Moving down south (Yorkshire to London)

[RichCraft]

Hello new to the forum and looking to build knowledge and meet people, my boat (widebeam 58 by 12ft) is currently on Leeds/Liverpool and I want to head down to London for work. Not sure if the journey is even possible? Also looking for the best places in West London to moor? Any help or advice would be very welcome. 

[Guest]

Just now, RichCraft said:

Hello new to the forum and looking to build knowledge and meet people, my boat (widebeam 58 by 12ft) is currently on Leeds/Liverpool and I want to head down to London for work. Not sure if the journey is even possible? Also looking for the best places in West London to moor? Any help or advice would be very welcome. 

 

Impossible to do via the UK canal and river network. Unless you have the boat lifted out and back in around the pinch points.

 

Sorry forgot to say welcome to the forum.

[David Mack]

4 minutes ago, RichCraft said:

Not sure if the journey is even possible?

Only by lorry or by sea.

[RichCraft]

Thank you David Mack and M_JG, do you know/recommend any movers or how far you could get before having to lift out?

[Guest]

6 minutes ago, RichCraft said:

Thank you David Mack and M_JG, do you know/recommend any movers or how far you could get before having to lift out?

 

My info. will be well out of date re companies that will lift your boat out and drop it back in, sombody will chip in.

 

But the the big issue is between Foxton and Watford.

 

This rather crap map gives you a rough idea of where you cannot pass with a widebeam.

 

 

Edited January 20, 2023 by M_JG

[RichCraft]

In your opinion would it be better to move it by canal as far as you can and then by road or do road all the way. Obviously more expensive. 

[Guest]

6 minutes ago, RichCraft said:

In your opinion would it be better to move it by canal as far as you can and then by road or do road all the way. Obviously more expensive. 

 

The former. Other opinions are available.

 

Best option would be to get firm quotes for both and decide, factoring in the cost of diesel for doing the bulk of it by boat.

 

 

 

 

Edited January 20, 2023 by M_JG

[GUMPY]

The extra distance is a minimal cost. Lift close to where you are and drop in close to where you want to be 

I've done it twice now

 

[Jen-in-Wellies]

A lorry will travel many times faster than the boat will. Once you have paid for a lorry and driver for the day, plus a crane out each end, another hour to travel each extra forty odd miles is miniscule in comparison. Travel by boat to where crane out and in is convenient and cheap, or for the fun of boating. Use the lorry for much of the journey, unless you have a lot of time available for the boating stuff.

Edited January 20, 2023 by Jen-in-Wellies

[Barneyp]

Most of the cost of getting a large boat move by road is the crane at each end, extra mileage will cost more but not that much in comparison.

[agg221]

A few points which might be helpful.

 

If you are wanting to cruise as much of the journey as possible because you enjoy the cruise then it would be a good trip. But, if it's about saving money, be aware that it probably won't. Lorry/crane hire will be by the day so it won't make any difference and the access charges for craning out are likely to go up as you head south. On pure cost grounds it will probably be cheaper to get it craned nearer to where you currently are.

 

Tuckeys are often recommended for boat moving. I have no personal experience. I have used Matt Gregory who may or may not have a big enough vehicle at the moment but if he does it can work out more cost-effective as he can do the whole thing with one, rather than a separate crane and lorry.

 

Moorings. Depending on what you want and where you want to be exactly, Engineer's Wharf might suit. Not cheap, but decent and seems to have some availability from time to time. Was always very helpful for a friend who moored there (for example, the mooring was advertised at 69', his boat was 72', they actually checked rather than relying on the computer and were fine with it).

Alec

[ditchcrawler]

The most economical way would probably be to find two yards with their own cranes on site ether side of the narrow bit and lorry in between.  

[RichCraft]

Thanks so far everyone, really great to get some good commentary on this. If anyone is in the west London area with any advice on where to moor even if temporary that would be great to hear from you. I work in Putney so location wise would be good to be close. 

[PeterF]

12ft widebeam, isn't that going to make it a wide load so transport firm will need to do more planning and notification of the authorities.

 

For questions of mooring in London, join the London Boaters Facebook group, they probably have more up to date / local info.

[Alan de Enfield]

8 minutes ago, PeterF said:

12ft widebeam, isn't that going to make it a wide load so transport firm will need to do more planning and notification of the authorities.

 

For questions of mooring in London, join the London Boaters Facebook group, they probably have more up to date / local info.

 

I think that 12' is OK.

 

We are 14' and had to have an escort vehicle and a route approved by the Police with restrictions on what hours it could be moved (No movements between 7am - 9am and 4pm to 6pm) so it took a 2 days (£2500 for the truck and 2x £160 for the hoists) to do the 205 miles we moved 

[ditchcrawler]

5 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

I think that 12' is OK.

