Bridge 69 Stratford canal southern section

[algwyn]

I have a 25 foot Dawncraft and are hoping to cruise the Stratford canal this summer I have been told that bridge 69 just before Bancroft Basin might be to low for a Dawncraft does anyone have any information or advice please

[LadyG]

Welcome to the forum (⁠•⁠‿⁠•⁠)

[john6767]

The lowest bridge is the one at the tail of the last lock before that basin, that is slightly lower than the entrance bridge to the basin.  If you are not too far away you could drive to Stratford and take some measurements and get an idea so you can make your own decision.

[magnetman]

If the boat has the original moving top over the steering position it should be fine. If I remember right they were built somewhere on the Oxford canal. Kings Sutton comes to mind but not sure. 

 

Some of them will have had the central part fibreglassed up into a rigid cabin which makes folding down no longer possible. 

 

The system was well designed and made for a good reason. 

 

Does this one still have the collapsible roof section over the steering position? 

[David Mack]

It was very low at one time, having been rebuilt with reduced headroom while the canal was disused, but has since been reconstructed to a more reasonable height.

Some 30 years ago I remember being moored up in the basin when two hire boats travelling together came up from the river. One was a conventional narrowboat and the other was a narrow beam dutch barge complete with fixed wheelhouse, and the hirers were a bunch of American students. There were about a dozen canoes on the two boat roofs. When they got to the bridge out of the basin they realised that the boats would not fit through with the canoes on the roof, so they were unloaded and carried across the road - I wonder what the motorists thought about a steady stream of canoes crossing the road! After that the narrowboat went through, but the wheelhouse of the barge was too high, even with the crews of both boats standing on the stern. In the end they dragooned in a number of passers-by to join them to weigh the back end down until the wheelhouse was packed full of people - it was like one of those how-many-students-can-you-squeeze-into-a-telephone-box competitions. But at least a few tourists got a free boat trip!

[magnetman]

I wonder why they didn't put the canoes in the water behind the boat. 

No string?

[MtB]

10 minutes ago, magnetman said:

I wonder why they didn't put the canoes in the water behind the boat. 

No string?

 

Mebbe that would have raised the water level by 2mm and the boat would not have got through?! 

 

[Dorlan]

Some boaters were known to open the paddles on the river lock until the water in the basin was low enough for them to get under the bridge.

[algwyn]

Thanks for your replies and thanks for the smile I cannot get the picture of a narrow beam Dutch barge with dozens of people dangling off the stern out my head 1. Thanks to canal plan I now know the headroom is 6ft 6 at normal water level 2. My roof does drop and I could take it right off if needed the windows fold down highest point seems to be the bow railing ( I wouldn't need as many bodies as the barge to duck that under the bridge ) I have invited a few friends to join me when I try the motorway culvert on the Droitwich canal maybe a day out in Stratford is now on the cards!  for non tupperware owners you would be surprised how six adults on a Dawncraft can alter the trim and draft if I stuff them right up front I could gain a foot of headroom mind you the prop might come out the water but never mind I will hand haul if I have to

[john6767]

10 minutes ago, algwyn said:

Thanks for your replies and thanks for the smile I cannot get the picture of a narrow beam Dutch barge with dozens of people dangling off the stern out my head 1. Thanks to canal plan I now know the headroom is 6ft 6 at normal water level 2. My roof does drop and I could take it right off if needed the windows fold down highest point seems to be the bow railing ( I wouldn't need as many bodies as the barge to duck that under the bridge ) I have invited a few friends to join me when I try the motorway culvert on the Droitwich canal maybe a day out in Stratford is now on the cards!  for non tupperware owners you would be surprised how six adults on a Dawncraft can alter the trim and draft if I stuff them right up front I could gain a foot of headroom mind you the prop might come out the water but never mind I will hand haul if I have to

Stratford is not as low as Droitwich, Droitwich is really low!

[algwyn]

I will be attempting the Droitwich first so if I can get through OK Stratford will be no problem that's interesting thanks 

[algwyn]

Further to my earlier post I would like to confirm that a Dawncraft will fit under bridge 69 on the Stratford canal even with the windscreen up I have a small TV aerial attached to my movable roof which I had dropped onto the main cabin roof and there was loads of clearance at least 3mm

[ditchcrawler]

28 minutes ago, algwyn said:

Further to my earlier post I would like to confirm that a Dawncraft will fit under bridge 69 on the Stratford canal even with the windscreen up I have a small TV aerial attached to my movable roof which I had dropped onto the main cabin roof and there was loads of clearance at least 3mm

Was that today?

[algwyn]

Yes today went up yesterday to services at Western Road just below bridge 64 then came back down early this morning now in Bancroft basin 

There was slightly more headroom yesterday than today but yesterday a lot of boats were using Junction lock onto the Avon so I'm guessing that affects the level I came back under very early this morning so the lock had not been used 

[ditchcrawler]

2 hours ago, algwyn said:

Yes today went up yesterday to services at Western Road just below bridge 64 then came back down early this morning now in Bancroft basin 

There was slightly more headroom yesterday than today but yesterday a lot of boats were using Junction lock onto the Avon so I'm guessing that affects the level I came back under very early this morning so the lock had not been used 

We are in Bancroft at the moment. Off down the river tomorrow sometime

[ditchcrawler]

1 hour ago, ditchcrawler said:

We are in Bancroft at the moment. Off down the river tomorrow sometime

I think we are actually next door

[algwyn]

There was slightly more headroom yesterday than today but yesterday a lot of boats were using Junction lock onto the Avon so I'm guessing that affects the level I came back under very early this morning so the lock had not been used 

Are you pilgrim or the boat who arrived this morning we were against the wall just inside the basin but got fed up with gongoozlers so moved onto pontoon

Are you pilgrim or the boat who arrived this morning we were against the wall just inside the basin but got fed up with gongoozlers so moved onto pontoon behind us was a green boat with a lovely ' cratch ' 

[ditchcrawler]

1 hour ago, algwyn said:

There was slightly more headroom yesterday than today but yesterday a lot of boats were using Junction lock onto the Avon so I'm guessing that affects the level I came back under very early this morning so the lock had not been used 

Are you pilgrim or the boat who arrived this morning we were against the wall just inside the basin but got fed up with gongoozlers so moved onto pontoon

Are you pilgrim or the boat who arrived this morning we were against the wall just inside the basin but got fed up with gongoozlers so moved onto pontoon behind us was a green boat with a lovely ' cratch ' 

No we were Harnser, the one the other side, the boat came in between us this morning. We are on the river now but the other Harnser is moored in the basin, he is use to people calling him Brian

[algwyn]

17 hours ago, ditchcrawler said:

We are in Bancroft at the moment. Off down the river 

Hi yes tried to say hello but missed you after asking everyone in the basin if they were Ditchcrawler the other Harnser updated me have a good trip and will wave if we see you again

[davem399]

1 hour ago, ditchcrawler said:

......he is use to people calling him Brian

Yes, I fell into that trap last year on the Llangollen.

[Hudds Lad]

1 hour ago, ditchcrawler said:

No we were Harnser, the one the other side, the boat came in between us this morning. We are on the river now but the other Harnser is moored in the basin, he is use to people calling him Brian

There's a Harnser on the cover of Canal Boat this month, i had to trawl the forum for a pic of you to make sure it wasn't your Harnser (was 85% sure it wasn't)