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Correct way to navigate tunnels


boatsandsteam

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13 minutes ago, BEngo said:

Certainly not in the rebuilt concrete section, where there is a built in concrete protrusion both sides, and I have never had a problem with cabin sides or saloon chimney when passing other boats whilst heading South.

Much will depend on the shape and dimensions of your cabin though.

N

I passed a boat today and the front cabin edge protruded over the gunwale, I do wonder how many bridges it will do before being bent

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2 hours ago, robtheplod said:

thanks, that's reassuring!   went through Wast Hills tunnel yesterday and it was no too bad... :)

Interestingly this tunnel came up on Facebook yesterday and the question of meeting boats which set me re thinking. When boats were legged through tunnels they rigged legging boards on the bows so they could reach both walls, what happened when to boats being legged through a tunnel met. If anyone knows the true answer I would be interested in hearing it, the same must have happened in Braunston and Blisworth prior to the tugs 

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4 hours ago, robtheplod said:

In Blisworth tunnel, is there any danger of a boat damaging itself if it rubs against the wall without the wood rubbing strip on?  Just asking as I struggled with the small tunnel at Ellesmere as the angle of the wall meant it can touch the top part of your boat.... Blisworth doesn't look it would but it would put my mind at ease to know for sure!

 

 

You have to get pretty close to the side to pass a boat coming the other way, and I don't recall the cabin side ever being that close to the tunnel brickword, even when th hull is touching the rubbing rail. But if you have a tall chimney (on either side of the cabin) you might want to take that down before entering the tunnel, just in case.

24 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

Interestingly this tunnel came up on Facebook yesterday and the question of meeting boats which set me re thinking. When boats were legged through tunnels they rigged legging boards on the bows so they could reach both walls, what happened when to boats being legged through a tunnel met. If anyone knows the true answer I would be interested in hearing it, the same must have happened in Braunston and Blisworth prior to the tugs 

 

Would professional leggers have worked turns, so the question wouldn't arise? But then how did they cope with more boats travelling in one direction?  Or did they work convoys in one direction then the other?

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20 hours ago, matty40s said:

I've seen 2 boats in the last month that have had navigation lights ripped off and front handrail damage in Braunston tunnel after passing boat skirmishes.

 

I was just thinking that robtheplod shouldn't be too worried about Blisworth because from where the boat currently is they'll have to get through Braunston first.

 

I'm not suggesting they should be worried about either but Brauston is definitely the trickier with those distortions. Anyway they've been through Wast Hill which is the most comparable tunnel on the network to Braunston and Blisworth.

 

JP

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I have been through Braunston several times, loaded and empty.  I've never noticed the kinky bit, possibly because I went fast enough for the boat to keep to the middle, so I didn't have to concentrate on steering, (except when passing another boat, which was seldom).  I suspect those who have trouble are going too slowly so that they have to try to steer.  You don't have to speed, just fast enough to let the bow wave do its job.

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2 hours ago, Chris Williams said:

I have been through Braunston several times, loaded and empty.  I've never noticed the kinky bit, possibly because I went fast enough for the boat to keep to the middle, so I didn't have to concentrate on steering, (except when passing another boat, which was seldom).  I suspect those who have trouble are going too slowly so that they have to try to steer.  You don't have to speed, just fast enough to let the bow wave do its job.

I would like to humbly suggest that the bows of your boat were much better designed than a majority that go through there today

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1 hour ago, ditchcrawler said:

I would like to humbly suggest that the bows of your boat were much better designed than a majority that go through there today

She was a Paper Dasher - Jaguar. Very fine lines for speed, designed to carry rolls of newsprint.  Built for John Dickinsons by Yarwoods.

Jag thrupp.jpg

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2 hours ago, ditchcrawler said:

I would like to humbly suggest that the bows of your boat were much better designed than a majority that go through there today

I have a theory that every boat has a "correct" speed for any given tunnel. 

 

It just seems like the boat in front has a slower speed than mine, and smokes more!

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I had one foaming at the mouth and raging at me having dared to enter the newbold tunnel last year after he did ,

 

my response was pithy

its only a big bridge

no i dont need a headlight as clearly you saw me coming in, a town class is pretty obvious

its a wide tunnel 

and finaly do you reverse out of blisworth if someones coming the other way?

 

he hurtled off to continue the pursuit of shortening his life by shouting at people

 

 

 

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54 minutes ago, roland elsdon said:

I had one foaming at the mouth and raging at me having dared to enter the newbold tunnel last year after he did ,

 

my response was pithy

its only a big bridge

no i dont need a headlight as clearly you saw me coming in, a town class is pretty obvious

its a wide tunnel 

and finaly do you reverse out of blisworth if someones coming the other way?

 

he hurtled off to continue the pursuit of shortening his life by shouting at people

 

 

 

Some people do seem to get a bit upset at Newbold tunnel. I came through there on Swift without a headlight and got yelled at when I came out the end by a guy who was doing his best at blocking the canal as he tried to reverse out of the tunnel. I just suggested that next time we simply pass in the tunnel.

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20 hours ago, Chris Williams said:

I have been through Braunston several times, loaded and empty.  I've never noticed the kinky bit, possibly because I went fast enough for the boat to keep to the middle, so I didn't have to concentrate on steering, (except when passing another boat, which was seldom).  I suspect those who have trouble are going too slowly so that they have to try to steer.  You don't have to speed, just fast enough to let the bow wave do its job.

So just so I get this clear, if nothing is coming and you go at normal speed in a tunnel the boat naturally keeps centre?  This could be a dream come true as I've been worried about keeping straight in tunnels!!

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15 hours ago, TheBiscuits said:

It just seems like the boat in front has a slower speed than mine, and smokes more!

That rings a bell - Chirk tunnel, stupidly going in behind an idiot, who was flogging his clapped-out diesel against the current.  I was never so glad to get out of a tunnel.

 

 

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3 minutes ago, robtheplod said:

So just so I get this clear, if nothing is coming and you go at normal speed in a tunnel the boat naturally keeps centre?  This could be a dream come true as I've been worried about keeping straight in tunnels!!

Quite true, you just have to find the speed that the BOAT likes.  Old railway engine drivers would set the controls at what the engine liked, and no two engines were the same.  It's all about having a feeling for your machine.  Of course, there is always the awkward one which doesn't like anything you do.   That's why machines are always 'she'.

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It was said that on entering blisworth the butty’s stove was made up and plenty of smoke was encouraged so that following boats knew somebody would be in the locks ahead. Never tried it as smoke from PD2 was bad enough.

i am now in France and the tunnel on the Burgundy canal is very low with no towpath and originally the barges were pulled through by an electric tug which picked up a chain. Now you can fasten timbers to the front bollards and just rub along

 the walls. The best thing in France is the tunnels are all light.

Edited by Dav and Pen
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On ‎25‎/‎03‎/‎2019 at 16:40, Dav and Pen said:

Never tried it as smoke from PD2 was bad enough.

Do you mean 'Tadworth'?  I don't remember her smoking on the odd occasion I steered her.  A very well-behaved boat.  Easier to steer than that heavy-arsed 'Jaguar'.

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Well Diana has just brought us through a tunnel with the engine doing about 600RPM or 2 1/4 MPH, I steered the next tunnel and that was on tickover so I don't know the speed. But we made it without crashing or hitting the boats ahead

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