Jump to content

Bridge heights ?


Stevie101

Featured Posts

Hi

I've used canal plan many times before for planning trips so I know it's not the most accurate thing in the world but I changed the preferences with the stats for my boat 27 ft long 9.6 wide and 8ft hight.

I put in a route to Ragley boat stop and it said I could make it but when I got to idle bridge 3 ( just before the clock warehouse pub) it looked a bit tight.

I stopped and decided to just pull my boat under so I could check and I'm glad I did as it wouldn't go which was a bit of a bugger.

Does anyone know any websites that have the bridge hights listed that are reasonably accurate as this would be a great tool when planning?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi

I've used canal plan many times before for planning trips so I know it's not the most accurate thing in the world but I changed the preferences with the stats for my boat 27 ft long 9.6 wide and 8ft hight.

I put in a route to Ragley boat stop and it said I could make it but when I got to idle bridge 3 ( just before the clock warehouse pub) it looked a bit tight.

I stopped and decided to just pull my boat under so I could check and I'm glad I did as it wouldn't go which was a bit of a bugger.

Does anyone know any websites that have the bridge hights listed that are reasonably accurate as this would be a great tool when planning?

CRT have a list of dimensions which may be useful. The link is as follows:-

 

https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/media/library/1059.pdf

 

Howard

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi

I've used canal plan many times before for planning trips so I know it's not the most accurate thing in the world but I changed the preferences with the stats for my boat 27 ft long 9.6 wide and 8ft hight.

I put in a route to Ragley boat stop and it said I could make it but when I got to idle bridge 3 ( just before the clock warehouse pub) it looked a bit tight.

I stopped and decided to just pull my boat under so I could check and I'm glad I did as it wouldn't go which was a bit of a bugger.

Does anyone know any websites that have the bridge hights listed that are reasonably accurate as this would be a great tool when planning?

when you say you have 8ft height, would that be the top of a collapsible canopy or a solid part of the boat, the reason I ask is that the top of my canopy is around 2.4 meters, but I can get an extra 2ft if I drop the canopy and remove my chimney, also by getting off your boat to pull it through it has probably raised the boat by an inch or two, and as others have said always travel with your water tank as full as possible,
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Craftycarper

 

The hight is to the roof of the boat, the canopy doesn't stick up any higher.

Traveling with full water tank would probably help as would have staying on the boat but a lady sat in her back garden at the side of the cut said a boat had lost its canopy an hour before.

Judging on the fresh scrapes in the stone work I believed her and didn't want to chance it.

 

Thanks for the link Howardang I will check it out

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I got stuck under a bridge once....father in law on the bow said I'd make it.......got half way, and got caught....top box onto ceiling.....boat wouldn't go forwards or reverse....very frightening.....eventually it started moving in reverse, so I hit the throttle, and decided the bent bike wheels were going to be callatoral damage...especially when inititial attempts at reversing were causing the boat to tilt to one side.....petrifying.....I'm now much more weary...and father in law doesn't live on the boat any longer...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi

I've used canal plan many times before for planning trips so I know it's not the most accurate thing in the world but I changed the preferences with the stats for my boat 27 ft long 9.6 wide and 8ft hight.

I put in a route to Ragley boat stop and it said I could make it but when I got to idle bridge 3 ( just before the clock warehouse pub) it looked a bit tight.

I stopped and decided to just pull my boat under so I could check and I'm glad I did as it wouldn't go which was a bit of a bugger.

Does anyone know any websites that have the bridge hights listed that are reasonably accurate as this would be a great tool when planning?

 

Canalplan states: "The maximum headroom is 8 feet and 5 inches" for this section of canal. That figure will have come from somewhere but I'm not sure where, and its only when someone like yourself hits an issue like this that we have any idea that things are not right.

 

The PDF linked to doesn't help:

 

Horninglow Basin to Derwent Mouth Lock - Bridge 32A

Length Beam Draught Headroom

- - - 2.56m

- - - 8.40ft

Edited by StephenA
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The maximum headroom may well be 8', not that I know the bridge. Far too many people forget most bridges have some form of profile and so does their boat. BW and no I assume CaRT published a "standard" boat profile and that was for a narrowboat so a widebeam may have an air draft of less than the bridge headroom but in fact not fit.

