Mooring... Bridgeholes

[system 4-50]

I can't work out why, but when we were on the Ashton these were the only places we could get into the side, apart from the designated spots of course.

 

The main issue with this is being constantly disturbed by cars sounding their horns.

This can provide an hour or two of fun. Of an evening, when you can see a car coming by its lights, sound your boat horn a microsecond or two before the car does and watch the ensuring confusion...

[Paul C]

Why does there always have to be a problem when two boats meet? If you can handle your boat, there is no problem. Unless the other boat wedges itself across the canal, simply steer around.

 

Its not normally a problem but many hire boats are crewed by inexperienced people. As has been suggested, the frequency of being bumped/scraped and the car horns would make it a place I'd not choose, but if others want to, no worries.

[Timleech]

Looking at the pic, my widebeam could easily pass and get through the bridge, so the answer is, no problem.

 

 

What if there were another wide beam coming the other way & you had to wait before the bridge to pass them - and the offside is shallow?

 

Main issue for me might be if it's on the outside of the bend. Much less of a problem on the inside, but tying there they had better not be too sensitive about others bumping into them.

 

Tim

[RockSodem]

Interestingly, someone has just shown me the K&A Bye-laws, 1827, which I assume have been repealed. There, you couldn't moor within 100 yards of a bridgehole, and obviously on the opposite side to the towpath. 20 shilling fine if you did. On a slightly different note, if you took ice out of the canal, that was a £5 fine! Quite hefty!

[luctor et emergo]

Interestingly, someone has just shown me the K&A Bye-laws, 1827, which I assume have been repealed. There, you couldn't moor within 100 yards of a bridgehole, and obviously on the opposite side to the towpath. 20 shilling fine if you did. On a slightly different note, if you took ice out of the canal, that was a £5 fine! Quite hefty!

In those days, the canal was worked by Honeystreet Barges. In the region of 13 foot wide.

[bag 'o' bones]

Mooring so close to a bridge hole is not ideal, but not against the rules as far as I know. Fairly common site on the Shropshire Union.

 

I suppose the only ‘inconvenience’ is that if another boat was approaching the bridge hole from the other side it might mean you would have to include the moored boats length during your ‘pulling up’ calculations. Even then it would only be a problem if the stretch of canal was particularly narrow or silted up I would have thought.

 

There a few places on the Langollen where mooring next to a bridge hole might cause a problem, particularly if there is a very sharp bend immediately after the bridge requiring you to kick out the back end more than usual to get round.

[Pluto]

In those days, the canal was worked by Honeystreet Barges. In the region of 13 foot wide.

I did tell you in some other post that southern canals tended to use narrow boats, either that or you can't measure accurately in the south.

[Ange]

This can provide an hour or two of fun. Of an evening, when you can see a car coming by its lights, sound your boat horn a microsecond or two before the car does and watch the ensuring confusion...

That's one of our favourite games

[DeanS]

 

What if there were another wide beam coming the other way & you had to wait before the bridge to pass them - and the offside is shallow?

 

Main issue for me might be if it's on the outside of the bend. Much less of a problem on the inside, but tying there they had better not be too sensitive about others bumping into them.

 

Tim

 

Possibly...although I can normally see an oncoming boat a long way off (unless on a bend), so would of slowed a long way back or GONE FOR IT

[Timleech]

 

Possibly...although I can normally see an oncoming boat a long way off (unless on a bend), so would of slowed a long way back or GONE FOR IT

 

But the OP said it was on/just after a bend.

 

Tim

[DeanS]

 

But the OP said it was on/just after a bend.

 

Tim

 

Oh....hmmm......I suppose the reason he moored there was because there was no where else to moor perhaps....people do strange things........bends and bridgeholes can cause issues when two boats go head to head....so in that case, he's a bit of a twit perhaps

[luctor et emergo]

I did tell you in some other post that southern canals tended to use narrow boats, either that or you can't measure accurately in the south.

I must have missed that. And iritatingly google only brings up crap about the barge inn when i looked for the proper barges.

 

Intersetingly, the original stop lock between the K&A and the Somerset Coal Canal was wide, but narrowed at some time during it's life, apparently to stop the wide K&A boats from entering.

[Midnight Rider]

I can think of many CaRT long term & private moorings that extend right up to a bridge hole. So, what's good for them -----

[Grace and Favour]

Wouldn't choose that spot my self for the water being pushed either. Those first boats bumping me about in the morning would disturb my beauty sleep I so well need. Then come the hordes of walkers, taking notes for a week or so.....

Does not your beauty sleep extend into the afternoon?

 

 

( Coat please!)

[Caprifool]

Does not your beauty sleep extend into the afternoon?

It often does. If not interrupted :-)