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Taking a narrowboat to Europe ?


NewCanalBoy

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1 minute ago, buccaneer66 said:

Please don't make me have to clean out this thread again. 🤬

Please do. Don't forget to include the person who -- as so often -- made the needless comment which started the political argument, though... 😉

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10 minutes ago, IanD said:

 

Classic behaviour from the usual suspect. Make a provocative post which is not directly against the rules, then somebody else annoyed by this replies, then he tells them off (or the moderators do).

 

I could find multiple examples of the same behaviour -- a sly dig to start an argument, then transferring the blame -- but I can't be bothered. The "Ignore" button is there for people who behave like this...

 

P.S. Ignore smelly's post pleading you not to do this, he's on even more people's Ignore list... 😉

 

Ah!

 

...Back to the thread topic, I personally wouldn't take a narrowboat to Europe unless it's on the back of a truck on a ferry, although I once read an account of a narrowboat crossing the channel after much preparation and an escort vessel. Eek! Not for me. The other thing about European waterways is the the size of the commercial traffic that you'd sometimes be passing. Personally I'd take a widebeam there but not a narrowboat. But each to their own. Anyone doing it will need to sit a CEVNI exam. You can find details on the RYA website.

 

Edit: and after posting this I notice my previous posts have been removed. All of which were polite and responding to the original antagonist and moderators. I guess opinions are not allowed, especially in response to mods who appear to support trolls.

Edited by Willonaboat
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7 minutes ago, IanD said:

Please do. Don't forget to include the person who -- as so often -- made the needless comment which started the political argument, though... 😉

 

Perhaps leave the moderators to do their job?

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4 minutes ago, Willonaboat said:

 

Ah!

 

...Back to the thread topic, I personally wouldn't take a narrowboat to Europe unless it's on the back of a truck on a ferry,

This is sound advice. It HAS been done - by Chris Coburn on his n/b 'Progress' and by Terry Darlington, the author of the highly readable book 'Narrow Dog To Carcassonne'. But it is highly dangerous.

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4 minutes ago, Athy said:

This is sound advice. It HAS been done - by Chris Coburn on his n/b 'Progress' and by Terry Darlington, the author of the highly readable book 'Narrow Dog To Carcassonne'. But it is highly dangerous.

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2 minutes ago, Athy said:

This is sound advice. It HAS been done - by Chris Coburn on his n/b 'Progress' and by Terry Darlington, the author of the highly readable book 'Narrow Dog To Carcassonne'. But it is highly dangerous.

 

From my memory of reading Darlington's book (which I didn't get on with) the boat needed a huge amount of prep including shoring up and sealing the front cabin doors and the sealing of various other vents.

 

Not for the feint hearted and not something I would attempt in a wide beam either. A wide beam might be marginally more stable, but at the end of the day not that much more suited to a channel crossing than a narrowboat.

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I think that 'Progress' was similarly modified.

   If such preparation is required for a ten + ton steel boat, it dfoes make you wonder how anyone successfully crosses the Channel in much lighter and often overcrowded craft.

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Just now, Athy said:

I think that 'Progress' was similarly modified.

   It such preparation is required for a ten + ton steel boat, it dfoes make you wonder how anyone successfully crosses the Channel in much lighter and often overcrowded craft.

 

I wasn't going to mention that.

 

But some of course don't make it precisely because the craft are ill prepared and unsuitable.

 

I think a suitably prepared and correct category replica (or genuine) Dutch Barge would be OK, I'm sure more people have done the crossing in one of those but not a NB or a NB style Widebeam.

 

(Or a suitable GRP cruiser of course.)

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When we were over there we came across a few narrow boats most of which had been trucked over to Simon Evans yard to be unloaded. This allowed them to avoid the busy and large northern canals and they were then able to use the central canals which are a bit more suitable. We decided to sell our Narrow boat and buy a Dutch barge in Belgium. Due to ill health we sold in 2019 before the 90 days rule which makes things difficult but it is possible to get a long term visa providing you can show income and health insurance.

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The chap I mentioned in my first post did get it taken by lorry to Europe.

On the return leg he said his son convinced him to take it back via the sea.

He said he left Belgium (can't remember the place) and 24 hrs later he was at the Isle Of Sheppey.

24 hrs !! Must have been very, VERY sure of the weather and sea state to do that !! 😲

 

He said he was glad he did it but 'I probably wouldn't do it again' !! 

 

Might have been more to do with the fact he was nearly 80 at the time but a bit of both I think.

I've spent a few days at sea but not sure I would want 24 hrs in a narrowboat !! 

