Widebeam holidays

[Windfola]

Still trying to decide about whether to buy widebeam or narrowbeam. Will probably go for narrow in the end, but feel I should perhaps give a widebeam a chance by taking one on holiday sometime.

 

So, has anyone hired a widebeam boat? How was it for you?

[Darren72]

Still trying to decide about whether to buy widebeam or narrowbeam. Will probably go for narrow in the end, but feel I should perhaps give a widebeam a chance by taking one on holiday sometime.

 

So, has anyone hired a widebeam boat? How was it for you?

 

 

Silsden Boats have nice widebeams for hire, just outside Skipton

[lydfordcastle]

Still trying to decide about whether to buy widebeam or narrowbeam. Will probably go for narrow in the end, but feel I should perhaps give a widebeam a chance by taking one on holiday sometime.

 

So, has anyone hired a widebeam boat? How was it for you?

 

Don't take one on the Mon & Brec. It's far too shallow for a widebeam and gave me a really stressful week.

[Guest]

Silsden Boats have nice widebeams for hire, just outside Skipton

 

Yes they certainly have widebeams...

Edited June 19, 2011 by MJG

[Windfola]

What interests me is that most people I have spoken to have said 'Oh you don't want to buy a widebeam. You'll never go anywhere in it.' But if they are so difficult to handle why are they readily available to hire?

[RLWP]

What interests me is that most people I have spoken to have said 'Oh you don't want to buy a widebeam. You'll never go anywhere in it.' But if they are so difficult to handle why are they readily available to hire?

 

You may be into the "what's a widebeam" conversation. If it's 7' 6" wide, it's a widebeam - right? Or is it 12' or 14' or what?

 

How wide are the Silesden widebeams?

 

Richard

[Ex- Member]

It didn't take long for us to decide on a widebeam I'm just too stocky for a narrowboat and Lynn felt it restrictive. We nearly went for an 8f/t 6" widebeam as Lynn felt she wouldn't be able to handle anything wider. Then we viewed some boats at R&D where we eventually went for 10f/t 6" as they had one that size nearly finished. We've navigated the kennet and avon from devises to bristol and had no problems what so ever navigating.

 

When we chose widebeam we knew we were sacrificing some access to the canal network, however when we looked these areas on the map the majority of these areas seemed to be Birmingham and surrounding network. Not to belittle Birmingham but I've travelled it enough by road I don't feel we would be missing much by missing it by canal either LOL So for us it ended up a no brainer, a nice spacious boat easy to handle and avoiding Brum.

 

We were advised not to go wider than 10/6 though as navigating many locks would be difficult as well as many canals so we think 10/6 was a good compromise for us. We saw an 8f/t 6" widebeam in Nottingham some years ago you had to look twice to realise it was a widebeam and it was very nicely built, from a side view you would never guess it was a widebeam until you walked around it, we tried to achieve this effect with ours, not sure weather it works though until fully painted.

[Guest]

What interests me is that most people I have spoken to have said 'Oh you don't want to buy a widebeam. You'll never go anywhere in it.' But if they are so difficult to handle why are they readily available to hire?

 

There is a difference between being where you are able to go and the handing issue. They are AFAIK no more inherently difficult to handle then a narrowbeam, just wider. So squeezing through gaps that a NB would sail through requires more care.

 

Don't forget that any hire company that does have them will be based on waters suitable for pretty extensive cruising in one - this is certainly the case for Silsden Boats who are based on the Leeds and Liverpool, the max cruising distance will be limited to around 2 weeks travel anyway so the fact they can't get onto narrow waters won't really be an issue for the average hirer - it might be though for somebody who wants to own one.

 

 

How wide are the Silesden widebeams?

 

 

Unfortunately the Silsden web site doesn't give the details, having seen them and looking at the pics. I would guess 10ft 6in

[Triumphtone]

The Silsden widebeam that we hired a few years ago was 11ft 5". Apart from the usual trouble at bridgeholes it wasn't that difficult to steer. Most problems at bridges was caused by either the bridge being on a bend or due to boats parked close th the bridge and reducing the room to swing the boat round.

