David Mack Posted September 15, 2020 Report Share Posted September 15, 2020 Just received the message below. Does anyone know anything about the electric wide boat? Notice Alert Grand Union CanalLocation: Blisworth TunnelStarts At: Blisworth TunnelEnds At: Blisworth Tunnel Wednesday 16 September 2020 08:00 until Wednesday 16 September 2020 09:30 Type: Advice Reason: Information Original message: An electric wide beam has booked a passage through Blisworth tunnel starting a 08:00AM on Wednesday 16/09/2020. The boat will take approximately 1 hr 30 minutes to pass through the tunnel. During this time volunteers will be positioned at both tunnel entrances and will be preventing traffic from entering the tunnel to allow safe passage for the boat. Please follow the instructions of our volunteers on site. We apologise for any inconvenience caused. You can view this notice and its map online here:https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notice/18352/blisworth-tunnel You can find all notices at the url below:https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notices Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frangar Posted September 15, 2020 Report Share Posted September 15, 2020 Lets hope its batteries dont die in the tunnel! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jen-in-Wellies Posted September 15, 2020 Report Share Posted September 15, 2020 29 minutes ago, frangar said: Lets hope its batteries dont die in the tunnel! They could always leg it. Might be quicker to leg it anyway! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magnetman Posted September 15, 2020 Report Share Posted September 15, 2020 (edited) Or get it towed through by a boat with a proper oil burner in it. Or a steam engine perhaps. Edited September 15, 2020 by magnetman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smiler Posted September 15, 2020 Report Share Posted September 15, 2020 Or wait for the solar to charge the batteries???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magnetman Posted September 15, 2020 Report Share Posted September 15, 2020 (edited) I bet it ends up just being a 25ft X 9ft GRP cruiser with a Minn Kota trolling motor on the back... Years ago I was held up at Blisworth tunnel "something wide coming through" it ended up being a 25ft seamaster which of course is quite a lot more than 7ft wide so not passable in the tunnel.. These days "`wide beam" makes people think luxury floating apartment with a working diesel central heating system but there are countless wide beamed vessels which have nothing in common other than floating. Edited September 15, 2020 by magnetman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Gwilliams Posted September 15, 2020 Report Share Posted September 15, 2020 We wanted to bring our Senior 31 up to Northants when we moved. But we were told we'd be as welcome as a fart in a space suit. Boat sold, twenty years later back on the water in a suitable sized craft 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Todd Posted September 15, 2020 Report Share Posted September 15, 2020 If it really expects to take 90 minutes to pass through then I am really put off the idea of an electric boat forever. Like watching paint dry . . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBiscuits Posted September 15, 2020 Report Share Posted September 15, 2020 8 minutes ago, Mike Todd said: If it really expects to take 90 minutes to pass through then I am really put off the idea of an electric boat forever. Like watching paint dry . . . Oh, some of them are a tad quicker than that ... https://www.thedrive.com/tech/21587/jaguar-breaks-world-electric-boat-speed-record The Jaguar Vector V20E electric racing boat achieved an average speed of 88.61 miles per hour over two passes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sea Dog Posted September 15, 2020 Report Share Posted September 15, 2020 45 minutes ago, Mike Todd said: If it really expects to take 90 minutes to pass through then I am really put off the idea of an electric boat forever. Like watching paint dry . . . If you've been through, say, Chirk tunnel in a narrowboat, or a narrow aquaduct (not Ponty-wotsit - Telford was too clever) you'll have an idea why this widebeam will be so slow through Blisworth. Dragging that length of water from the front to stuff it out of the back with the prop in a confined space whilst the hull is trying to push it all forwards is no easy feat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frangar Posted September 15, 2020 Report Share Posted September 15, 2020 6 minutes ago, Sea Dog said: If you've been through, say, Chirk tunnel in a narrowboat, or a narrow aquaduct (not Ponty-wotsit - Telford was too clever) you'll have an idea why this widebeam will be so slow through Blisworth. Dragging that length of water from the front to stuff it out of the back with the prop in a confined space whilst the hull is trying to push it all forwards is no easy feat. Thus proving that there is a reason widebeams aren’t the best choice on the GU! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchcrawler Posted September 15, 2020 Report Share Posted September 15, 2020 Also CRT will have to make sure the tunnel is clear before they start Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBiscuits Posted September 15, 2020 Report Share Posted September 15, 2020 31 minutes ago, frangar said: Thus proving that there is a reason widebeams aren’t the best choice on the GU! And that there is a reason narrowboats aren't the best choice on the Llangollen? