Tips and advice

[Bertus]

Hi everyone, first time poster. And so new to canal life, we’ve not even got a boat yet!

Which is my question, any good advice in regards to any experiences in buying new/used wide beam?

Any boat builders to steer clear of? 
Are used boats worth considering? 
Any advice you feel may help, it will be warmly received.

Thanks in advance 

[Alan de Enfield]

1 minute ago, Bertus said:

Which is my question, any good advice in regards to any experiences in buying new/used wide beam?

 

It depends where you intend to use it - not all of the system is suitable for fat-boats (there are places with narrow parts inbetween wide parts)

 

What do you mean by 'wodebeam'?

 

There is a big difference between and 8 foot widebeam and a 14 foot widebeam, and a big difference in places they can be used.

 

Are you thinking of being based in London, Bristol etc ?

Are you looking at a marina mooring or CCing (continuous cruising live aboard) ?

Weekend use / holiday use / liveaboard boat ?

 

More information as to your planned usage needed.

[MtB]

9 minutes ago, Bertus said:

Which is my question, any good advice in regards to any experiences in buying new/used wide beam?

 

Yes. You won't find widebeams boats universally liked on the canals system, so consider if you are thick-skinned enough to ignore that and have one anyway. 

 

But as Alan points out, the 9ft widebeam hire boats on the K&A (for example) are a lot less of a PITA to other boaters than the 13ft behemoths beginning to populate the system.

[David Mack]

10 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

What do you mean by 'wodebeam'?

Wode:

adjective

(archaic) Mad, crazy, insane, possessed, rabid, furious, frantic.

 

Sounds about right for anyone considering buying a widebeam!

 

 https://www.yourdictionary.com/wode

[Bertus]

Thick skinned as they come, I understand the loathing of the ‘wodebeam’.

10ft 

17 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

It depends where you intend to use it - not all of the system is suitable for fat-boats (there are places with narrow parts inbetween wide parts)

 

What do you mean by 'wodebeam'?

 

There is a big difference between and 8 foot widebeam and a 14 foot widebeam, and a big difference in places they can be used.

 

Are you thinking of being based in London, Bristol etc ?

Are you looking at a marina mooring or CCing (continuous cruising live aboard) ?

Weekend use / holiday use / liveaboard boat ?

 

More information as to your planned usage needed.

10ft wide beam is the aim, continuous cruising in the south, as a live aboard.

I’m caught in between new and used so really wanted to lean on the experience (and comedy) of this forum.

 

[mrsmelly]

4 minutes ago, Bertus said:

Thick skinned as they come, I understand the loathing of the ‘wodebeam’.

10ft 

10ft wide beam is the aim, continuous cruising in the south, as a live aboard.

I’m caught in between new and used so really wanted to lean on the experience (and comedy) of this forum.

 

As someone who lived aboard both sewer tubes and comfy widebeams for many years ( not any more ) I can say without doubt that widebeam is vastly superior and unbelieveably more comfortable. However, apart from the Thames or similar I wouldnt want one down south. Such as the Grand Union and K and A are tiny waterways that realy do not suit other than narrowbeam. If you want to live midlands or north then wide is the way to go. The Trent and much of Yorkshire etc has decent sized waters ideal for such boats. Your choice of 10 feet is ideal, mine was 10ft six, going as others have said for much wider makes life harder and cuts out such as the Erewash just for one. Do not buy a new boat its daft waste of money until you know exactly what you want.

[PaulJ]

2 minutes ago, Bertus said:

Thick skinned as they come, I understand the loathing of the ‘wodebeam’.

10ft 

10ft wide beam is the aim, continuous cruising in the south, as a live aboard.

I’m caught in between new and used so really wanted to lean on the experience (and comedy) of this forum.

 

 

10ft is OK. Its alot easier to steer through the often restricted width of overgrown vegetation and badly moored boats owned by universally selfish/ignorant owners whatever the beam.Your cabin paintwork will survive far better.

