Narrowboats at sea

[rgreg]

A little late to be adding a reply onto this perhaps, but 3 times Linnet has navigated the Irish Sea in getting from the Lancaster canal (at Glasson dock on the River Lune) to the main system (at Tarleton on the River Douglas), back to the Lancaster, and finally returning to the main line. All this was of course done without any of the modern gadets and radios that boats run with today, relying purely on my father's knowledge of the waters (a captain in the merchant navy) and on one run, the local knowledge of a fishing boat.

 

 

/quote]

 

Now that is very impressive. I've never heard of this being done before and it would be an interesting alternative to the Ribble Link!

[howardang]

Now that is very impressive. I've never heard of this being done before and it would be an interesting alternative to the Ribble Link!

Maybe not quite as impressive when considering the relatively short distance involved - not quite "navigating the Irish Sea" as described by Kez!

 

Conventional and non specialist narrow boats are not suitable for open sea passages and many of the reasons why have already been stated in this thread. I wouldn't want people to try it in a a misguided spirit of adventure. If it becomes more common I am sure it will end in tears for someone!

 

Howard

[Kez]

Maybe not quite as impressive when considering the relatively short distance involved

 

I think it's a resonable feat considering that Linnet had a tired old wooden front end and a cruiser stern. The engine isn't at all powerful when all things are considered either.

 

She used to get "docked" regularly on the sandbanks on the north side of the river outside Glasson to have repairs carried out on her hull

She did once have to be rescued by the RNLI though, when a bouy she was tied to at Lytham creek snapped its anchor line.

 

On the whole though, narrowboats at sea certainly shouldn't be recommended. The sea can snap a 574ft tanker in half without a effort, let alone a 70ft narrowboat.

 

Narrowboats were built for canals, and canals is where they belong!

[ditchcrawler]

Years ago they use to take hire boats from Gt Yarmouth to Lowestoft by sea because it was much quicker, but I have never heard of it happening in recent years. Likewise there have been wherries go over to Holland, one towed by a steam tug.

[carlt]

Years ago they use to take hire boats from Gt Yarmouth to Lowestoft by sea because it was much quicker, but I have never heard of it happening in recent years. Likewise there have been wherries go over to Holland, one towed by a steam tug.

Many of the old Broads cruisers are certainly capable of sea work, as opposed to the more recent plastic tubs, and Wherries were designed to be seaworthy.

[rgreg]

(/quote]

Maybe not quite as impressive when considering the relatively short distance involved - not quite "navigating the Irish Sea" as described by Kez!

 

Conventional and non specialist narrow boats are not suitable for open sea passages and many of the reasons why have already been stated in this thread. I wouldn't want people to try it in a a misguided spirit of adventure. If it becomes more common I am sure it will end in tears for someone!

 

Howard

 

Well it impressed me, and if people find the Ribble Estuary an ordeal then Tarleton to Glasson would be a major challenge.

[DHutch]

Ive only read the first page, and the furthest she has been is out at sharpness and onto the K&A, but when emilyanne was build it was the intention that she would or atleast could cross the channel.

 

As a student Tom (my grandad) set out to sail to the isle of man from preston in a 14ft dingy and the two of them got half way before the conditions and visibility deteriorated enough that they where worried they would missed and turned back, beaching on a MOD site in the lakes and being put under heatlamps for the evening.

 

 

Daniel

[Laurence Hogg]

(/quote]

 

Well it impressed me, and if people find the Ribble Estuary an ordeal then Tarleton to Glasson would be a major challenge.

