Braunston tunnel

[DobieJade]

Further to my first entry (Our first journey) we have now done two lock flights today and the Braunston tunnel - what a nightmare. Never again!!!

We will do an extra 100 miles to avoid that. Not only the tunnel - Braunston itself. Talk about crowded on a Sunday afternoon. Can't see the attraction. On Oxford Canal now, much more peaceful.

[NB Alnwick]

Duplicate topic deleted.

[MrCJ]

Further to my first entry (Our first journey) we have now done two lock flights today and the Braunston tunnel - what a nightmare. Never again!!!

We will do an extra 100 miles to avoid that. Not only the tunnel - Braunston itself. Talk about crowded on a Sunday afternoon. Can't see the attraction. On Oxford Canal now, much more peaceful.

 

braunston tunnel why is it a nightmare never done it but will do it at some point.

[koukouvagia]

Firstly, it's got kinks in it. If you try to slide along the wall when meeting an oncoming boat, you can be pushed out into its path.

Secondly, at crowed times it can take for ages and if the tunnel is smoke-filled, it's not always obvious how close you're getting to the boat in front.

Thirdly, if you have a noisy engine, oncoming boats panic and go so slowly that they lose steerage and swing out to meet you.

Fourthly boats will insist on having floodlights aimed directly at your face.

Fifthly only one wall has got the wooden guard

 

Don't let these things put you off. If you time it right – say early morning, you can belt through. I love doing that. I won't say what my personal best is 'cos that'll only get the anti speed brigade all worked up.

[XAlan W]

Further to my first entry (Our first journey) we have now done two lock flights today and the Braunston tunnel - what a nightmare. Never again!!!

We will do an extra 100 miles to avoid that. Not only the tunnel - Braunston itself. Talk about crowded on a Sunday afternoon. Can't see the attraction. On Oxford Canal now, much more peaceful.

 

Reading this & the other post re steering & propulsion I have to wonder if the O.P.has done the right thing in buying a narrow boat, he states that he likes boating much better on a river, on the ``cut`` his boat doesn`t steer, he will divert 100 miles to avoid a tunnel [braunston which back in the 60`s I found to be straight forward to navigate even with a loaded pair, though you hoped you didn`t meet another full length boat at the kink, & I don`t suppose it`s changed that much] & he found Braunston crowded, most of the canal ``Hotspots are crowded nowdays``My personal thoughts on this are give it more time, chill out a little, I know that different folk like different things [good job], but if the first impressions are such that you feel you have to voice your feelings in this way after so short a time, may be a GRP cruiser on the rivers would be better suited, as you are going to come across the same problems most places that you will travel if you are just using the canals. Sorry to be so negative but it came across to me as it was the boat & canals fault that the choice he has made hasn`t worked, out so far, Heres hoping for better.

[Smelly]

Reading this & the other post re steering & propulsion I have to wonder if the O.P.has done the right thing in buying a narrow boat, he states that he likes boating much better on a river, on the ``cut`` his boat doesn`t steer, he will divert 100 miles to avoid a tunnel [braunston which back in the 60`s I found to be straight forward to navigate even with a loaded pair, though you hoped you didn`t meet another full length boat at the kink, & I don`t suppose it`s changed that much] & he found Braunston crowded, most of the canal ``Hotspots are crowded nowdays``My personal thoughts on this are give it more time, chill out a little, I know that different folk like different things [good job], but if the first impressions are such that you feel you have to voice your feelings in this way after so short a time, may be a GRP cruiser on the rivers would be better suited, as you are going to come across the same problems most places that you will travel if you are just using the canals. Sorry to be so negative but it came across to me as it was the boat & canals fault that the choice he has made hasn`t worked, out so far, Heres hoping for better.

 

Was that your spleen?

 

Best not to discuss chilling out...

[Nightwatch]

Further to my first entry (Our first journey) we have now done two lock flights today and the Braunston tunnel - what a nightmare. Never again!!!

