Cranage in London

[Biggles]

Hi Pedro

 

Mine is 60 x 12 and fully fitted out she weighed in at 24 tons, that was without water but wilth about 400L of diesel. It took 2 x mobile cranes to do the lift. It will be on the blog in due course.

 

I still have to add some ballast to the front, about 2 tons I think and now we are full of water ( 2200kg) we are almost level fore and aft.

 

Bear in mind we have about 1000kg of granite and marble counter tops.

 

And to in an un-ashamidly way blow my own trumpet, my spread sheet of the weight had her coming in at 24,500 kg

[pedroinlondon]

Hope you have a proper mooring sorted also...

 

I don't! I was hoping that would be easy, but I've asked Bridgewater, Willowtree and Lee Valley marinas and they're all full. I know that Roydon is not, but I would like something closer to West London, where I work. I came across the bw mooring vacancy list, but there's no indication of the max boat size allowed. I emailed themas they're closed for the weekend.

This "let's live in a boat" process is starting to feel more difficult that buying a flat!

Suggestions welcome (once again...)!

 

That's what I like to see, a man who buys a big widebeam with a vague plan of sorting the mooring out later (contrary to all advice)

 

It's exactly what I did.

 

Bear in mind it's harder to find a mooring for a widebeam. Something will come up, but you may end up cruising around for a while before it does.

 

I thought my plan was quite secure, obviously not! I've asked Bridgewater, Willowtree and Lee Valley marinas and they're all full. I know that Roydon is not, but I would like something closer to West London, where I work. I came across the bw mooring vacancy list, but there's no indication of the max boat size allowed.

Suggestions welcome (once again...)!

[Guest wanted]

There is a space in Brentford for a widebeam. I haven't seen it being used for ages. Give BW a shout.

 

25 mins cycle to hammersmith

[Kessy]

Hi Pedro,

 

Yep, your Boat will be the same weight as mine, which was 23 tonnes according to John at P & S marine.

 

As i mentioned in our e-mail conversation, this is without doubt your best place to have the Boat dry - docked while carrying out work

and Derek & John are fantastic people.

Also you can liveaboard there while carrying out any work etc.

 

I envy you in a way as i will never forget the excitement i felt when the transport lorry pulled into the yard and the Boat was craned off.

 

Unless you have actually been on a 60 x 12 Sailaway you will be amazed at the amount of room you have to play with inside and one of my friends

suggested i hold a 5 a side football game in it !

 

The best is yet to come though when the Boat is in the water and you are eventually at a mooring.....i sleep better on the Boat than any House

i ever lived in and what other accomodation offers the option of waking up and hand feeding the Swan's out of a window ? !.

 

One word of advice would be to try to nail down a mooring fairly quick as, after a fairly slow start, Roydon are now beginning to fill there spaces.

 

I was one of the first 10 to reserve a berth there over 2 years ago but had to pass it up as the Marina was not ready anywhere close to the timescale i was

originally told but luckily i managed to get a mooring at Lea Valley Marina and am very happy there :-)

[pedroinlondon]

Hi Pedro,

 

Yep, your Boat will be the same weight as mine, which was 23 tonnes according to John at P & S marine.

 

As i mentioned in our e-mail conversation, this is without doubt your best place to have the Boat dry - docked while carrying out work

and Derek & John are fantastic people.

Also you can liveaboard there while carrying out any work etc.

 

 

 

I envy you in a way as i will never forget the excitement i felt when the transport lorry pulled into the yard and the Boat was craned off.

 

Unless you have actually been on a 60 x 12 Sailaway you will be amazed at the amount of room you have to play with inside and one of my friends

suggested i hold a 5 a side football game in it !

 

The best is yet to come though when the Boat is in the water and you are eventually at a mooring.....i sleep better on the Boat than any House

i ever lived in and what other accomodation offers the option of waking up and hand feeding the Swan's out of a window ? !.

 

One word of advice would be to try to nail down a mooring fairly quick as, after a fairly slow start, Roydon are now beginning to fill there spaces.

 

I was one of the first 10 to reserve a berth there over 2 years ago but had to pass it up as the Marina was not ready anywhere close to the timescale i was

originally told but luckily i managed to get a mooring at Lea Valley Marina and am very happy there :-)

 

I agree with you. Even though I would like to cruise down the canal as soon as I get it, it would be much easier to have it there, where I could ask for advice from the staff and from other boat owners, and also as no one will mind with the noise of cutting wood, the smell of paint, etc.

I will try to visit them soon and ask if that would be possible.

 

Thanks for that.

[Kessy]

Just so you are aware Pedro, the journey from Watford to Roydon took myself and a friend who travelled with me 5 days, although

at a push we could of made it in 4 days.

 

I was pleasantly surprised with this as i was expecting it to take longer considering i had never steered any kind of Boat prior

to the day mine went in the water

 

Day 1 took it slow and steady and moored at Uxbridge

Day 2 we made Little Venice

Day 3 Stonebridge / Tottenham

Day 4 Waltham Abbey

Day 5 was a short trip to Stanstead Abbots

 

The first few hours were the biggest learning curve with the Islington tunnel containing the most choice language while trying to

stop bouncing off the walls, hehe.

[Grace and Favour]

[quote name='Kessy' timestamp='133

 

The first few hours were the biggest learning curve with the Islington tunnel containing the most choice language while trying to

stop bouncing off the walls, hehe.

 

Choice language bouncing off the walls is known as an echo!

 

 

 

The first few hours were the biggest learning curve with the Islington tunnel containing the most choice language while trying to

stop bouncing off the walls, hehe.

 

 

Choice language bouncing off the walls is known as an echo!

[Drayke]

Hi everybody.

 

I'm just about to send the payment for a 60 ft by 12 ft widebeam. The boat will be brought to London where I will need to organise its unloading onto a canal, preferebly with a marina where I can leave it for a few months.

 

The most obvious site is Bridgewater Marina in Watford but they don't seem to reply to the emails and messages I've left in the last couple of days.

Does anyone know of alternatives, if any?

 

I also emailed Shepperton Marina today even though I'm not sure they deal with canal boats.

 

Thanks in advance.

oops pressed wrong button.

 

Have you tried Butcher Marine at Reding he has 50t Wise Crane.

Edited March 18, 2012 by F DRAYKE

[pedroinlondon]

oops pressed wrong button.

 

Have you tried Butcher Marine at Reding he has 50t Wise Crane.

 

I've sorter the craning problem, thanks. It turns out it's not 30 ton but only 23 ton, which several London boat yards can handle. Thanks. Now my problem is finding a mooring.

[Grace and Favour]

I've sorter the craning problem, thanks. It turns out it's not 30 ton but only 23 ton, which several London boat yards can handle. Thanks. Now my problem is finding a mooring.

 

Pedro - - --

 

Please check . . . .. On my previous hires I have been told:

 

A mobile crane has to be rated 21/2 - 3 times the weight of it's lift . . . (i.e. a 10 tonne boat requires a 25 - 30 tonne crane)

 

Please check if that also applies to a gantry crane (if that's what you are going to use)

[pedroinlondon]

There is a space in Brentford for a widebeam. I haven't seen it being used for ages. Give BW a shout.

 

25 mins cycle to hammersmith

 

Do you mean inside Brentford Dock Marina? Do they allow residential use? That sounds too good to be true!

[Guest wanted]

Do you mean inside Brentford Dock Marina? Do they allow residential use? That sounds too good to be true!

Pm sent