Edited June 21, 2011 by Triumphtone

[blackrose]

We were advised not to go wider than 10/6 though as navigating many locks would be difficult as well as many canals so we think 10/6 was a good compromise for us.

Which broad locks would be difficult on a boat wider then 10/6? And which broad canals? Personally I think 12ft is the ideal width for a widebeam, but that's probably because it's what I've got.

 

What interests me is that most people I have spoken to have said 'Oh you don't want to buy a widebeam. You'll never go anywhere in it.' But if they are so difficult to handle why are they readily available to hire?

They are not difficult to handle, but they do offer a much more restricted cruising range in this country compared to a NB. However, most hirers on short trips don't go very far, so on some broadbeam waters if they want a bit more space there's no reason not to hire a widebeam if they can afford it.

Edited June 20, 2011 by blackrose

[Ex- Member]

Which broad locks would be difficult on a boat wider then 10/6? And which broad canals?

 

Well a 13 f/t wide lock would be trickier for a 12/6 widebeam. The advice was for overall cruising generally, when we were on the K&A for instance people with 12 and 12/6 widebeams would more often than not have to give way and vice versa to any oncoming narrowboat where we had little or at least less occasion to do so, also some locks that can take two n/boats at a squeeze we can get into easily on our own but it's trickier for a 12/6 having only a few inches either side.

 

We started in convoy with friends in a 12/6 w/beam once from RLL boats in Keynsham to B/hampton took them twice as long. Some parts of canals though and 2 widebeams can easily pass eachother, but tight parts of the K&A tend to be around the 13 f/t mark so guiding a 12/6 wide beam through those is going to be trickier and more time consuming.

[blackrose]

Well a 13 f/t wide lock would be trickier for a 12/6 widebeam. The advice was for overall cruising generally, when we were on the K&A for instance people with 12 and 12/6 widebeams would more often than not have to give way and vice versa to any oncoming narrowboat where we had little or at least less occasion to do so, also some locks that can take two n/boats at a squeeze we can get into easily on our own but it's trickier for a 12/6 having only a few inches either side.

 

All I know is that a 14ft lock can easily accommodate a 12ft wide boat with a foot each side. I don't think it would be that much trickier with a 12/6 wide boat - two brested up working boats do this after all with a combined beam of well over 13ft. I find working locks single-handed is very easy because I can often just cross the decks of the boat rather than have to go around and walk across the lock gates.

Edited June 20, 2011 by blackrose

[Tinkerbell1]

Still trying to decide about whether to buy widebeam or narrowbeam. Will probably go for narrow in the end, but feel I should perhaps give a widebeam a chance by taking one on holiday sometime.

 

So, has anyone hired a widebeam boat? How was it for you?

 

I hired a widebeam from Moonraker Boats near Bath on the K & A. I was designing my own widebeam and thought I should see if I can handle one (I use to have a narrow boat). And to be honest, it was easier to handle than my old narrowboat.

 

My widebeam is 10' 6" wide and I have plenty of room, although another foot would be nice. It is true - you are restricted in terms of lock dimensions and narrow canals. It depends on how far you want to go and where you moor your boat - in terms of connecting canals.

 

Good luck. Tinkerbell1

[deletedaccount]

All I know is that a 14ft lock can easily accommodate a 12ft wide boat with a foot each side. I don't think it would be that much trickier with a 12/6 wide boat - two brested up working boats do this after all with a combined beam of well over 13ft. I find working locks single-handed is very easy because I can often just cross the decks of the boat rather than have to go around and walk across the lock gates.

 

A 14ft lock isn't 14ft if the gates don't open fully. Like many on the K&A. There's no way to get breasted boats up the Bath flight for example, I tried it a couple of weeks ago and two of the locks made it impossible.

[mrsmelly]

Still trying to decide about whether to buy widebeam or narrowbeam. Will probably go for narrow in the end, but feel I should perhaps give a widebeam a chance by taking one on holiday sometime.

