Widebeam Boats

[spacecactus]

What are the pro's and cons's of wide beam boats.

 

I have been lookihng at them more and more lately and cannot but help think that they provide a more practical living space with a shorter beam...

 

Any views would be appreciated,.

 

Cheers

 

 

Spacecactus

[mrsmelly]

What are the pro's and cons's of wide beam boats.

 

I have been lookihng at them more and more lately and cannot but help think that they provide a more practical living space with a shorter beam...

 

Any views would be appreciated,.

 

Cheers

 

 

Spacecactus

They are comfier roomier and more practical to live on than narrowbeam and in every way I think are better to live on Except for one very big reason in the uk we have narrow canals where they cannot go so if you are content to do little cruising I say buy one but if you realy want to boat the uk then it has to be narrowbeam.

[carlt]

It depends what you mean by "wide beam boats"

 

My widebeam boat (51' x 13'6") probably has little more living space than a clonecraft narrowboat but is capable of crossing oceans.

 

"Widebeam narrowboats" as they seem to be called, have loads more living space but are limited to widebeam canals, tend to be ugly (with a few exceptions) and are not so seaworthy.

[alan_fincher]

What are the pro's and cons's of wide beam boats.

 

I have been lookihng at them more and more lately and cannot but help think that they provide a more practical living space with a shorter beam...

 

Any views would be appreciated,.

 

Cheers

 

 

Spacecactus

I guess I'm kind of surprised that if you have been a forum member for not far off a year, with over 70 posts of your own, that you might not actually already realise there is a big difference between canal boats over a nominal 7 foot width, and those below it.....

 

Under 7 foot wide, (and not more than about 58 to 60 foot long) you can go more or less where you please.

 

Over that, and if you are in the south you'll not be able to get to the north, (or vice versa) without big cranes and big lorries.

 

If you want more space and are preparer to be resticted to only a small part of the system, go wide, otherwise if you want to boat all over the place, learn to live in a tube.

 

There are multiple possible arrangements too for boat toilets - you could try asking about those!

[GUMPY]

They are comfier roomier and more practical to live on than narrowbeam and in every way I think are better to live on Except for one very big reason in the uk we have narrow canals where they cannot go so if you are content to do little cruising I say buy one but if you realy want to boat the uk then it has to be narrowbeam.

 

Actually there are more waterways in the UK that can take wide boats than there are narrow canals.

Its just that little patch in the Midlands that wasn't built to a sensible dimension.

[spacecactus]

It depends what you mean by "wide beam boats"

 

My widebeam boat (51' x 13'6") probably has little more living space than a clonecraft narrowboat but is capable of crossing oceans.

 

"Widebeam narrowboats" as they seem to be called, have loads more living space but are limited to widebeam canals, tend to be ugly (with a few exceptions) and are not so seaworthy.

 

OK... you see I didnt realise there were diffrent types, the ones I have been looking at on the cannal just look slightly more than twice the width of a narrow boat. im assuming they are widebeam narrowboats???

[alan_fincher]

Its just that little patch in the Midlands that wasn't built to a sensible dimension.

Assuming the Midlands stretch from at least Oxford to Huddersfield and well into Wales, who could argue with that!

[spacecactus]

Actually there are more waterways in the UK that can take wide boats than there are narrow canals.

Its just that little patch in the Midlands that wasn't built to a sensible dimension.

 

 

Does anyone known the maximum width I could purchae if i wanted to cruise on the regent, lee, grand union???

 

Does a wide beam presnet any further dificulties around navigating??? Mooring etc??

 

 

Thanks for all the advice peeps

[alan_fincher]

Does anyone known the maximum width I could purchae if i wanted to cruise on the regent, lee, grand union???

#

Assume you mean Southern bits of Grand Union, not too far from London ? (More northerly parts on the Leicester Section, plus several of the arms can only accommodate 7 foot boats, and some bridges on the way to Birmingham are not full double width).

 

If staying south and off the branches, theoretically about 14 feet, (but you could not do the Stort part of the "Lee and Stort"with that).

 

In practice about 12 foot 6" seems to be the widest for those that people actually boat with very much. True 14 foot ones seem to move very little. A compromise is about 10 foot 6 ins. Very much more spacious internally than a narrow boat, but an easier prospect to move around for many. However you'll still need to open both gates of every pair at every lock - with a narrow boat you need only open one gate at a double width lock.

 

You sound like you are more after a floating home than a cruising boat ? That seems to be how it ends up for many wide-beam boat owners, (but not all, before some of those on here who do move their boats jump on me!). For example there has been a much hyped "Piper" boat built to big enough dimensions to apparently be exempt of VAT - the only problem is that it has since I first spotted it remained glued to more or less the same bit of canal bank for many, many weeks. A house backing on to the cut would offer even more space, and less of the complications of boat living.

