Correct way to navigate tunnels

[boatsandsteam]

I have been hiring canal boats for the last 12 years, mainly on the Oxford canal, Kennet and Avon and once on the Shropshire Union. Next year we intend to go from Napton along the Grand Union and up the Grand Union Leicester arm. This will involve Braunston tunnel among others - which I have yet to encounter on the canal system

 

I have read various stories in relation to Braunston - going too slow, going too fast, bows being sucked away from walls by passing boats, boats colliding and so forth.

 

What is the opinion of the forum as the best way to approach Braunston (and similar) tunnels where boats can pass? Stay in the middle? Stay close to the wall? Maintain speed? Slow down for on coming?

 

Thanks

[Proper Job]

Exactly as you would/should when navigating the normal canal

 

Stay in the middle, maintain a reasonable speed. When meeting on coming traffic, slow down as much as possible without effecting the ability to steer, move over to the right and pass.

 

I find most people struggle with the slowing down bit

[matty40s]

Try not to have your front light angled to the left or up before you go into the tunnel, as this makes it more difficult for oncoming boats. Test your light before you leave the bottom lock (chandlery for spare bulbs)

Stay in the middle unless you can see a boat approaching fairly near.

Too slow and you will probably loose steerage.]

When approaching the other boat, slow, almost to tickover and move to the side.

The tunnel walls are not a good line to take in Braunston as they wiggle.......especially at the eastern end.

 

Note - it doesn't matter what time of year you do it, this section is ALWAYS where you will meet an oncoming boat!!!

[GUMPY]

Maintain "normal" speed in the middle of the tunnel, when you meet an oncoming boat slow down and pull over to pass, its that easy.

 

J

 

Note - it doesn't matter what time of year you do it, this section is ALWAYS where you will meet an oncoming boat!!!

 

You can usually avoid meeting other boats in the tunnel, just time your journey so you get to the tunnel early in the morning (5-6am)

[Morat]

Turn off all your lights apart from your tunnel light or you'll get grumpy people shouting at you. Then when you've had grumpy know-it-alls shout at you for being too fast/too slow/in the middle/too close to the sides turn on all your cabin lights, wear a headtorch and go as fast or slow as you damn well please.

Ramming is still off-limits but don't worry, you'll get rammed anyway.

Edited November 7, 2012 by Morat

[johnmck]

Try not to have your front light angled to the left or up before you go into the tunnel, as this makes it more difficult for oncoming boats. Test your light before you leave the bottom lock (chandlery for spare bulbs)

Stay in the middle unless you can see a boat approaching fairly near.

Too slow and you will probably loose steerage.]

When approaching the other boat, slow, almost to tickover and move to the side.

The tunnel walls are not a good line to take in Braunston as they wiggle.......especially at the eastern end.

 

Note - it doesn't matter what time of year you do it, this section is ALWAYS where you will meet an oncoming boat!!!

 

Ditto. The advice about the light is most pertinant!

 

John.

[Proper Job]

Turn off all your lights apart from your tunnel light or you'll get grumpy people shouting at you. Then when you've had grumpy know-it-alls shout at you for being too fast/too slow/in the middle/too close to the sides turn on all your cabin lights, wear a headtorch and go as fast or slow as you damn well please.

Ramming is still off-limits but don't worry, you'll get rammed anyway.

I always put all of the cabin lights on and, if it weren't for other bioats coming the other way, wouldn't use a tunnel light. I have my tunnel light pointing well down over to the left. It's only really much good for people coming toward me so that they know I'm coming.

[Laurie Booth]

My light blew as I switched it on on entering a tunnel, so we put on all the lights on the boat and my wife stood on the front waving a torch about. Yes we did meet an irate boat coming the other way.

[Pentargon]

My advice for Braunston is aim your light upwards towards the roof as it lights the tunnel much better. Turn on all the internal lights and draw back the curtains. Have a strong handlamp on deck in case anything happens to your boatlight. You can see from end to end in Braunston in spite of what others will tell you. I go through on plenty throttle and in the middle. The bow wave so generated tends to keep the boat centred. Before going in put on waterproofs as you can get some very interesting showers inside. Do NOT look up into the airshafts as it takes your eyes minutes to re-adjust to the dark. One side of the tunnel has wooden rubbing strakes which are useful but only in ONE direction. All the above applies also to Crick and to Blisworth although the latter has a kink so you can't see right through. Newbolt is so short and well lit it does not matter. I use an LED on my cap because I discovered early on you can't find either the throttle or the gearstck in the dark. Have fun. The time for Braunston is 22minutes altnhough there some jokers can take 10 minutes offa that time but in my book they are only pricks.

 

EDIT to include Morat's comment: "Turn off all your lights apart from your tunnel light or you'll get grumpy people shouting at you. Then when you've had grumpy know-it-alls shout at you for being too fast/too slow/in the middle/too close to the sides turn on all your cabin lights, wear a headtorch and go as fast or slow as you damn well please."

Ramming is still off-limits but don't worry, you'll get rammed anyway"

These are the other type of pricks you can meet in the tunnel. I'm with Morat. Do it your own way and eff them.

Edited November 7, 2012 by Pentargon

[Dave_P]

Turn off all your lights apart from your tunnel light or you'll get grumpy people shouting at you. Then when you've had grumpy know-it-alls shout at you for being too fast/too slow/in the middle/too close to the sides turn on all your cabin lights, wear a headtorch and go as fast or slow as you damn well please.