 

So, has anyone hired a widebeam boat? How was it for you?

 

Hi

 

With regard to buying it will depend on your budget. For instance if you have a budget of say only 30k you will have the choice of eighteen billion narrowboats for sale and probably NO fat narrowboats. If your budget is considerably higher then a choice of either type.

A widebeam is simply anything over 7 feet.

With a widebeam fat narrowboat as they are called you could set off say from Stenson on the Trent and mersey down to the Trent go thro nottingham and newark out at cromwell up the tidal trent and in at keadby and have the many miles and loads of different northern canals and go right up to Ripon or over to Leeds and right across and on to the Bidgewater canal, a hell of a cruising range. BUT you will miss out on some of the very best places such as the Maccy and The Swan pub at Fradley and you cannot join north with south inland so thats a big drawback for widebeam. If you cannot live in a narrow tube you cannot go narrowbeam.

Silsden boats are nice.

[Pluto]

The main problems we have in moving the 14 feet 3 inch wide heritage boat Kennet on the L&LC are:

 

1. Badly designed new lock gates which have paddle gear which only allows the gate to swing back fully when the paddle is down.

 

2. Because the bows are not ballasted down at the moment, some crew members find it difficult to estimate their position when entering bridge holes. However, those used to wide boats don't find this particularly difficult as on a traditional L&LC boat it is quite easy to look down one side to judge your position without leaving hold of the tiller. The traditional white line around the bridge arch with the mark at the channel centre makes bridges very easy provided you have a central chimney at the bow which you just line up with the mark. One other difficulty at bridges is boats tying up too close to the bridge and not giving enough space for a wide beam boat to manoeuvre and line up for the bridge hole. It is actually against the canal bye-laws to tie up within one boat's length of a bridge, though it is a rule which BW seem to have forgotten sometimes when setting out moorings.

 

Occasionally there is rubbish behind lock gates which causes problems, but this is quite rare. One thing which worries me about 'narrow' wide boats is that they could encourage a waterway authority to reduce their standards as there would be comparatively few full size boats. Boats the full size for a canal are not particularly difficult to navigate, and they are certainly much easier to handle in locks as there is little need for ropes - as long as you pay attention to what is happening.

Edited July 12, 2011 by Pluto

[Windfola]

So how would one, for example, navigate from the south to the north or vice versa? Is it only possible by hugging the coast at some stage? (all the questions of seaworthiness and so on)

[Guest]

So how would one, for example, navigate from the south to the north or vice versa? Is it only possible by hugging the coast at some stage? (all the questions of seaworthiness and so on)

 

You can't - unless you do part by road.

[Windfola]

As I thought then

[Guest]

As I thought then

 

There has been previous talk on here about broadening the link from Watford to Foxton by widening the Watford locks and re-constructing the Foxton inclined plane.

 

The Foxton inclined plane restoration/re-construction is a very much just a possibility/pipe dream (though it would be great if they did- there is a Trust raising money to try and do it) and Widening Watford locks is generally regarded as an extremely unlikely prospect.

 

Foxton inclined plane trust linky

 

This in theory would open up a wide-beam north south link, but (again from memory) I think there are other 'pinch point's between Watford and Foxton that would have to be opened too.

Edited July 12, 2011 by MJG

[skpt]

there is the possibility that the GU to Bedford link might see the light of day and that is supposed to be suitable for wide beam. then we could all get lost on the middle levels!

[sueb]

there is the possibility that the GU to Bedford link might see the light of day and that is supposed to be suitable for wide beam. then we could all get lost on the middle levels!

Only one level (pedant)

Sue

[PaddingtonBear]

Advert alert!

[Graham Davis]

Reported!

[mrsmelly]

The boats do look ok for hire though and if it helps someone wanting a holiday....?

The OP in this thread was a very sad case indeed which was a great pity as she realy tried hard and did her research and was a good poster bless her.

 

Tim