cruising grounds.

 

Adding a wheelhouse, the width and height of a 'fat-boat' can seriously affect your ability to get thru arched bridges.

(Arched bridges narrow with height)

 

A much higher Narrowboat can go thru a bridge than a widebeam.

 

Hopefully the picture is self-explanatory.

 

 

 

Inkedarch-bridge-1351942475ctY_LI.jpg

Isn't that bridge in China? Is that likely to be in the OP's cruising range?

?

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5 minutes ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

Most bridges are strong enough to "trim" a wheelhouse down to the size that will fit, provided you get a bit of speed up as you approach it. ?

 

I have seen a few wheelhouses and a lot more pram hoods where people thought it was too much faffing to lower it but a bridge demonstrated it could be dropped in seconds. :D

 

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8 minutes ago, Polishicebreaker said:

our Air draught is around 6ft 

Current air draft ?

 

Adding a wheelhouse will add another 3 feet (or more ?)

 

My air draft is 10' 6" and it severely (really severely) affected cruising ability.

Much of the network is around the 8' to 9' 'headroom' but some are lower. (Rivers tend to be much higher)

 

Just as examples. the headroom on the Trent & Mersey :

Fradley Junction to Burton upon Trent is 6' 3"

Burton upon Trent to Derwent mouth is 7'

 

The Calder & Hebble is 9'6"

The Huddersfield Broad canal is 9' 6"

Aire & Calder 12'

Sheffield & South Yorkshire 10'

Chesterfield 7'6"

 

Consider carefully where you plan to go before you "just build a wheelhouse"

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8 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Current air draft ?

 

Adding a wheelhouse will add another 3 feet (or more ?)

 

My air draft is 10' 6" and it severely (really severely) affected cruising ability.

Much of the network is around the 8' to 9' 'headroom' but some are lower. (Rivers tend to be much higher)

 

Just as examples. the headroom on the Trent & Mersey :

Fradley Junction to Burton upon Trent is 6' 3"

Burton upon Trent to Derwent mouth is 7'

 

The Calder & Hebble is 9'6"

The Huddersfield Broad canal is 9' 6"

Aire & Calder 12'

Sheffield & South Yorkshire 10'

Chesterfield 7'6"

 

Consider carefully where you plan to go before you "just build a wheelhouse"

You can’t get to some of these places on a widebeam anyway so I doubt the OP is bothered.

  If he makes it so that it can be dismantled easily and quickly for low bridges then there is no problem, he just needs to plan and design it right.

Edited by PD1964
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5 minutes ago, PD1964 said:

You can’t get to some of these places on a widebeam anyway so I doubt the OP is bothered.

  If he makes it so that it can be dismantled easily and quickly for low bridges then there is no problem, he just needs to plan and design it right.

I know that very well - my beam is 14 foot - it was simply an illustration of the varying heights on the cut - we have no idea where the OP is based or where he would intend to cruise - he could well be in London and cruise the Thames.

 

It was simply a suggestion to think about what he was planning.

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7 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

I know that very well - my beam is 14 foot - it was simply an illustration of the varying heights on the cut - we have no idea where the OP is based or where he would intend to cruise - he could well be in London and cruise the Thames.

 

It was simply a suggestion to think about what he was planning.

All he needs to do is plan and design a sensible height wheel house that is easy to dismantle whilst being safe to do so when he has to, to get through low bridges when he needs to. Simple.

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41 minutes ago, PD1964 said:

All he needs to do is plan and design a sensible height wheel house that is easy to dismantle whilst being safe to do so when he has to, to get through low bridges when he needs to. Simple.

But someone new to the waterways doesn't know that until he is advised …………………………..

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18 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

But someone new to the waterways doesn't know that until he is advised …………………………..

He's been a member on here since 2013 so is he new to boats/canals or has just decided to put a wheel house on his boat?

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9 hours ago, TheBiscuits said:

 

I have seen a few wheelhouses and a lot more pram hoods where people thought it was too much faffing to lower it but a bridge demonstrated it could be dropped in seconds. :D

 

Many years ago I got involved in bowhauling an engineless boat down a flight of locks. In one pound there were a lot of boats moored against the towpath, and in the middle of these a wooden centre cockpit cruiser with a raised wheelhouse over the cockpit. My mate was trying to flick the rope over this wheelhouse without success. As the boat continued to drift forward the rope caught on something on the wheelhouse. A moment later there was a load clatter and the wheelhouse collapsed into a heap of glazed panels and a roof at a drunken angle. We re-erected it as best we could, and beat as hasty a retreat as one can when bowhauling a narrow boat!

