Talk me out of a widebeam please

[mrsmelly]

I can't imagine why people buy a widebeam rather than a UK compatible dutch barge - the latter usually provides better living space and working space and is much more usable if you want to venture to Europe.

 

Peter

 

Simple answer. They cost twice as much and I and many others dont want to venture to Europe

 

Tim

 

 

 

 

Bt oif course none of this really matters if you are planning on holing up in a marina somewhere as using it as a house, like most widebeam owners

 

Hope that helps,

 

 

MtB

 

Mike

 

Cows droppings to you I often go out on my boat and for every widebeam that never moves I can show you ten narrowbeam that never move.

 

Tim

 

Oh and why do ya need to look down the side of the boat entering locks etc I can enter a lock within an inch of the side without the need to move from the tiller either way.

[LoneEcho]

I antagonised over the same question when buying a boat. Widebeam v narrowboat. On the plus side for widebeam, more living space, everything does not have to be bespoke made, full size bathroom, fully fitted kitchen etc, etc. The "downside" being that in a widebeam I wouldn't be able to travel further north than Birmingham. It was only when I discovered the "downside" that I made my choice

[Biggles]

I can't imagine why people buy a widebeam rather than a UK compatible dutch barge - the latter usually provides better living space and working space and is much more usable if you want to venture to Europe.

 

Peter

 

Utter rubbish!

 

I looked at several DB designs and builds in my search for a new boat. For the same length a WBNB has much more useable floor space than a DB. All them lovely curves eat into interior space.

 

Simple answer. They cost twice as much and I and many others dont want to venture to Europe

 

Tim

 

 

 

Mike

 

Cows droppings to you I often go out on my boat and for every widebeam that never moves I can show you ten narrowbeam that never move.

 

Tim

 

Oh and why do ya need to look down the side of the boat entering locks etc I can enter a lock within an inch of the side without the need to move from the tiller either way.

 

A virtual greenie to you.

 

Simple answer. They cost twice as much and I and many others dont want to venture to Europe

 

Tim

 

 

 

Mike

 

Cows droppings to you I often go out on my boat and for every widebeam that never moves I can show you ten narrowbeam that never move.

 

Tim

 

Oh and why do ya need to look down the side of the boat entering locks etc I can enter a lock within an inch of the side without the need to move from the tiller either way.

 

A virtual greenie to you.

 

Simple answer. They cost twice as much and I and many others dont want to venture to Europe

 

Tim

 

 

 

Mike

 

Cows droppings to you I often go out on my boat and for every widebeam that never moves I can show you ten narrowbeam that never move.

 

Tim

 

Oh and why do ya need to look down the side of the boat entering locks etc I can enter a lock within an inch of the side without the need to move from the tiller either way.

 

A virtual greenie to you.

[Biggles]

We had a 60' NB and now have a 60' WB.

 

There is no contest on which I prefer.

 

As for ugly, or indeed pig ugly, I think the people that see them as such are looking with green eyes.

 

Most WB I would guess are live aboard. Most of the ones I see are nice and tidy especially on the roof as there is enough space to store all the crap that live aboard NB's have on their roofs. Now that IS ugly.

[Serenity Malc]

Yello,

 

" 1) You won't be able to cruise most of the most beautiful canals in the UK. The Oxford, Whirley & Esseington, Peak Forest, etc etc

2) They are not nice to steer, compared to a proper narrowboat. You can't lean over and look down/along the side of the boat (eg when entering a lock) to see what you ar about to hit, or not, without letting go of the tiller. The boat is just too wide.

3) They are always cruiser stern, which means you'll have nothing to lean against whilst steering, and no heat coming up from below around your legs in cold weather.

3) Narrowboat owners will secretly point and giggle at your faux pas in buying one.

4) You'll feel embarrassed steering it, as you'll be outside and able to see how pig-ugly it truly is.

Bt oif course none of this really matters if you are planning on holing up in a marina somewhere as using it as a house, like most widebeam owners

 

Hope that helps,

 

 

MtB "

 

 

Well what a load of biased, inaccurate old cock ! I prefer not to live in a floating corridor !

