Bristol to London

[4wd IT]

I am looking at buying a boat in Bristol and sail it home to the Humber,

Can I go via the Kennet and Avon canal to the Thames with a beam of 11ft, 33ft length and 2ft draught air draught about 8ft.

Once on the tidal Thames I am back in my comfort zone but new to Southern Canals.

TIA

[Dharl]

hi,

 

welcome to the forum.

Check out this website as it has the dimensions of the UK inland waterways. It does say that on the K&A the max Air Draft is only 7ft 6....

 

http://www.canals.com/canaldata.htm

 

Also worth checking out http://canalplan.org.uk/ if not already done so. Lots of good features on planning and you can enter in your vessels dimensions.

 

David

[dmr]

I think that air draught is the only possible problem but the figure is easy to find. I think its the foot bridge at Hungerford that's the limit. I suspect you are just ok but do check. I assume you are going north via the sea, as via Birmingham will be very difficult indeed.

 

...............Dave

[4wd IT]

Thanks to Dharl for the link to canalplan, very usefull

dmr, there does not appear to be through route for anything other than a narrowboat, and as we are coast cruisers anyway, i quite fancy the trip taking in Caen Hill, and through London on the Thames anyway.

Out to the sea via Avonmouth would give me the choice of South and around Lands End this would take too long to do in 1 trip (work really is a problem) or North to Liverpool and across the Leeds Liverpool canal, but there is a question mark over air draught this way as well

regards Drew

[Keeping Up]

On the K&A page CanalPlan doesn't restrict it to narrowboats but does state the air draught as 7ft 10". Could you ballast it down a bit?

[4wd IT]

On the K&A page CanalPlan doesn't restrict it to narrowboats but does state the air draught as 7ft 10". Could you ballast it down a bit?

Just what I was thinking a few 25ltr cans of water with all tanks full as well may just do the trick, it is at least something that can be tested before setting off

Edited February 9, 2015 by 4wd IT

[craftycarper]

Don't know the dimensions but there are plenty of Dutch and wide beam barges on the K and A so I would say yes, as stated above you may need a bit of extra ballast or to lower the odd pound down to squeeze under one or two low bridges, but if it all went to easy it would be a bit boring

[billS]

I think the trickiest part will be getting under "High" bridge in Reading.

 

Just make sure that you leave that part of the trip until after a dry spell and the Kennet is well down, otherwise being swept towards that bridge on a strong current could be fairly disasterous!

[dmr]

I think the trickiest part will be getting under "High" bridge in Reading.

 

Just make sure that you leave that part of the trip until after a dry spell and the Kennet is well down, otherwise being swept towards that bridge on a strong current could be fairly disasterous!

 

If the limit is the footbridge at Hungerford then its "flat" so a widebeam will be no more difficult than a narrow. Can't think of any tight arched bridges except for the dreaded High bridge. BillS is absolutely right about this. I suggest the Op goes and has a look and ideally tries to get a lift on another boat to experience approaching it from the water.

 

Is the one just below the Cunning man a bit tight?????

 

If it is possible then across the K&A and down the Thames is a wonderful journey.

 

.............Dave

[David Mack]

I seem to recall reports 2-3 years ago of a boxy widebeam boat, built in Bristol, that got stuck en route to the Thames due to a lack of headroom for a square cabin to fit through an arched bridge. But I can't now remember exactly when or where it got stuck.

[blackrose]

I took my 12ft beam (NB-style) widebeam from London to Bristol a couple of years ago, but my air draught is about the same as most narrowboats. I even got under that low bridge in Bristol Floating Harbour without needing to open it.

Edited February 9, 2015 by blackrose

[dmr]

I seem to recall reports 2-3 years ago of a boxy widebeam boat, built in Bristol, that got stuck en route to the Thames due to a lack of headroom for a square cabin to fit through an arched bridge. But I can't now remember exactly when or where it got stuck.

 

I think it was somewhere near Hilperton, maybe it was huge and craned in at Hilperton and got stuck at the first bridge it came to ?????

 

...........Dave

[luctor et emergo]

There is a very low bridge just east of Hilperton. You may also need to check the height of the bridge at Netham lock.

 

as for lowering the pounds... most pounds are a bit long for that.

 

do you have room for a few IBC containers, or 45gallon drums, to fill with water as ballast. You'll need more than a few jerry cans.

[Scholar Gypsy]

or dustbins - they fill with water quite nicely, and stack when empty..

[OldGoat]

I seem to recall reports 2-3 years ago of a boxy widebeam boat, built in Bristol, that got stuck en route to the Thames due to a lack of headroom for a square cabin to fit through an arched bridge. But I can't now remember exactly when or where it got stuck.

 

Wasn't it a dutch barge style boat? If so the bridge was Osney (keeps the big cruisers of the nicest part of the River.

There was a thread on YBW with lots of pictures.

He had to dismantle the cabin top, loaded several tons of ballast, waited until the level was low AND got the lockie to run a lot of water off to ,lower it slightly less. Even so he only just made it - had a bit of damage.