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Potential widebeam transport between north and south wide canals?


James Walker

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Just now, Tacet said:

The range of waterways (and the ability to move between them) is the main advantage.  Which means that widebeam are not superior in every way - just some.

 

 

Agreed. My point though was on this forum many people slang off widebeams when in  reality 99 percent of people have never owned one and are beyond clueless about how they handle ( superior to sewer tubes ) or much anything else about them. The one and only benefit of narrow over wide is cruising range. The only reason the narrowboat is still being built is the damned silly locks we have inherited. Look worldwide at waterway systems and see just how prolific narrowboats are not. When challenged I find 99 percent of peeps have never owned one.

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4 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

Agreed. My point though was on this forum many people slang off widebeams when in  reality 99 percent of people have never owned one and are beyond clueless about how they handle ( superior to sewer tubes ) or much anything else about them. The one and only benefit of narrow over wide is cruising range. The only reason the narrowboat is still being built is the damned silly locks we have inherited. Look worldwide at waterway systems and see just how prolific narrowboats are not. When challenged I find 99 percent of peeps have never owned one.

 

I think the problem for some folk is the lack of ability to think beyond the stigma of widebeams being often associated with house boats that never go anywhere as they are glued to the marina pontoon.

 

But they are clearly better on the right waterway.

 

 

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Just now, The Happy Nomad said:

 

I think the problem for some folk is the lack of ability to think beyond the stigma of widebeams being often associated with house boats that never go anywhere as they are glued to the marina pontoon.

 

But they are clearly better on the right waterway.

 

 

Aint that the truth!! Trouble is many people slang them off who have never owned one!!  Its as daft as me passing comment on what is the best aeroplane to buy as I have never owned one so am clueless about them.

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11 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

Aint that the truth!! Trouble is many people slang them off who have never owned one!!  

 

Or never even steered one so they just repeat the nonsense that someone else told them about widebeams being difficult to steer ad infinitum.

 

I've had narrowboaters telling me that my boat is just a floating flat and I can't go anywhere for the last 16 years. Fact is that few of them have ever taken their boats downstream on the tidal Thames through London and turned against the current into Limehouse, or gone across the Severn estuary from Bristol to Sharpness.

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I have owned both narrow and widebeam, and for me widebeam is best. It's a space thing for me handling wise nothing to choose between them, but it's down to comfort and space which the widebeam wins hands down. Other things come into it like no issues with working in the engine bay because it's big! Huge water tank because it can fit in. Full size bed or king size if wanted, bath that you can lay down in, widebeams can have these things. Lots of room for solar, big battery banks, and loads of storage space like 9 foot of wardrobes! As I said widebeams can do these things, however I like the northern waterways so its suits my boat, I am not so sure that the southern waterways would suit me or my boat, I know that they can fit my boat but I think that they would be hard work so I ain't bothered 

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10 hours ago, blackrose said:

 

You have to remember that I work full time, but in the last 8 years I've taken the boat from Laleham on the Thames to Reading, Reading to Bristol on the K&A, from Bristol out on the tidal Severn estuary to Portishead and Sharpness, from Sharpness to Gloucester on the G&S, from Gloucester to Tewkesbury on the River Severn, Tewkesbury to Stratford upon Avon and back a couple of times while I was on the River Avon. Since getting the boat craned out and put back in on the Nene I've only been down the river as far as Thrapston and I'm about to do another trip starting in a couple of weeks to Oundle. 

 

I know that people on this forum do lots of cruising but I think I've probably done more cruising than anyone I've known living on a narrowboat who I've met in the last 8 years.

 

Why do you ask? What was your point exactly?

 

The point, and its a general one, is that widebeams have undoubted accommodation advantages, but few seem to be used much as boats, on the inland waterways at least.

 

The 2013(?) run from the Thames to Evesham was a fair one - a good fortnight for most.   But since then Blackrose has only cruised a couple of times for little more than a day from its moorings. 

 

 

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11 hours ago, mrsmelly said:

Agreed. My point though was on this forum many people slang off widebeams when in  reality 99 percent of people have never owned one and are beyond clueless about how they handle ( superior to sewer tubes ) or much anything else about them. The one and only benefit of narrow over wide is cruising range. The only reason the narrowboat is still being built is the damned silly locks we have inherited. Look worldwide at waterway systems and see just how prolific narrowboats are not. When challenged I find 99 percent of peeps have never owned one.

Fair enough.  Whilst they are superior in every (other ) way, width is the disadvantage with widebeams.   But it is a big disadvantage - sufficient to overcome all the advantages when you chose to move back to a narrowboat.

 

 

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36 minutes ago, Tacet said:

 

The point, and its a general one, is that widebeams have undoubted accommodation advantages, but few seem to be used much as boats, on the inland waterways at least.

 

The 2013(?) run from the Thames to Evesham was a fair one - a good fortnight for most.   But since then Blackrose has only cruised a couple of times for little more than a day from its moorings. 

 

 

Come up North where moving widebeams are prolific, the waterways are far better than down south.

We have a lot of electric locks which make life easier for single handed boaters and passing other widebeams is easier as well. 

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10 minutes ago, peterboat said:

Come up North where moving widebeams are prolific, the waterways are far better than down south.

We have a lot of electric locks which make life easier for single handed boaters and passing other widebeams is easier as well. 

 

Indeed.

 

When we moored at Pollington our cruising range (if we had owned a WB) would still have been extensive. 

 

More than enough to satisfy many people. And as for the locks..............well you can just about fit a widebeam in, if you breath in.

 

Fishpond  Lock A&C navigation.

 

 

A&C lock.JPG

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15 minutes ago, peterboat said:

Come up North where moving widebeams are prolific, the waterways are far better than down south.

We have a lot of electric locks which make life easier for single handed boaters and passing other widebeams is easier as well. 

I like the Huddersfield Narrow....

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Problem with widebeams (fat narrow boats) is that they are so ugly. A properly shaped barge however is a thing of beauty and way better in so many ways than a widebeam ?

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21 minutes ago, Loddon said:

Problem with widebeams (fat narrow boats) is that they are so ugly. A properly shaped barge however is a thing of beauty and way better in so many ways than a widebeam ?

 

Maybe part of the problem is an improper association with the word 'widebeam'. In the canal context it is a boat wider than 7' 6" (the legal definition of a NB being as having a beam less than 7' 6") but the word has become the norm to describe obese narrowboats.

 

There are many 'pretty' widebeams but very very few pretty obese narrowboats.

The one if referenced earlier costing £250,000 looks like a typical Thames 'night-soil' barge with a lid welded on top. 'Orrible.

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