Fastest Cruiser through the Harecastle Tunnel

[carlt]

Appalling.

[X Alan W]

Jim Evans, on 26 Aug 2013 - 7:07 PM, said:

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

When I first went through in late 1957 IIRC there wa s about half to two thirds left in various stages of dis repair you had to be very careful not to stem up on the sticking out bits as it crumbled away almost daily BW took time to remove or put in bits to glance you off the next section, the main problem was a good lot was under water & the fore end being 70ft away, it was pretty easy to remove if your boat was loaded as it was all rotten although the bolts & fastenings were a bit iffy, My friend owned Dorset at the time & left a 1/2inch deep gouge for about 6 ft at the loaded waterline, the other problem was it used to flick you over into the wall at the other side so that tended to do cabin damage when running empty loaded it took more force to do that.

[alan_fincher]

The limit iS 4mph Damage will be caused to a 200 year old structure

Whilst not suggesting you should speed through Harecastle at over 4MPH, can you please explain how the structure will be damaged, (assuming you don't hit any of the structure of course) ?

 

The tunnel keeper tells you to go through at "normal cruising speed", so it is obviously not their wish that people crawl through it, (even though many do, of course).

 

(Incidentally, the Telford tunnel has a quite a few years to go before it is 200 years old - it only opened in 1827).

[haggis]

I think the breaking wash from a boat can weaken then remove whatever is holding the tunnel wall bricks in place I hesitate to say cement as that was probably not used but something similar. Several years ago, there was a very good example of this on the Union canal where you could clearly see the path worn at water level on whatever was holding the stones in place. The stones then began to slip towards the canal as what had been holding them up was washed away.

 

haggis

[alan_fincher]

I think the breaking wash from a boat can weaken then remove whatever is holding the tunnel wall bricks in place I hesitate to say cement as that was probably not used but something similar. Several years ago, there was a very good example of this on the Union canal where you could clearly see the path worn at water level on whatever was holding the stones in place. The stones then began to slip towards the canal as what had been holding them up was washed away.

 

haggis

None the less the instruction you get from the tunnel keeper is to try and travel at "normal cruising speed", so presumably BW/CRT have decided that doesn't do too much damage to the structure.

 

I would have thought a tunnel like Harecastle, where there is a foot and a half or more between you and each side, and you don't ever need to rub any brickwork must suffer far far less as a result of the boats than the well used broad tunnels that boats pass in, and where large amounts of time are spent running along the sides.

 

That's a gut feel though, I admit, I'm not a civil engineer!

[river dragonfly]

200 190 180 years? I give in carry on speeding going to spend the rest of my life welded to a marina mooring where all the smartarse long standing members are

[carlt]

going to spend the rest of my life welded to a marina mooring

Well at least you'll cheer the place up a bit.

[alan_fincher]

200 190 180 years? I give in carry on speeding going to spend the rest of my life welded to a marina mooring where all the smartarse long standing members are

You'll not be bothered about the tunnel falling in then will you!

 

Do you actually know which smartarse members have marina moorings then? Assuming I'm one of your smartarses, I'm sorry to disappoint, but neither of my boats has a marina mooring.

[Machpoint005]

I seem to have started a right debate here.

 

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?).

 

Just because you are one of very few to do it, doesn't make it acceptable, and you have no idea what damage it does or doesn't cause.

I suppose you think you are OK doing 140mph on the M6 provided that nobody else does it too?

[river dragonfly]

My other boat is a speedboat

[Loafer]

Just settle down and enjoy canal boating how it's supposed to be.

[carlt]

Just settle down and enjoy canal boating how it's supposed to be.

But what if you suppose it to be different to what someone else may suppose it to be?

[Ange]

200 190 180 years? I give in carry on speeding going to spend the rest of my life welded to a marina mooring where all the smartarse long standing members are

do tell how you detect that because I'm a long standing member I'm welded to a marina mooring?

 

You have no idea of the people on this forum, you're just doing a little of bit of grandstanding because there's nothing on the telly. Good luck to you. When you have something constructive to say about boating come back.

[Guest]

river dragonfly, on 20 Mar 2014 - 7:18 PM, said:

200 190 180 years? I give in carry on speeding going to spend the rest of my life welded to a marina mooring where all the smartarse long standing members are

 

Very interesting comment, just how have you acquired this mystical power that allows you to know how and where each and every long standing member moors their boat? or even whether they even have a home mooring at all?

 

We seem to have a small number of 'new members' of late who seem to think they will gain more from the forum by having a pop at others on the basis of their post count or length of forum membership, I'm mystified as to how they think they will do this when all it does for me is mark them out as a bit of a nob who I wont bother trying to help in the future (assuming I can remember of course because there does seem to a few of late).

