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Maximum length for locks whilton - K&A?


RareDigs

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Evening (morning) 

 

We're getting very close to moving out now... Roughly 3 months until we are in the market for a boat. We will be CC'ing the K&A, and are looking to buy either from Whilton Marina or one of the local marinas in Northampton. 

 

I'm struggling to find detailed information for the maximum lock size between Northampton and the K&A. Yes, we are doing the whole journey in one go and I'm actually really looking forward to it. I'm aware that roughly 70' is the maximum for all locks, is there any official info on the maximum between these two places? Could someone chime in that has done the journey before? 

 

Thanks as always to this amazing community. 

-Digs

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6 hours ago, RareDigs said:

Evening (morning) 

 

We're getting very close to moving out now... Roughly 3 months until we are in the market for a boat. We will be CC'ing the K&A, and are looking to buy either from Whilton Marina or one of the local marinas in Northampton. 

 

I'm struggling to find detailed information for the maximum lock size between Northampton and the K&A. Yes, we are doing the whole journey in one go and I'm actually really looking forward to it. I'm aware that roughly 70' is the maximum for all locks, is there any official info on the maximum between these two places? Could someone chime in that has done the journey before? 

 

Thanks as always to this amazing community. 

-Digs

Our boat is 71'6" long and we have done these waterways many times although at our length we have to do some jiggling to get out of many of the K & A locks

 

Tim

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7 hours ago, RareDigs said:

Evening (morning) 

 

We're getting very close to moving out now... Roughly 3 months until we are in the market for a boat. We will be CC'ing the K&A, and are looking to buy either from Whilton Marina or one of the local marinas in Northampton. 

 

I'm struggling to find detailed information for the maximum lock size between Northampton and the K&A. Yes, we are doing the whole journey in one go and I'm actually really looking forward to it. I'm aware that roughly 70' is the maximum for all locks, is there any official info on the maximum between these two places? Could someone chime in that has done the journey before? 

 

Thanks as always to this amazing community. 

-Digs

Width (beam) can also sometimes play a part in determining if you fit locks.

Are you looking for a Narrow boat ?

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14 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Width (beam) can also sometimes play a part in determining if you fit locks.

Are you looking for a Narrow boat ?

We are indeed looking for a NB. 

 

13 hours ago, Mike Tee said:

If you are not looking for another 3 months, why are you restricting yourself to Whilton and a few round Northampton?

Your ideal boat may well be for sale in, for example, Reading.

We would like to go with a broker, and it seems boats around London are overpriced from my experience. 

 

15 hours ago, Tim Lewis said:

Our boat is 71'6" long and we have done these waterways many times although at our length we have to do some jiggling to get out of many of the K & A locks

 

Tim

Thanks Tim, really appreciate the advice. I'd love to hear what you mean by jiggling though! 

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Sometimes in a lock slightly shorter or angled, you may (if in a full length boat)have to wait for an accompanying boat to exit lock and then maybe shut a gate to get your front end over and out the other side, or get your  back end completely over to the wrong side and then pull the front end over to get out.

Not just the K&A,  there is also the bottom end of Bishops Meadow Lock below Loughborough, which for historical reasons was built angled and short, where a 70 footer has to wait for the other boat to leave before it can shuffle over and exit....a pair cannot leave together 

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2 minutes ago, matty40s said:

Sometimes in a lock slightly shorter or angled, you may (if in a full length boat)have to wait for an accompanying boat to exit lock and then maybe shut a gate to get your front end over and out the other side, or get your  back end completely over to the wrong side and then pull the front end over to get out.

Not just the K&A,  there is also the bottom end of Bishops Meadow Lock below Loughborough, which for historical reasons was built angled and short, where a 70 footer has to wait for the other boat to leave before it can shuffle over and exit....a pair cannot leave together 

Thanks for the heads up, we're only looking at around 55ft anyway so don't see it being too much of an issue!

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1 hour ago, matty40s said:

Sometimes in a lock slightly shorter or angled, you may (if in a full length boat)have to wait for an accompanying boat to exit lock and then maybe shut a gate to get your front end over and out the other side, or get your  back end completely over to the wrong side and then pull the front end over to get out.

