Fastest Cruiser through the Harecastle Tunnel

[Hayabusabart]

Hi Boaters..

Just a note to say that a couple of weekends ago (Sunday 11th August 2013) my humble GRP cruiser "Dinard" (a 1975 built Burland) set the speed record for a "habitable" boat through the Harecastle Tunnel (North to South)

We did a "spin round" at the North portal after previously coming through from south behind slow moving narrow boats. I had told the south tunnel keeper that we were going to do this so he radioed the north keeper with all the boat details. All I had to do was spin it round and be the first into the tunnel.

After previously clattering the sides of my boat on the tunnel south to north crawling behind narrow boats (being the last due to petrol engine) I decided to full throttle it north to south. (Plastic boats need a bit of speed in order to steer)

Happy days.. boat nicely stable and emerged the south portal 20 minutes 20 seconds later..

This time was verified by the South Keeper (David is his name I think) He told me that the fastest time though was 7 minutes! (a speedboat). The fastest narrowboat was 23 minutes!.. must have been well powerful.

 

Anyway.. will update this when I fit a bigger outboard (currently 15hp Honda) see how quick with a 25hp?)

 

I would upload some pics If I knew how too?

[Jerra]

As somebody once said I thought boating was supposed to be a chilled out no rush sort of thing. I didn't know with a speed limit of 4 mph there were speed records!

[Pembroke]

What an achievement that is!!

Some GRP boat owners do seem quite fearless and like to pretend they are on the ocean

[FadeToScarlet]

Just ask Alan Fincher about the Blisworth tunnel record.....

[DHutch]

I like it!

 

How long is it, 2.67km, gives 2.5 minutes at 40mph on the plane?

 

Daniel

[Ange]

Exiting a tunnel with a big wave behind you is great fun! You're not going to damage any infrastructure, there are no boats to rock around so why not open up and go for it?

 

One time we went through Harecastle was at the end of a long convoy of very slow moving boats and we constantly bumped off the sides and spent a lot of time in neutral - it was incredibly frustrating, hard work and took forever. Another time we were on our own and went through at our own speed with no side bumping at all - far better. I've no idea how long it took us but definitely not in the same league as the OP.

 

Yes, boating is chilled out but you can have some fun at times as well - even on a narrowboat

[matty40s]

I didn't time Harecastle but had no bumps and it was swift and pleasant in December.

Braunston time stands at 16 min. Large headlight with massive forward light area, no-one coming the other way, again in winter. Took the chicane with hardly a movement of the tiller.

[GUMPY]

Did Harecastle in well under 20mins about 14-15 years ago in one of my old NB called "Slow Motion" 10hp beta in a 10m boat.

Had to wait for the tunnel keeper to open up, he asked how did we get there so quickly.

[The Pipe]

Ange you are not the only one.

Last time I went through it took 1 and 3/4 hours stuck behind some idiot counting bricks I think . So frustrating I stopped about 1/3 the way through for more than 1/2 an hour and was still on his arse way before the end.

If you want to go that slow why not go last?

[DHutch]

Last time I went through it took 1 and 3/4 hours stuck behind some ...

I've done two and a half hours.

 

Initially getting stuck behind a brand new boater, on hist first weeks boating on a short/light/highsided cruiser which when it got narrow he could not keep off the sides against the head wind going north. Ended up climbing over our bow and the two of use steered it out (me steering, him on the front holding the bow in the middle, till it got wider again). I was in a t'shirt, having come of emilyanne, and was freezing by the other end, but think he had a worse time of it!

 

 

Daniel

[ravenspell]

I havent been through the Harecastle yet. But with 60hp engine in a 27 foot Dawncraft..I think I would be quick..At full throttle the bow lifts so much its difficult to see ahead and the wash goes over the towpath.

Why so much power?.........1.8 litre Ford diesel engine was much cheaper to put in than recon BMC engine.

For those that will complain about the potential speed speed of my boat, I dont care, I think near enough everyone has tried out the top speed of their boat.at one time or another.

[Jerra]

The difference being that the top speed of any boat I have tried out hasn't put a wash over the towpath, with its potential damaging effects.

[The Pipe]

Can anyone else remember when it had a tow path. I remember it diving off under water, but only as a childs memory.

