experiences of 70' boats

[paddy r]

Right, have my Tin hat on so here goes,

We plan to buy a boat and live on it, go pottering around for a few years and just go with the flow. We like two boats both narrow beam, No1 is 61 feet ticks all the box's, power, fit out etc., No 2 is 70 feet and also ticks all the box's. We know that there are a number of cuts that we cannot get on with this size but would just like to ask if the pro's out weigh the cons.

thanks

 

paddy

[magpie patrick]

Right, have my Tin hat on so here goes,

We plan to buy a boat and live on it, go pottering around for a few years and just go with the flow. We like two boats both narrow beam, No1 is 61 feet ticks all the box's, power, fit out etc., No 2 is 70 feet and also ticks all the box's. We know that there are a number of cuts that we cannot get on with this size but would just like to ask if the pro's out weigh the cons.

thanks

 

paddy

 

You can't cross England north of the Midlands in a 70 footer, and to reach places like Leeds and York you need to go round Trent Falls, You also can't reach the Lancaster Canal.

 

Whether the extra room outweighs this is up to you, If it were me (and it isn't) then between two boats that "tick all the boxes" I'd go for the one with the greatest cruising range. We have a sixty two footer, and we have been to the Lancaster Canal, however Ripple was chosen because she "ticked all the boxes". I nearly bought a 70 footer, but on close inspection it had some major drawbacks in it's interior that would have cost too much to put right.

[paddy r]

Thanks for that.

Just trying to get some background,before spending money on a survey.

[andywatson]

Right, have my Tin hat on so here goes,

We plan to buy a boat and live on it, go pottering around for a few years and just go with the flow. We like two boats both narrow beam, No1 is 61 feet ticks all the box's, power, fit out etc., No 2 is 70 feet and also ticks all the box's. We know that there are a number of cuts that we cannot get on with this size but would just like to ask if the pro's out weigh the cons.

thanks

 

paddy

[/quote

 

I'm on my first boat which is 70ft with speedwheel and push/pull gear selection.

Apart from access to the Northern Canals (although I thought you could get to the Lancaster?), I've had no problems handling her.

You need to be alert in locks where you don't have much room to spare between the cill and bottom gates.

[paddy r]

Do you have any prob's staying at marina's,I hear that some of them don't like 70' boats,Not planing on staying in one for more than a few nights maybe a week.

[koukouvagia]

Winding can sometimes be a problem even at places that are supposed to accommodate 70’ boats, especially if BW hasn’t cut back the foliage or dredged them properly.

[Keeping Up]

Ours is 67 ft (plus fenders) and we're quite happy to be able to navigate all of the major canals except for the Leeds and Liverpool. If we wnat to go on that canal again, we'll hire.

 

In locks it is a great help to be almost as long as the chamber; you can easily estimate precisely when the bow has reached the other end simply by observing when you at the stern pass the gates, and it cannot surge from one end to the other wehn the paddles are raised becuase it is already at both ends!

 

I'd definitely go for the longer boat

[RLWP]

Hi Paddy,

 

Glad to see that you started this thread.

 

Paddy asked me about the experience of owning a 70' boat, and if we had ever regretted it. For completeness this is the reply I sent.

 

No, we wouldn't have had a shorter boat. We were looking for a boat over 57' when we bought Tawny Owl as they can often be cheaper than the more fashionable size.

 

We find her to be easy to handle in narrow locks as she doesn't surge backwards and forwards like a shorter boat. If you are worried by catching a long boat on a cill, I don't think that there is any greater danger than a short boat. If you think about it, you have to empty more water out to get a boat to an angle that it has it's bows below water on a longer boat, so you get more time to react.

 

Apart from that, I think she holds course better and is, well she's the size that the canals around here were built for!

 

Downsides: On-line moorings are paid for by the metre, many marinas and boat clubs won't take 70' boats as they are usually live-aboards, blacking is paid for by the foot, less places to wind.

 

Upsides: Plenty of space, can be good value

 

The only place that being 70' has ever been a disadvantage was on some of the Avon locks. If you are the last boat in you cannot open some of the bottom gates - so be the first boat in!

 

I don't think that a 70' boat is difficult or dangerous. Go and have a look.

