Crane in central London

[petergb]

Hi everyone. I hauling a boat from up near manchester to Central London. Our mooring is just west of Regent's Park. We would like to crane the boat in as near to the mooring as we can without dealing with road closers and that sort of complication. Does anyone know points on the canal that we could get a mobile crane to in order to get the boat in the water? Or how we can get a narrowboat into the canal in central London? Any suggestions would be really helpful! Thanks!

Edited October 18, 2014 by petergb

[Black Country Lee]

Book 2 weeks off and cruise it down, simple

 

Lee.

[MtB]

Getting a crane to turn up and carry out a lift on a public wharf in London is gonna cost almost as much as building a new boat down there!

 

Fiest of all you're gonna have to have Risk Assessments formally produced by qualified safety professionals, including a strength survey of the bank and detailed proposals for keeping the public out of the way of the lift in order to convince the LA to grant permission. Now straight away you're into more than road closures!

 

Better to crane it in at a proper boatyard with its own crane and steer the boat down to your mooring. Bound to be somewhere on the GU south of Watford I'd have thought. I'd imagine Uxbridge Boat Centre could advise if not do it themselves for you.

 

MtB

[Black Country Lee]

Ahhh red tape lol, don't you just love it.

 

You could also try one of the professional boat movers (there's at least 2 on here) to bring it down for you.

 

Lee.

[blackrose]

Uxbridge boat centre isn't London but it's only 1 lock to the Paddington arm and a days cruise to Regents Park. By the time it's craned in you'd probably need 2 days for the trip.

Edited October 18, 2014 by blackrose

[Guest User]

Umm, IIRC the road access to Uxbridge Boat Centre is tiny, I don't think you can arrive by road to be craned in at Uxbridge - they crane boats out of the water and directly onto their hardstanding for all manner of repairs etc but not for onward road transport. Might be a better bet to consider High Line on one of their regular craning days.

[John Williamson 1955]

The road access to UBC is okay for a narrowboat up to about 40 feet, any longer or wider and the trailer won't get through the alleyway or gate. I have pictures to prove this...

 

High Line may help, or there is a boatyard near Watford that can crane a boat in. Alternatively, there may be a yard in East London or on the Lea that can do the job.

 

As MtB has said, getting a crane near enough to the water to lift a boat in anywhere near London is a nightmare. Last year, I couldn't even find a place suitable for a Hiab equipped lorry to drop mine in.

[Wanted]

If your boat is under 22 Tons An option would be in at Shepperton, down the river to Brentford then up the GU to the Paddington arm towards the Regents.

http://www.sheppertonmarina.com/craneage.php

[frangar]

Surely part of the joy of living on a boat is the ability to move it from place to place? Even if due to other commitments or stoppages you should be able to move it into central london from somewhere around the M25?

 

Or is this yet another boat that's going to be nailed to a bit of towpath and never move?

 

Cheers

Gareth

[Scholar Gypsy]

I have seen a large boat craned in at Willowtree marina in Yeading, and road access is OK. Might be worth calling them,

 

The OP did say "hauling" which makes me wonder if the boat currently has independent propulsion ...

[junior]

The only mooring I can think of just west of Regents Park are Lisson Grove or Blombfield Road (Maida Vale). Trying to work my way along in either direction for somewhere you could get a crane close to the water doesn't come up with many options. The first thing I can think of is west from Little Venice, just past the bit before where the raised dual carriageway looms above the canal, on the off side is some private industrial units that have a car park next to the canal and only a very low wall to negotiate. I'm not sure what access there would be from the road but you could go and have a look. Perhaps a £100 donation to their staff Christmas party might get you access for the crane.

 

Going east, I can't think of anything at all before SPCC, and I'm not sure what access would be like there for a crane/lorry.

[Phil Ambrose]

I have seen a large boat craned in at Willowtree marina in Yeading, and road access is OK. Might be worth calling them,

 

The OP did say "hauling" which makes me wonder if the boat currently has independent propulsion ...

By golly, you would need to be fit to haul a boat from Manchester (and have plenty of time)

Phil

[blackrose]

Umm, IIRC the road access to Uxbridge Boat Centre is tiny, I don't think you can arrive by road to be craned in at Uxbridge - they crane boats out of the water and directly onto their hardstanding for all manner of repairs etc but not for onward road transport. Might be a better bet to consider High Line on one of their regular craning days.

 

I've seen them bringing narrowboats into UBC to be craned in.

[junior]

 

I've seen them bringing narrowboats into UBC to be craned in.

I'm pretty sure I've heard people mention before that UBC have a restriction on length of lorry they can get down their narrow access road.