We will do an extra 100 miles to avoid that. Not only the tunnel - Braunston itself. Talk about crowded on a Sunday afternoon. Can't see the attraction. On Oxford Canal now, much more peaceful.

If you were cycling through the country you would be mainly in the countryside. You will of course venture into towns and if i dare say a CITY.

 

Think Braunston think city.

 

As far as the tunnel is concerned, done it many a time and never 'enjoyed' the experience. I don't think there's anything wrong with it though.

 

Enjoy the Oxford, wave hello to Nightwatch, we won't be there, but hey, this is boating.

 

Martyn

[DHutch]

To be honest, while ive only bee through it maybe four times, and can really remember much about it other than it being a bit like another, ive got no lasting bad memories of braunston or the tunnel. either during the rally/peak times or otherwise. The landslide at the one end would be better not there, but its not a biggy really.

 

 

Daniel

[n.b.Goldie]

To be honest, while ive only bee through it maybe four times, and can really remember much about it other than it being a bit like another, ive got no lasting bad memories of braunston or the tunnel. either during the rally/peak times or otherwise. The landslide at the one end would be better not there, but its not a biggy really.

 

 

Daniel

Good News! The landslide is gone.

[Nightwatch]

Good News! The landslide is gone.

YIPPEE!!!

[DHutch]

Good News! The landslide is gone.

Crikey!

[n.b.Goldie]

Crikey!

'Twas the will of Allah

[sueb]

It was the Oxford canal that was busy and overcrowded when we came along earlier this year.

Sue

[David Schweizer]

Further to my first entry (Our first journey) we have now done two lock flights today and the Braunston tunnel - what a nightmare. Never again!!!

We will do an extra 100 miles to avoid that. Not only the tunnel - Braunston itself. Talk about crowded on a Sunday afternoon. Can't see the attraction. On Oxford Canal now, much more peaceful.

I have known Braunston for more than 40 years, and have always liked it although I do have friends who share your view. To be honest if you do not like crowds then Braunston on a warm Sunday is not where you should be, but during the week, especially in the first part of the morning or in the evening it is a pretty quiet place.

 

As far as the tunnel is concerned, it can be a bit daunting, especially if it is your first tunnel, and the kink in the middle can still catch out people who know it well, as can the waterfall about a third of the way in from the south, but generally it is no worse or better than most. Personally, I find tunnels a bit boring, and if I can, I prefer to do the same as Owl ( cant spell that long Greek word!) and shoot through them at speed in the early morning before the crowds have got going.

[alan_fincher]

I actually think Braunston is one of the trickier of the broad tunnels, (although I was not the one steering when we got caught out on the S bend ! )

 

I quite enjoy tunnels, but both Blisworth and Stoke Bruerne suffer problems with people insisting on doing them at a crawl. We have on occasions held back outside, to try and get a long gap to the last boat in, only to catch them less than half way through, and then have to crawl through so slowly that it is necessary to take the boat out of gear, and lose steerage, to avoid running them down.

 

I'm astounded that anyone thinks the Oxford canal is "quiet", though, in the summer holidays. Are you boating at night ?

[n.b.Goldie]

I actually think Braunston is one of the trickier of the broad tunnels, (although I was not the one steering when we got caught out on the S bend ! )

 

I quite enjoy tunnels, but both Blisworth and Stoke Bruerne suffer problems with people insisting on doing them at a crawl. We have on occasions held back outside, to try and get a long gap to the last boat in, only to catch them less than half way through, and then have to crawl through so slowly that it is necessary to take the boat out of gear, and lose steerage, to avoid running them down.

 

I'm astounded that anyone thinks the Oxford canal is "quiet", though, in the summer holidays. Are you boating at night ?

According to ex-working boater John Garner (now dec'd) "if they caught you up in the tunnel you had to let em pass". Anyone overtaken in the tunnel recently?

[alan_fincher]

According to ex-working boater John Garner (now dec'd) "if they caught you up in the tunnel you had to let em pass". Anyone overtaken in the tunnel recently?

