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Kennet & Avon


richrt

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12 minutes ago, richrt said:

Hi,

has anyone got through from Reading to Bristol with an air draught of 7ft 10"

I have seen yachts transiting with the mast down on a sheer-leg on the stern but that would pass under teh centre of an arched bridge. We need to know the beam, or more exactly the width of the roof at its highest point.

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I think the lowest bridge is the footbridge just down from Hungerford by the pumpout. Its a flat rather than arched bridge so no scope for any "negotiation". Its height should be on the CRT website. There is a bloke on the K&A with a small ship. He claims he gets his wheelhouse up to the bridge then applies a lot of power to pull the back down a bit. ? Potential for much embarrassment if that goes wrong.  Its quite a long pound and always has moored boats so you would be unpopular if you lowered it.

 

..............Dave

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CRT say 7 foot 10 and they are usually a bit conservative. I reckon you will just do it. Get a couple of big plastic barrels to take on a bit of extra weight if required, there is a (very slow) water tap right next to the bridge.

There is another low one down the Western End but I think a fraction higher. Again I think its a flat one.

 

.............Dave

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and another thought......

High Bridge (joke name) in Reading is low, arched, unprotected, skewed and on a bend on a fast flowing bit of river. You should be OK going up, but if its a return trip then you would be wise only to do the downstream trip at a time when the flow is low.

You will need to get a big road bridge swung to get into Bristol. Check that its not closed for maintenance before heading that way.

 

 

................Dave

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Someone I know got an old Dutch Barge with a high non-removeable wheelhouse under the Hungerford Footbridge some years ago, by deploying the "power on" technique to lower the stern - It worked. I have no idea what the air draught of the boat was, but it was certainly more than the bridge air draught.

Edited by David Schweizer
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6 minutes ago, dmr said:

You will need to get a big road bridge swung to get into Bristol. Check that its not closed for maintenance before heading that way.

 

 

 

surely only if you want to progress to the western part of the harbour (SS Great Britain, Marina, etc.) ?

37 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

As Tony suggests, the acceptable air draft depends on beam - if you are a 'fat boat' the usable air draft will be lower on arched bridges.

 

 

 

 

Arched Bridge and Widebeams.jpg

is that bridge in Bath ?     :rolleyes:     I don't recall the high rise blocks or the poor visibility   ?

 

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1 minute ago, Murflynn said:

surely only if you want to progress to the western part of the harbour (SS Great Britain, Marina, etc.) ?

The bridge is at the entrance to the main part of the harbour just before the turn off to the moorings in St Argustines Reach. As far as I know there are no visitor moorings upstream of this bridge. We Just go under if we take all the chimneys down, 

 

..............Dave

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3 hours ago, dmr said:

 

You will need to get a big road bridge swung to get into Bristol. Check that its not closed for maintenance before heading that way.

 

Yes that's the one I remember. I've never had to crouch quite so low when going under a bridge. Although my boat is 12ft wide I think the airdraft is less than 6ft at the highest point.

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So many thanks guys! I have discovered that she is just under 9ft air draught at the centre of the cabin (motor cruiser). So I will look again as going around the south coast again is not an option for me. Thank you again your input is invaluable! Merry Christmas all

Richard

 

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I had a similar dilemma in 2019 moving my motor cruiser from Newark (Nottinghamshire) to North Wales.

 

I could have gone around the coast (1000+ miles) taken (probably 2 or 3 weeks - as it was October and the weather is not the best at that time) or take it on a truck.

 

It was cheaper to use a truck and only 2 days. It was only 200 miles but the size meant they could only drive limited hours, and also had to have escort vehicles.

What is your overall height (keel to highest point with everything folded) ?

I had to get a very special truck that had a hydraulic trailer that could lower down to 4" (100mm) off the road so it could fit under road bridges - I then had 2" (50mm) of bridge clearance.

 

What are your offshore skills / experience ?

Coastal cruising is VERY different to Rivers & Canals.

 

 

My boat on the truck.

 

21-10-19t.jpg

 

21-10-19w.jpg

 

 

 

Edited by Alan de Enfield
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We brought our barge across last year. We are 2.55m (8' 5" ish) with the wheelhouse up. We took it down for High Bridge in Reading and Newbury Bridge - both of which were high enough but awkward with the river. We were close in several other places - at Marsh Farm I doubt we'd have got a rizzla between the bridge and the roof, and a few at Devizes needed the pounds dropping a bit.

 

I'd say at 9' you'd have no chance unless you can get your boat down a bit.

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3 hours ago, sur145 said:

So many thanks guys! I have discovered that she is just under 9ft air draught at the centre of the cabin (motor cruiser). So I will look again as going around the south coast again is not an option for me. Thank you again your input is invaluable! Merry Christmas all

Richard

 

Are you richrt ?

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