Crusing with pram covers on

[davidc]

Just finished watching Tony Robinsons Walking through history on 4OD.

 

In one of the clips was a narrow boat cruising with it pram cover up and full skirts in place.

 

My question is I have tried cruising my boat in the same condition, but found the handling of my 38ft narrow boat rather hard to handle as it seemed to me that the pram was acting like a sail and the back end was all over the place as well as vision is restricted.

Has anyone else had a difference experience or does it depend on size and weight of your boat.

[Naughty Cal]

2.5 ton plastic boat with big canopy on back.

 

Yes it acts like a bloody big sail.

[b0atman]

55ft Narrowboat been ok, but not been in excessively high winds .

I can rarely go far with cover up due to bridges exceptions being Bridgewater K&A, and most rivers.

[Paul's Nulife4-2]

Hi ya,

if I'm just popping up to Arundel & back on the river (approx 2hr round trip) then I leave Both my Full cratch cover & my Full stern cover up & in place.it doesn't make that much differents to my steering,but does have the advantage of having something to blame when I get mooring up wrong.

If venturing out to sea,then they both come down,regardless of weather.

Edited February 9, 2014 by Paul's Nulife4-2

[peterboat]

My old boat had cratch and boat cover and it was in extreme wind that I noted problems but staying tied to the bank drinking more beer sorted that one out

 

Peter

[johnmck]

We have a pram hood.

 

( I know, I am hanging my head in shame...)

 

We have always cruised with it down, untill the "Summer" of 2012. Whilst on the L&L we saw many a boat cruising with them up, a boon in the monsoon like downpours we experianced. But our front screen was fixed, so made this impractical as you just could not see!

 

So over winter, we had the front screen altered, so it unzipped and rolled up. The high summer of 2013 was we all know, glorious and we spent a lot of time on the Thames. We cruised with the sides off and front and rear screens rolled up. Brilliant shelter from the sun's heat!

 

I am sure we will make use of it in heavy rain now, in the right enviroment of course, without low bridges!

[nickfryer]

Good question this.

We don't have a rear cover YET.

 

We have not seen anybody cruise with one up on the canals.

 

When cruising with the cover folded down over the roof, does it make it difficult to get on to the roof in locks etc.?

[davidc]

Good question this.

We don't have a rear cover YET.

 

We have not seen anybody cruise with one up on the canals.

 

When cruising with the cover folded down over the roof, does it make it difficult to get on to the roof in locks etc.?

Have to say when cruising I now take down the pram cover and store it in the shower unit.

[nb Innisfree]

Our cruiser stern nb has semi trad style 'wings' so the pram cover doesn't need a bottom section, allows it to be folded forward and down in a couple of secs. Great when approaching bridges in pouring rain, wait until bridge is 10' away from hood before dropping it then erect as soon as it's clear. In the rain for10 secs. Enhanced by wheel steering. Also we designed the screen so it zipped open from the top, allows a top opening of several inches to look out of but lets in minimim rain.

[tree]

Good question this.

We don't have a rear cover YET.

 

We have not seen anybody cruise with one up on the canals.

 

When cruising with the cover folded down over the roof, does it make it difficult to get on to the roof in locks etc.?

moi so far has never found it a problem with my pramcover folded down and getting on the roof, but I am fairly agile and I am up on the roof in a flash

[tree]

Have to say when cruising I now take down the pram cover and store it in the shower unit.

I also do the same when cruising and take off my pramcover to store away. 'Treespirit' is a 38ft cruiser and the chap who made my pramcover and cratch cover did advise me not to cruise with the pramcover up, as he said it could affect stability especially in windy miller weather, plus as a singlehandler could be a minx to have to take it down for bridges.

 

Moi has not seen any other boater cruising with their pramcover up so far, but maybe on long stretches ie rivers and canals with not so many bridges, maybe it would be ok to remove the sides and just leave the top up, so to speak to giver protection from that big golden orb in the sky or for rainy showery days.

 

As a liveaboard moi would be really lost without my pramcover, as it helps make an extra room, which is used as a store room, laundry room as I put my hand washed clothes on a 'clothes horse' in it to dry, as well as on rainy blustery days, moi justs grabs a cuppa and a book and sits all dry and cosy, occasionaly peeping out on the outside world

[kevinl]

It's pretty common on wide Northern canals to leave the pramhood up in wet weather, beats being one of the people you see looking miserable trying to hold a golf brolly. Personally I'm not a fan but I do leave the hood up sometimes in the rain.

K

[GoodGurl]

pram hoods are useless in the rain you cant see anything and on canals with low bridges you have to take them down, i don't have one and will never have one, if it rains moor up

[Naughty Cal]

pram hoods are useless in the rain you cant see anything and on canals with low bridges you have to take them down, i don't have one and will never have one, if it rains moor up

You will be one of the miserable types we often pass then who stand out in the pouring rain, freezing cold or wind and don't wave as we pass them tucked up warm inside our lovely heated cockpit in t shirts

[Guest]

It's pretty common on wide Northern canals to leave the pramhood up in wet weather, beats being one of the people you see looking miserable trying to hold a golf brolly. Personally I'm not a fan but I do leave the hood up sometimes in the rain.

K

 

Correct.

