nb or cruser?

[skpt]

am well aware of limitations with a trailable boat.may have to limit ourselves to widebeam canals and get a bigger 4x4!

[Naughty Cal]

am well aware of limitations with a trailable boat.may have to limit ourselves to widebeam canals and get a bigger 4x4!

 

Nah you have that the wrong way around. Its the narrowboaters that are limited. With the right trailable boat you will have far more water avaliable for your use than a narrowboatist

[Cheshire cat]

Eloquently put!

[jonk]

Generally narrowboat for canals and cruiser for rivers, that is what they are usually designed for aren't they? For mixed use it gets more complicated

 

John

[carlt]

Generally narrowboat for canals and cruiser for rivers, that is what they are usually designed for aren't they?

Not quite...Narrowboats are designed for canals, cruisers are designed for all waterways.

 

Go back to the 70s and there were hardly any narrowboats, just cruisers and leisure boats made out of boats originally designed for other uses.

[jonk]

Not quite...Narrowboats are designed for canals, cruisers are designed for all waterways.

 

Go back to the 70s and there were hardly any narrowboats, just cruisers and leisure boats made out of boats originally designed for other uses.

 

Isn't that just narrow cruisers?

 

John

[Phil Ambrose]

Point narrowboat- You can call grp boats 'tupperwares' and look smug. But when grp owners call NB's 'sewertubes,' they just look jealous.

 

**Runs for life.**

Kidding!

 

I don't think all of your point are totally accurate, to be honest- Particularly the bit about what price you may expect to pay for a cheap nb. You didn't mention size so it's hard to say, but you could get lucky and end up with a reasonable NB for a lot less than 15k... I did!

And don't forget GRP boats can suffer from osmosis, also need anti fouling, and are more vulnerable than a stell hull, when comparing the maintenance involved.

 

Bit of a sweeping statement "GRP boats suffer from Osmosis", Before buying our present 60ft NB we lived on our 40ft x 12ft beam GRP cruiser. Loads of room , very comfortable and no Osmosis. Spent over 8 years on her and never split.

 

Phil

[carlt]

Isn't that just narrow cruisers?

 

John

Obviously a broad beam cruiser cannot use the narrow canals but it doesn't seem to bother their owners too much.

 

The waterways available to a cruiser with sea going capabilities more than compensates, for the loss of narrow ditch crawling.

 

Of course, if you are desperate to cruise the narrow canals, as well as having access to the sea, then you could do a lot worse than a Shetland Speedwell.

[benfordboy]

Being the owner of a 1968 Cruiser (Splitter / Noddyboat/Yogurt Pot/etc etc)for the last 8 yrs I have to say we have had to address a couple of Osmosis blisters over the last 2 lift outs - nothing major & easily dealt with (2x 2pence size)

 

Yes we have to antifoul - do you Sewertubers / Narrowboaters not have to lift out & black then ???? I wonder what a unblacked hull looks like after 43 yrs !

 

Ok - Lets not do the GRP vs Narrowboat war - I have relived most of the cruising of my youth (Aboard either a 22ft Wooden Dawncraft or NB) in our cruiser , its been great ! Yes we've been abused by some NB's but most have been great - We have had similar treatment when borrowing dads NB & cruising the Tidal Trent & Thames from some cruiser owners lol !

 

A Narrowbeam cruiser offers the same cruising area as a Sewertube (Ok we cant do Standedge tunnel - Believe me I've tried every edge with BW - Videos. ELectric power , & many more beggings!) but apart from that a cruiser works as well on the cut & better on the rivers. Only downside is space on a narrowbeam cruiser & maybe some facilities.

 

Whatever you own - Enjoy the waterways - Its Brilliant !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[skpt]

agree about the speedwell but maybe not robust enough for my bit of cardigan bay but ok for the hamble.perfect for all the canals especially the ones not connected to the network.

[Roger Gunkel]

Carl- I actually put down a deposit on a new Caraboat at I think the 1970 London Boatshow I quickly saw the error of my ways and went for a Shetland 610 instead. Had a lot of fun around the Medway and lower Thames in the Shetland, and it took me from The Medway to the I.O.W with a 50hp Evinrude on the back.

