Size restrictions

[smiler]

Hi all

Question for "the collective".

I know there is a north/south restriction regarding length of narrowboat access(57ft).

What are the restrictions for a shorter widebeam, say up to 50ft long x 9ft beam on the UK canal system?

Not only lock sizes, but how much of the system isn’t accessible (or even "comfortable" to access) with a wider beam?

Thanks in advance for your replies.

[Marbling]

Hi Smiler

 

Is this a 'narrowboat-shaped' boat (flat bottom and roof, bluntish ends)? As draught and height would also be a factor.

 

Marbling

[Jen-in-Wellies]

Cabin shape too. Arched bridges and tunnels don't play nice with very square, wide cabins.

[smiler]

42 minutes ago, Marbling said:

Hi Smiler

 

Is this a 'narrowboat-shaped' boat (flat bottom and roof, bluntish ends)? As draught and height would also be a factor.

 

Marbling

Yes, widebeam narrowboat.

[Alan de Enfield]

1 hour ago, smiler said:

I know there is a north/south restriction regarding length of narrowboat access(57ft).

 

The North / South divide is caused by width - not length.

 

The cut off is because of 'single width locks' (ie around 7 foot beam boats) and 'double locks'.

 

A 9 foot beam boat gives you ther worst of both worlds - you cannot pass thru' single locks, and you don't have the benefits of more space given by a (say) 12 foot widebeam.

 

With a boat over 7 foot beam you cannot get North of, roughly, South Birmingham / Coventry / Northampton without going out to sea and back in

 

Edited March 16, 2025 by Alan de Enfield

[smiler]

1 minute ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

The North / South divide is caused by width - not length.

 

The cut off is beacuse of 'single width locks' (ie around 7 foot beam boats)and 'double locks'.

 

A 9 foot beam boat gives you ther worst of both worlds - you cannot pass thru' single locks, and yo don't have the benefits of more space given by a (say) 12 foot widebeam.

 

With a boat over 7 foot beam you cannot get North of, roughly, Birmngham without goig out to sea and back in

 

Thanks Alan.

I thought the north/south divide was due to length, not width - so my question is answered, thank you - standard 6'10" it is then. 👍

I plan to be a CCer, not a CMer and want to see most of the UK canal system in my upcoming retirement.

Hiring cranes/transport to jump the restrictive parts doesn't outweigh the benefits of a slightly wider narrowboat for me.

[alan_fincher]

2 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

The North / South divide is caused by width - not length.

 

The cut off is because of 'single width locks' (ie around 7 foot beam boats) and 'double locks'.

 

A 9 foot beam boat gives you ther worst of both worlds - you cannot pass thru' single locks, and you don't have the benefits of more space given by a (say) 12 foot widebeam.

 

With a boat over 7 foot beam you cannot get North of, roughly, South Birmingham / Coventry / Northampton without going out to sea and back in

 

 

Pedant alert!

 

You can't, of course, get to Northampton in a boat over 7' width. (although you can get approximately 5 miles from Northampton).

[Lady M]

There are some shorter locks on northern waterways.

[Russ T]

3 minutes ago, alan_fincher said:

 

Pedant alert!

 

You can't, of course, get to Northampton in a boat over 7' width. (although you can get approximately 5 miles from Northampton).

I think Alan was nearly correct regarding Northampton. You can get to Northampton in a boat over 7' wide via the river Nene and the sea, or by lorry.

[alan_fincher]

2 minutes ago, Rod Stewart said:

I think Alan was nearly correct regarding Northampton. You can get to Northampton in a boat over 7' wide via the river Nene and the sea, or by lorry.

 

Except that he says "you cannot get North of"....

If you were on the Nene, there would be no problem in going North.

[Russ T]

3 minutes ago, alan_fincher said:

 

Except that he says "you cannot get North of"....

If you were on the Nene, there would be no problem in going North.

OK. Apologies. I thought you were suggesting you couldn't get to Northampton in a boat wider than 7'

[Alan de Enfield]

46 minutes ago, alan_fincher said:

You can't, of course, get to Northampton in a boat over 7' width. (although you can get approximately 5 miles from Northampton).

