i am planning on living afloat wide beam or narrowboat?

[Adam]

hiya i am going to live aboard a boat and i like the space of a wide beam but i am planning on cruising around every weekend the canals i am on ar not narrow and i wouldnt get that far do you think i should comprise space for cruising???

[carlt]

hiya i am going to live aboard a boat and i like the space of a wide beam but i am planning on cruising around every weekend the canals i am on ar not narrow and i wouldnt get that far do you think i should comprise space for cruising???

If you want to cruise the whole system then you'll have to compromise.

[Sandgrounder]

I have seen some maps showing the cruise limits for widebeam (10') boats and there does not seem to be anyway through from the Northern canals (Leeds Liverpool, etc) to the Midlands and further south. Is this really the case?

 

And are there any realistic plans for the situation to change in, say, five years?

 

Finally, is it possible (or even sensible) to go via a coastal route - assuming the right Navigation equipment and knowledge.

[Gary Peacock]

I have seen some maps showing the cruise limits for widebeam (10') boats and there does not seem to be anyway through from the Northern canals (Leeds Liverpool, etc) to the Midlands and further south. Is this really the case?

 

And are there any realistic plans for the situation to change in, say, five years?

 

Finally, is it possible (or even sensible) to go via a coastal route - assuming the right Navigation equipment and knowledge.

 

The North South link is now very unlikely to happen in the near future while the coastal option is perfectly feasible providing the boat is up to it. The costs of building such a boat aren't that much more than a more standard broadbeam.

[Sandgrounder]

Many Thanks