 

Pete - If you are serious about coastal and estuary work, I would go for a seaworthy cruiser for safety, which as Carl said will also give you access to a still huge area of non-narrow waterways. I love my 25ft GRP motorsailer for sea work and also areas such as the Broads, and rivers, but I also enjoy the Fens and other more inland areas. I also live on a 57ft steel widebeam, so have a foot in two camps

 

Roger

[jonk]

Obviously a broad beam cruiser cannot use the narrow canals but it doesn't seem to bother their owners too much.

 

Presumably because they chose that boat for the area they wanted?

 

The waterways available to a cruiser with sea going capabilities more than compensates, for the loss of narrow ditch crawling.

 

Certainly - depends on the area you want to cruise, of course.

 

Of course, if you are desperate to cruise the narrow canals, as well as having access to the sea, then you could do a lot worse than a Shetland Speedwell.

 

Maybe, personally I would go for two having two different boats - one for canals and the other for sea and rivers

 

 

Reply understood, I also understand the main problem is getting between the Southern canals and the Northern canals - no wide canal connection? Then there are bridges and tunnels to consider - The upper Thames is restricted, for example, and that is a river! However if the cruiser is seagoing, or trail-able, then no problem!!! Certainly a seagoing cruiser opens up a huge area that a narrowboat would/could not enter, at least safely. Phylis could probably expand on that? I would guess that a steel hull in salt water is also not ideal as well - much more care needed in rustproofing.

OP - Horses for courses as someone said - decide where and what you want to cruise and then choose the most appropriate transport.

 

John

 

John

[Naughty Cal]

Maybe, personally I would go for two having two different boats - one for canals and the other for sea and rivers

 

 

Reply understood, I also understand the main problem is getting between the Southern canals and the Northern canals - no wide canal connection? Then there are bridges and tunnels to consider - The upper Thames is restricted, for example, and that is a river! However if the cruiser is seagoing, or trail-able, then no problem!!! Certainly a seagoing cruiser opens up a huge area that a narrowboat would/could not enter, at least safely. Phylis could probably expand on that? I would guess that a steel hull in salt water is also not ideal as well - much more care needed in rustproofing.

OP - Horses for courses as someone said - decide where and what you want to cruise and then choose the most appropriate transport.

 

John

 

John

 

There is no wide beam inland connection between the southern and nortern wide beam waterways but there is the much quicker and interesting route down the coast.

 

We chose a sea boat quite by accident. We had intended to buy a river boat (Viking 20) It would still have been a nats too wide to cruise the narrow beam waterways but we were happy with this. The area we cruise in has a huge choice of areas to cruise with no need to worry about beam restrictions. We chose NC for her looks rather than an informed desicion but luckily for us it has proven to be the right choice and has opened up even more coastal cruising grounds than we had ever imagined we would use. In the three years that we have been moored at Burton Waters we have hardly scratched the surface of the cruising grounds avaliable to us and it isnt through lack of trying, we use the boat every weekend and for every holiday.

 

It is very much horses for courses. If you intend to soley cruise the narrow waterways then a narrowboat is the obvious choice but if you plan to moor in an area with easy access to open water and less benign water then it is the obvious choice to own a GRP or steel cruiser more suitable for these waterways. Deciding how you are going to use your boat and where you will use it will in effect dictate the type of boat you choose.

[jonk]

There is no wide beam inland connection between the southern and nortern wide beam waterways but there is the much quicker and interesting route down the coast.

 

We chose a sea boat quite by accident. We had intended to buy a river boat (Viking 20) It would still have been a nats too wide to cruise the narrow beam waterways but we were happy with this. The area we cruise in has a huge choice of areas to cruise with no need to worry about beam restrictions. We chose NC for her looks rather than an informed desicion but luckily for us it has proven to be the right choice and has opened up even more coastal cruising grounds than we had ever imagined we would use. In the three years that we have been moored at Burton Waters we have hardly scratched the surface of the cruising grounds avaliable to us and it isnt through lack of trying, we use the boat every weekend and for every holiday.

