Braunston tunnel

[NB Alnwick]

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...

 

My Welsh ancestry has left me with an natural urge to explore dark underground passages.

[churchward]

My Welsh ancestry has left me with an natural urge to explore dark underground passages.

Nah I think it means you are descended from Dwarves. You don't go around humming Hi Ho! do you?

 

Edited to add I rather like the area of Braunston and the sense of being busy just adds to the enjoyment. I like the tunnel too but like others find it is best to go as fast as possible as this helps steerage, I slow down to pass any boats coming the other way of course.

 

Don't know why but Blisworth gives me the creeps and so don't like passing through much and always try and give the engine some extra beans to speed us through. The reward of course coming from the north end is to arrive at Stoke Bruerne although not far from where I live I don't get bored of seeing it.

Edited August 23, 2010 by churchward

[MoominPapa]

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.

 

I guess a career as a submariner is out then?

 

MP.

[NB Alnwick]

Nah I think it means you are descended from Dwarves. You don't go around humming Hi Ho! do you?

 

Not since I retired . . .

[RLWP]

I guess a career as a submariner is out then?

 

MP.

 

As long as you leave the lights on, I'll be fine

 

Richard

[NB Alnwick]

As long as you leave the lights on, I'll be fine

 

Richard

 

Probably better than leaving the windows open

[bottle]

My Welsh ancestry has left me with an natural urge to explore dark underground passages.

 

 

Nah I think it means you are descended from Dwarves. You don't go around humming Hi Ho! do you?

 

SNIP>>>>>>>>>>>>

 

Having met Graham

 

:lol: ;)

[Proper Job]

Nah I think it means you are descended from Dwarves. You don't go around humming Hi Ho! do you?

Gotta agree with bottle on this one. It made me chuckle

 

Now........ I can imagine him going through Braunston (the tunnel bit).......

 

K3 wound up on song, soot and red embers shooting from the exhaust........ probably having to duck in case he hits the tunnel roof......

 

I haven't worked out which 'dwarf' he was yet........ Was there a 'Lanky'

[FadeToScarlet]

Having been to Braunston for the historic boat gathering, and been fortunate enough to briefly steer in the parade, it seemed positively dead when we went through last time!

 

I disliked Braunston tunnel, getting caught out by the kink, and the boat now has a large number of battle scars along the top-plank- the level was maybe 4" down, and so that was catching on the board, not the rubbing strake, when we moved over to avoid oncoming boats.

 

2,200 rpm through there, when not passing other boats- very loud!

[churchward]

Gotta agree with bottle on this one. It made me chuckle

 

Now........ I can imagine him going through Braunston (the tunnel bit).......

 

K3 wound up on song, soot and red embers shooting from the exhaust........ probably having to duck in case he hits the tunnel roof......

 

I haven't worked out which 'dwarf' he was yet........ Was there a 'Lanky'

Just cos ee's tall don't mean there ain't no dwarf blood in there it's strong stuff it's just got mixed with some long shanks is all!

 

These are some of the Dwarves rejected by Walt Disney for the final storyline so they say. So you think he might be one of them?

 

Jumpy, Deafy, Dizzey, Hickey, Wheezy, Baldy, Gabby, Nifty, Sniffy, Swift, Lazy, Puffy, Stuffy, Tubby, Shorty and Burpy

Edited August 23, 2010 by churchward

[DobieJade]

Hi, thanks for your remarks. My steering/propulsion problem was after spending first 4 days on a river then going on to canals I found it tricky, but after several days on the canals I am getting the hang of it and we are enjoying every minute. I should have made my first days on the canals. As for the Braunston tunnel it is horrendous. This Sunday was extra busy for some reason so the locals told me and trying to get through Braunston was the same. You'd have thought the Rally was on. No I wouldn't divert 100 miles to avoid a tunnel just Braunston, but probably if I had to do it again I would do as another person said and do it early morning. Bearing in mind we only picked the boat up 7 days ago, and I have got from Peterborough to Ansty on the Oxford canal since Wednesday, I am not doing too bad. Early starts are the way to do it. Just done the Newbold Tunnel, really nice the way they have put coloured lights in there.

 

 

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.

[alan_fincher]

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

Ah,

 

I think I've met you coming the other way!

[Guest]

I sympathise with the OP.

 

Braunston tunnel does to me seem to require additional concentration - the S bend does add a little extra dimension.

 

I've only ever done it twice (2nd time yesterday) and both times managed to make contact with a boat coming the other way.

 

First time was definitely my fault as I drifted into the path of a boat coming the other way - however yesterdays was down to the skipper of the other boat, as he managed to swing his stern into my path as we approached...the 'impact' sounds much worse down there and no harm done due to the speed we were moving on both occasions, so yes it's a little tricky - but not sure I'd detour 100 miles to avoid it.

 

Foulridge is my favourite - 1 way, controlled by lights and straight as a dye (SP??)

 

Braunston itself?? - love the place..