 

Malc.

Edited October 14, 2012 by Serenity Malc

[Guest]

..

 

Grim indeed -

 

Edited October 14, 2012 by The Dog House

[Serenity Malc]

Yello,

 

Sweet Martin .....

 

I just can't get up the Oxford or north of Brum ... so my bad. But .... I can get to Bath, London, Godalming etc.

 

Respect. Malc.

[blackrose]

1) You won't be able to cruise most of the most beautiful canals in the UK. The Oxford, Whirley & Esseington, Peak Forest, etc etc. True, but there are still beautiful waterways you can visit, and let's face it most narrow boat owners don't stray all that far from their base.

 

2) They are not nice to steer, compared to a proper narrowboat. You can't lean over and look down/along the side of the boat (eg when entering a lock) to see what you ar about to hit, or not, without letting go of the tiller. The boat is just too wide. WRONG! my widebeam is much nicer to steer than my previous narrowboat. I can leave the tiller to see down the side of the boat without a problem. Do you really think that this is an issue with any boat wider than 6'10"? I wonder how the thousands of sailing boats, barges, ships, etc, have coped for hundreds of years?

 

3) They are always cruiser stern, which means you'll have nothing to lean against whilst steering, and no heat coming up from below around your legs in cold weather. WRONG! There are plenty of widebeans with wheelhouses and some are even trad style.

 

3) Narrowboat owners will secretly point and giggle at your faux pas in buying one. WRONG! Narrowboat owners will secretly be envious.

 

4) You'll feel embarrassed steering it, as you'll be outside and able to see how pig-ugly it truly is. WRONG! I'm never embarrassed steering my boat, just happy I got out of a sewer tube and bought a boat with a proper "human" living space.

Bt oif course none of this really matters if you are planning on holing up in a marina somewhere as using it as a house, like most widebeam owners WRONG! We don't all live in marinas.

 

Hope that helps. I doubt it did.

 

Edited October 14, 2012 by blackrose

[Athy]

Grim indeed - there's not a Tesco or a MuckDonald's in sight, how uncivilised.

Malc, since when was the Oxford Canal in the North? Oh, and do you ever change your vocative colour?

Splendid photo by the way, Mr. G. Have a Greeno.

Edited October 14, 2012 by Athy

[blackrose]

I can't imagine why people buy a widebeam rather than a UK compatible dutch barge - the latter usually provides better living space and working space and is much more usable if you want to venture to Europe.

 

Peter

 

Because they are cheaper.

 

I don't understand how a Dutch barge would provide a better (bigger?) living/working space than a NB-style widebeam of the equivalent size?

Edited October 14, 2012 by blackrose

[Athy]

 

I don't understand how a Dutch barge would provide a better (bigger?) living/working space than a NB-style widebeam of the equivalent size?

Very short front deck and little or no rear deck, hence more interior space, perhaps?

[blackrose]

Price at a guess, unless its a god awful replica.

 

What do you mean by 'replica'? There are a lot of very nice new build barges and they're a lot less god awful than any new build (replica) narrowboat.

[Serenity Malc]

Yello,

 

Please don't take the bait Athy ...it was purely a reactive, throw away comment. I've spent a number of years installing IT for McD's oop North. Should I do the PC thing and edit my post ?

 

Oxford is way north of Runnymede !

 

Malc.

 

I had to Wiki vocative .... The answers's no.

[blackrose]

They are mostly owned by useless, selfish tossers.

 

You mean narrowboats?

 

Very short front deck and little or no rear deck, hence more interior space, perhaps?

 

I don't know what sort of barges you've been looking at?

 

I've been on many Dutch barges and most have less interior space than my widebeam, mainly because they have wide side decks.

[Guest]

Splendid photo by the way, Mr. G. Have a Greeno.

 

Taken from our new mooring - cheers...

[mrsmelly]

Taken from our new mooring - cheers...