Something to tell the grandkids about I suppose.....

 

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2 hours ago, Athy said:

This is sound advice. It HAS been done - by Chris Coburn on his n/b 'Progress' and by Terry Darlington, the author of the highly readable book 'Narrow Dog To Carcassonne'. But it is highly dangerous.

 

I'd second the recommendation of the Terry Darlington book to the OP, both for information and because it's a very good read -- after which I suspect he'll go right off the idea... 😉

 

2 hours ago, Athy said:

I think that 'Progress' was similarly modified.

   It such preparation is required for a ten + ton steel boat, it dfoes make you wonder how anyone successfully crosses the Channel in much lighter and often overcrowded craft.

 

Of course right now a lot of them don't cross successfully and either have to be rescued or drown... 😞

 

A narrowboat is *really* badly designed for the open sea from so many points of view (stability, buoyancy, freeboard, power, fittings...), it would be difficult to come up with a vessel less suitable for crossing the Channel if you tried...

Edited by IanD
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47 minutes ago, rusty69 said:

I used to read the tales of Bill Davies and NB Rosy. 

 

Sadly his European trips are only available through the wayback machine now, and although quite dated, make a fun read. 

I used to enjoy his posts too. He wrote so well 

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I helped a friend take his liveaboard sailing boat across the channel to France about 20 years ago where he's still living, and I had a vague plan to get my widebeam taken across the channel by lorry/ferry when I retire. That plan's obviously scuppered now but didn't forum member Biggles do this about 10 years ago? I think he was posting again several months back asking about the best way to prep his rusty roof for painting.

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France is alright but there are a lot of French people about. My kids are half French so I have done my best for them in life by making them half not French. 

 

I'd rather stay in Englandland really. 

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11 minutes ago, magnetman said:

France is alright but there are a lot of French people about. My kids are half French so I have done my best for them in life by making them half not French. 

 

I'd rather stay in Englandland really. 

 

France is actually a great country.

 

Hence a lot of Brits have made it their home.

 

Im not sure how many French folk have settled here in comparison.

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Quick google suggests there are a lot more French born people living here than UK born people living there. 

 

 

189000 French in UK and 177,000 UK in France. 

 

Interesting question actually. May be about the same. 

The UK is obviously a better place otherwise the dinghy sailors would not be coming. 

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Dutch Barge Association has good info. We try to do about 3 months a year and have been doing so for more than ten years. There are brexit problems though, Bee' is now officially 'Union goods' and is accepted as vat paid in the EU, This means that bringing her back to the UK is problematic and we will not be doing that. We are generally restricted to 90 days in 180 but it is possible to get a longer stay French visa. Boats over 20 metres fall into a different category- even narrow boats so I would not bother if your boat is 20 metres or more. Crossing the channel?  Stick it on a lorry, its not cheap but if you look at the costs of boating, depending on the length x width of your boat you might find it is a good bit cheaper than the UK. Right now though the problem is lack of water, climate change is turning a lot of europe into a much dryer area and the last few years has seen problems with that. If you do go ahead it is well worth it but I would probably consider looking for a Dutch cruiser for a year or two, there are lots around and some reasonable prices too.

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2 minutes ago, magnetman said:

Quick google suggests there are a lot more French born people living here than UK born people living there. 

 

 

189000 French in UK and 177,000 UK in France. 

 

Not realy 'a lot'.

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27 minutes ago, blackrose said:

I helped a friend take his liveaboard sailing boat across the channel to France about 20 years ago where he's still living, and I had a vague plan to get my widebeam taken across the channel by lorry/ferry when I retire. That plan's obviously scuppered now but didn't forum member Biggles do this about 10 years ago? I think he was posting again several months back asking about the best way to prep his rusty roof for painting.

Saw @Biggles boat over there a few years ago when I was there 

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5 minutes ago, M_JG said:

 

Not realy 'a lot'.

Sorry about that. The 'lot' came from an initial google search then I added to it afterwards. 

 

It is not a lot in terms of numbers but if you factor in the land mass size then it is quite a few ! 

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1 minute ago, magnetman said:

Sorry about that. The 'lot' came from an initial google search then I added to it afterwards. 

 

It is not a lot in terms of numbers but if you factor in the land mass size then it is quite a few ! 

 

The land mass and population density is one of the things that make France a great country.

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Evidently not according to the French.

 

Having said that I did quite like the £30k house a friend of the woman had bought in burgundy somewhere. Apparently the local doctor was a psycho but there was a beer shop and some nice countryside. 

 

Englandland for me any day. 

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