Transporting a wide beam canal boat across England

[pedroinlondon]

I'm still looking to buy a wide beam canal boat, and I've narrowed down my options to three brokers/builders. Unfortunately, all of them are located north of Rugby and I'm in London, where I need to get the boat to, and it's impossible to get a wide beam across by water.

Can you good people tell me of you craning/lorry experiences? I would appreciate any tips you can give me, from prices paid for lorrying, craning, craning in London, etc.

Many thanks. This transport problem is (I hope) one of the last obstacles I will need to overcome before realizing my boat ownership dream.

A link to other discussions already existing around this topic would be great too.

Either reply here or email me directly to pedroinlondon@hotmail.com (if that is allowed by the moderators).

Edited February 19, 2012 by pedroinlondon

[Biggles]

There really is only one firm to consider, others will tell you different but they are wrong.

 

Ray at Streethay Whaff

 

If they can get my widebeam into my space anything else will be a bit of cake.

 

Ray will arrange the cranes too if you need.

 

He will be moving my build out next month.

 

You now have all the info you need. Ignore the rest. Tucky took longer to get back with a quote than it took for Ray to do the job and for about half the price.

 

My job was very time critical.

[blackrose]

I'm still looking to buy a wide beam canal boat, and I've narrowed down my options to three brokers/builders. Unfortunately, all of them are located north of Rugby and I'm in London, where I need to get the boat to, and it's impossible to get a wide beam across by water.

Can you good people tell me of you craning/lorry experiences? I would appreciate any tips you can give me, from prices paid for lorrying, craning, craning in London, etc.

Many thanks. This transport problem is (I hope) one of the last obstacles I will need to overcome before realizing my boat ownership dream.

A link to other discussions already existing around this topic would be great too.

Either reply here or email me directly to pedroinlondon@hotmail.com (if that is allowed by the moderators).

 

Are you Omid Djalili?

[mrsmelly]

Are you Omid Djalili?

 

:clapping:

[pedroinlondon]

Are you Omid Djalili?

 

I'm not Mr. Djalili, yet. I might turn into an Omid soon if I persist in taking full fat milk with my lattes.

Great blog Biggles. Straight into my bookmarks!

[ditchcrawler]

I would suggest that you use the same company to lift the boat as you do to move it, that way if things do go wrong there is only one point of blame, see this Blog

http://www.takeytezeyheth.net/2011/12/hoisted-back-in-at-mercia-marina.html

[Grace and Favour]

I would suggest that you use the same company to lift the boat as you do to move it, that way if things do go wrong there is only one point of blame, see this Blog

http://www.takeyteze...cia-marina.html

 

I think one of the morals of this unfortunate story is not to use the crane company called Raymond!

No spreader bar/balancing beam, and with only an 80 tonne crane (which has to be marginal for a widebeam!)

[Biggles]

Call me over cautious but I have insured my boat for the lift day and transport as an extension to my normal boat policy with Craftinsure. That way if the worst should happen I can let one insurance company deal with it all.

 

I'm not Mr. Djalili, yet. I might turn into an Omid soon if I persist in taking full fat milk with my lattes.

Great blog Biggles. Straight into my bookmarks!

 

 

Thanks. The more the merrier.

 

Kevin

Edited March 4, 2012 by Biggles

[bargemast]

I think one of the morals of this unfortunate story is not to use the crane company called Raymond!

No spreader bar/balancing beam, and with only an 80 tonne crane (which has to be marginal for a widebeam!)

 

 

 

I do feel very sorry for the 'Takey Tezey' owners, to have found such a mess inside there boat, but a boat has to be prepared for road transport in exactly the same way as for a sea-crossing, everything has to be sea-tight, to avoid this sort of problems.

 

It's much more likely that all this missery has happened during the road transport, then during the craning, things do move around if not tied down properly.

 

Peter.

Edited March 4, 2012 by bargemast

[Grace and Favour]

I do feel very sorry for the 'Takey Tezey' owners, to have found such a mess inside there boat, but a boat has to be prepared for road transport in exactly the same way as for a sea-crossing, everything has to be sea-tight, to avoid this sort of problems.

 

It's much more likely that all this missery has happened during the road transport, then during the craning, things do move around if not tied down properly.

 

Peter.

 

Peter, you're completely right of course.

 

When we were transported last September every last thing inside our boat was safely packed into boxes, and all the boxes were strategically placed jammed between furniture to stop the furniture moving, and all cupboard doors taped/zip-stripped shut. We even emptied fridge/freezer into insulated boxes wrapped with copious amounts of bubble-wrap.

 

I take the view that one cannot be too careful.

[bargemast]

Peter, you're completely right of course.

 

When we were transported last September every last thing inside our boat was safely packed into boxes, and all the boxes were strategically placed jammed between furniture to stop the furniture moving, and all cupboard doors taped/zip-stripped shut. We even emptied fridge/freezer into insulated boxes wrapped with copious amounts of bubble-wrap.

 

I take the view that one cannot be too careful.

 

 

It's always better to be safe, then sorry. You surely didn't need a lot of time to store everything (undamaged) back to where it belonged after the transport, which is less work then clearing up the terrible mess you would most likely had found if you hadn't prepared the way you did, which is the only way for a safe transport.

 

Peter.