[spacecactus]

#

Assume you mean Southern bits of Grand Union, not too far from London ? (More northerly parts on the Leicester Section, plus several of the arms can only accommodate 7 foot boats, and some bridges on the way to Birmingham are not full double width).

 

If staying south and off the branches, theoretically about 14 feet, (but you could not do the Stort part of the "Lee and Stort"with that).

 

In practice about 12 foot 6" seems to be the widest for those that people actually boat with very much. True 14 foot ones seem to move very little. A compromise is about 10 foot 6 ins. Very much more spacious internally than a narrow boat, but an easier prospect to move around for many. However you'll still need to open both gates of every pair at every lock - with a narrow boat you need only open one gate at a double width lock.

 

You sound like you are more after a floating home than a cruising boat ? That seems to be how it ends up for many wide-beam boat owners, (but not all, before some of those on here who do move their boats jump on me!). For example there has been a much hyped "Piper" boat built to big enough dimensions to apparently be exempt of VAT - the only problem is that it has since I first spotted it remained glued to more or less the same bit of canal bank for many, many weeks. A house backing on to the cut would offer even more space, and less of the complications of boat living.

 

Thanks for the detailed response alan

 

Just been looking on apollo duck and seems like I would be looking at a 10 foot wide boat which would fit in most the the south uk??

 

Not 100% sure I wanna get a wide beam, just suddenly had thought... I like the idea of it as well as I have two dogs and would be better space for them

[spacecactus]

Just looking on BW web site and seems that they charge by length and not width so more economical in ers of spce s well...

[GUMPY]

Assuming the Midlands stretch from at least Oxford to Huddersfield and well into Wales, who could argue with that!

 

Not talking area, talking miles of canal and river, there are far less that accommodate a nominal 7ft beam than there are that accommodate a beam of more than 7ft. The main problem is that they are not joined together in one unit.

[sueb]

Just looking on BW web site and seems that they charge by length and not width so more economical in ers of spce s well...

 

At the moment but don't bank on it staying that way.

Sue

[Artimis]

I seem to recall asking this very same question 4 months ago but I cant find the thread

[alan_fincher]

I seem to recall asking this very same question 4 months ago but I cant find the thread

Possibly confusing with this.....

 

http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=26052

 

which although it mentions widebeams is acutally about the exact width dimensions of a narrow boat.

[Lady Muck]

If you want to moor in London, your mooring opportunities will be greatly reduced because widebeams cannot breast up at visitor moorings - it restricts the width of navigation too much. So that would rule out Viccy Park and Islington as you almost always have to breast up to get in there. London canals are still getting busier each year that passes so the bigger your boat is, the trickier you will find it to find somewhere to moor.

 

I wouldn't have a widebeam because I like to take my boat through Birmingham and onto the Shroppie.

[Artimis]

Noooo, it was a thread I started specifically asking the pros and cons of widebeam Vs narrow.

 

 

Possibly confusing with this.....

 

http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=26052

 

which although it mentions widebeams is acutally about the exact width dimensions of a narrow boat.

[carlt]

Noooo, it was a thread I started specifically asking the pros and cons of widebeam Vs narrow.

Clicky

[alan_fincher]

I seem to recall asking this very same question 4 months ago but I cant find the thread

 

 

Noooo, it was a thread I started specifically asking the pros and cons of widebeam Vs narrow.

 

Sorry,

 

Misread you comment as being about a thread that Spacecactus started, not one that you did.

 

Will put better glasses on next time!

[sueb]

Do widebeams have problems filling up with water and emptying waste?

Sue

[Grace and Favour]

No

Do widebeams have problems filling up with water and emptying waste?

Sue

[Colin Smith]

Do widebeams have problems filling up with water and emptying waste?

Sue

 

Mine's 11ft beam. I have a fresh water inlet on either side of the wheelhouse both connected to the single water tank underneath. The black water tank is up front under the bed with a pump-out fitting on each gunwhale either side. For the sake of £60 or so extra, it's worth it. Also have 230v hook-up either side of the wheelhouse. So doesn't matter which way round the barge is facing, all the 'connections' are close to the bank.

 

Colin

[Derek R.]

Sueb wrote: Do widebeams have problems filling up with water and emptying waste?

Sue

 

Possibly

 

[blackrose]

Do widebeams have problems filling up with water and emptying waste?

Sue

 

In what sense?

 

I just fill up with water and empty my waste. Obviously to fill up with water your hose has to be long enough but that applies on any boat - on a widebeam your hose may need to be a few feet longer. Apart from that one issue may be the size of the water tank on a bigger boat. My tank holds 1275 litres which can keep me going for 6 weeks if required. However I tend to fill up every couple of weeks so that I don't hog the water point. If I do want a big fill then I'd always allow others to brest up and jump in. So no, there's no problem there.

 

As far as emptying waste, I assume you're implying there may be a problem with connecting a pump out hose? As a cassette man I couldn't comment - apart from saying that pump outs are a problem full stop!

Edited July 20, 2010 by blackrose