 

The only problem we find is seeing out of the perspex windows in the rain, if only they came with wipers 'problem solved'. We sometimes leave ours up to shield us from the wind and TBH I have never noticed the 'sail' effect referred to in the OP. That said the cover is a relatively small proportion of the whole 'side on' area of the boat so it probably makes little difference up or down.

 

If I was having one made from new the front window would either roll up or be removable so we can see out in the rain. Bridges are not an issue for us until we hit the likes of the Selby or L&L.

[Phil Ambrose]

Purely my opinion but probably biased as I have neiher Cratch or Pram but the majority I see are no more than floating garden sheds

Phil

[Guest]

Purely my opinion but probably biased as I have neiher Cratch or Pram but the majority I see are no more than floating garden sheds

Phil

 

Well we appreciate the extra outside space that can be used even when it's raining and when we are moored.

 

Nothing quite beats being sat under the pram hood with the back panel rolled up on a warm spring evening with light rain pitter patting on it and on the water with a glass of red in hand.

 

Each to their own.

[Naughty Cal]

 

Correct.

 

The only problem we find is seeing out of the perspex windows in the rain, if only they came with wipers 'problem solved'. We sometimes leave ours up to shield us from the wind and TBH I have never noticed the 'sail' effect referred to in the OP. That said the cover is a relatively small proportion of the whole 'side on' area of the boat so it probably makes little difference up or down.

 

If I was having one made from new the front window would either roll up or be removable so we can see out in the rain. Bridges are not an issue for us until we hit the likes of the Selby or L&L.

Do you really have a problem at Selby?

 

We can squeeze NC through with the hoods up and she is quite tall.

 

Well we appreciate the extra outside space that can be used even when it's raining and when we are moored.

 

Nothing quite beats being sat under the pram hood with the back panel rolled up on a warm spring evening with light rain pitter patting on it and on the water with a glass of red in hand.

 

Each to their own.

Agreed.

 

Or on a cold winters day with the snow falling outside whilst you are tucked up in the warm with a drink or two.

 

We spend most of our time onboard "outside" in the cockpit. We very rarely sit downstairs even in the depths of winter.

[Guest]

Do you really have a problem at Selby?

 

It's always looked a bit close to us at the bridges at the bottom end so we just drop it, it only takes around 30 secs. if that, a bit longer to flip it back up.

[comfortably numb]

Our boat is a cruiser stern so the pram cover is more difficult to lower or take down even without the sides on, so when we go out for just a day we lower it beforehand and leave it so until be return to the marina. If we go out for longer we completely remove it which takes about 20 minutes. The bridges round here (T&M) are too low for it to be left up when cruising.

 

When we were looking to buy a boat we vowed we'd never have a pram hood as I hated the things, but the boat we bought had one so we thought we would try it, and when moored up for the winter months it has been a godsend as an extra room and ideal for getting out of wet clothes/shoes or towelling down the dog before entering the cabin.

 

The biggest pain is when we have to have a pump out every few weeks because the marina is split in two with a very low and narrow bridge between us and the pump out facility so on each occasion we have to lower it and put it up again afterwards.

[Ssscrudddy]

Hmmm interesting. I want a pram hood full-cruiser-stern-style on my trad stern. Although most of me stayed dry enough with waterproofs on the door shut & the top pulled up, my hand got soaked & made me cold & I couldnt smoke my fags.
Now I think about it I cant say I've actually noticed anyone cruising with a pram hood up.

[DaveC]

We never have a problem cruising with pram hood up, even on the Oxford canal. I made a slight modification and can let it down or up in about 2 seconds. We have the "windscreen" open and the back up but sides down (but not fully fastened down) and find that this MO keeps us as dry as is practical.

 

Have had many favorable comments, especially from those "trad" stern boaters who keep their back doors closed but engine room doors open so everyone can see the polished brass!

 

Dave

[Ace 01]

We never have a problem cruising with pram hood up, even on the Oxford canal. I made a slight modification and can let it down or up in about 2 seconds. We have the "windscreen" open and the back up but sides down (but not fully fastened down) and find that this MO keeps us as dry as is practical.

 

 

Dave

We cruise with our pram hood up, even from Sharpness to Portishead (the bridges on that section don't have a headroom problem ). We removed the sides and rolled the back up and had no trouble with any winds. We roll the sides

up a little when its raining a lot or remove them in fine weather. In an ideal situation we would moor in bad rain but sometimes you have no choice so it does come in handy. We only store things like coal and wood in the winter when we're in the marina, otherwise we have padded seats for sitting and watching the

world go by. The only thing we're going to change is the fixed front, we're

going to have zips put in which will make viewing easier in the rain.

 

 

Ann

[GoodGurl]

You will be one of the miserable types we often pass then who stand out in the pouring rain, freezing cold or wind and don't wave as we pass them tucked up warm inside our lovely heated cockpit in t shirts

As i said i have never had one or ever will, i will also be inside with the stove blazing and wearing a t-shirt ( or less ) i DON'T do rain, ask anyone who knows me.

[system 4-50]

I am comfortable properly togged-up outside on my cruiser stern in bad weather, apart from the feet which get cold, and for which I have a cunning plan, and my face when driving directly into it. For the latter, would a motorcycle helmet work, or would it just steam up? I don't mind looking a prat (it comes naturally), but would it work?

Edited February 10, 2014 by system 4-50