 

It is very much horses for courses. If you intend to soley cruise the narrow waterways then a narrowboat is the obvious choice but if you plan to moor in an area with easy access to open water and less benign water then it is the obvious choice to own a GRP or steel cruiser more suitable for these waterways. Deciding how you are going to use your boat and where you will use it will in effect dictate the type of boat you choose.

 

Thanks Phylis

 

John

[Starcoaster]

Bit of a sweeping statement "GRP boats suffer from Osmosis"

Thats why I stated "...don't forget GRP boats can suffer from osmosis" (My accent on the 'can.' )

You even quoted it right above! I don't think it read as if I was suggesting they all will, or that it was likely to make them split!

I felt it worth mentioning that and also the anti fouling the op seemed to think by his hull comparison (I may be wrong) that grp's didn't need hull maintenance, not that nb's didn't need anything comparable doing.

 

I must admit before I started looking for inland boats I did seriously consider something coastal based and sea going and would quite fancy having something like Phylis's boat as well if I lived by the cost.

Edited December 8, 2011 by Starcoaster

[kevinl]

What made me go for a narrowboat were things: the wood/coal fire. I want to be able to use my boat throughout the year, OK, sometimes I don't get out of the marina so it's more like a caravan, but I can potter about. watch telly, read, banter with the other owners or whatever it's better than being at home. I have seen fires on cruisers but they never looked safe to me so unless you pay for one with (an expensive) gas or diesel heater then you won't be using it much in the winter. Secondly of all the cruisers I looked at very few had an inboard diesel engine, petrol is: expensive, potentially more dangerous than diesel and not that widely available on the cut so jerry can and a funnel. So unless you want to lock the boat up and head south for the winter like most of the other cruiser owners then I'd go with the nb every time.

K

[Naughty Cal]

What made me go for a narrowboat were things: the wood/coal fire. I want to be able to use my boat throughout the year, OK, sometimes I don't get out of the marina so it's more like a caravan, but I can potter about. watch telly, read, banter with the other owners or whatever it's better than being at home. I have seen fires on cruisers but they never looked safe to me so unless you pay for one with (an expensive) gas or diesel heater then you won't be using it much in the winter. Secondly of all the cruisers I looked at very few had an inboard diesel engine, petrol is: expensive, potentially more dangerous than diesel and not that widely available on the cut so jerry can and a funnel. So unless you want to lock the boat up and head south for the winter like most of the other cruiser owners then I'd go with the nb every time.

K

 

We use our cruiser all year round and have never been cold onboard. Cruisers are allowed heating as well you know

 

We have a 2kw Webasto warm air diesel heater and a twin skinned boat. She stays toasty warm even down to -19 degrees last winter

[Phil Ambrose]

We use our cruiser all year round and have never been cold onboard. Cruisers are allowed heating as well you know

 

We have a 2kw Webasto warm air diesel heater and a twin skinned boat. She stays toasty warm even down to -19 degrees last winter

 

I agree with Phylis, another load of old tosh about GRP boats by the ill or uninformed. We lived on our 40ft x 12ft GRP cruiser for over 8 years and were never cold! Our main heating was a Glembring 8kw drip feed heater (with a flue) I know several other people who likewise live aboard GRP cruisers who indeed do have solid fuel.

I have always been of the opinion that a boat, any boat is what you choose it to be as long as you are prepared to give it a bit of time and effort.

 

Phil

[benfordboy]

I agree with Phylis, another load of old tosh about GRP boats by the ill or uninformed. We lived on our 40ft x 12ft GRP cruiser for over 8 years and were never cold! Our main heating was a Glembring 8kw drip feed heater (with a flue) I know several other people who likewise live aboard GRP cruisers who indeed do have solid fuel.

I have always been of the opinion that a boat, any boat is what you choose it to be as long as you are prepared to give it a bit of time and effort.

 

Phil

 

 

 

At Last Words of wisdom

[Victor Vectis]

You need a caraboat...

 

We passed one of those on the Llangollen back in May.

 

SAM

Ryde

IOW