Enclosed bow

[BoatinglifeupNorth]

5 hours ago, Jon57 said:

 

 Nice boat and lovely looking sight hounds🐕🐕

[magnetman]

Quite a nice tunnel light as well I thought. 

[BoatinglifeupNorth]

2 hours ago, doratheexplorer said:

Those aren't proper handrails.

Thats the thing, to move fast down the gunwales it’s far easier to have something to hold on to, especially when wet. 

[magnetman]

Proper gunnels are useful too. They do vary. Welded or folded is the question. I'll have welded please. 

The only time I slipped in orf a narrow boat was because of narrow folded gunnels/sidedecks. Don't like them at all. 

Much better to have a proper platform.

[BoatinglifeupNorth]

5 hours ago, magnetman said:

Further forward looks a bit Saluki. 

I like Salukis

 

 

 

 

[___]

In what circumstances do folk need to access the bow other than when the boat is alongside?

 

The only time I do that is to operate a swing bridge single handed. I know some folk like to put the boat into the jaws of a lock when descending.

[magnetman]

Climbing the top lock gates when the ladders look too dodgy. 

[Alan de Enfield]

2 minutes ago, Captain Pegg said:

In what circumstances do folk need to access the bow other than when the boat is alongside?

 

Infrequently - but to deploy the anchor when drifting out of control down a river

[magnetman]

Or back in the day when there were no ladders. 

 

Obviously not needed but quite fun. 

[IanD]

11 minutes ago, BoatinglifeupNorth said:

Thats the thing, to move fast down the gunwales it’s far easier to have something to hold on to, especially when wet. 

Well I (and other people) have gone along the gunwales plenty of times -- including in the wet -- and managed to hold on to those non-handrails quite easily and securely. Maybe we all had hands adapted from geckoes feet or something similar... 😉

[magnetman]

I'm going to have a look at geckoes feet now. Are they prehensile?

[IanD]

5 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

Infrequently - but to deploy the anchor when drifting out of control down a river

Surely an experienced sailor like you on a narrowboat would have planned ahead, and already had the anchor/chain next to them at the stern with the line attached to the bow stud and run along the roof (if going upstream -- or attached to a stern dolly if going downstream) so it could be deployed without any delay?

Edited December 14, 2023 by IanD

[___]

4 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

Infrequently - but to deploy the anchor when drifting out of control down a river

That being a circumstance where you’d probably go through the boat if you could.

 

No problem using the bow for dropping of and picking up crew if it’s easy to access the bow through the boat but I wouldn’t make my crew walk along the gunwales or over the roof simply to get on and off the boat in anything other than exceptional circumstances. It’s unnecessarily dangerous. And I have proper gunwales not like those unfit for purpose things that most modern boats are afflicted with.

[magnetman]

7 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

Infrequently - but to deploy the anchor when drifting out of control down a river

 

Interesting way of putting it. 

 

Do you do this often? 

 

I would have put 'if...which is very unlikely'. 

 

 

[Alan de Enfield]

8 minutes ago, IanD said:

Surely an experienced sailor like you on a narrowboat would have planned ahead,

Indeed I would, and did so.

However not all 'canal boat drivers' plan far enough ahead when going onto rivers to even get an anchor, let alone have it ready for deployment from the stern, whilst having it attached to the bow.

[IanD]

9 minutes ago, Captain Pegg said:

That being a circumstance where you’d probably go through the boat if you could.

 

No problem using the bow for dropping of and picking up crew if it’s easy to access the bow through the boat but I wouldn’t make my crew walk along the gunwales or over the roof simply to get on and off the boat in anything other than exceptional circumstances. It’s unnecessarily dangerous. And I have proper gunwales not like those unfit for purpose things that most modern boats are afflicted with.

So drop off and pick up at the stern, right next to the steerer, who can also get on/off with a centre line at the same time.

 

Yes there will be a few exceptional cases where this is not possible, so go carefully along the gunwale (or even roof) to the bow. The last few trips I haven't had to do this once, your experience may be different... 😉

Edited December 14, 2023 by IanD

[magnetman]

I would be worried about damaging my schilling rudder on shallow bits close to locks. 

[David Mack]

18 minutes ago, Captain Pegg said:

In what circumstances do folk need to access the bow other than when the boat is alongside?

When single handing up Bosley Locks. At most locks there is no lock mooring below the lock, and the canal against the towpath is so shallow that I couldn't get the stern of Belfast anywhere near!

[IanD]

2 minutes ago, magnetman said:

I would be worried about damaging my schilling rudder on shallow bits close to locks. 

Why, when it sticks out less than a normal rudder and is more robust?

 

You seem to worry unnecessarily about a lot of things... 😉

 

Just now, David Mack said:

When single handing up Bosley Locks. At most locks there is no lock mooring below the lock, and the canal against the towpath is so shallow that I couldn't get the stern of Belfast anywhere near!

How much does Belfast draw? I never had any such problem at Bosley...

Edited December 14, 2023 by IanD

[David Mack]

2 minutes ago, IanD said:

How much does Belfast draw? I never had any such problem at Bosley...

About 3 ft at the stern.

[IanD]

Just now, David Mack said:

About 3 ft at the stern.

Not surprised you had problems getting the stern in then. What you need is a boat where you can easily get on and off at the bows... 😉

 

(perpetual reminder : different people have different requirements... 🙂

[David Mack]

3 minutes ago, IanD said:

What you need is a boat where you can easily get on and off at the bows... 😉

Which I have.

[___]

16 minutes ago, David Mack said:

When single handing up Bosley Locks. At most locks there is no lock mooring below the lock, and the canal against the towpath is so shallow that I couldn't get the stern of Belfast anywhere near!

When single handing there will always be circumstances where use of the gunwale or roof is pretty much necessary. But I don’t get the impression that everybody talking about use of the gunwales or roof is a routine single hander.

 

I try not to use lock landings on intermediate locks in flights preferring to set ahead either before starting or on completion of the previous lock. Isn’t it only the top two at Bosley that are too far apart to do that? On flights like Buckby they’re nearly all too far apart.

 

I choose to use the gunwales sometimes. Notably when delivering tea and biscuits to the steerer on the rare occasions it isn’t me at the helm. That’s a drawback of the trad stern, the steerer is in the way of your egress from the cabin. But my 83 year old dad is forbidden from using the gunwales.

 

ETA - I was thinking Fulbourne rather than Belfast. Two similar craft in terms of origin but showing a vast difference in how easily they can be worked in certain circumstances. @David Mack’s suggested method is fine for Belfast but he might have adopted my suggested method if single handing Fulbourne.

Edited December 14, 2023 by Captain Pegg

[BoatinglifeupNorth]

27 minutes ago, IanD said:

Well I (and other people) have gone along the gunwales plenty of times -- including in the wet -- and managed to hold on to those non-handrails quite easily and securely. Maybe we all had hands adapted from geckoes feet or something similar... 😉

But if you knew about the finger tip hand rail that your builder does you probably would of got one, as it’s just safer when moving along the gunwales and can’t be seen.

[IanD]

5 minutes ago, BoatinglifeupNorth said:

But if you knew about the finger tip hand rail that your builder does you probably would of got one, as it’s just safer when moving along the gunwales and can’t be seen.

Perhaps -- but I don't find the (relatively big) square handrail to pose a problem with grip, just as it wasn't on the boats I've hired over the years that have had the same.

 

(ones with a small square rail are not so easy to grip)

Edited December 14, 2023 by IanD