 

We are 14' and had to have an escort vehicle and a route approved by the Police with restrictions on what hours it could be moved (No movements between 7am - 9am and 4pm to 6pm) so it took a 2 days (£2500 for the truck and 2x £160 for the hoists) to do the 205 miles we moved 

Just a cut and past I'm afraid

 

[Alan de Enfield]

It looks as if 12 feet (3.6mts) comes under the same rules as we had to have for our 14 foot beam.

 

You'll need not only a truck, but an escort vehicle to keep the road clear in front, and to 'close' roandabouats so you can go around the 'wrong way'

 

So by Truck won't be as cheap as some are suggesting.

 

But - if you have a boat in the North and are wanting it in the South you will have no choice. 

 

Based on our cost of moving I'd reckon you'll be looking at £3000+ (2x vehicles 2x drivers, one night stop, meals and accomodation)

 

Leeds to London is ~200 miles.

 

 

The table below is a summary of the requirements applicable to loads overhanging the sides of a vehicle as set out in regulation 82 of C&U.

Load projection or overall width	Action required
Over 305mm lateral projection on either side	Two clear working days notice to Police (C&U schedule 12, para 4), Marker boards front and rear (C&U Schedule 12, para 3), Additional lights required during hours of darkness or poor visibility.
More than 2.9 metres, but not exceeding to 3.5 metres overal lwidth	Two clear working days notice to Police (C&U schedule 12, para 4), Marker boards front and rear (C&U Schedule 12, para 3), Additional lights required during hours of darkness or poor visibility
More than 3.5 metres, but not exceeding to 4.3 metres overall width	Two clear working days notice to Police (C&U schedule 12, para 4), Attendant required (C&U Schedule 12, para 2), Marker boards front and rear (C&U Schedule 12, para 3), Additional lights required during hours of darkness or poor visibility.

[Guest]

Hence my suggestion that the OP gets proper quoted prices for lorry transport.

 

I would say its still cheaper to do the bulk by boat.

[magnetman]

Plenty of boats have done the east coast run. I wouldn't fancy it but it is doable with the right people in charge and a sound and well constructed boat. 

 

RCD category is important. 

 

I'd move it by road but it will be quite expensive as it is over the width limit. 

 

Ray Bowern is the man for this job. 

https://bargemovers.com/contact

 

 

Assuming he has not retired that is. 

[PaulJ]

Id try either Tuckeys (http://www.mjtcranes.co.uk/transport/tuckeys/ ) or Ray Bowern (www.bargemovers.com).

If you are going to swing your boat about in the air and then send it down a road at high speed you may as well get someone who is guaranteed to be good at it 😀

[Alan de Enfield]

9 minutes ago, magnetman said:

Plenty of boats have done the east coast run. I wouldn't fancy it but it is doable with the right people in charge and a sound and well constructed boat. 

 

RCD category is important. 

 

I'd move it by road but it will be quite expensive as it is over the width limit. 

 

Ray Bowern is the man for this job. 

https://bargemovers.com/contact

 

 

Assuming he has not retired that is. 

 

 

If it is a typical widebeam-narrowboat then it'll be Cat D (wave height 0.3 mts)

 

Having regularly done the Humber down the East Coast trip in a Cat A boat I'd never consider it in a Cat D boat  (A cat C would be operating on its 'max') - there are virtually no ports of refuge for about 60 miles once you have left the Humber.

 

The North Sea is so shallow the slightest wind can whip up some huge waves and swells.

 

 

 

 

[magnetman]

There is a chance it is a proper barge. 

 

Unlikely but not impossible. As you say it is probably a D, may be a C and unlikely but plausible it is a cat B. 

 

It will be a D, or not specified. 

 

Some of the Leeds and Liverpool short boats did get down south keeping their bottoms wet. 

 

ETA just re-read the OP and the words used were "widebeam" so it probably is just a wide beam narrow boat. 

 

In which case road is indeed the only option available. 

 

Edited January 20, 2023 by magnetman

[RichCraft]

It is a widebeam and measures 58x11ft not 12ft as I originally stated. 

[magnetman]

That does make a difference as the width limit is 3.5m on the list shown a few posts up. 

 

 

[howardang]

I may be wrong but I would suggest that it is very unlikely that the OP would have the knowledge, experience and ability to make a safe coastal passage in any craft, judging by the need to ask fundamental questions on a forum. I don't think it would be  at all helpful to suggest even the possibility of such a passage and it will only cloud the issue for him/her; rather I would suggest that the only sensible way to go is by road. I would be very surprised if the boat is suitable or capable of making a safe passage by sea and it shouldn't be encouraged. 

 

Howard