[river dragonfly]

My first post was simply anti speeding on the canals only to be attacked from all sides ! Know how poor old General Custer felt now apologies if I upset 1or2 bored with this topic now , have to go . Unlike some,have a life outside the forum

[carlt]

My first post was simply anti speeding on the canals only to be attacked from all sides !

I assume by "only to be attacked from all sides" you mean "only to be engaged in discussion".

 

Just because someone disagrees with you doesn't mean you are under attack, it means you have successfully provoked discussion on an internet discussion forum.

 

Congratulations! Sometimes new members don't even provoke a single response.

[Guest]

river dragonfly, on 22 Mar 2014 - 10:37 AM, said:river dragonfly, on 22 Mar 2014 - 10:37 AM, said:river dragonfly, on 22 Mar 2014 - 10:37 AM, said:

My first post was simply anti speeding on the canals only to be attacked from all sides ! Know how poor old General Custer felt now apologies if I upset 1or2 bored with this topic now , have to go . Unlike some,have a life outside the forum

 

Just returned from my 'life outside the forum' - this included re-laying some slabs at the side of the house and removing the tree roots that had disturbed them, playing with our new pup to tire him out and expel some of his energy, nipping to ASDA and having a chat with the neighbours about how their house sale is going - but anyway I digress....

 

My you do have a very low threshold of the definition of attack. Not only was your first post in here a bit on the 'full on' side.....

 

river dragonfly, on 20 Mar 2014 - 2:21 PM, said:river dragonfly, on 20 Mar 2014 - 2:21 PM, said:river dragonfly, on 20 Mar 2014 - 2:21 PM, said:

Some years ago a friend was told off by the tunnel keeper for speeding thru Harecastle tunnel .He asked "How did you know"? The reply was "We know what time you went in and we know when you came out , its not rocket science " The limit iS 4mph Damage will be caused to a 200 year old structure These speedsters should be ashamed Buy a stupid speedboat and annoy people at Skegness

 

But you claim you were 'attacked' when people merely responded, did you really expect people not to query your assertion. Perhaps the 'rufty tufty' world of an internet discussion forum is not for you?

Edited March 22, 2014 by The Dog House

[river dragonfly]

Thanks carlt feel much better now will ignore the other rant

[Guest]

river dragonfly, on 22 Mar 2014 - 12:02 PM, said:river dragonfly, on 22 Mar 2014 - 12:02 PM, said:river dragonfly, on 22 Mar 2014 - 12:02 PM, said:

Thanks carlt feel much better now will ignore the other rant

 

That must be aimed at me... <wounded>

Edited March 22, 2014 by The Dog House

[Wanderer Vagabond]

Given that the 4mph limit does apply to Harecastle Tunnel (By-Law 14 under the British Transport Commission Act 1954 referred to by Mayalid above)

perhaps we should set up a 'Racing League' to see how many boats can get through it in less than 24 minutes. They can all post their times on this forum and generate a good income for the Canal and River Trust to summons them all (on their own admissions) for breaching the Canal speed limit. A fine of, say, £40 a shot would be considered a voluntary contribution towards the upkeep of the Canals through CRT, what could possibly be wrong with that?? You get to 'race' though the tunnel and everyone benefits from the fine you pay!

[Ange]

My first post was simply anti speeding on the canals only to be attacked from all sides ! Know how poor old General Custer felt now apologies if I upset 1or2 bored with this topic now , have to go . Unlike some,have a life outside the forum

It was the broad brush assumption that all long standing member were "welded to their marina" that got my back up.

 

For your information we've been ccing since we moved aboard in 2009 and have covered a considerable amount of the system.

[Loafer]

But what if you suppose it to be different to what someone else may suppose it to be?

Well, I probably do suppose that. But I doubt that many canal boaters wish racing to become the norm, or do they? Aren't I part of the silent majority, or summat similar?

 

I once considered building a polypropylene-rope-throwing device, to be deployed across the canal upon spotting an approaching speeder who was busy cleaning up the offside vegetation with 12" high breaking waves. The poly rope would duly be snagged by the offender's high-speed egg-whisk propeller, and turn itsel into a useless ball of melted poly around the propshaft. I'd then cut the rest loose, and leg it in the opposite direction, before the drive problem could be sorted out by the offender and thereby having him chase me. Or her. It obviously pays not to deploy it near a winding hole, and never against those going in the same direction as me.

 

The Missus wouldn't let me though.

 

Bummer!

 

Edited to add: that's my version of 'fishing'!

Edited March 24, 2014 by Loafer