Enclosed bow

[doratheexplorer]

21 hours ago, BoatinglifeupNorth said:

One of the nicer more practical handrails I’ve seen IMO. Square handrail with a Northwich style handrail on top. Not to everyones taste but safe to grab.

That's just like mine.

[___]

11 minutes ago, doratheexplorer said:

Very rarely.  Far more common for me is when I approach a low bridge and realise quite late that I need to remove the chimney.  My chimney is in the middle of the boat, so going down the gunwales is the sensible option.

I think cock-up - self inflicted or accidental - is the correct answer.

 

20 minutes ago, magnetman said:

Yes a folding step inside the hatch is a very nice thing to have.

 

As for ladders avoid if possible. Not always easy but bowhauling the boat into the lock is very rewarding. I used to particularly like doing this with the old 72ft horseboat. Long cotton rope. Be the horse.

 

Probably not an option these days with the motorway madness of other boaters in a hurry.

 

Not done any narrow canalling since 2008.

 

 

 

I bowhaul out of locks when descending regularly. I find it can be quicker than going down to drive the boat out and then stopping to secure it to go back.

 

I very rarely bow haul in though. Maybe the odd lock with a bridge over the tail where I’ve pulled right up to the lock to prepare it and there’s no easy place to step back off again closer than where the boat is already waiting. There aren’t many locks like that though.

 

 

Edited December 15, 2023 by Captain Pegg

[doratheexplorer]

3 minutes ago, Captain Pegg said:

I think cock-up - self inflicted or accidental - is the correct answer.

 

Cock-up is my middle name. 

[Tonka]

2 minutes ago, doratheexplorer said:

Cock-up is my middle name. 

The is your middle name

[rusty69]

4 minutes ago, Tonka said:

The is your middle name

I thought it was 'the' 

[Tonka]

8 minutes ago, rusty69 said:

I thought it was 'the' 

That is what I said

[magnetman]

Das Kapital. 

[doratheexplorer]

15 minutes ago, Tonka said:

The is your middle name

"Theexplorer" is my surname.

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

23 minutes ago, Captain Pegg said:

I bowhaul out of locks when descending regularly. I find it can be quicker than going down to drive the boat out and then stopping to secure it to go back.

Last winter on the BCN, I bow hauled out of locks to avoid fouling the prop. 
Especially Factory locks which get particularly filthy. 
And yes, found it wasn’t necessary any slower to do. 

[___]

26 minutes ago, doratheexplorer said:

Cock-up is my middle name. 

It’s only online that we’re all perfect boaters.

 

I reckon if I do a full days boating one cock-up is par for the course.

[Alan de Enfield]

8 minutes ago, doratheexplorer said:

"Theexplorer" is my surname.

 

I thought your christian name was Dorathea and you had missed the 'a'.

[magnetman]

Its amazing how many peoples middle name is dorothy. My email address starts andrew.bennett 

 

 

[Jon57]

On 14/12/2023 at 16:48, magnetman said:

Look out you'll get him mentally questioning the rudder !

To be fair running a length of 3/8 round bar along the inside of a cant handrail is quite a bit of welding needing doing carefully. 

 

Nice thing to have though.

Bit like this. 

[magnetman]

Another option is to have a tube handrail and deal with the interface between cabin side and cabin top using a D bar. The D bar raised slightly so there is a finger grip as well as the handrail. 

 

 

 

[BoatinglifeupNorth]

2 hours ago, Jon57 said:

Bit like this. 

No like this😂👍

 I’m still trying to work out why the boat fitter said they couldn’t fit solar panels if the boat had a finger grip, see below for the same box type handrail, cant see why a finger grip(above) hinders the fitment and painting that much, that it can’t be done?

 

Edited December 17, 2023 by BoatinglifeupNorth

[magnetman]

It depends on the stage at which the bar is welded on. If its welded both sides it would be difficult to do it once the box handrail had been constructed. 

 

I'd have thought it easier to fit this part before constructing the handrail. Perhaps the question was asked when the handrail was already completed. 

Maybe it is only welded on the top but if so that is a bit of a nasty rust trap over time. 

[BoatinglifeupNorth]

40 minutes ago, magnetman said:

It depends on the stage at which the bar is welded on. If its welded both sides it would be difficult to do it once the box handrail had been constructed. 

 

I'd have thought it easier to fit this part before constructing the handrail. Perhaps the question was asked when the handrail was already completed. 

Thats it exactly, would have to be spec’d prior to the start of the shell build. Obviously not discussed as a option at planning stage. I don’t see many of the shells with this grip rail, looks like @Jon57 has one though.

Edited December 17, 2023 by BoatinglifeupNorth

[Jon57]

49 minutes ago, BoatinglifeupNorth said:

Thats it exactly, would have to be spec’d prior to the start of the shell build. Obviously not discussed as a option at planning stage. I don’t see many of the shells with this grip rail, looks like @Jon57 has one though.

Not mine but a Jonathan Wilson shell I believe.

[BoatinglifeupNorth]

Just now, Jon57 said:

Not mine but a Jonathan Wilson shell I believe.

Yes, I would say so👍

[cuthound]

This is how mine has the lip on the inside of the handrail.

 

It also allows the fenders to be moved wherever they are needed by the use of metal clips which hook onto the inner lip.

Edited December 17, 2023 by cuthound
Spillung

[Cheese]

On 14/12/2023 at 01:50, blackrose said:

  On 13/12/2023 at 21:39, David Mack said:

 

The problem with that access is that it leads onto a small gloss-painted deck area...

 

W̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶i̶d̶i̶o̶t̶ Who paints decks with gloss paint? 😯

Edited Thursday at 03:23 by blackrose

Those who moor up using just a centre line? ☺️

[blackrose]

On 15/12/2023 at 21:17, Captain Pegg said:

I bowhaul out of locks when descending regularly. I find it can be quicker than going down to drive the boat out and then stopping to secure it to go back.

 

 

I don't bowhaul in or out of locks. When you're single handed on a 29 tonne boat that's not really a practical option. 

[magnetman]

I bowhauled my barge into Grand Union and Regents section locks quite a few times.

It was 29 tonnes as well.

 

Its not actually all that heavy and I'm no body builder. Far from it. 

 

 

You just take it easy and its no problem. Long line is useful. 

 

[IanD]

18 hours ago, BoatinglifeupNorth said:

Thats it exactly, would have to be spec’d prior to the start of the shell build. Obviously not discussed as a option at planning stage. I don’t see many of the shells with this grip rail, looks like @Jon57 has one though.

Correct, by the time this suggestion came up on CWDF the shell had already been built, otherwise I might well have done it.

 

However the gap between the edge of the solar panels and the rail on mine looks narrower than the above photo, and I can imagine that the protruding handhold would make getting the panels in and vacuum bonding them down more difficult -- see photo.

 

[magnetman]

Interesting handrails on the other Boat. 

I spy demons.