[blackrose]

Yes, I can't help feeling that the damage done to the contents of Takey Teazey was actually the fault of the owners. There's only so much the driver of a flatbed can do to prevent loose objects inside a boat from flying around, especially anything that's located above the rear axle. What did the owners think was going to happen to glasses in a cupboard, the doors of which had simply been taped closed? It didn't sound like the tape had done much good anyway since everything came flying out.

Edited March 4, 2012 by blackrose

[pedroinlondon]

Thanks you all. The seller has actually organised the craning (up) and the transport to London. Now I just need to find someone to crane it into the water and a maina to keep the boat until I finish lining the inside. I've been trying calling Bridgewater Basin's office but haven't managed to find them in. Other suggestions welcome.

[Grace and Favour]

Thanks you all. The seller has actually organised the craning (up) and the transport to London. Now I just need to find someone to crane it into the water and a maina to keep the boat until I finish lining the inside. I've been trying calling Bridgewater Basin's office but haven't managed to find them in. Other suggestions welcome.

 

Can't help with the marina . . . . but delighted to learn that all is going well - (isn't it great when a plan comes together? )

[Heth]

Hi guys,

 

Sorry I'm late to the party here, discovered this thread in a search! Maybe it was naive to leave glasses in a cupboard, but they were packed in tight behind other things. All cupboards / doors etc were taped shut as they should be & anything loose was bubble wrapped & packed in boxes. What I didn't show on the blog was the photo of the 3 door wardrobe across the bed, I was too upset to post it at the time. The wardrobe was screwed to the wall...

 

In hindsight we think the damage occurred as they were lifting the boat out of the water, the crane company we'd booked (& paid a flippin fortune for) was MARSDENS, one of the best. (Ha!) What they sent was a contractor, not even a Marsden crane. A 5 guy team were supposed to be there on site, only 3 turned up. Dave (hubby) ended up steadying one of the guy ropes. But we trusted their judgement till (even with balancing beams) they started lifting her out with the front strap too close to the middle of the boat & she lurched forward. This tally's with which door opened (the only one) & which way the wardrobe fell - fortunately across the bed & cushioned by the quilt. When they got ithe lift all wrong I honestly thought the strap was going to slip back even further. I was screaming at them to put her back in the water, quite a few of us were! But they couldn't hear us & were a bit slow to realise just what a bad angle she was on. They did eventually notice & plonked her back in the water while they moved the strap forward & tried again. I was fuming. Dave couldn't see how bad it was because he was doing a job we'd paid someone else to do..

 

The lorry firm was supposed to be reputable, but even the driver wasn't happy with the back end of the boat sticking out. Hang on - extendable lorry & they knew the dimensions of the boat??

 

Then when we got here at Mercia, friends told us TT had been here overnight & the crane (without balancing beams) arrived early. Hence they were lifting her off the wagon just as we arrived. We were alarmed to see this but - "too late now" as they say. Fortunately they managed to drop her in without incident, although she did swing round & almost hit the side of a building in mid air. Said building being the dry dock boat shed.. We've seen several widebeams go in here since & every one has had the balancing beams. Yep, we felt like we'd been ripped off at the time, but, damage sorted we got over it..

 

However I did say on the blog that anyone doing this should try & get a "package" from the same contractor. We tried, but the distance from point A to B was quote "too far for the crane to travel". (?) The other advice I gave was to take photos inside of before being lifted out, after being lifted out (sat on the wagon before it sets off anywhere). When it gets to the other end after the journey & again after it's been put back in the water. Why? Because with a date & timestamp you have evidence as to who / when / where any damage occurred - you're on THEIR insurance during the process. Sod elf & safety climbing up a ladder onto the lorry for a photoshoot. THEY can flout the rules.. And remember without photographic evidence, each company blames the other. None takes responsibility. Onto a good deal there aren't they? Shifting blame when it suits...

 

If we hadn't been on such a time sensitive "schedule" we would have asked questions, but alas you put your trust in these people & the service isn't always as promised.. However good the reputation is. We were advised by 2 marina managers about who's best to use - we didn't just jump in & Google it. We trusted their judgement & got let down - literally.

I think the best people to listen to with regards to advice as to which firm's are to be trusted & which to avoid are other boaters who have experience. This? Well this is about a lesson learned the hard way, what to look out for & who to source info from..

 

Heth

 

Widebeam Takey Tezey

[Leni]

Gosh! How frightening! So sorry to hear about all the damage and the awful anxiety caused!.

 

We had a standard 55 ft narrowboat craned and transported last year. It all went smoothly, although afterwards we were told we had hired a bigger crane than was needed (and therefore paid more than we needed to ) We used Southern Cranes and Access to crane, and A. B. Tuckey to transport, and were happy with both (apart from paying too much due to the bad advice from the storage yard where our boat had been )

[saltysplash]

We've seen several widebeams go in here since & every one has had the balancing beams. Yep, we felt like we'd been ripped off at the time, but, damage sorted we got over it..

 

Widebeam Takey Tezey

 

 

Hi Heth

 

I think you mustve been very unlucky, Amy was craned into the water here at Highline and withouit spacers used,in fact ive never seen them use spacers on any of the boats lifted and that includes a rather large luxemotor one time.

 

Highline also make sure they have shed loads of staff on site inc John Currer of Virginia Currer Marine to supervise the lifting of boats on his brokerage coming out for a survey etc.

 

At least your there now and moving forward so to speak