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jake_crew Posted September 16, 2020 Report Share Posted September 16, 2020 Which way is it going ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jen-in-Wellies Posted September 16, 2020 Report Share Posted September 16, 2020 13 hours ago, Sea Dog said: If you've been through, say, Chirk tunnel in a narrowboat, or a narrow aquaduct (not Ponty-wotsit - Telford was too clever) you'll have an idea why this widebeam will be so slow through Blisworth. Dragging that length of water from the front to stuff it out of the back with the prop in a confined space whilst the hull is trying to push it all forwards is no easy feat. Draft has a big effect in the Llangollen tunnels. I went there with another boat and theirs were slowed much more by these features than mine. My boat draws 2', theirs 2'6". The water being pushed ahead can get out the way by going underneath the boat as well as round the sides. The less room there is between the baseplate and the bottom, the harder this gets. If this wide beam is also deep drafted, then this will slow it more. I doubt CaRT have taken this in to account in the 90 minute estimate. Probably just given an absolute worst case they could think of, so when it is quicker people waiting to use the tunnel will be happier. Jen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchcrawler Posted September 16, 2020 Report Share Posted September 16, 2020 If they close the tunnel at 8am they would have to wait until any boats in the tunnel were clear before they set off. It is possible that a boat could enter at 0755 heading in the opposite direction. A question I have asked before, when they use to leg boats through how did the pass a boat coming the other way? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WotEver Posted September 16, 2020 Report Share Posted September 16, 2020 36 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said: A question I have asked before, when they use to leg boats through how did the pass a boat coming the other way? Perhaps they legged it... :::coat::: 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BEngo Posted September 16, 2020 Report Share Posted September 16, 2020 Is it out yet? Any pictures? N Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zenataomm Posted September 16, 2020 Report Share Posted September 16, 2020 I don't understand the relevance in the original notification mentioning that it's electric. The only pertinent fact surely is that it's fat. If this is to be the new method for reporting Notice Alerts, then the next time I go through Blisworth in my narrow boat, I shall insist on the following being published. A diesel narrow boat is planning a passage through Blisworth tunnel at some point. The steerer is a very talented and handsome man of merely fifty sixteen Summers. Be aware that during the passage there will be a red enamelled kettle in the sink and although all gas pilot lights will be extinguished, chocolate will be in evidence in many of the drawers. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roland elsdon Posted September 16, 2020 Report Share Posted September 16, 2020 Suspect they mentioned the electric bit to rub in that it is not only oversized but on a reduced licence due to green credentials. im sure there will be a big cloud of smoke on tunnel exit when the generator fires up. Why would you put pilots out, we always used to stoke the fires up going into the tunnel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Gwilliams Posted September 16, 2020 Report Share Posted September 16, 2020 1 hour ago, zenataomm said: chocolate will be in evidence in many of the drawers. Now there's a reason for a boarding party ?☠️ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jen-in-Wellies Posted September 16, 2020 Report Share Posted September 16, 2020 5 hours ago, ditchcrawler said: If they close the tunnel at 8am they would have to wait until any boats in the tunnel were clear before they set off. It is possible that a boat could enter at 0755 heading in the opposite direction. A question I have asked before, when they use to leg boats through how did the pass a boat coming the other way? If the leggers are lying on a long plank across the boat to reach the walls, then presumably they would just move the plank out the way and allow the momentum of the two boats to carry them past each other. Some piccies in a video here. Jen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchcrawler Posted September 16, 2020 Report Share Posted September 16, 2020 2 minutes ago, Jen-in-Wellies said: If the leggers are lying on a long plank across the boat to reach the walls, then presumably they would just move the plank out the way and allow the momentum of the two boats to carry them past each other. Some piccies in a video here. Jen Do you think that would be possible in the dark and confines of a tunnel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magnetman Posted September 16, 2020 Report Share Posted September 16, 2020 Maybe the legging boats through tunnels story is made up and what they really did was use very long ropes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jen-in-Wellies Posted September 16, 2020 Report Share Posted September 16, 2020 (edited) 7 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said: Do you think that would be possible in the dark and confines of a tunnel This is long before 'elth'n'safety was invented, so if a few leggers fall in and drown, the canal company would only be concerned about the time lost in recovering the corpses. Imagine it would be similar to getting on to the legging board in the first place, just reversed. Each legger sliding back to the centre of the boat simultaneously and off the plank, then swing the plank out of the way. Got to coordinate with each other, but perfectly possible to do by feel in the dark I'd have thought. I've only legged a few yards in the Dudley tunnel trip boat, so minimal experience. I do cave a lot though and in confined spaces you do most movement by feel, rather than by seeing. Jen 3 minutes ago, magnetman said: Maybe the legging boats through tunnels story is made up and what they really did was use very long ropes. Or an electric motor? ? Edited September 16, 2020 by Jen-in-Wellies Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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