 

Richard

[Boatgypsy]

I've had a 70 footer for 8 years and cruised most of that time living aboard. If you are living aboard the extra space is a definite advantage - even 70 foot can feel limiting at times!

 

I've never had a problem handling her single handed, although I must admit I don't move in a real gale. Having driven some other shorter boats for other people, I find my own to be much easier to handle - less prone to sudden course changes because of wind gusting through gaps in hedges etc. My speed tends to be slower than smaller boats because my wash is bigger for the same speed.

 

The percentage of the system that you can't navigate is relatively small and of course there's still all of Europe if you get fed up with the English system.

 

I find the biggest downside is the extra cost of licence, insurance, maintenance, fuel etc.

[Gibbo]

I've currently got a 70 foot boat. In the past I've had smaller ones.

 

I really don't miss the (very) few canals I can't now use. The limits are nowhere near as bad as some people make out.

 

http://www.abnb.co.uk/submenupages/57ft_myth.html

 

Gibbo

[koukouvagia]

I agree – go for the longer boat. In practice draft is more significant to me than length. I don’t mind foregoing some of the lesser reaches of the system with 70’ boat, but I do resent having to do BW’s dredging for them.

The problem is the fewer deep drafted boats there are around, and I’m not referring only to working and ex-working boats, the less likely BW is to keep the channel dredged.

Edited December 11, 2008 by koukouvagia

[Strads]

I agree – go for the longer boat. In practice draft is more significant to me than length. I don’t mind foregoing some of the lesser reaches of the system with 70’ boat, but I do resent having to do BW’s dredging for them.

The problem is the fewer deep drafted boats there are around, and I’m not referring only to working and ex-working boats, the less likely BW is to keep the channel dredged.

 

 

 

Would add my tuppence in agreeing with KOUKOU -

you willonly miss out on approx 5% or so - and if you want to travel that section perhaps hire, borrow or join another crew for the bash!

 

we have a 70ft and 36" draft (especially at the stern) and you do feel the ride occasioanlly !.

 

i locks ther is no issue - mooring in a marina with limited manouvering space is a technique to master and the when the wind blows hard its a bit more boat to control,,,

 

also leaves room for the wine and partying!!

 

 

 

Would actually think the layout would be equally important a well laid out 62 ft may seem equally good as a 70 ft withlost space - pooly planned etc.. but if done correctly size does matter as they say!

 

have fun

[magpie patrick]

Apart from access to the Northern Canals (although I thought you could get to the Lancaster?), I've had no problems handling her.

 

The Rufford Branch locks are 62 feet, althoughh I suppose you could go out the Mersey and round!

[koukouvagia]

Logic tells me that all of the BCN is suitable for 70’ boats. However, I have real difficulty turning right when passing from the GU onto the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal (the junction under the M6). It is probably my incompetence, but I do remember getting wedged there once, much to my great embarrassment. Fortunately it’s not a spot much frequented by gongoozlers.

[Machpoint005]

A 70' boat will cost a bit more to license, moor and maintain, as these things are still determined (at least partly) by boat length.

It also takes longer to clean (inside), wash, paint or black a longer boat.

 

Sorry if this is stating the bleedin' obvious.

[furnessvale]

The Rufford Branch locks are 62 feet, althoughh I suppose you could go out the Mersey and round!

 

Technically they are 62ft long but I know that Dane got down the first lock and only just failed at the second. It could be worth a narrowboat of say 66-68ft giving it a go and letting us know:-)

 

George ex nb Alton retired

[paddy r]

thanks for all the reply's,Draft is something i did not think about We need to go from Lincolnshire down to the kennet & Avon at some point but would like to go the long way round,We will be in No rush,get there when we get there sort of thing.Any more pointers please,

thanks

Paddy

[magpie patrick]

thanks for all the reply's,Draft is something i did not think about We need to go from Lincolnshire down to the kennet & Avon at some point but would like to go the long way round,We will be in No rush,get there when we get there sort of thing.Any more pointers please,

thanks

Paddy

 

Is it a 70 foot trad? We moved a friends 70 footer down Caen Hill for him three weeks ago, the locks are a bare 70 feet not the usual 72 feet, and going down you have to back right up to the top cill to get the gates open: which is all fine and dandy, except some of the gates leak like sieves! His was a trad and with the back doors closed the water just ran off the counter and back into the lock, but the counter was awash with up to 3 inches of water sluicing over it. I should imagone in a cruiser style boat it would be very unpleasant and possibly dangerous

 

which long way round did you have in mind from Lincolnshire? in a seventy footer you've no choice but to follow the Trent to the Midlands, in the shorter boat you could do the Leeds and Liverpool

 

My one regret at having a sixty two footer is we can't do the Calder and Hebble, however Odana has very consideratly moved to Sheffield for us, and her boat is 52 feet, now all I need to do is induce her top have a long holiday abroad and hand over the keys...