I recently took a 10'6" Andicraft Widebeam into East London. Very easy to skipper as it was a nicely designed boat- quite low on the cabin/air draught and the cabin front didn't jut out like the Collingwood. 

The only disadvantage I found was that you still have to open both gates when locking but unlike a 12fter you can't step off both sides as my legs aren't long enough . So only an issue for single handers with short legs that move around alot😀

[Barneyp]

4 hours ago, Bertus said:

Hi everyone, first time poster. And so new to canal life, we’ve not even got a boat yet!

Which is my question, any good advice in regards to any experiences in buying new/used wide beam?

Any boat builders to steer clear of? 
Are used boats worth considering? 
Any advice you feel may help, it will be warmly received.

Thanks in advance 

New boats generally involve a long wait, probably at least a year. Used boats are probably a better bet, all snagging and teething issues should have been dealt with.

Have you been on a boat, if not hire one for at least a week.

Look at as many boats as possible so you get an idea of different layouts and features and can see what would work for you.

[ditchcrawler]

37 minutes ago, Barneyp said:

New boats generally involve a long wait, probably at least a year. Used boats are probably a better bet, all snagging and teething issues should have been dealt with.

Have you been on a boat, if not hire one for at least a week.

Look at as many boats as possible so you get an idea of different layouts and features and can see what would work for you.

I go along with that, what you see is what you get. It should all work fine and be several thousand pounds cheaper and the builder wont go bust with your money in his pocket.

[Alan de Enfield]

4 hours ago, Bertus said:

Thick skinned as they come, I understand the loathing of the ‘wodebeam’.

10ft 

 

I have a 14 foot and 23 foot beam boats - it is the 7ft sewer tubes that are the 'unusual'.

[Barneyp]

31 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

I have a 14 foot and 23 foot beam boats - it is the 7ft sewer tubes that are the 'unusual'.

Not on canals, although where you use your boats a narrow boat would be extremely unusual.

[Alan de Enfield]

4 minutes ago, Barneyp said:

Not on canals, although where you use your boats a narrow boat would be extremely unusual.

 

Limited experience is probably clouding your judgement.

 

My 14 beam crusier spent several years on C&RT waters (canals & rivers)

 

14 foot beam is fine on the canals designed for them

[Barneyp]

17 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

Limited experience is probably clouding your judgement.

 

My 14 beam crusier spent several years on C&RT waters (canals & rivers)

 

14 foot beam is fine on the canals designed for them

No, I'd say i have enough experience to say that narrowboats are not unusual on UK canals, I agree there are a few canals that are the exceptions that prove the rule.

[mrsmelly]

1 hour ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

Limited experience is probably clouding your judgement.

 

My 14 beam crusier spent several years on C&RT waters (canals & rivers)

 

14 foot beam is fine on the canals designed for them

To be fair its horses for courses innit. Narrow boats are indeed in the World of boating definately the odd one out and a very rare craft taken worldwide, not too many places were daft enough to build locks only 7 feet wide. My old Dad was a working boatman ( call them what you will ) he lived onboard and slept under the wheelhouse bench seat on his first boat and below on the second which didnt have a wheelhouse, my great uncle owned the boats ( barges ). They ran out of Goole down to Nottingham where they unloaded and narrow boats took stuff further in land. Weirdly many many years later when I skippered the Notts Princess we moored only about fifty yards from the dock my old Dad had used in the 1930s. 1934 to 39 to be precise then of course like many he went to such places as the north atlantic and indeed operation pedestal amongst others. I think many on this forum have only ever used/owned narrow boats and therefore think they are the norm?

[Alan de Enfield]

1 hour ago, Barneyp said:

No, I'd say i have enough experience to say that narrowboats are not unusual on UK canals, I agree there are a few canals that are the exceptions that prove the rule.

 

I was actually replying to your comment that I would not (could not?) have used my 14 foot beam boat on canals - which is blatently wrong !

