Widebeam Handling

[emkay]

Are there any widebeam owners either current or previous who have personal experience in handling a widebeam on the canal/river system? We are thinking of commissioning a 70 x 12 and though it will be primarily a living machine we will want to take it for cruises up the Sharpness to Stourport & down the Avon & Kennet to London. Some comments on this forum make manouvering widebeams sound like sailing a raft down the Brahmaputra in full speight, others we have spoken to say its no problem. What do you widebeam owners think?

[CanalWalker]

Only sailed a wide boat on the canal, not on a river, but it was very easy to work with. I found it easier than other boats to turn, spin around etc

[right_freds_dead]

very much like the handling of a typical narrowboat, but with a load of obese people onboard.

[saltysplash]

you may find its an illusion of being slow to turn due to the extra width turning compared to a narrowbeam.

 

The dutch barges I have steered have all had excellent handling qualities, mind you they did have rudders of biblical proportions

[Strads]

Ummh / almost a contradiction 70 x 12 and to occasionaly sail/tour the system..

 

I dont have a wide beam but would strongly suggest some in depth research as to where you can actually go / get too / moor at in a practical sense as thats a big boat.. most wide beams are @ 60ft long..

 

Also re-sales value v building costs and that you'll find a number of folks wanting to torpedo you in their dreams....

[hat 'n huck]

We have a 60'x10' cruiser stern. Handling not an issue unless reversing in a cross-wind with no bow thrusters! I used to get a little nervous when approaching a skewed bridge hole, but it all comes with practice. Slow and steady - as with all craft. If you are unsure of what is ahead, get your crew to man the bow and USE YOUR HORN!

[emkay]

Ummh / almost a contradiction 70 x 12 and to occasionaly sail/tour the system..

 

I dont have a wide beam but would strongly suggest some in depth research as to where you can actually go / get too / moor at in a practical sense as thats a big boat.. most wide beams are @ 60ft long..

 

Also re-sales value v building costs and that you'll find a number of folks wanting to torpedo you in their dreams....

 

Judging by the maps I can get north to Stourport, south to London then up the Grand Union to MK. Met a fascinating lady on the train the other day who sails her BIG dutch barge around that part of the system and apart from some tight bridges she says she doesn't have a problem. Still I know its not a 45' nb with the turning circle of a terrier biting its tale and I take your point. I did suggest we got a smaller nb each but my darling wife was not too keen on the idea!!! Widebeam owners seem to get by pretty well, though how well I hope this thread will reveal. As for resale, I doubt if there are many people who bought new in the past 4 years that have shown a profit and we have no illusions that we will buck the trend.

[Lady Muck]

Ummh / almost a contradiction 70 x 12 and to occasionaly sail/tour the system..

 

I dont have a wide beam but would strongly suggest some in depth research as to where you can actually go / get too / moor at in a practical sense as thats a big boat.. most wide beams are @ 60ft long..

 

Also re-sales value v building costs and that you'll find a number of folks wanting to torpedo you in their dreams....

 

 

What Strads says, do you want a house, or a boat you can cruise in? You have to compromise if you want to live on a boat, bigger isn't always better, yes the canals you mention can be navigated in theory, but if you go for the maximum allowable dimensions you'll discover some pinch points and you might have problems finding mooring space on the Lower GU.

I don't have a widebeam but my next boat neighbour has a 60 foot dutch barge (not as wide as 12 feet) and has taken it as far North as beyond the Shrewley tunnel where he got it stuck in a recently narrowed bridge hole!

 

I'm sure some other widebeam boat owners will come along in a minute, but my neighbour speaks very highly of the dutch barge association, who helped him find and purchase the right boat for him. Perhaps contact them, or speak to Tam and Di on here.

Edited October 22, 2009 by Lady Muck

[saltysplash]

Judging by the maps I can get north to Stourport, south to London then up the Grand Union to MK. Met a fascinating lady on the train the other day who sails her BIG dutch barge around that part of the system and apart from some tight bridges she says she doesn't have a problem. Still I know its not a 45' nb with the turning circle of a terrier biting its tale and I take your point. I did suggest we got a smaller nb each but my darling wife was not too keen on the idea!!! Widebeam owners seem to get by pretty well, though how well I hope this thread will reveal. As for resale, I doubt if there are many people who bought new in the past 4 years that have shown a profit and we have no illusions that we will buck the trend.

 

 

I think you can in theory almost get to birmingham on the grand onion. I think the narrowest bit is 12'5" and thats a bridge hole. you would need to book your passage through the tunnels though

[Lady Muck]

I think you can in theory almost get to birmingham on the grand onion. I think the narrowest bit is 12'5" and thats a bridge hole. you would need to book your passage through the tunnels though

 

 

I think its the bit just beyond Shrewley tunnel that my neighbour couldn't get past, I don't think he's even 12 foot beam. I'll ask him again when I see him. Don't forget the landslip at Braunston, too.

[saltysplash]

I think its the bit just beyond Shrewley tunnel that my neighbour couldn't get past, I don't think he's even 12 foot beam. I'll ask him again when I see him. Don't forget the landslip at Braunston, too.

 

 

I seem to recall bridge 23 being banded around if thats the same one, and the landslip could be a bit tight, did your neighbour have any probs booking passage through the tunnels?

[Lady Muck]

I seem to recall bridge 23 being banded around if thats the same one, and the landslip could be a bit tight, did your neighbour have any probs booking passage through the tunnels?

 

It was before the landslip, so no. I wouldn't say it's easy moving the boat though, alot of faffing with the wheelhouse, it will only just fit the bridges here, even collapsed. We see Mr Stott come past occasionally, he has no problems. I saw more big boats on the move up North, some of the ones on the Aire and Calder were of cruise liner proportions, but then again it is dredged to 9 feet minimum there.