[Grace and Favour]

snippy>>

controlled by lights and straight as a dye (SP??)

 

 

 

Die

[alan_fincher]

Die

A bit of a harsh punishment, for just a simple spelling error!

[Woollymishka]

We feel we have done the tunnel more times than we have had hot dinners! On our own or with groups of young people steering (and we haven't bumped anyone) though the young people have said hello to the tunnel sides once or twice!

The best time is early morning and we have done it at night once which was bizarre - exiting - well we thought we were still in the tunnel.

as we say on numerous occassions - whatever floats your boat!!

[MoominPapa]

We feel we have done the tunnel more times than we have had hot dinners! On our own or with groups of young people steering (and we haven't bumped anyone) though the young people have said hello to the tunnel sides once or twice!

The best time is early morning and we have done it at night once which was bizarre - exiting - well we thought we were still in the tunnel.

as we say on numerous occassions - whatever floats your boat!!

Argghhh! My eyes! The news forum software allows font changes, and you've used Comic Sans. Please don't do that. Clicky.

 

MP.

[Machpoint005]

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.

 

Braunston is a bit busy, but it was the diesel smoke that I didn't like on the few occasions we've been through. Horrible, hanging yellowish muck!

Harecastle is fine in that respect, though, because of the one-way traffic and ventilation. It's good to be first in the convoy, if possible, and get your (metaphorical) foot down.

Slow boats going in either direction can be a problem in Braunston and Blisworth, I'd agree.

[jake_crew]

Somewhere there was a picture of the tunnel in the early morning clearly showing that you could see from end to end.

 

That kink can't be very big if you can see right through.

[alan_fincher]

Somewhere there was a picture of the tunnel in the early morning clearly showing that you could see from end to end.

 

That kink can't be very big if you can see right through.

There is one somewhere in our excruciatingly bland and uninteresting blog, but I take no responsibility for anyone who dies of boredom whilst looking for it!

 

It's a strange thing.

 

You can see through very clearly, when it s fog free, despite several "informed" books repeating the myth you can not.

 

But if you try and follow the edge closely with the back of your boat at the most severe kink, you certainly risk severe front end contact if something long is doing the same thing coming the other way.

 

It's by far the most irregular of the GU tunnels, and I have even got caught out be thinking a bit I have been past was the worst "kink" only to meet someone at the real one a bit further on.

[Guest]

There is one somewhere in our excruciatingly bland and uninteresting blog, but I take no responsibility for anyone who dies of boredom whilst looking for it!

 

Well I didn't find the photo - but found the bit about somebody building a modern 'copy' of Sickle quite interesting...

[Tiny]

There is one somewhere in our excruciatingly bland and uninteresting blog, but I take no responsibility for anyone who dies of boredom whilst looking for it!

 

It's a strange thing.

 

You can see through very clearly, when it s fog free, despite several "informed" books repeating the myth you can not.

 

But if you try and follow the edge closely with the back of your boat at the most severe kink, you certainly risk severe front end contact if something long is doing the same thing coming the other way.

 

It's by far the most irregular of the GU tunnels, and I have even got caught out be thinking a bit I have been past was the worst "kink" only to meet someone at the real one a bit further on.

 

There are a couple of narrow tunnels on the Trent and Mersey like that - you can just see through but once you enter its like being inside a snake as you twist and turn the tiller to not hit the walls.

[Catrin]

Well I didn't find the photo - but found the bit about somebody building a modern 'copy' of Sickle quite interesting...

Photo looking back at Braunston tunnel from the southern end http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vIDvc7OecpQ/ThF4ekZ60RI/AAAAAAAAApo/zNkG2N34oZk/s1600/IMG_0981.JPG

Cath

[Guest]

Photo looking back at Braunston tunnel from the southern end http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vIDvc7OecpQ/ThF4ekZ60RI/AAAAAAAAApo/zNkG2N34oZk/s1600/IMG_0981.JPG

Cath

 

 

Made un-clicky hope you don't mind.

 

and yes you can see right through - I must confess we have only done that tunnel twice and in opposite directions each time but when we did I was never particularly concious of 'the kink'...

 

 

 

..

Edited August 3, 2011 by MJG

[I love narrow boats]

Reading this takes me back,I use to live in Yardley Gobion and spent all my summers watching the working boats, I would occasionally blag a lift, we would also exchange banter with the Phipps boats (Barleycorn and Barleymow) as they made their way to stoke, on the way back they would throw us a soda I couldnt wait to have my first narrow experience, I hired from Weltonfield, by far the nicest hir boats in the early eighties.

We set off with Hugh on our trial run, he took us through the tunnel which was really good, however just after entering the tunnel following a competent hirerer of another weltonfield

lost the run of themselves prompting Hugh to race through the inside of our boat (to the amasement of my family) and board the other boat to take control of affairs (seriously inflating my ego).

I have since owned a boat and have tackled the said Braunstone a few times, must say I loved that stretch as I love the system full stop, really miss the whole nine yards.

Case of you really dont know what you have got till its gone...