 

 

Technically they are 62ft long but I know that Dane got down the first lock and only just failed at the second. It could be worth a narrowboat of say 66-68ft giving it a go and letting us know:-)

 

George ex nb Alton retired

 

They are sixty two feet long if you are 14 feet beam: at 7 feet you can lie on one wall and open the gate on the other side, which adds quite a bit, a seventy footer won't go through them all though, and our observation suggested that Tarleton may be the shortest, we had least room to spare in it

[PaddingtonBear]

Air draught is also important especially going on the Nene in a strong flow and confronting Osney Bridge going with a strong stream and a boat suddenly appears coming up stream :lol: :lol: .

[paddy r]

Thay are both trads,was going to go over to gas st for a look,whent there when i was a kid,(lived in Derby and did canals for my History CSE ,you can tell i never did good english) was a bit of a sh*t hole then but thay tell me it's all nice and clean now.

[Keeping Up]

Logic tells me that all of the BCN is suitable for 70’ boats. However, I have real difficulty turning right when passing from the GU onto the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal (the junction under the M6). It is probably my incompetence, but I do remember getting wedged there once, much to my great embarrassment. Fortunately it’s not a spot much frequented by gongoozlers.

That's not an easy one. Unless you plan to pole it round or can let the wind do it for you, I reckon the easiest way can be to turn left as if going towards Perry barr, then stop and reverse back very fast to the junction. Kick the stern over with a burst of forwards, so that it goes up towards the Aston flight, and the momentum of the bow will carry it around to face the right way. Even if it doesn't go all the way, you are now in a position from which you can fairly easily manoeuvre round the corner

[magpie patrick]

That's not an easy one. Unless you plan to pole it round or can let the wind do it for you, I reckon the easiest way can be to turn left as if going towards Perry barr, then stop and reverse back very fast to the junction. Kick the stern over with a burst of forwards, so that it goes up towards the Aston flight, and the momentum of the bow will carry it around to face the right way. Even if it doesn't go all the way, you are now in a position from which you can fairly easily manoeuvre round the corner

 

The only problem is, keeps, that koukou was trying to turn right, whereas you've just turned left

 

The original seventy footers were horsedrawn, which had some advantages for tight manouvres

[koukouvagia]

A sort of rite of passage reached is when you can take a 70’ boat round Sutton’s Stop in one go without stopping, reversing or dithering. It’s actually much easier if you’ve a butty in tow because the stem of the butty pushes you round. So perhaps, Paddy, you ought to buy a butty as well. (I see Crux is for sale )

Edited December 11, 2008 by koukouvagia

[Keeping Up]

The only problem is, keeps, that koukou was trying to turn right, whereas you've just turned left

 

The original seventy footers were horsedrawn, which had some advantages for tight manouvres

No I've turned right. I initially faced went to the left, then turned all the way around by putting the stern in the canal towards Aston and using the high-speed momentum of the bow to swing it right around towards Fazeley

 

The slightly longer version, for when it's too windy to swing right around that way, is to turn left and then reverse completely back past the junction, then put the bows up towards Aston and wind around that way.

 

But with 67 ft instead of 70ft, unless the wind is in the wrong direction I can JUST manage the right turn without all that messing around.

[RLWP]

A sort of rite of passage reached is when you can take a 70’ boat round Sutton’s Stop in one go without stopping, reversing or dithering. It’s actually much easier if you’ve a butty in tow because the stem of the butty pushes you round. So perhaps, Paddy, you ought to buy a butty as well. (I see Crux is for sale )

 

 

Hurrah, credibility at last! We managed that last time we went through!

 

There's a convenient strapping post to put a bow line around - works a treat!

 

Richard

 

What?