An End to Mooring Woes

[Jason Wilson and Family]

I got into a random track of thought today and was thining about how to solve the problems of:

 

1. Being set adrift by random b@sts

2. Being set adrift by loose mooring lines or excessive movement from wake, etc

3. Excessive movement due to wake

 

I started thinking about the practicality of what the Coast Guard refers to as spuds. We have a vessel type known as an Inland Construction Tender, they have a large crane on the bow and are used to drive piles and work on other fixed aids to navigation. To provide a stable platform for this work, they have four spuds, long metal legs that can be cranked down independent of one another until the vessel is stood firmly on the bottom.

 

What if, a narrowboat was built with four to six (depending on length) hydraulic legs about 2.5 to 3 ft long. These legs are fitted into shafts inside the hull through the bottom plate so that they are invisible to observers outside and inside the boat (the ones on the cutter are fairly obvious and really ugly). When you moor, you use your lines to pull your boat in where you want it and hold it there while the legs are lowered and the boat is leveled. Then, you can pack your lines in, the boat is not going anywhere. No more rocking (I knwo some people would rather have it) but more importantly your boat is not going anywhere you don't want it to go.

 

The legs could also prove an advantage for bottom maintenance, blacking, and other things where the boat needs to be on land.

 

Just a random idea. Though I suspect it'll be recieved as well as bow thrusters

[Machpoint005]

Good idea, Jason, but why bother with more than three legs? (I'm thinking jack-up rilling rig here).

[Jason Wilson and Family]

Good idea, Jason, but why bother with more than three legs? (I'm thinking jack-up rilling rig here).

 

It may well work with three, but I'd imagine it'd be a bit tippy then there's the matter of where the centerline legs tube goes...

 

I thought four to six based on stability and weight supporting but I really haven't a clue as to how it would best be arranged.

[Mick_B]

If I remember correctly the canals are lined (at least in places) with a skin of (Puddled?) Clay to prevent water seeping into the ground. I would imagine leg's such as you mention would soon destroy this lining...

 

I'm no expert... Just an opinion.

 

 

Edit... Expert???? can't even spell....

Edited August 26, 2008 by Shinner

[alan_fincher]

Then, you can pack your lines in, the boat is not going anywhere. No more rocking.

It depends on whether you have jacked it up out of the water, and whether the canal or river level stays constant.

 

If you have only just grounded it, and the level then creeps up a few inches, you might just find your boat having a mind of it's own, and heading off for deeper waters! - I think I wouldn't dispense with the ropes!

[Tim Lewis]

I got into a random track of thought today and was thining about how to solve the problems of:

 

1. Being set adrift by random b@sts

2. Being set adrift by loose mooring lines or excessive movement from wake, etc

3. Excessive movement due to wake

 

I started thinking about the practicality of what the Coast Guard refers to as spuds. We have a vessel type known as an Inland Construction Tender, they have a large crane on the bow and are used to drive piles and work on other fixed aids to navigation. To provide a stable platform for this work, they have four spuds, long metal legs that can be cranked down independent of one another until the vessel is stood firmly on the bottom.

 

What if, a narrowboat was built with four to six (depending on length) hydraulic legs about 2.5 to 3 ft long. These legs are fitted into shafts inside the hull through the bottom plate so that they are invisible to observers outside and inside the boat (the ones on the cutter are fairly obvious and really ugly). When you moor, you use your lines to pull your boat in where you want it and hold it there while the legs are lowered and the boat is leveled. Then, you can pack your lines in, the boat is not going anywhere. No more rocking (I knwo some people would rather have it) but more importantly your boat is not going anywhere you don't want it to go.

 

The legs could also prove an advantage for bottom maintenance, blacking, and other things where the boat needs to be on land.

 

Just a random idea. Though I suspect it'll be recieved as well as bow thrusters

 

British waterways work boats/dredgers have had these for many years!

