buying a new pole and gangplank

[whatkathydid]

Does anyone know where to buy new poles and a gangplank for my narrowboat? South East if poss.

Thanks

[deletedaccount]

I've got a scaffolding plank. It's ace cos it's really long and very strong.

 

I've even painted stripes on it in the same colour as my boat.

 

 

 

Those posh fancy ones are about 3 foot long!

[magpie patrick]

Does anyone know where to buy new poles and a gangplank for my narrowboat? South East if poss.

Thanks

 

 

ideally buy em near the boat, as these are big items to get in a car.

 

Gang Plank, unless you want something fancy, a builders merchant should have a decent scaffolding plank. I got mine free as it was no longer fit for scaffolding four years ago, every year it gets a strength test (I put it between two breeze blocks and bounce up and down on it) and it's still fine.

 

Get a proper pole from a chandler, don't be tempted with a banister rail, they are not intended to take end loadings

[Keeping Up]

The problem with scaffold planks is they tend to be rather heavy.

 

Most chandlers sell poles, but I don't know where you'd best buy a plank (I found mine floating in the canal 15 years ago, I think it had fallen off a hireboat). One possible problem, you need to take the boat because a pole definitely won't fit inside a car.

[carlt]

Get a proper pole from a chandler, don't be tempted with a banister rail, they are not intended to take end loadings

It's so long since we've had the "Ash versus Pine" debate that it almost feels fresh

[grahoom]

It's so long since we've had the "Ash versus Pine" debate that it almost feels fresh

 

I was thinking of this very debate the other day while doing some wooding at my better halfs parents. Hope it rears it's head again!

[Proper Job]

So whats better.........

 

Ash or Pine?

[carlt]

So whats better.........

 

Ash or Pine?

This has been dealt with before.

 

Have you tried the search system?

[Tim Lewis]

ideally buy em near the boat, as these are big items to get in a car.

 

Gang Plank, unless you want something fancy, a builders merchant should have a decent scaffolding plank. I got mine free as it was no longer fit for scaffolding four years ago, every year it gets a strength test (I put it between two breeze blocks and bounce up and down on it) and it's still fine.

 

Get a proper pole from a chandler, don't be tempted with a banister rail, they are not intended to take end loadings

 

I my experience (on boats and building sites) scaffold boars are only good up to about five seet long. Ideally a gangplant sould be an inch and a half thick unlsss reinforced, any decent timber merchants should be able to supply this. Proprirtary aluminium ones will be a lot lighter.

 

Nowt wrong with banister rail, we've used one to unground Fulbourne (25tons) for decades. If you do break it they are dirt cheap and the flat bit stops them rolling!

 

Tim

Edited January 4, 2010 by Tim Lewis

[churchward]

As others have said I got a plank from a scaffolding plank at a builders merchant.

 

As far as poles are concerned then I am firmly in the Ash camp. It is much the better wood for such things strong but flexible. The trouble with pine is that is brittle compared to ash and when it breaks it will splinter with very sharp points. So if it breaks with you leaning on it then it could become a rather nasty spear you find yourself falling toward!

[alan_fincher]

I my experience (on boats and building sites) scaffold boars are only good up to about five seet long.

Ah but if I ever found myself canal boating, and regularly needed a plank of much over 5 feet, I'd almost certainly consider switching to a more sensible, shallow draughted boat!

 

Sorry, couldn't resist, (where's Graham!).

 

In practice, although we have troubled to obtain a plank, in the past, I can only think of two occasions when we have ever used it - OK, I know there are waterways where you can't survive without one, but we don't seem to have encountered it yet, (I'm sure we will!).

 

Similarly if the pole gets used more than once or twice a year, I'd be surprised!

[carlt]

So if it breaks with you leaning on it then it could become a rather nasty spear you find yourself falling toward!

I have a friend who made a nice big hole, in that flappy bit of skin, between thumb and forefinger, when his pine bannister boat pole snapped.

 

The fact that he was lucky he wasn't putting his shoulder into the push, when it went, in no way diminished the pain.

[Nightwatch]

The pole that came with Nightwatch was a banister rail. like Alan we have probably needed to use it once or twice, (once actually to recover an old Labrador which had fallen in the canal and lost it's way. It was very near to giving up. The lady owner was in a right state.) It is now rotten and in danger of falling apart if you touch it. We will replace with a proper pole when we get round to it. Would need to buy when passing a chandlers, which means we are away on the boat have no money to spare normally etc. etc.

 

We also need a new hook pole as the present one is in the same condition.

 

Plank wise, on our other boat we bought the wood from a local Timber Merchant. They even planed it for us a couple of times. We only needed to varnish and put on some chicken wire for grip.

 

Martyn.

[casper ghost]

I remember the Llangollen when if you didn't have a gang plank you could hardly ever get to and fro the boat, I haven't used one for years. Where are you that you ever need one?

[magpie patrick]

I remember the Llangollen when if you didn't have a gang plank you could hardly ever get to and fro the boat, I haven't used one for years. Where are you that you ever need one?

 

So far, the Lancaster (almost everywhere) some places on the Macc, The Bridgwater, Some places on the K and A, and bizarrely at out of the way moorings on the Gloucester and Sharpness. In the latter case you can get the boat to the bank but there is often a gap behind the piling before you get to solid ground.

[Lady Muck]

Uxbridge Boat Centre sell untreated ash poles.

[luctor et emergo]

good advice all round I think. I expect to be needing a pole a bit more often than the average leisure boater when I get my boat eventually in the water, as I should be drawing close to 3' when loaded up. I plan on getting two poles though, a cheap, lightweight one for general use (i.e. where there is no need to put your weight into the pole ), and a heavier one (probably aluminium) for serious pushing.

 

Any wood can snap, and every type will leave splinters of some severety. At worst an aluminium pole will bend/kink, but not splinter.

[DHutch]

So whats better.........

 

Ash or Pine?

Nether, get an aluminium pole, you wont look back!

[deletedaccount]

I remember the Llangollen when if you didn't have a gang plank you could hardly ever get to and fro the boat, I haven't used one for years. Where are you that you ever need one?

 

The K&A.

[Davo_Willow]

Nether, get an aluminium pole, you wont look back!

 

Any ideas where to source one from?

 

Thanks!

[Lady Muck]

Any ideas where to source one from?

 

Thanks!

 

I've heard, scaffolding suppliers have them, I've been coveting our neighbours one for several years.

[T.A]

Any ideas where to source one from?

 

Thanks!

I bought one from www.canalshoponline.co.uk around about £34 IIRC.

[RLWP]

Any ideas where to source one from?

 

Thanks!

 

This was rather informative: link

 

Richard

 

Not useful mind...

[Byeckerslike]

So whats better.........

 

Ash or Pine?

 

IMHO, betterer by far is an aluminium pole with blanking caps seam welded on each end. Very light and strong.

 

Rob

[nb Innisfree]

Here we go again, bannister rail is ok for end load but not very good with side load i.e. levering etc. but if you use it properly and with thought it is very handy it being light. MOT won't use the ash one because it's too heavy and because of that not safe, if she needs to put some weight behind it then she uses the short ash one.

 

Prefer ally if I could find one.

Edited January 4, 2010 by nb Innisfree