Jump to content

Torch for help with navigating tunnels


Chris77

Featured Posts

1 minute ago, Slim said:

So far as tunnel lights are concerned LEDs are the  child  of the devel, headtorches/ hand torches his step brother and halogen lights his cousin. 

I agree 100% its bad enough going through Netherton Tunnel with bikes and walkers on the towpath, they always look at  you at some point with their cap/helmet lamps on.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, ditchcrawler said:

I agree 100% its bad enough going through Netherton Tunnel with bikes and walkers on the towpath, they always look at  you at some point with their cap/helmet lamps on.

Last time I went through Netherton I couldn't see a thing due to the dense fog in there. When I got to the windmill end portal I saw the large amount of fireworks that had been let off in the tunnel causing the fog.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Turning on the cabin lights helps.  The illumination through the windows gives enough to be able to judge the position of the sides and rear of the boat against the tunnel wall.  Close any doors so you are not distracted by the lights directly.

  • Greenie 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I always have a big Maglite torch close to hand as backup, so I can reach for it in the dark. Due to a dirty switch contact I once lost my tunnel lamp 50 yds into Braunston tunnel, not the straightest. The torch got me through with the minimum of scrapes.    

  • Greenie 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 08/07/2021 at 11:54, David Mack said:

Given the curvature of the bow on a narrow boat, I can't imagine the cabin top getting any closer to the tunnel lining than when the boat is in contact with the wall over its length.

A friend of mine receibed soem serious damage where the wall curvature caught the starboard front cabin edge in the Crick tunnel after another boat rammed them. I lost some paint on the rear name panel in Braunston at the crooked bit two weeks ago when a hire boat slammed into me. It rocked the boat so the cabin side hit the wall although I wasn't aware until I moored up at Braunston. And I've a relatively low  Colecraft with reasonable tumblehome and swept in cabin sides towards the stern.

On 08/07/2021 at 11:54, David Mack said:

Given the curvature of the bow on a narrow boat, I can't imagine the cabin top getting any closer to the tunnel lining than when the boat is in contact with the wall over its length.

A friend of mine receibed soem serious damage where the wall curvature caught the starboard front cabin edge in the Crick tunnel after another boat rammed them. I lost some paint on the rear name panel in Braunston at the crooked bit two weeks ago when a hire boat slammed into me. It rocked the boat so the cabin side hit the wall although I wasn't aware until I moored up at Braunston. And I've a relatively low  Colecraft with reasonable tumblehome and swept in cabin sides towards the stern.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 hours ago, Eveks8 said:

Headlamp LED lights is also good option

Only if you wish to blind any oncoming boats.  I am yet to meet a boat with an LED headlamp that hasn't caused me issues with vision, this includes a couple I have met after they have left the tunnel but forgotten to turn their LED headlamp off.

  • Greenie 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The tunnel light, of whatever type, shouldn't be pointing ahead anyway --  it's not a headlamp.  I always angle my crummy little automotive foglamp type spotlight up towards the roof, and turn all the cabin lights on. 

 

The worst problem I've had in a tunnel was the rear navigation light shining up into in my eyes in Blisworth. I took the bulb out before I got to Braunston. 

Any torch is OK as a reserve, or for inspecting the interior of the tunnel. You want to see the brickwork, not vaporise the bloody mortar!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, Markinaboat said:

A friend of mine receibed soem serious damage where the wall curvature caught the starboard front cabin edge in the Crick tunnel after another boat rammed them. I lost some paint on the rear name panel in Braunston at the crooked bit two weeks ago when a hire boat slammed into me. It rocked the boat so the cabin side hit the wall although I wasn't aware until I moored up at Braunston. And I've a relatively low  Colecraft with reasonable tumblehome and swept in cabin sides towards the stern.

 

I have a different interpretation of the kink in Braunston tunnel. The first time I went through it and was unaware of the kink, I didn't see it as I approached it because the half wit coming in the other direction was blinding me with his light. This resulted in me not seeing the kink at all until I hit it and then rebounded into the oncoming boat. A bright torch of any sort wouldn't have assisted me other than we could have simply blinded each other. Now I just use a bog standard tunnel lamp pointed at the roof of the tunnel about 10 feet ahead of my bow, seems to work OK.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Rob-M said:

Only if you wish to blind any oncoming boats.  I am yet to meet a boat with an LED headlamp that hasn't caused me issues with vision, this includes a couple I have met after they have left the tunnel but forgotten to turn their LED headlamp off.

You would be ok meeting us. Our LED headlamp points straight up in the air, rather than forward. It was fitted when we bought the boat, and I'm not buying a new one, so we just played around with the angle until it stopped being blinding. And now we find tunnels straightforward, we just steer to keep the light in the centre of the tunnel roof.

 

We did take the side of the cabin out on dunhampstead tunnel at the beginning of the year, mind but that's because all the lights failed (another one with a dirty switch contact...) when we were about 50 yards in and the profile of that tunnel means your roof hits the wall before the hull does.

Typically it was the one time I'd forgotten to put the torch on the shelf inside the rear door.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...
On 10/07/2021 at 22:13, Wanderer Vagabond said:

I have a different interpretation of the kink in Braunston tunnel. The first time I went through it and was unaware of the kink, I didn't see it as I approached it because the half wit coming in the other direction was blinding me with his light. This resulted in me not seeing the kink at all until I hit it and then rebounded into the oncoming boat. A bright torch of any sort wouldn't have assisted me other than we could have simply blinded each other. Now I just use a bog standard tunnel lamp pointed at the roof of the tunnel about 10 feet ahead of my bow, seems to work OK.

 

The kink in Braunston is 400m from the eastern end.

 

I have this at the back, a bit Heath Robinsonish but it works well; and a low power light at the bows (just so an oncoming boat can see where the bows are).headlight.png.fdf6dad6e59e2c81d167d89643c124bb.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.