 

Tim

[blackrose]

What if, a narrowboat was built with four to six (depending on length) hydraulic legs about 2.5 to 3 ft long. These legs are fitted into shafts inside the hull through the bottom plate so that they are invisible to observers outside and inside the boat (the ones on the cutter are fairly obvious and really ugly). When you moor, you use your lines to pull your boat in where you want it and hold it there while the legs are lowered and the boat is leveled. Then, you can pack your lines in, the boat is not going anywhere. No more rocking (I knwo some people would rather have it) but more importantly your boat is not going anywhere you don't want it to go.

 

Instead of all that why not just drop a couple of anchors?

[Jason Wilson and Family]

Instead of all that why not just drop a couple of anchors?

You'd drift with anchors though. Of course I suppose you don't need much scope as the canals aren't really tidal.

[ChrisPy]

vision of lots of portacabins all jacked up clear of the water occupying the available mooring spaces - a bit like the pikey park concept that was aired on the forum a couple of months ago.

 

all they would need is a small outboard motor so they could move every 2 weeks.

 

.................. come to think of it, the narrowboat would become obsolete - all leisure vessels would be similar to those ubiquitous American cruisers that look more like floating caravans. BW would have to modify their definition of boat-like appearance but that would be all to the good. We could soon fill the waterways with refugees from the negative equity crisis. Good for BW income. Good all round ................................

[Machpoint005]

If I remember correctly the canals are lined (at least in places) with puddled clay to prevent water seeping into the ground. I would imagine legs such as you mention would soon destroy this lining...

 

I'm no expert... Just an opinion.

 

Big feet!

[magnetman]

Big feet!

there was a topic on spud legs yesterday http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=16754

[Jason Wilson and Family]

there was a topic on spud legs yesterday http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=16754

Ah well there you go again. Knew I couldn't have been the first to think of it for recreational boats.

[BlueStringPudding]

Interesting idea - although I bet some legislation somewhere would mean that the craft is no longer a craft but a structural property or something...? Someone somewhere will find a way of sponging money out of it anyway!

 

It'd be interesting if the water level dropped. The legs would have to be pretty strong to support the weight of a full sized narrowboat in the absence of bouyancy (how the hell do you spell that word?) and it'd be tricky to refloat without really strong hydraulics to lower it carefully back to the new water level.

[Machpoint005]

Interesting idea - although I bet some legislation somewhere would mean that the craft is no longer a craft but a structural property or something...? Someone somewhere will find a way of sponging money out of it anyway!

 

It'd be interesting if the water level dropped. The legs would have to be pretty strong to support the weight of a full sized narrowboat in the absence of bouyancy (how the hell do you spell that word?) and it'd be tricky to refloat without really strong hydraulics to lower it carefully back to the new water level.

 

Not really difficult - hydraulics would easily be up to the task, and the legs would be in compression so we'd only be talking about buckling strength under load. The boat won't bend if it's supported at 3 points (they don't bend if you lift 'em out with two crane slings!) so you just have to hide three legs inside the boat somewhere (in cupboards?).

 

And it's buoyancy.

[blackrose]

You'd drift with anchors though. Of course I suppose you don't need much scope as the canals aren't really tidal.

 

I thought the idea was to stop anyone untying your ropes and setting you adrift or being set adrift by boats passing too quickly? That's not going to be an everyday occurence, but if that's your concern then simply dropping an an anchor from the bow & stern will do the trick. The boat might drift a few feet but if you used the correct anchors & chain then it won't drift very far and it'll be easy to pole it back.

Edited August 27, 2008 by blackrose

[tidal]

Hmmm

 

I've used "beaching legs" for years on yachts in tidal waters and they are nervous things at best and at times both amusing and positively dangerous in certain circumstances.

 

I suppose they would work but they'd have to have flipping large feet for a boat the size and weight you are designing them for.

 

Rather you than me..........especially if, like a fellow sailor I knew, you have a tendency to indulge in amorous activities in a bed in the bows ........

[Robbo]

It'd be interesting if the water level dropped. The legs would have to be pretty strong to support the weight of a full sized narrowboat in the absence of bouyancy (how the hell do you spell that word?) and it'd be tricky to refloat without really strong hydraulics to lower it carefully back to the new water level.

 

Don't think the legs would have to be fixed, just heavy and solid enough.