 

Howard, maybe you should try it before commenting, it is an impressive run and you have to go right out as there is little water off Lytham, just before Fleetwood you pass "Danger Patch" where all the three main currents meet, a surreal calm, water at the right time:

Peter Dufficy in Danger Patch 1996 (film frame grab) ex "Carry on up the Lune!":

 

Edited June 6, 2011 by Laurence Hogg

[Capt Ahab]

Howard, maybe you should try it before commenting, it is an impressive run and you have to go right out as there is little water off Lytham, just before Fleetwood you pass "Danger Patch" where all the three main currents meet, a surreal calm, water at the right time:

Peter Dufficy in Danger Patch 1996 (film frame grab) ex "Carry on up the Lune!":

 

 

Then there was the narrowboat that crossed the Atlantic - follow the links from Granny Button's post:

http://www.grannybuttons.com/granny_buttons/2004/06/canal_news_i_fr.html

[howardang]

Howard, maybe you should try it before commenting, it is an impressive run and you have to go right out as there is little water off Lytham, just before Fleetwood you pass "Danger Patch" where all the three main currents meet, a surreal calm, water at the right time:

Peter Dufficy in Danger Patch 1996 (film frame grab) ex "Carry on up the Lune!":

 

Sorry Laurence, I thought this was a discussion forum and welcomed comments. I think I have enough "nous" to judge such a passage without having taken a narrowboat that way myself. My original post was commenting on the difference between "navigating the Irish Sea" and the relatively short passage it actually is, not judging the standard of difficulty (or otherwise) of doing it.

 

Cheers

 

Howard

[rgreg]

You don't have to be out at sea to get caught out, as this short clip from the Mersey shows. (Sorry about the poor quality copy but it's the only way I could do it)

Edited June 8, 2011 by rgreg

[Gunwaler]

It seems to me that most of the posters here who are anti narrowboats at sea are just chicken.

 

They are so full of their own opinions that they forget in the right conditions and taking the right precortions it aint a problem. if it was the Ribble link wouldnt be possible.

 

Crossing the Wash wouldnt be possible. Doing the Seven estary wouldnt be possible.

 

Get a life you calm water freeks.

 

Im taking my brothers boat over to France soon. Its cheeper there.

 

And its more frendly.

[Charles]

It's cheeper in France becoz les oiseaux know how to spell - la !

[luctor et emergo]

I'm planning on crossing to Ireland in a few weeks time (Bristol to Cork ), for a short holiday. Will my 2007 'atlas of the British Isles' be o.k., or do I need to buy a more recent one?

[paddy r]

I'm planning on crossing to Ireland in a few weeks time (Bristol to Cork ), for a short holiday. Will my 2007 'atlas of the British Isles' be o.k., or do I need to buy a more recent one?

 

 

It will be fine,just turn left abit after the I'of MAN.

[sebrof]

It seems to me that most of the posters here who are anti narrowboats at sea are just chicken.

 

They are so full of their own opinions that they forget in the right conditions and taking the right precortions it aint a problem. if it was the Ribble link wouldnt be possible.

 

Crossing the Wash wouldnt be possible. Doing the Seven estary wouldnt be possible.

 

Get a life you calm water freeks.

 

Im taking my brothers boat over to France soon. Its cheeper there.

 

And its more frendly.

 

I don't think anybody disagrees that in the right conditions a narrow-boat can do the things you mention.

 

The important thing is to make sure that you have plenty of time, so that if conditions aren't perfect, you are able to wait until they are.

 

A gung-ho attitude will get you far in life, but just make sure that the distance travelled isn't vertical.

[bargemast]

It seems to me that most of the posters here who are anti narrowboats at sea are just chicken.

 

They are so full of their own opinions that they forget in the right conditions and taking the right precortions it aint a problem. if it was the Ribble link wouldnt be possible.

 

Crossing the Wash wouldnt be possible. Doing the Seven estary wouldnt be possible.

 

Get a life you calm water freeks.

 

Im taking my brothers boat over to France soon. Its cheeper there.

 

And its more frendly.

 

 

I am not anti-narrowboat at sea, and am sure that under the right conditions a Channel-crossing can be done.

 

Also I know that narrowboats were not designed and built to do this sort of thing, and that the boats that did normally had at least 1 real sea boat to come along with them, and from which the photographs were taken. Nowedays the weather-forcast is quite good, but one can't count on it for 100% anyway. For me the safest crossing is still by ferry on a low-loader.

 

France is a friendly country (the grass looks always greener on the other side) but if you would be a French narrowboat-owner, wanting to cross the Channel from France to the U.K. they wouldn't allow you to go out to sea in your boat, because it's not registered (and impossible to register) as a sea boat.

