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Can a sea going dutch barge sail on uk canal network?


legepe

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Hi everyone

I am contemplating buying a sea going dutch barge (72' X 13') with a fixed wheelhouse

Would it be possible to navigate most of the UK canals with this, or should I be looking for something different

Any advice very much appreciated

Thanks

legepe

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Fixed wheelhouse won't work on our canals. It will hit the bridges. 

 

The length and beam are ok. There is a boat of around these dimensions in Limehouse marina but it can't get anywhere other than onto the Thames because of the fixed wheelhouse. 

 

Most wheelhouses on barges can be taken down but not all of them. 

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14 minutes ago, legepe said:

Hi everyone

I am contemplating buying a sea going dutch barge (72' X 13') with a fixed wheelhouse

Would it be possible to navigate most of the UK canals with this, or should I be looking for something different

Any advice very much appreciated

Thanks

legepe

Waterways dimensions are in the following

https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/media/original/32433-waterway-dimensions.pdf

https://www.canals.com/canaldata.htm

 

 

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11 minutes ago, magnetman said:

Fixed wheelhouse won't work on our canals. It will hit the bridges. 

 

The length and beam are ok. There is a boat of around these dimensions in Limehouse marina but it can't get anywhere other than onto the Thames because of the fixed wheelhouse. 

 

Most wheelhouses on barges can be taken down but not all of them. 

Some of the above is incorrect. The UK canals are split into three, with the centre part in the midlands only accepting a beam of 6ft 10 in or so. Therefore, a wider boat will be limited to the norther canals & rivers or the southern ones, with a sea passage or lorry between the two.

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23 minutes ago, legepe said:

Hi everyone

I am contemplating buying a sea going dutch barge (72' X 13') with a fixed wheelhouse

Would it be possible to navigate most of the UK canals with this, or should I be looking for something different

Any advice very much appreciated

Thanks

legepe

No.

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5 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

Some of the above is incorrect. The UK canals are split into three, with the centre part in the midlands only accepting a beam of 6ft 10 in or so. Therefore, a wider boat will be limited to the norther canals & rivers or the southern ones, with a sea passage or lorry between the two.

I did assume anyone considering a boat on uk waterways would know about the narrow canals! 

 

They specified 72ftx13ft as dimensions so I suspect they do know about basic stuff as that would be an odd fluke for someone who didn't know to randomly come up with 72x13. 

 

You are right to point it out. 

 

The fixed wheelhouse rules it out completely anyway. 

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There's a reason why a 57' narrowboat is seen as the popular size.

 

I would say if OP is unaware of narrow canals and narrowboats, their spending the many £££ on a boat for the inland waterways of the UK, is in its embryonic stages. Possibly even at the "holding hands" stage.

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37 minutes ago, legepe said:

Hi everyone

I am contemplating buying a sea going dutch barge (72' X 13') with a fixed wheelhouse

Would it be possible to navigate most of the UK canals with this, or should I be looking for something different

Any advice very much appreciated

Thanks

legepe

 

Most? No.

 

Some Yes.

 

Subject to your wheel house you could pootle about on the waterways with big locks in North Yorkshire, East and South Yorkshire.

 

 

Edited by M_JG
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11 minutes ago, magnetman said:

I did assume anyone considering a boat on uk waterways would know about the narrow canals! 

 

They specified 72ftx13ft as dimensions so I suspect they do know about basic stuff as that would be an odd fluke for someone who didn't know to randomly come up with 72x13. 

 

You are right to point it out. 

 

The fixed wheelhouse rules it out completely anyway. 

 

Actually it won't fit the Leeds and Liverpool either. I note the OP has not given us the draft, that may well rule some wide canals out as well.

Edited by Tony Brooks
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The Grand Union Canal has locks 72ft x 14ft but there are a few pinch points at bridges narrower than that and 13' may not fit through. You also have to give advance notice and book passage through Blisworth and Braunston tunnels. Likewise the River Stort is notionally a wide navigation but the locks are less than 14 ft wide. At 72 ft long, whether you could navigate the Kennet and Avon would depend on the shape of the bow and stern as you would be a tight fit past the swing of the bottom gates.

On any of the southern wide canals, much of the channel is not really maintained for regular wide boat use, passing other boats could be a problem, and many places you might choose to moor could obstruct passing traffic.

4 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

 

Actually it won't fit the Leeds and Liverpool either. I note the OP has not given us the draft, that may well rule some wide canals out as well.

Well it will west of Wigan, but that gives you a third isolated section of the network this boat could (possibly) use.

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This thread is probably a perfect illustration of why we need a wiki. The information that's needed, is factual. There is of course some opportunity to give opinions, but the underlying info is factual. If it were easily findable and comprehensible, all the better for the OP.

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Also a lot of dutch barges have large rudders sticking out the back. Whether this rudder is part of the length of the boat seems important to me. Tape measure or two pieces of ply and an ultrasonic measure are needed for this. 

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Any barge with a wheelhouse height of over 9ft9 will not get further up the GU than The Packet Boat at Cowley.

That is where I had to drop the wheelhouse on Parglena after  leaving the Thames.

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Wow and wow again..! thanks so much for all of your replies!!!

I am not a boater of any sort... but want to learn something about it! any ideas if I was to have a 72' x 13' sea going barge, were would I be able to go with it?

I am based in the north east of the uk, close to the coast (River Humber) to be precise

I am very much attracted to the thought of taking it to sea, or around the coast lines, but I dont want to be totally restricted by not being able to take it inland

Is there a boat that could be both sea worthy and inland worthy at the same time? or is this simply not possible?

I do want something quite big as well, so am I simply asking too much :(

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The replies you've had are correct insofar as they go, but the word 'barge' is often used indiscriminately. What exactly is it that you are describing as a sea-going barge? What is the draft and what is the underwater hull form? A photo would help, or at least the technical term (e.g. klipperaak) used by the Dutch for the type of vessel you have in mind. Is a converted ex-commercial craft? Was it built for sail or with engine(s)?

 

Tam

Edited by Tam & Di
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1 hour ago, Paul C said:

This thread is probably a perfect illustration of why we need a wiki. The information that's needed, is factual. There is of course some opportunity to give opinions, but the underlying info is factual. If it were easily findable and comprehensible, all the better for the OP.

So why expend a great deal of time and effort in duplicating something which is already readily available to the OP with a slight amount of effort? 

Howard

 

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22 minutes ago, legepe said:

 

Is there a boat that could be both sea worthy and inland worthy at the same time? or is this simply not possible?

 

Yes it is possible

A sea boat of a size with comfortable accommodation is not likely to be able to do much of  the canals . 

I keep my boat on the non tidal Trent. Cant get above Trent Bridge . Can get to York.  Probably could get to Leeds if I wished. Certainly can get to Hull, Grimsby  .and the sea..

My boat isn't a dutch barge.   But there are steel boats that can do what you wish if you accept the limitations on range inland.

 

 

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OK, this will give you a better idea of what Im interested in

Stand corrected, its 72' x 14' & engine is daf 575 120 hp engine 

I am very interested to take her to sea, but would like to have some options to go inland, but at what costs am I going to be restricted?

Capture.JPG

Capture2.JPG

Edited by legepe
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