Can you build a canal boat using empty plastic bottles?

[Dockeroo]

I saw those small islands peolle make using rubbish- empty plastic bottles.

 

Would the bss allow this on the canal?

 

I dont see why not 😂

[MtB]

The Boat Safety Scheme does not determine which boats are 'allowed' on the canal and which aren't. That's for CRT to decide when applying for. licence.

 

Vessels with no engine, electricity or fuel-burning appliances don't need a BSS AFAIK.

 

 

 

 

[dmr]

There is a rule/bylaw? saying that boats should be appropriate to the waterway on which they are on. CRT do not usually enforce this and it could be legal nightmare if they did.

[Dockeroo]

So we can actually make a boat with plastic bottles as the hull, obviously don't want lots of messy homeless people doing this but sounds like you can do it

[magnetman]

I think it would be false economy to do this as the material is not durable enough. 

 

 

 

Time taken to collect, transport and arrange the materials would probably be slightly ridiculous. 

[Tonka]

4 minutes ago, Dockeroo said:

So we can actually make a boat with plastic bottles as the hull, obviously don't want lots of messy homeless people doing this but sounds like you can do it

Got a feeling there is a company building one out of HDPE at the moment

https://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?/topic/117397-hdpe-canal-boat/

Edited July 15, 2023 by Tonka
Link added

[Jon57]

2 minutes ago, Dockeroo said:

So we can actually make a boat with plastic bottles as the hull, obviously don't want lots of messy homeless people doing this but sounds like you can do it

 

Just now, magnetman said:

I think it would be false economy to do this as the material is not durable enough. 

 

 

This just popped to mind. I Don’t think you  would get a good return on your outlay.🥴

[Dockeroo]

7 minutes ago, magnetman said:

I think it would be false economy to do this as the material is not durable enough. 

 

 

 

Time taken to collect, transport and arrange the materials would probably be slightly ridiculous. 

Only thing is, there's people on YouTube who Have made islands (big boats) out of them and been ok for years, I did think the same but I suppose they last for a long time,

 

Maybe wayer butts would be more durable.

 

For what the cost of a normal boat is, you could make a home on the water very cheap

Edited July 15, 2023 by Dockeroo

[dmr]

Canal boats have to have a "home mooring" which is not cheap, and if its "residential" is even less cheap, OR, they have to keep moving. This needs an engine (though a very few manage without) and also means going through locks. Locks can be brutal which is why most boats are made out of 6mm steel. It could be done but if my home was made out of plastic bottles or water butts I don't think I would be too keen.

[magnetman]

Maybe it would be reasonable in the circumstances to move less often if there was a high probability of the vessel foundering. 

[Paul C]

Yes it would be perfectly feasible. Rafts are often constructed using basic materials, like this:

 

 

 

So the concept could be adapted for smaller bottles. I think the lashing/securing to the bottles would be an issue but the simple solution is to enclose them in some other (doesn't need to be watertight in itself) container, such as a fishing net or wooden frame or something.

 

I think if you wanted to try make it have an enclosed cabin, it would be an order of magnitude harder though.

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

24 minutes ago, magnetman said:

Maybe it would be reasonable in the circumstances to move less often if there was a high probability of the vessel foundering. 

a little like the Piano boat

is that still afloat?

 

sorry Piano RAFT

Edited July 15, 2023 by Goliath

[Barneyp]

39 minutes ago, Dockeroo said:

Only thing is, there's people on YouTube who Have made islands (big boats) out of them and been ok for years, I did think the same but I suppose they last for a long time,

 

Maybe wayer butts would be more durable.

 

For what the cost of a normal boat is, you could make a home on the water very cheap

I think it would be cheaper and easier to buy a cheap grp project boat and do a budget refit.

 

Most canal boats are substantially more hard wearing than similar sized sea going boats, owing to the wear and tear caused by using locks.

 

On a raft made of plastic bottles the bottles on the sides would easily be punctured by contact with locks or other boats, there would have to be some kind of outer frame to protect the bottles.

 

[Chris Lowe]

Back in the 70's my work team made a narrowboat from a cast iron bath tub in order to compete in the annual river arun bath tub race, after that we removed the bath tub and put on a ply base plate and used it for IWA the annual arun navigation cruise, so all sorts of things will float.

 

 

[MtB]

24 minutes ago, Barneyp said:

On a raft made of plastic bottles the bottles on the sides would easily be punctured by contact with locks or other boats, there would have to be some kind of outer frame to protect the bottles.

 

 

Worse, plastic water bottles are not made from UV stabilised plastic so in the medium-to-long term they will embrittle and split, with predictable results.

 

 

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

...they need over bottling 

[Annie cariad]

What the hell for.......

[Mike Tee]

Have a wander around Camp Hill and down as far as Minworth - did this stretch the other day and I can confirm there are enough plastic bottles floating in the canal to build a fleet of boats.

[haggis]

an advantage of a boat made from plastic bottles is that you would be able to see the canal through the bottom and watch the fish - and shopping trolleys.  

[Tonka]

1 minute ago, haggis said:

an advantage of a boat made from plastic bottles is that you would be able to see the canal through the bottom and watch the fish - and shopping trolleys.  

And people on the bank will see you nude

[Athy]

9 hours ago, MtB said:

 

 

Worse, plastic water bottles are not made from UV stabilised plastic so in the medium-to-long term they will embrittle and split, with predictable results.

 

 

A greeno for this word, whose meaning is obvious but which I had never met before.

[MtB]

22 minutes ago, Athy said:

A greeno for this word, whose meaning is obvious but which I had never met before.

 

Thank you!

 

UV embrittlement of plastics is a well known problem in the world of plumming. 

 

 

[Athy]

3 hours ago, MtB said:

 

Thank you!

 

UV embrittlement of plastics is a well known problem in the world of plumming. 

 

 

brainy blokes, them plummers - they know words wot teechjers don't.

 

From recent experience, their communication skills aren't always great though. A local one, to whom we spoke on the phone a few weeks ago about a couple of bathroom jobs, has so far failed to reply to SIX answerphone messages about arranging an appointment.

[Barneyp]

2 minutes ago, Athy said:

brainy blokes, them plummers - they know words wot teechjers don't.

Plummer -

noun

a person who owns or manages a plum farm

 

Plumming -

noun

-the activity or business of growing plums.

[Mike Todd]

4 hours ago, MtB said:

 

Thank you!

 

UV embrittlement of plastics is a well known problem in the world of plumming. 

 

 

That is presumably because you don't use lead anymore but do have posh accents.