 

Edit:

If I'd read the thread properly I would see that it's been mentioned already.

Edited October 19, 2014 by junior

[blackrose]

Surely part of the joy of living on a boat is the ability to move it from place to place? Even if due to other commitments or stoppages you should be able to move it into central london from somewhere around the M25?

 

Or is this yet another boat that's going to be nailed to a bit of towpath and never move?

 

Cheers

Gareth

 

Or perhaps this is yet another post that knows nothing about the OP's circumstances but just wants to be judgemental?

 

Why do some people insist on telling others how they should use their own property? For starters I don't think the OP ever mentioned living on the boat, and secondly, if boat owners don't want to move their boats from their moorings then in my opinion they shouldn't move. Part of the joy of living or owning a boat may be moving from place to place for you, but joy for other people may be something else entirely. I know lots of people who never move their boats and they seem perfectly happy.

Edited October 19, 2014 by blackrose

[Tony Brooks]

There is a pub near a water point to the west, maybe the Black Horse (if its still open). Could be worth a chat to the landlord re an early morning crane from their car park.

[magnetman]

Uxbridge can't do it but there may be an industrial area worth approaching somewhere around Greenford or that general binny area.

 

PLA have a hoist at Gravesend but thats a bit out the way.

[magnetman]

 

I've seen them bringing narrowboats into UBC to be craned in.

You sure? There is no way a low loader can get in there. They crane boats out onto trolleys but not off vehicles afaik

[koukouvagia]

South Dock has a large pillar crane. If my memory serves me well I think it's limited to 20 tons, but has good road access.

You would, however, have to make the short crossing over to Limehouse in order to join the main system.

[magnetman]

I used their crane to put my new engine in.

 

It is 20ton max.

 

 

Its a very nice crane

 

I am not sure if they handle long boats like bigger nbs but worth a call.

[MtB]

Hi everyone. I hauling a boat from up near manchester to Central London. Our mooring is just west of Regent's Park. We would like to crane the boat in as near to the mooring as we can without dealing with road closers and that sort of complication. Does anyone know points on the canal that we could get a mobile crane to in order to get the boat in the water? Or how we can get a narrowboat into the canal in central London? Any suggestions would be really helpful! Thanks!

 

I think a bit more information about what size narrowboat this is would be helpful,or we are all guessing what sort of wharf access and size of lorry and crane are required.

 

But to answer your highlighted question, moast people do it by putting the boat in somewhere else, starting the engine and steering the boat along the canals into London

 

MtB

[magnetman]

Yes, and the most popular method I believe is by using the boatyard at watford which has a crane which can take a 60ft+ long wide bean canal boat up to about 40 tonnes off a low loader and place it in a private marina from where you can progress onto the canal system and make your way to the great Metropolis taking in the shites of such varied and interesting environs as West Drayton, Hayes and Greenford on your way. mainly taking them into your propeller that would be. Before finally emerging from the depths of despair into Kensal Green and following on into the real London.

 

The bloke at Denham marina/yacht station did once crane in quite a large modern english steel barge somewhere around Uxbridge by acquiring permission to position and crane in an industrial area with road access for a large vehicle. Not sure where it was but I spoke to Linda at UBC about it and she said they used to do it but ISTR she said that the area had since been redeveloped and it was no longer feasible.

 

Boat size would be handy - if its a small boat it might be possible to do something with a hiab but I get the impression the op has a 60ft boat or thereabouts as they mentioned a mobile crane.

It -might- be possible to arrange craneage at Adelaide dock which is currently used by CRT I think. Tam Murrell used to run a nice little boatyard there but I don't know if he had low loaders coming in or not.

[sleigh]

I had mine lifted out at P and S Watford, when it came north, great helpful blokes, easy acesss

[monkeyhanger]

I had mine lifted out at P and S Watford, when it came north, great helpful blokes, easy acesss

I've heard P&S recommended on several occasions in the past. Another alternative might be Stansted Abbots Marina on the Lea.

[Arthur Brown]

With no details of the boat to be moved, we can only be totally non specific, is it a narrow boat or a house on a pontoon. The more your boat differs from "narrow boat" the more issues you will have with movement about the system, so the closer to the mooring you will need to crane. Central London crane ops will cost a fortune for compliance and closures with maybe hire of a mile of Heras fencing and site security staff.

 

Unless you drive the boat to it's mooring, you will need permit to work from the land owner, and permit to work from CaRT as well as method statements and risk assessments by competent people, and insurance for the lifting operation, forget the concept of cheap if you want it done right. Remember that if it fails the insurers will simply look on youtube to see what you did wrong. Oh! and you may be liable for lifting the wreckage out of the canal as well.