Boat Draughts

[fuzzyduck]

A query. what is the average draught of your boat? (I.E Without the beer on board)

 

The reason I'm asking is, the Wife and I have decided that we are going to start looking towards getting a new (to us) boat. This will be on a temporary basis because we fancy seeing some of the continental canals.

 

One of the criteria is it must be able to get along the G.U Leicester branch, down the east cost and across the channel (in calm weather). We already know the maximum air draught. but we want to start pinning down a target draught. Obviously the channel bit isn't that tricky, but wide canals?

 

Ideas?

[John Orentas]

Hi Fuzzy.

 

If you plan on a cross channel trip you will have a great many issues to deal with, perhaps the least important being the design draught of the boat. It will of coarse be determined by the type of boat you buy. If you are serious about your venture, make it an ongoing thread, there are dozens of factors to be considered.

[Richard Bustens]

Hi

I believe ime correct in saying that only 2 people have crossed the Chanel Criss Coburn and a chap from Stone i cant remember his name, they both had a lot of mods done to the boat and C Coburn had his built for the job. even then they had escorts

[fuzzyduck]

Hehehhe Much respect to those intrepid travellers.

 

BUT

 

I'm looking to do the trip in something slightly more "designed for the task" and not a narrowboat.

 

I'm asking for the above info because I'm still researching what boat to get, but I do already have one in mind, and a channel crossing (in light airs) would be a doddle for the little machine.

 

John, subject to making a go / no go decision later then I will make this an ongoing discussion. that's a cracking idea.

 

I'm speaking to a morgage advisor to see if we can release £30K equity from the house to buy the boat on Tuesday.

Edited June 12, 2005 by fuzzyduck

[NB Willawaw]

The normal problem here is the dilemma between a shallow draft for maximum canal exploration and a deeper draft to have a keel for stability in open water.

 

I would have said 2ft is a good target draft for canals.

 

I don't know what boat you are considering, but the Dutch boatmen solved the problem with a swingable keel board that can be raised and lowered depending on use e.g. Dutch Sailing Barges.

 

Are you looking at motor or sail ?

 

If you aren't too interested in spending too much time in the UK canals, it would seem misleading to confine yourself to a flat bottomed, shallow drafted boat just for that section of the voyage ?

Have you considered buying a deeper draft V-hull on one of the UK estuaries and taking that to France ?

[DHutch]

I'm looking to do the trip in something slightly more "designed for the task" and not a narrowboat.

Can you tell us anymore about this?

- My grandad and his friend geof nearly sailed to the isle of man in a 14ft dingy, in a storm.

 

Also, back to the topic a little, Emilyanne has a average draugh of about 2'8" little more at the stern as far as i (we) know.

- Our alteast thats what my grandad tell people, not that he knows exactly

 

 

Daniel

[fuzzyduck]

I'm looking at Colvics with an approx 3 foot draught.

 

Motor Only (Northerner) or both Motor and Sail (Watson)

 

I'm just tossing the idea round at present, and was exploring the idea of trying to get a boat that fitted both my local waterways (soar / trent etc) and which would allow us to take it further afield.

 

But we could get the boat and put it somewhere with deeper water and keep our existing 18" draught Dawncraft.

 

We're thinking of working towards a liveaboard Yacht in continental europe eventually so this would be an ideal first step.

[Golden Duck]

You might also have headroom problems with a Colvic on the canals. From memory, the deck house on those looks quite high.

 

Crossing the English Channel at slow speed and at right angles to the traffic separation zones and the busiest waterway in the world is not for the faint hearted.

Either take an RYA course or hire somebody with the requisite experience.

 

Some of those ships are doing 21-24 Knots and they close up out of nowhere.

 

Good Luck.

[fuzzyduck]

You might also have headroom problems with a Colvic on the canals. From memory, the deck house on those looks quite high.

22893[/snapback]

 

Yes but I figure £5K will pay for modifications to make the deckhouse collapsable so might still be achieveable (esp as my own boat has a solid deckhouse.) so I I buget at 20K for the boat, 5K for a new engine, and 5K for deckhouse my budget looks OK.

 

Crossing the English Channel at slow speed and at right angles to the traffic separation zones and the busiest waterway in the world is not for the faint hearted.