 

As has been said much also depends upon water levels. The combination of different boat and bridge profiles, plus varying water levels means that unless you are sure your boat fits the old BW profile one would be very foolish to take the bridge height at face value. The OP did the correct thing in being cautiouse but with a wider beam is likley to find other bridges that may not pass his boat although the bridge height looked adequate on paper.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The bridge at Shardlow is a very shallow arch, it is long and on the skew. I have to duck when standing on the stern of our narrowboat so is low. I have been unable to find a photograph of the bridge and Google street view does not cover the bridge.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We went up the L AND L with no problems however coming back we were 2 inches to high so I know the height of my boat had not changed as I had put fuel in whilst out and about so it had to be the level. we opened paddles at the next lock and also got volunteers from the factory next to the bridge to climb aboard made it with an inch to spare icecream.gif but it was a bit of a surprise to say the least

 

Peter

Link to comment
Share on other sites

CRT have a list of dimensions which may be useful. The link is as follows:-

 

https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/media/library/1059.pdf

 

Howard

 

So which are the lowest/most problematic? As has been said, water levels can vary considerably so it's difficult to be specific about clearances. It would be useful though to have a list of those which should always be treated with caution. Does anyone have the time to transfer the contents of that pdf to a spreadsheet?

 

The one I'm most familiar with (which has caught out at least one other person around here) is Bridge 10 on the Caldon. I have so far succeeded in passing beneath in different boats on a number of occasions but I would always be ultra cautious in approaching it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Bridges 15 & 17 on the Ashby are lower than usual for the area something like 6' 6" but thats from memory so I could be wrong. The bridge at Outwell on the middle levels is very low as is the bridge over the lock at Salters Lode probably less than 6'.

 

Top Cat

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yep, when I've been doing some of the canals I've ventured on to, it's a constant juggling act between Filling Water tanks, And containers, Doing a Supermarket Shop, and getting a walker or even it has been known an Angler to step aboard the stern, so I can get my Wheel house under some bridges, (Abd I still blinking scratched it). But then being as shallow as I can to get on with the trip so I don't bottom out, (Which was another pastime I masterd) but Watch and gauge the water levels, and fit a Jack stay to the bow, it certainly helps me.anyway.

Edited by Paul's Nulife4-2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I suppose one could build some ballast tanks into the hull construction, to allow one to partially submerge, and then use compressed air to blow them once though the bridge? Has anyone actually done that on inland waters?

 

There's a boat near me in Burton Waters marina with a flying bridge that (I think) is on a giant hinge mechanism so you can rotate it back and down. It would certainly need to do that to exit the marina... Sorry no photo as I cannot remember the name of the mechanism.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I suppose one could build some ballast tanks into the hull construction, to allow one to partially submerge, and then use compressed air to blow them once though the bridge? Has anyone actually done that on inland waters?

 

There's a boat near me in Burton Waters marina with a flying bridge that (I think) is on a giant hinge mechanism so you can rotate it back and down. It would certainly need to do that to exit the marina... Sorry no photo as I cannot remember the name of the mechanism.

Wincham Wharf used to build narrowboats with a fixed wheelhouse which used ballast tanks and a pump to alter the air draft of their boats back in the late 90's early 2000's.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

.....eventually it started moving in reverse, so I hit the throttle, and decided the bent bike wheels were going to be callatoral damage...especially when inititial attempts at reversing were causing the boat to tilt to one side.....

 

You'd have been better going steady in reverse once it started moving, as winding the motor on will lift the stern - the opposite to having the stern dig in if you wind it on in head gear.

 

Tam

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Big blue drum full of water on the front deck?

 

I too agree that with most bridges being curved its much more complicated than that, and levels do vary. The first bridge on the Cauldon out of Etruria isnt huge (all be it in this case flat/straight) and we went slowly up to it on the way up, a good 2-3 inchs to the folded down funnel.

 

On the way back, I new it would be close again, but the change of the level changing 2-3inchs is fairly low so I didnt even slow. 1inch overlap, hell of a crunch as we took the funnel base off the funnel shearing the three m6 brass (intentional week point that worked for us this time) but yes. Good times!

 

 

 

Daniel

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.