[tillergirl]

damn! our quickest is 37 mins........60ft narrow boat...........shall have to go back and try again

[haggis]

i am puzzled by the fact that folk are saying (I think) that it is OK to speed through tunnels but not along canals. Will the wash from a speeding boat not have the same effect in a tunnel as it does on the canal - it will still wash the mortar from between the bricks/stones. Or with tunnels being narrow does the boat wash not have the same effect as it does on canals?

Having said that, we too have had some quick trips through Harecastle and arrived before the lockie had the door open :-)

 

haggis

[howardang]

i am puzzled by the fact that folk are saying (I think) that it is OK to speed through tunnels but not along canals. Will the wash from a speeding boat not have the same effect in a tunnel as it does on the canal - it will still wash the mortar from between the bricks/stones. Or with tunnels being narrow does the boat wash not have the same effect as it does on canals?

Having said that, we too have had some quick trips through Harecastle and arrived before the lockie had the door open :-)

 

haggis

I think you are right. Surely the speed limit of Max 4 mph applies in tunnels as well. There is more chance of clipping one wall or another with the potential damage to both boat and, more importantly, the tunnel walls which would be worse than glancing off a canal bank. I am surprised that the tunnel keepers don't point this out to obvious speeders.

 

Howard

[john6767]

We went North to South last summer, 33 mins, but we had to slow for a boat ahead, so I think 30 mins would be about right as for us an am unimpeded run. The tunnel keeper told us not to hang about, I suspect too many go slowly and end up bouncing off the walls, we did not touch the sides once.

 

A quick calculation says that at 4mph it would take 23 mins to get through.

[DHutch]

Will the wash from a speeding boat not have the same effect in a tunnel as it does on the canal - it will still wash the mortar from between the bricks/stones. Or with tunnels being narrow does the boat wash not have the same effect as it does on canals?

I have to admit, sadly im sure there's some truth in what you say. Certainly the harecastle, thought at least deep, is far from being made of a uniform and robust impenetrable undamagable material.

 

 

Daniel

[Guest]

Plus the extra fumes from the higher throttle settings, in a tunnel that already suffers from fume problems (big fans needed.) Perhaps a canoe would be better for those who wish to speed through there?

[DHutch]

... in a tunnel that already suffers from fume problems ...

Does it?

- Fans, yes, fume issues, very manageable I would say.

 

 

Daniel

[alan_fincher]

The tunnel keeper at Harecastle has always told us to "travel at normal cruising speed, if the boat in front allows it".

We have always done this, and, if the lead boat, I've certainly been through in well under half an hour.

 

Nor have I ever "clipped" or "glanced off" anything! It is a big enough tunnel, and unlike (say) the Grand Union ones, you don't have to pass anything, so you have complete control over the situation.

If they didn't want you to go through as quickly as you safely can, why would they actually instruct you to?

[Jerra]

If they didn't want you to go through as quickly as you safely can, why would they actually instruct you to?

You said they instruct you to travel at normal cruising speed not as quickly as you safely can. The two may not be the same.

[Guest]

Does it?

- Fans, yes, fume issues, very manageable I would say.

 

 

Daniel

Not as manageable if everyone thinks they are Donald Campbell?

[Hayabusabart]

I havent been through the Harecastle yet. But with 60hp engine in a 27 foot Dawncraft..I think I would be quick..At full throttle the bow lifts so much its difficult to see ahead and the wash goes over the towpath.

Why so much power?.........1.8 litre Ford diesel engine was much cheaper to put in than recon BMC engine.

For those that will complain about the potential speed speed of my boat, I dont care, I think near enough everyone has tried out the top speed of their boat.at one time or another.

I seem to have started a right debate here..

 

First to ravenspell - give it a go one day and see if you can beat my time? sounds like you might be able too as well! let me know..

 

Second to everyone - I dunno about the 4mph limit applying to the tunnel.. the keepers weren't bothered by my "speeding" at all. The tunnel also has a concrete "road" they put in a few years ago under the water. Also I doubt whether any significant wash damage can be done to the brick walls either. After all how many folks go full throttle it though the tunnel after all? (only me and a handful of others by the sounds of it?).

All I can say is that it was far easier and safer to go through it "making a bit of progress" than crawling along at a snails pace clattering all the sides.. (far more damage likely to be done smashing the sides of the nearly 200 year old bricks

than a bit of wash methinks..)

[Guest]

Once again a little common sense is called for. Don't go too slow, don't treat it like a water speed record. If I want to go somewhere in a hurry I take the train.