 

The hilarious thing about all this banter about Northern waterways is that I have treversed most of the countries system on numerous occasions and quite categoricaly know that the top bits are the best for scenery, water levels space etc etc and the realy funny thing is if you did a poll of how many southern narrowboat owners had actualy used their boats to go up to lets say Ripon or York ( Both fabulous )you would find the vast majority of them have never left such as the Oxford ditch as an example.

 

Tim

[Serenity Malc]

Yello,

 

" 1) You won't be able to cruise most of the most beautiful canals in the UK. The Oxford, Whirley & Esseington, Peak Forest, etc etc

2) They are not nice to steer, compared to a proper narrowboat. You can't lean over and look down/along the side of the boat (eg when entering a lock) to see what you ar about to hit, or not, without letting go of the tiller. The boat is just too wide.

3) They are always cruiser stern, which means you'll have nothing to lean against whilst steering, and no heat coming up from below around your legs in cold weather.

3) Narrowboat owners will secretly point and giggle at your faux pas in buying one.

4) You'll feel embarrassed steering it, as you'll be outside and able to see how pig-ugly it truly is.

Bt oif course none of this really matters if you are planning on holing up in a marina somewhere as using it as a house, like most widebeam owners

 

Hope that helps,

 

 

MtB "

 

 

Well what a load of biased, inaccurate old cock ! I prefer not to live in a floating corridor !

 

Malc.

 

 

Throw away remark removed to save offending my fellow boaters north of Oxford / Brum.

 

Malc.

Edited October 14, 2012 by Serenity Malc

[blackrose]

We had a 60' NB and now have a 60' WB.

 

There is no contest on which I prefer.

 

As for ugly, or indeed pig ugly, I think the people that see them as such are looking with green eyes.

 

Most WB I would guess are live aboard. Most of the ones I see are nice and tidy especially on the roof as there is enough space to store all the crap that live aboard NB's have on their roofs. Now that IS ugly.

 

 

I've never understood where anyone gets the idea that narrowboats are aesthetically pleasing? The only reason for their odd proportions is because of lock dimensions.

 

But each to their own. If people can live with those proportions and lack of space then that's fine with me.

[RLWP]

Hmmm, a new schism within the forum widebeam vs narrowbeam

 

Richard

[lewisericeric]

I have to agree...I'm a Narrowboat owner and I think some of the comments on here are people looking on with green eyes, and I happily admit it....I would KILL to own a widebeam!!

 

I think they look great and all that extra space... This is our second winter coming up on the NB and I have to say already I'm feeling like I am having a bit of cabin fever from being indoors so much. If we hadn't put so much effort into this boat and money we'd probably look at buying a widebeam ASAP!

 

So if I was buying again and I knew what I know now about how things work, moorings, living space of a NB vs WB I'd have definately gone for a widebeam (if money wasn't an issue!)

 

Blackrose and others....take no notice!!!

[mrsmelly]

 

I've never understood where anyone gets the idea that narrowboats are aesthetically pleasing? The only reason for their odd proportions is because of lock dimensions.

 

But each to their own. If people can live with those proportions and lack of space then that's fine with me.

 

I actualy think narrowboats look quite nice, so long as they are not some of the " Pretend bshit " type boats. In reality though you are quite correct re their size. No boat owner given the choice would design a boat only seven feet wide, they are purely that size because that is the only size to traverse the uk system. One funny thing though is that here at Sawley there are many narrowboats and I was talking to two owners across from me recently, both nice retired blokes who have owned in excess of 20 years each and neither one had ever been on a narrow canal so whats that all about.........

 

Tim

[Tuscan]

There are certainly more wide beams about now, I'm biased I know but they remind me of static caravans .

 

Coke and popcorn in hand

[MtB]

Hmmm, a new schism within the forum widebeam vs narrowbeam

 

Richard

 

Yep. Let's start a list:

 

Widebeam Vs Narrowboat

Pumpout Vs cassette

Ecofans: love Vs hate

 

 

Damn. I've run out already. There are LOADS surely!

[Magic Potion]

Coal vs diesel stoves.

[MtB]

Coal vs diesel stoves.

 

I don't think opinion on that is so vehemently polarised. Dare I venture to suggest that 90% of boaters favour coal?