Not just the K&A,  there is also the bottom end of Bishops Meadow Lock below Loughborough, which for historical reasons was built angled and short, where a 70 footer has to wait for the other boat to leave before it can shuffle over and exit....a pair cannot leave together 

It also means that two full length boats cannot share the locks

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Jist a warning here - i doubt there is a modern narrow boat or wide beam that won't fit the K&A but the locks are slightly short and narrow. A Leeds and Liverpool short boat would be too wide for example. Be aware too that you can get a 71 foot 6 inch GU town class through but a wide beam ove 70 feet (and I'd stick to 68-69 feet to be on the safe side) won't fit. You'd get it to Newbury but once on the canal proper yhe locks are tight.

 

I wouldn't push the beam too far either. 12 feet is okay if you're patient, anything more and you may wish you hadn't

Edited by magpie patrick
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1 minute ago, David Mack said:

A bit of an odd question really. Anything for sale at Whilton is almost certainly capable of navigating to the K&A.

And then the OP says he is looking at a narrowboat around 55ft, which will easily pass through all the locks.

The only place I can think of where that wouldn't go is up to Brandon on the Fenns

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Appreciate the replies. I just couldn't find any definitive information regarding that journey, but it seems everyone here has answered my question exactly. I'm new to the K&A, and I imagined the true horror of getting there and finding a lock that only allows under 49ft for example. Thanks again!

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21 minutes ago, RareDigs said:

Appreciate the replies. I just couldn't find any definitive information regarding that journey, but it seems everyone here has answered my question exactly. I'm new to the K&A, and I imagined the true horror of getting there and finding a lock that only allows under 49ft for example. Thanks again!

I think your 'horror' may be the problem of finding moorings / CCing on the most regulated and enforced piece of C&RTs waters.

 

From a 'push' on CCers  a couple of years ago.

Boats that did not move far enough, or overstayed on short stay moorings.

 

Hopefully you are aware of the requirements for boaters declaring "CCing Status"

 

Action / Number of boats

Boats which have received pre-enforcement warning letter (pre CC1) 262

Boats which have received first enforcement letter (CC1) 99

Boats which have received second enforcement letter (CC2) 44

Boats which received a pre CC1 letter but have now secured a home mooring 33

Boats which received a pre CC1 letter but have then taken a winter mooring 28

Boats which received a pre CC1 letter but have since been sighted outside of the Local Plan area 65

Boats which received a pre CC1 but have not had further enforcement action. 163

Boats which received a third enforcement letter (CC3) 22

Edited by Alan de Enfield
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1 hour ago, David Mack said:

A bit of an odd question really. Anything for sale at Whilton is almost certainly capable of navigating to the K&A.

And then the OP says he is looking at a narrowboat around 55ft, which will easily pass through all the locks.

Indeed, but the OP may not be as familiar with the canal system, and simply is aware that there are short locks "somewhere"

Edited to add - I've often found the most difficult question to find an answer to is when "everybody knows that" - which is fine until it's "everybody except me" knows that

My answers have been in part targeted at anyone else reading who has the same idea but with a bigger vessel

Edited by magpie patrick
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9 minutes ago, magpie patrick said:

Indeed, but the OP may not be as familiar with the canal system, and simply is aware that there are short locks "somewhere"

Edited to add - I've often found the most difficult question to find an answer to is when "everybody knows that" - which is fine until it's "everybody except me" knows that

My answers have been in part targeted at anyone else reading who has the same idea but with a bigger vessel

And also the what everybody knows then turns out to be not the whole truth!

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But in this case a quick google brings you to https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notices. Scroll down the page and you find:

Dimensions

Check the dimensions of our waterways before setting off on your journey. Note: this information is only a helpful guide. Always use your own judgement and check water levels and other navigation advice first.

 

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3 hours ago, Mike Todd said:

And also the what everybody knows then turns out to be not the whole truth!

I think he was correct in asking as much of the system is missold by both CART and forums so personal experience is best for the op to ask for. My fave cock up on the system is Thorne lock that is a major pinch point on the system that many boats dont risk as its mistakenly shown as well below 70 feet when in fact a 70 foot narrow beam will pass through. I nearly did Trent end in my boat which I have only ever done in a real boat before but risked the run up to Thorne and indeed went through in my 70 foot narrowboat.

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