 

ETA: did Idleness say he considers the K&A 'closed' to widebeam, now? Is it difficult to navigate if you are wide and deep draughted? Shallow?

Edited October 22, 2009 by Lady Muck

[right_freds_dead]

you can practice driving a widebeam by sailing a narrowboat through a thin tunnel, only imagining there are no tunnel roofs, sides, and that there is a lot of light and other distractions around rather than simple tunnel blackness.

[GUMPY]

ETA: did Idleness say he considers the K&A 'closed' to widebeam, now? Is it difficult to navigate if you are wide and deep draughted? Shallow?

 

Not so much closed to wide beam but anything with a beam of over 12ft and a draft of more than 3ft.

Parglena is 61x11'6"x2'10" and to be honest thats about as big as is practical.

Most of the time I spend at tick over when on the canals as it is just to shallow.

[emkay]

It was before the landslip, so no. I wouldn't say it's easy moving the boat though, alot of faffing with the wheelhouse, it will only just fit the bridges here, even collapsed. We see Mr Stott come past occasionally, he has no problems. I saw more big boats on the move up North, some of the ones on the Aire and Calder were of cruise liner proportions, but then again it is dredged to 9 feet minimum there.

 

ETA: did Idleness say he considers the K&A 'closed' to widebeam, now? Is it difficult to navigate if you are wide and deep draughted? Shallow?

 

The boat would have a 2ft draught so shouldn't be a problem but I'll certainly check it out for width.

 

What Strads says, do you want a house, or a boat you can cruise in? You have to compromise if you want to live on a boat, bigger isn't always better, yes the canals you mention can be navigated in theory, but if you go for the maximum allowable dimensions you'll discover some pinch points and you might have problems finding mooring space on the Lower GU.

I don't have a widebeam but my next boat neighbour has a 60 foot dutch barge (not as wide as 12 feet) and has taken it as far North as beyond the Shrewley tunnel where he got it stuck in a recently narrowed bridge hole!

 

I'm sure some other widebeam boat owners will come along in a minute, but my neighbour speaks very highly of the dutch barge association, who helped him find and purchase the right boat for him. Perhaps contact them, or speak to Tam and Di on here.

 

Its a bit of both but as you can deduce more of a house than a tourer. I've checked with our local marina and that's Ok for mooring and access, still I understand the caution advised. Thanks for the tip I'll take a look at the DBA.

[Lady Muck]

The boat would have a 2ft draught so shouldn't be a problem but I'll certainly check it out for width.

 

 

 

Its a bit of both but as you can deduce more of a house than a tourer. I've checked with our local marina and that's Ok for mooring and access, still I understand the caution advised. Thanks for the tip I'll take a look at the DBA.

 

 

When I said,

you might have problems finding mooring space on the Lower GU.

, I meant when you are on the move. It can be very busy on the visitor moorings, a full length narrowboat can struggle a bit to find a space sometimes.

[Tam & Di]

Are there any widebeam owners either current or previous who have personal experience in handling a widebeam on the canal/river system? We are thinking of commissioning a 70 x 12 and though it will be primarily a living machine we will want to take it for cruises up the Sharpness to Stourport & down the Avon & Kennet to London. Some comments on this forum make manouvering widebeams sound like sailing a raft down the Brahmaputra in full speight, others we have spoken to say its no problem. What do you widebeam owners think?

 

You've had replies about the potential difficulty due to the sheer size of the craft, and certainly you are talking about something that is pushing the limits of the system in its present state. Our first canal boat was the 74' x 12' 6" wooden ex GUCCC wideboat Progress in the 60s, and we went to Birmingham several times and just about everywhere else that we could reach. But a) it was a long time ago and the waterways are not as deep as they were, and it was a proper shaped hull with semi-round chine, a decent fore end and a fine swim. It was also a wooden boat. I don't think you will get a modern widebeam craft with lines remotely as good (without spending a king's ransom).

 

Two other factors affecting the reply to your question are the hull shape - a good one will swim like a fish, the others like a fishcake; and the other is the ability of the steerer - some can, some learn to eventually, others should leave it to those that can.

 

Not much of a reply really, but your question is a bit like "how long is a bit of string?" Don't forget too that when you do get it wrong, all your nice furniture, crockery and electric goodies have much more space to fly about in than when you do it in a narrowboat.

Edited October 22, 2009 by Tam & Di

[blackrose]

My boat is 57' x 12, and its about as big as I can safetly handle on my own.

 

This length turns really easily and it handles better than my old narrowboat.

 

But as others have said, 70' x 12' is a bit of a handful - probably too big for the canals. Personally I'd never want a boat bigger than about 12' x 60'

[sueb]

How much boating experience do you have, or are you going to learn on this boat?

Sue

[GUMPY]

Personally I'd never want a boat bigger than about 12' x 60'

 

Where would you take that? it wouldn't fit in any Canal locks I know unless it was sideways

[Athy]

sailing a raft down the Brahmaputra in full speight

That'll be a raft with a top-class paint job, then?

[TimYoung]

Where would you take that? it wouldn't fit in any Canal locks I know unless it was sideways

 

If you are trotting on in a shortboat, with its slow rounded chines, it will drift outwards on a bend such that you can turn in early and wait to side out into the bend.

It all adds to the fun!

 

Tim

[Greg & Jax]

Hi ,

We have a 57"x10" and find find it can be heavy going on the canal,s , dont get much above tickover , we live on the river weaver and have just returned from a few days up on the TnM , via the boat lift . we just trundled along an let the quicker boats overtake us when they can , that said it was nice to get back on the river !

We learned to sail on our boat and she handle,s just fine , although a bow thruster would have been usefull at time,s .

Greg Jax