 

But I did say 'roughly' South Birmingham - Coventry - Northampton

[IanD]

1 hour ago, Lady M said:

There are some shorter locks on northern waterways.

Shorter than 57' -- where?

 

(meaning, places the OP is likely to go, not obscure out-of-the-way locks that are very rarely visited...)

[Lady M]

Did the OP mention 57'?  I must have missed that.  I was responding to the point he made that he thought the north/south divide was due to length not width.

[IanD]

4 hours ago, Lady M said:

Did the OP mention 57'?  I must have missed that.  I was responding to the point he made that he thought the north/south divide was due to length not width.

Yes, in the very first post -- and he specifically also asked about a 50' x 9' wideboat... 🙂 

 

9 hours ago, smiler said:

Thanks Alan.

I thought the north/south divide was due to length, not width - so my question is answered, thank you - standard 6'10" it is then. 👍

I plan to be a CCer, not a CMer and want to see most of the UK canal system in my upcoming retirement.

Hiring cranes/transport to jump the restrictive parts doesn't outweigh the benefits of a slightly wider narrowboat for me.

 

The "57' length restriction" applies to some Northern canals, the Calder & Hebble has the shortest locks you're likely to encounter. The official maximum length for these is 57'6", so long are you don't mind getting damp occasionally. They're wide locks so with considerable care (and by getting even wetter) a narrowboat up to 60' can get through -- I've done this as have several others who post on CWDF -- but this isn't recommended for beginners, hence the more common "57' maximum" rule.

 

https://www.penninewaterways.co.uk/calder/locks.htm

Edited March 16, 2025 by IanD

[Jerra]

4 hours ago, IanD said:

Yes, in the very first post -- and he specifically also asked about a 50' x 90' wideboat... 🙂 

 

Should that be 50' x 9'?   Otherwise it is one heck of a wide boat, wider than it is long in fact.

[IanD]

15 minutes ago, Jerra said:

Should that be 50' x 9'?   Otherwise it is one heck of a wide boat, wider than it is long in fact.

Indeed... 😉

[blackrose]

9 hours ago, smiler said:

 I plan to be a CCer, not a CMer and want to see most of the UK canal system in my upcoming retirement.

 

Mmmm, how many times have I heard that over the last 18 years on this forum...

 

I'm not saying you won't do it, but I think most people who say it don't end up doing it. Nevertheless if that's your intention then a narrow boat is what you need.

[smiler]

 

2 hours ago, blackrose said:

 

Mmmm, how many times have I heard that over the last 18 years on this forum...

 

I'm not saying you won't do it, but I think most people who say it don't end up doing it. Nevertheless if that's your intention then a narrow boat is what you need.

Apart from, maybe, health reasons I have no need to stay in any one place/area. I have family spread all over the UK. After leaving school, then serving my apprenticeship, I worked 10-12 hours a day, 6-7days a week until I emigrated over here 29 years ago. I have never really had time to see much of my Motherland. Now is my chance before I peg it!

If I wanted to stay in one place, I would buy a house, not a boat.

[dmr]

and it must be said that some of the most attractive and interesting canals are narrow       T&M, Shroppie, Caldon, Macc and Peak Forest to name a few.

[IanD]

8 minutes ago, dmr said:

and it must be said that some of the most attractive and interesting canals are narrow       T&M, Shroppie, Caldon, Macc and Peak Forest to name a few.

And the HNC if it's open and you really like locks and *long* tunnels... 😉

Edited March 16, 2025 by IanD

[dmr]

3 minutes ago, IanD said:

And the HNC if it's open and you really like locks and *long* tunnels... 😉

 

The Staffs ane Worcester, Birmingham and Worcester and parts of the BCN too,   and the Stratford.

[Lady M]

Forgotten the Oxford?

[dmr]

1 hour ago, Lady M said:

Forgotten the Oxford?

So thats it, just about all the narrow canals are good ones,   not sure about the Walsall though, I think it had a few nice water lillies

[magnetman]

The Boat I live on is 9ft wide. Its a nice shape after a previous decade living in a narrow. 

 

One possibly overlooked factor with beam is the road transport story. 

 

A 9ft wide vessel will be cheaper to transport than a 12ft wide vessel as the latter being over 2.9m requires an escort.