Ramming is still off-limits but don't worry, you'll get rammed anyway.

 

Oh no! not grumpy people! I leave interior lights on in tunnels so I can see the tunnel walls better. It helps with keeping a straight line and spotting potential hazards. Plus I'm a bit a tunnel geek so I like having a good, up-close nosey at the brick or stone. A head torch helps with this too. I reckon whatever you do, it will be wrong for some people and so the grumpys will shout about something. Perhaps, that's all these people get up for in the morning?

[alan_fincher]

All the above applies also to Crick and to Blisworth although the latter has a kink so you can't see right through.

Nonsense, I'm afraid!

 

Blisworth is far straighter than Braunston, and you can see clearly right through it at all times, provided it is not thick with diesel fumes.

 

Contrary to what many books say, despite the misalignments in Braunston, you can see right through that one too, but not across the full width because of the kinks. At some points, if to one side, you briefly lose sight of an end.

 

If you have a long boat, and manage to meet someone at the most severe part of Braunston's main S-bend, then your front end will hit them, if you insist on keeping your back end tight against the wall - far more important to make sure front end is against the wall, because it is a significant enough misalignment that it catches many people out.

 

Blisworth is generally by far the wetter - Braunston is seldom that wet at all. In certain conditions in Blisworth a powerful vertical exhaust will bring down much crap off the roof - a vertical exhaust needs a "cutter" to divide and soften the exhaust blast if you don't wish to exit looking like a Black & White Minstrel.

 

At Blisworth the trip boat that visits the tunnel mouth from the South end doesn't often go through the tunnel, but does enter it briefly, and back out again, to give its passengers a feel for it, (many times a day, on busy days). If you are not expecting this, a boat that app eras to enter the tunnel, then chicken out may seem a bit off-putting!

[matty40s]

Blisworth although the latter has a kink so you can't see right through.

....you can

[boatsandsteam]

Thanks for everyone's input - much appreciated.

[Kiwidad]

I like all my lights on. I like to look around and enjoy the experience, and bugger the killjoys. Go at a reasonable clip, it helps centre the boat, and move over and slow down when necessary, just like normal.

 

Note that when you see an oncoming light, it will take an age before they get to you, so keep going!

 

In Blisworth tunnel yesterday, it seemed to be taking them an inordinate amount of time, when I eventually got to them, they had pulled over and were waiting for me! As I passed the guy said 'we didn't want a collision'

[Proper Charlie]

No idea if it's best practice, but I leave the stern doors open and the lights on inside so that boats following me can see where I am. I find it helpful when others do that for me.

[jonny]

What is the opinion of the forum as the best way to approach Braunston (and similar) tunnels where boats can pass? Stay in the middle? Stay close to the wall? Maintain speed? Slow down for on coming?

 

Never respond to verbal abuse

[Neil TNC]

No idea if it's best practice, but I leave the stern doors open and the lights on inside so that boats following me can see where I am. I find it helpful when others do that for me.

 

We do the same...but with the rear nav lamp

This low level lamp, out of your line of sight when steering, is also very useful should someone fall in, or you have to back up.

This once was rather useful, when we went back to help rescue someone that had fallen off the front of a following boat!

[FadeToScarlet]

Best thing I ever got was a 12v floodlight but a 240v one would work just as well. If it points at 90 degrees to the boat and points directly at the wall it can't dazzle oncoming steerers but illuminates the whole tunnel.

 

Is this the place to mention the CWDF Blisworth speed record attempts of Alan Fincher and Koukouvagia?

[DaveC]

Please don't point your headlamp to the left - point it up towards the roof so as not to dazzle oncoming boat steerers. Most boats have far too powerful headlights. We have a 10 watt lamp and that is perfect. You don't want or need to see half a mile in front of you.

 

Dave

[Mike Tee]

What is the opinion of the forum as the best way to approach Braunston (and similar) tunnels where boats can pass? Stay in the middle? Stay close to the wall? Maintain speed? Slow down for on coming?

 

Never respond to verbal abuse

Always get the verbal abuse in first - in fact, it pays to have a practice when in the tunnel alone. You can really have a go at the air shafts and they never answer back, although they may spit. Sometimes there is so much spit it is like being urinated on - by a large horse.

[FadeToScarlet]

We do the same...but with the rear nav lamp

This low level lamp, out of your line of sight when steering, is also very useful should someone fall in, or you have to back up.

This once was rather useful, when we went back to help rescue someone that had fallen off the front of a following boat!

 

I thought this was frowned upon because it will confuse any boats behind you?

[Neil TNC]

I thought this was frowned upon because it will confuse any boats behind you?

 

We never have any boats boats behind us, unless we catch someone else up

 

Anyone behind can also see the reflections of the nav lamps on the walls. Being a 20w bulb and close to the water*, it is hardly confusing, unlike some people we have been following, that like to shine spot lamps off their stern!

 

*probably bloody useless us a rear nav lamp, but even at 20w, does illuminate the water round the stern.

[Kwacker]

I always find it essential to sing "Delilah" at the top of my voice when in tunnels.

[bottle]

but even at 20w,

 

I think you may want to check that, as I believe a stern light should be 10 watts and Port/Starboard should be 25 watts.

[keble]

And another thing ... Be prepared for sudden changes in visibility, a kind of thick mist patch.

I think this happens because of changes of temperature due to air vents. It can be alarming if you don't know about it!