[MtB]

6 hours ago, Bertus said:

I’m caught in between new and used so really wanted to lean on the experience (and comedy) of this forum.

 

 

I have to agree about the comedy, which you started with your OP! 

 

Burt more seriously I'd agree with smelly. 10ft although only 3ft wider, feels twice the size inside as a 7ft narrow boat. Also he is right about the GU and K&A being tiny waterways not really suitable for widebeams in large quantities, which it is now getting like. If you get one, you'll soon find out what a bloody nuisance all the others are! 

[Barneyp]

3 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

I was actually replying to your comment that I would not (could not?) have used my 14 foot beam boat on canals - which is blatently wrong !

Err, I didn't say that, I said that narrowboats were not unusual on canals, although where you currently use your boats narrowboats would be unusual.

[blackrose]

5 hours ago, MtB said:

 If you get one, you'll soon find out what a bloody nuisance all the others are! 

 

I've got one which I've taken on many waterways and in 18 years I've never had a problem with another one. 

 

When I see statements like this or read some of the comments on the March of the widebeams thread, I wonder to what extent people have had actual problems with widebeams and to what extent the problems are just in their heads as they imagine all the problems that might happen and get themselves worked up about it. 

 

On one hand people on widebeams are criticised for never moving from their marina moorings, and on the other they're criticised for causing congestion on the waterways. But if they never move they can't be the ones causing the congestion surely? Anyway in my experience most of the problems are caused by narrowboats simply because there are so many of them.

[Tony Brooks]

8 hours ago, blackrose said:

When I see statements like this or read some of the comments on the March of the widebeams thread, I wonder to what extent people have had actual problems with widebeams and to what extent the problems are just in their heads as they imagine all the problems that might happen and get themselves worked up about it. 

 

Having followed a monster one zigzagging up the River Wey for what seemed like hours putting the boat in and out of gear on idle and unable to pass because of its beam and waterway width, I can assure you that they can be a complete nuisance.  It all depends on beam, width of channel, competence of the crew, and the crew's willingness to keep an eye open and let other pass them. This one would have had a problem if another of that size came the other way in some places.

[Barneyp]

11 hours ago, blackrose said:

 

I've got one which I've taken on many waterways and in 18 years I've never had a problem with another one. 

 

When I see statements like this or read some of the comments on the March of the widebeams thread, I wonder to what extent people have had actual problems with widebeams and to what extent the problems are just in their heads as they imagine all the problems that might happen and get themselves worked up about it. 

 

On one hand people on widebeams are criticised for never moving from their marina moorings, and on the other they're criticised for causing congestion on the waterways. But if they never move they can't be the ones causing the congestion surely? Anyway in my experience most of the problems are caused by narrowboats simply because there are so many of them.

There are widebeams and there are WIDEBEAMS. And the difference between the two is not just that some widebeams are wider than others, the intelligence and awareness of the helmsperson make a huge difference, as does the design of the hull.

 

I looked at a Collingwood widebeam at a boatshow (just being nosy, I'm not thinking of buying) and it was clearly designed as a none moving liveaboard that could move if it had to. No matter how skilled and considerate the crew it would be a pig to control and I wouldn't want to meet it coming the other way on all but the widest canals.

 

Also when you get stuck behind a widebeam it's much harder to overtake, when you are behind an idiot in a narrowbeam it's easier to overtake and you can get on with the rest of your day and forget about them.

 

To the OP, buy a boat that is appropriate for your intended use and the waterways you want to use it on, not just the biggest boat that will fit within the published dimensions for the waterway.

 

[Tony Brooks]

24 minutes ago, Barneyp said:

To the OP, buy a boat that is appropriate for your intended use and the waterways you want to use it on, not just the biggest boat that will fit within the published dimensions for the waterway.

 

 

Because if you do then the Leamington Spa incident among others proves the maximum dimensions may not fit the actuality.