Narrow Boat Specifications

[MichaelJohn]

Greetings,

 

I'm looking at shipping a narrowboat from the UK to San Fancisco California. It has bee recommended to keep it under 40 feet so that it will fit in an ISO A container. What would the approximate weight be of a 30-35 foot narrowboat? Are there moving dollies that can be purchased to help with getting them into a shipping container? Kind regards

 

Michael

[tillergirl]

Well thats it now...............if you take one of those over the pond they'll all want one.

[DHutch]

A fairly standard 60ft boat will weight about 17 tonne these days. Maybe 8-10 for a 30-35ft'er?

 

- There are usally lifted with lifting strops, having been rolled out on rollers/tubing. So i would simple reverse that.

 

 

Post one end of the boat into the container with strops around middle

Lowering the container end onto a roller, other end onto a few sleepers.

Move strops to end, lift gently with other end on roller, roll with care.

Do everything slowly, with ropes/chainwinch to control movement etc.

 

 

Daniel

[tony collins]

. Maybe 8-10 for a 30-35ft'er?

That seems about right, my 45 footer weighed in at 11.5 tons

- There are usally lifted with lifting strops, having been rolled out on rollers/tubing. So i would simple reverse that.

 

 

Post one end of the boat into the container with strops around middle

Lowering the container end onto a roller, other end onto a few sleepers.

Move strops to end, lift gently with other end on roller, roll with care.

Do everything slowly, with ropes/chainwinch to control movement etc.

The ancient Egyptians had much the same idea. - It still works today!

 

Daniel

[MichaelJohn]

Thank for the replies. I know the length is 35' and the width is roughly 7' what is the height of the narrowboat. And yes bringing one over will likely result in others wanting such a boat. There is one very old canal boat for sale and the price is $208,000 dollars. Michael

[Gary Peacock]

At around 35-40ft you will probably be only looking at about 12-15 tons. Small boats are relatively easy to move using rollers and a fork lift.

 

It would probably be worth welding on a few temporary towing and jacking points to make life easier when it comes to getting it back out of the container.

 

When it comes to moving big boats things can lets say get more complicated!

 

 

 

There are some pictures of moving a new narrowboat here-

 

http://www.canalboatbits.co.uk/maffiboat/html/page_13.html

Edited October 25, 2008 by Gary Peacock

[ditchcrawler]

Greetings,

 

I'm looking at shipping a narrowboat from the UK to San Fancisco California. It has bee recommended to keep it under 40 feet so that it will fit in an ISO A container. What would the approximate weight be of a 30-35 foot narrowboat? Are there moving dollies that can be purchased to help with getting them into a shipping container? Kind regards

 

Michael

Braunston Marina were selling boats made in China. I understand that these shipped from China in standard containers.

[stort_mark]

Although more commonly seen as having doors only at the ends, it is easy enough to order a container which is accessible through the roof. Also, you can get containers longer than 40'. Shipping costs will be disproportionately higher.

[Dominic M]

Thank for the replies. I know the length is 35' and the width is roughly 7' what is the height of the narrowboat. And yes bringing one over will likely result in others wanting such a boat. There is one very old canal boat for sale and the price is $208,000 dollars. Michael

$208k??!!. I'm booking my flight already.

[Yawline]

I'm posting years after the enquiry, but the info may be of use. A 45foot container is pretty standard these days, and they have an interior dimension length of 44.5 feet, much more livable, if that's a concern. The weight would be about 12 tons, and 45' containers are good for about 30 tons.

[Peter X]

On 25/10/2008 at 18:04, MichaelJohn said:

Thank for the replies. I know the length is 35' and the width is roughly 7' what is the height of the narrowboat. And yes bringing one over will likely result in others wanting such a boat. There is one very old canal boat for sale and the price is $208,000 dollars. Michael

If demand in the US is still at such a level, I hope that when Boris Johnson is negotiating the post Brexit trade deal with Trump which has been recently mentioned, he gets a clause in there about boats. This could be very useful for London liveaboards; export a grotty boat to the US for good money, and voila they have enough money to live on land in London. Or to buy a better boat, preferably without an oversized portaloo on the bow end, and take that to London...

[CV32]

On 25/10/2008 at 22:20, ditchcrawler said:

Braunston Marina were selling boats made in China. I understand that these shipped from China in standard containers.

You will find it was Whiton Marina shipping in East West Marine boats (the later ones were named Whilton Marine) - 39 foot and 44 foot boats fitted in containers, the 57 foot boats were bought over non containerised. 

 

 

[BilgePump]

If post Brexit trade deals, and the next generation's future, hang on the UK getting a tariff free narrowboat export gig to the US, maybe we're a bit stuffed!

 

eta: just realised this is another decade plus matured thread

Edited July 28, 2019 by BilgePump

[CompairHolman]

Why would you ship a boat made to fit the limited space of narrow canals to somewhere that has no narrow canals,  that already has plenty of boats for sale , and could easily be fabricated on site ?

[nbfiresprite]

36 minutes ago, CompairHolman said:

Why would you ship a boat made to fit the limited space of narrow canals to somewhere that has no narrow canals,  that already has plenty of boats for sale , and could easily be fabricated on site ?

Pay a visit to the Erie canal in New York state and you will see quite a few, including some built by Foxes. Few wide beams around as well.

 

Edited July 28, 2019 by nbfiresprite

[CompairHolman]

No narrow locks though ?

 

So why restrict yourself to 6'10" beam of a narrow boat ? 

 

Shipping containers are 8ft wide externally. 

[Kudzucraft]

Narrow boats don't make sense in the States (Edit: at least in most places)... especially as  constant cruisers. I have thought about this a good bit and living on a river here with thousands(?) of mile of connecting navigable water. But the river I live on is HUGE in places and the water can get quite rough thought it is isn't common. But a sudden summer thunderstorm can whip up 3' to 4' waves in a matter of minutes. There is no speed restrictions so large wakes off other boats is common.

 

River banks are  not suitable to moor generally. Way to shallow, mostly over grown and wild. You would have to anchor off the shore line in deeper water.

 

No facilities such as L-san and water points. Marinas do have pump-outs now. But no free water and they can be quite a ways between them. Miles of river with nothing, no towns or supplies. And when  you do come to a town your going to need a car to get the shops.

Edited July 29, 2019 by Kudzucraft