Can't say I have not been seriously tempted on at least one occasion !

 

Didn't someone once have to climb from the front of their boat onto the rear of one they were following, because the steerer had lost confidence to continue. They took over from them IIRC. I've this lingering memory it could have been our site owner, possibly in Harecastle......

 

Or did I just make all that up ?

[koukouvagia]

I may have posted this anecdote before – I can't remember.

In front there was obviously something happening in Braunston tunnel – lots of banging, revving of engines and the headlight of an oncoming boat veering all over the place. It turned out that it was a hire boat who had made the three boats in front of me move over to the LEFT of the tunnel. As he approached me I refused to budge and I politely (well sort of) asked what he was doing. He said that the hire firm had told him that he always had to move over to the left when passing a boat. How he'd managed to get from Leighton Buzzard to Braunston following this advice beats me.

Thinking about it afterwards it occurred to me that he'd been told to overtake on the left.

Edited August 22, 2010 by koukouvagia

[DHutch]

Didn't someone once have to climb from the front of their boat onto the rear of one they were following, because the steerer had lost confidence to continue. They took over from them IIRC. I've this lingering memory it could have been our site owner, possibly in Harecastle......

 

Or did I just make all that up ?

No you didnt, that was me.

[Tim]

According to ex-working boater John Garner (now dec'd) "if they caught you up in the tunnel you had to let em pass". Anyone overtaken in the tunnel recently?

 

I've done it! Caught a boat about a 1/3 of the way into Wast Hills, it was on tickover and I kept having to drop into neutral to go slow enough. After about 10 minutes of this he was tight to the right so pass him I did, he must have been in there for hours.

 

Edited to add: Never had a problem with Braunston tunnel, it gets a bit busy, but that's boating. Braunston is always busy as are a number of other places. I think its something you'll get used to as you gain experience.

Edited August 23, 2010 by Tim

[David Schweizer]

I actually think Braunston is one of the trickier of the broad tunnels, (although I was not the one steering when we got caught out on the S bend ! )

 

I quite enjoy tunnels, but both Blisworth and Stoke Bruerne suffer problems with people insisting on doing them at a crawl. We have on occasions held back outside, to try and get a long gap to the last boat in, only to catch them less than half way through, and then have to crawl through so slowly that it is necessary to take the boat out of gear, and lose steerage, to avoid running them down.

 

I'm astounded that anyone thinks the Oxford canal is "quiet", though, in the summer holidays. Are you boating at night ?

Isn't that the same tunnel?

 

Wake up Alan.

Edited August 23, 2010 by David Schweizer

[magpie patrick]

Koukovagia

 

The reason there is only a board on one side is that if they put them on bpath sides then two boats meeting each other would jam!

 

These aren't original features, I think they started fitting them late eighties/early nineties so if anyone fell off a boat in a tunnel there would be something to hang onto, mind you, that's little comfort of twenty tonnes of boat then come bearing down on you...

[NB Alnwick]

I think Braunston is a bit like 'Marmite' - there are those who love it, and those who hate it! Jane and I (and 'GC') belong to the first group we love it! There is always lots to see, lots of interesting things going on (I love peering into the various dry-docks and boatsheds) and interesting places to visit. We alway come away from Braunston with new purchases for our boat and a hole in our bank account!

 

As for the tunnel, well we would like it because it is one of the deepest sections of water on the GU - and although we always need to be cautious with the 'Z' section (where the tunnellers from each end didn't quite meet) we can generally get through quite quickly which helps to blow the cobwebs out of our exhaust . . .

Edited August 23, 2010 by NB Alnwick

[RLWP]

I can't say that I really like any tunnel. It stirs up echoes of nightmares for me involving deep, moving water, machinery and the dark.

 

Gives me the willies it does

 

Richard

 

Chirk was the worst...

[Byeckerslike]

The trick with tunnels is to steer into mid width and give the trottle plenty of welly, the resulting bow waves will then tend to self centralize the boat, which makes progress much easier.

 

 

Rob