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The wheelhouse on Parglena was 9'9" above waterline and about 9' across it reduced to 6'6" high with it down.

Cruising southern waterways meant cruising with it down except for the Thames as far as Oxford and the GU from Brentford to Cowley. There were other bits of the Paddington Arm/Regents Canal where it could remain up but I can remember exactly where.

The upshot of this is that we cruised most of the time with it down, it was of such a design that I could get it down in about a minute or so, very useful when approaching a low bridge.

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16 hours ago, PD1964 said:

You can’t get to some of these places on a widebeam anyway so I doubt the OP is bothered.

  If he makes it so that it can be dismantled easily and quickly for low bridges then there is no problem, he just needs to plan and design it right.

You know the size of my wheelhouse and I get to Sheffield easy enough

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20 minutes ago, peterboat said:

You know the size of my wheelhouse and I get to Sheffield easy enough

Exactly, if the OP is sensible and it’s suitable for his cruising area I can’t see a major problem and if it can be taken down quickly and safely should he venture further afield just do it.

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  • 1 year later...
On 02/07/2020 at 17:06, Polishicebreaker said:

 

Hello, 

I'm considering popping a wheelhouse over my widebeam stern deck.   Has anyone done similar with some nice pics etc? 

 

cheers        Ed

Hi did you ever get your wheelhouse built 

 

On 02/07/2020 at 18:06, peterboat said:

Yes I have a large double glazed insulated wheelhouse on my widebeam, as yet I have not found a bridge that I cant fit under. It takes down so I could do that however as I say I have been ok up to press. Now I have been through the Glory hole at Lincoln which was tight to say the least and up to Titus salters mill on the Leeds Liverpool but these are northern waters designed for big boats.

If I was to repeat this exercise I would go hydraulic  rather than a manual take to bits, also remember to keep the wheelhouse narrower at the top than the gunwales, and the front screen sloping forward so less rain falls on it. I can email you pictures if you want

Hi how much did it cost to have your wheelhouse built 

 

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Tricky things wheelhouses. On UK canals there is a good chance that you will be dismantling the thing frequently so it needs to be simple and light, both things are quite difficult to achieve. The glazing is subject to awful condensation  where the thing is part of the living area so heavy double glazing is needed but it might not be neccessary where it is just an addition on the back of the boat. I would go with a fabric roof for ease of dismantling, lift off side windows rather than hinged as they will get mangled and a stable door with a lift off top. It needs to be simple, mine is heavy and a bit complex but its not meant to be taken apart very often (in fact never in France) but when it was in the UK it was a right pain in the bum. I'll try to post a pic or two when I get back from walking the dog. It cost very little as I did it from reclaimed timber but if you get it built its going to be a very dear thing, I would even consider tanalised softwood painted or stained.

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6 hours ago, Joe rea said:

Hi did you ever get your wheelhouse built 

 

Hi how much did it cost to have your wheelhouse built 

 

I honestly have no idea it was done as part of a stretch about 5k I would think 

5 hours ago, Bee said:

Tricky things wheelhouses. On UK canals there is a good chance that you will be dismantling the thing frequently so it needs to be simple and light, both things are quite difficult to achieve. The glazing is subject to awful condensation  where the thing is part of the living area so heavy double glazing is needed but it might not be neccessary where it is just an addition on the back of the boat. I would go with a fabric roof for ease of dismantling, lift off side windows rather than hinged as they will get mangled and a stable door with a lift off top. It needs to be simple, mine is heavy and a bit complex but its not meant to be taken apart very often (in fact never in France) but when it was in the UK it was a right pain in the bum. I'll try to post a pic or two when I get back from walking the dog. It cost very little as I did it from reclaimed timber but if you get it built its going to be a very dear thing, I would even consider tanalised softwood painted or stained.

We haven't had to take ours down yet in 10 years came close once but dropped the level in the short pound we were in as it was easier 🤣

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