Either take an RYA course or hire somebody with the requisite experience.

22893[/snapback]

 

Yeah, Don't wanna get run down by a tanker at my time of life :-)

 

Some of those ships are doing 21-24 Knots and they close up out of nowhere.

 

Good Luck.

22893[/snapback]

I did see a hydrofoil for sale, think I could outrun one in one of those?

Edited June 12, 2005 by fuzzyduck

[John Orentas]

I think there have been quite a few Richard, there was one chap from my area, he died a couple of years ago. Did it un-escorted several times, I went to a couple of his talks.

 

"I would hang around Dover harbour for as long as it took, when smoke was coming vertically out of the chimneys off I went".

 

Mind you he was an experienced seaman.

[timboharticus]

 

Have to watch out for those asylum seekers all crossing the other way!

[DHutch]

I think there have been quite a few Richard, there was one chap from my area, he died a couple of years ago. Did it un-escorted several times.

Yeah, also, form what ive heard alot of the french hireboats origanated from england and sailed across, somthing to do with saving money somwhere along the line.

 

-My grandad always said he wanted to go across in emilyanne, he said he'd go down the dee and over the chester wier at high spring high tide.

 

 

Daniel

[ChrisPy]

I can't see the problem about crossing the channel. All you need is a good boat transport contractor, a couple of cranes and a few hundred quid.

[Gary Peacock]

I can't see the problem about crossing the channel.  All you need is a good boat transport contractor, a couple of cranes and a few hundred quid.

22908[/snapback]

 

This is how ours normally get there, but in the next few weeks something slightly different will start to be built with the more adventurous boater in mind.

Can't say too much at the moment but our basic broad beam is going to evolve a bit to make it more suitable for other waters.

 

You can find out how two went to France in the past HERE

[tony collins]

I have just taken a josher from Hawkesbury to Crick (Draws 3ft 3" at a standstill, Therefore about 3ft 6" under way) Once on the GU Leicester Section we hit the bottom three times in mid channel before we got to Watford locks. Outside Welton Hythe Marina, outside Welton Haven Marina and just before the winding hole below Watford flight. When we got to Crick I couldn't get the stern nearer than 6Ft from the bank. So be prepared to go aground quite a bit.

 

Regards

Tony Collins

[mykaskin]

I know someone who took a 3ft deep dutch barge up the grand union to Stoke Bruerne. It was slow going by all acounts, but I would think it's a good depth to get you to many places on the canal system.

 

My Dad's boat is Vee bottomed, and draws about 2' 10", and got up the llangollen OK, though do expect to bump the bottom at times.

Edited June 15, 2005 by mykaskin

[ChrisPy]

This is how ours normally get there, but in the next few weeks something slightly different will start to be built with the more adventurous boater in mind.

Can't say too much at the moment but our basic broad beam is going to evolve a bit to make it more suitable for other waters.

 

You can find out how two went to France in the past HERE

22912[/snapback]

RCD class B ??

[stuart]

Silly question but how do you actually measure the draught of the boat?

 

Just realised that I have no idea what mine is!

[ChrisPy]

Silly question but how do you actually measure the draught of the boat?

 

Just realised that I have no idea what mine is!

23328[/snapback]

it could be caused by having the ventilators open.

 

seriously - use a tape measure.

[Richard Bustens]

I suspect the rear is the deepest bit and it will be about the level of the rear plate so go in where the stern tube goes through and measure from the base plate to the point where the plate starts then add or subtract the diferance between the water and the plate.

[Amicus]

Wouldn't you do that through the weed hatch? Hook a tape onto the rudder skeg and measure to the water surface in the weed hatch?

[Richard Bustens]

You could do that but i would do it inside and add 10mm for the baseplate

[Golden Duck]

Why don't you just use a metal tape measure (you know the type that roll themselves up when you let them go).

If you hook the little metal plate at the end of the tape, under the baseplate at the stern, from the bank, you can just read off the scale !!

[DHutch]

Why don't you just use a metal tape measure

If you hook the little metal plate at the end of the tape, under the baseplate at the stern, from the bank, you can just read off the scale !!

Thats what i did.

- Front, back, and middle.

 

 

Daniel

[Richard Bustens]

How do you do the back Dan or do you mean 10' forward of the back?