 

I wish you a safe crossing on your brothers boat,

 

Peter.

[Naughty Cal]

It seems to me that most of the posters here who are anti narrowboats at sea are just chicken.

 

They are so full of their own opinions that they forget in the right conditions and taking the right precortions it aint a problem. if it was the Ribble link wouldnt be possible.

 

Crossing the Wash wouldnt be possible. Doing the Seven estary wouldnt be possible.

 

Get a life you calm water freeks.

 

Im taking my brothers boat over to France soon. Its cheeper there.

 

And its more frendly.

 

It isnt about being "chicken" its about weighing up the risks involved. There is a deal of difference between a relatively sheltered "coastal" trip such as the Ribble Link and taking a narrowboat across the channel. The weather can close in pretty quickly and there is nowhere to escape to once at sea.

[howardang]

It seems to me that most of the posters here who are anti narrowboats at sea are just chicken.

 

They are so full of their own opinions that they forget in the right conditions and taking the right precortions it aint a problem. if it was the Ribble link wouldnt be possible.

 

Crossing the Wash wouldnt be possible. Doing the Seven estary wouldnt be possible.

 

Get a life you calm water freeks.

 

Im taking my brothers boat over to France soon. Its cheeper there.

 

And its more frendly.

Generalisations are never a god idea. Many of those who are against narrowboats going to sea are not chicken, but maybe using their common sense and possibly may have a better grasp of the limitations with unspecialist narrowboats in that environment. I suspect that a dirty night in the Channel in a narrowboat would possibly modify your views, and incidentally the comparison of the Ribble link with open sea conditions indicates a possible lack of awareness of what open sae conditions can and ofetn are like.

 

Cheers

 

Howard

[carlt]

I have a sneaky suspicion that gunwaler is not such a new member as he would have us think...

[Roger Gunkel]

I've seen plenty of seagulls offshore, but never a seatroll

 

Roger

[magpie patrick]

It seems to me that most of the posters here who are anti narrowboats at sea are just chicken.

 

They are so full of their own opinions that they forget in the right conditions and taking the right precortions it aint a problem. if it was the Ribble link wouldnt be possible.

 

Crossing the Wash wouldnt be possible. Doing the Seven estary wouldnt be possible.

 

Get a life you calm water freeks.

 

Im taking my brothers boat over to France soon. Its cheeper there.

 

And its more frendly.

 

While I strongly suspect you are being deliberately provocative lets just flatten that shall we

 

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency have categories for smooth and partially smooth waters, anything not categorised at all can be regarded as "open sea".

 

The Ribble Link is entirely within category C Tidal rivers and estuaries and large, deep lakes and lochs where the significant wave height could not be expected to exceed 1.2 metres at any time.

 

The Sharpness-Avonmouth run is entirely within Category D: Tidal rivers and estuaries where the significant wave height could not be expected to exceed 2.0 metres at any time.

 

There is no maximum waveheight for open sea

 

So while conditions on these two (which are travelled by narrow boats far more than the wash) may be considerably less smooth than a narrow canal (which would be category A) they really are not comparable to open sea

[luctor et emergo]

Unfortunately my 'mobile version' of the site does not add the profile info of members (and searching takes to long).

 

Don't feed the troll.

 

:-)

[magpie patrick]

Unfortunately my 'mobile version' of the site does not add the profile info of members (and searching takes to long).

 

Don't feed the troll.

 

:-)

 

Ah Luctor, Pint?

 

Juno is engineless at the moment so we'll have to meet by car (or in Bath)

 

(I know, off topic)

[luctor et emergo]

Ah Luctor, Pint?

 

Juno is engineless at the moment so we'll have to meet by car (or in Bath)

 

(I know, off topic)

 

 

just the one ?

 

We (Penny, moi, and Heart of Gold) shall be in Bath mid next week, to go down to the river for a week or so. Are there any pubs near the canal, say between the visitor moorings and the deep lock, worthy of decerning ale drinkers?