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Tackling Tunnels


pophops

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The best thing I ever did was to put a light at the back of the boat. I use a 240v floodlight with a bucket in front of it so as to not dazzle oncoming boats, and turn it away from other boats when passing.

 

Because it illuminates the length of the boat, it makes steering significantly easier. It also means you can admire the brickwork etc.

 

My worst experience was taking a Bantam tug through a tunnel and having the light fail half way through, and have to aim the very twitchy boat at the pinprick of light ahead!

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11 hours ago, FadeToScarlet said:

My worst experience was taking a Bantam tug through a tunnel and having the light fail half way through, and have to aim the very twitchy boat at the pinprick of light ahead!

My dad took a bare shell through braunston tunnel (a brand new springer)
the sum total of equipment on board was engine / gearbox (with a spring and a bit of string on the throttle), a battery with a wire running the length of the boat to a tractor headlight at the bow.

about halfway through the wiring for the light caught fire instantly causing 3 problems
1. there is a fire on the boat
2. there is no lighting at all
3. there is no control over the engine (because the fire burnt the string)

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I knew someone some years ago who owned a 35ft narrow boat. He found it difficult to get crew at short notice so he often cruised single handed. His biggest problem was that he suffered quite badly from claustrophobia so his solution to tunnels was to put the bows of the boat into the tunnel entrance, set the throttle to a moderate speed and then to go below and stay there until the boat emerged at the other end. He must have led a charmed life because I don't remember him mentioning any issues with boats coming the other way.

 

Howard

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Just now, howardang said:

I knew someone some years ago who owned a 35ft narrow boat. He found it difficult to get crew at short notice so he often cruised single handed. His biggest problem was that he suffered quite badly from claustrophobia so his solution to tunnels was to put the bows of the boat into the tunnel entrance, set the throttle to a moderate speed and then to go below and stay there until the boat emerged at the other end. He must have led a charmed life because I don't remember him mentioning any issues with boats coming the other way.

 

Howard

:lol:

 

He must have had a few dents in the bow!

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IMO - each tunnel has it's individual optimum speed (OK - for a boat, not the tunnel itself).

  • Too slow and you bounce around a bit
  • Too fast and you crash around
  • Just right and the boat (nearly) navigates itself

(a bit like the old Erasmic shaving cream ad:)

stay in the middle as much as possible, but move over gently for oncoming boats and slow a tad. It's all about fluid dynamics and wot Bernoulli said.....

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On 14 July 2016 at 09:03, RLWP said:

My favourite tunnel light incident has to be meeting Dave_P in Netherton with Mrs P in Kate Winslett pose on the bow wearing a head torch

 

Richard

and anything else? (Somebody had to ask ...)

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3 hours ago, OldGoat said:

IMO - each tunnel has it's individual optimum speed (OK - for a boat, not the tunnel itself).

  • Too slow and you bounce around a bit
  • Too fast and you crash around
  • Just right and the boat (nearly) navigates itself

(a bit like the old Erasmic shaving cream ad:)

stay in the middle as much as possible, but move over gently for oncoming boats and slow a tad. It's all about fluid dynamics and wot Bernoulli said.....

You see the same on the entrance to the Ashby. Some boats crawl through, scraping the side all the way. Others go through at moderate speed with no touching whatsoever. 

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Just now, WotEver said:

You see the same on the entrance to the Ashby. Some boats crawl through, scraping the side all the way. Others go through at moderate speed with no touching whatsoever

You been watching me!

Moored there at the minute and its fun watching the hire boats from ashby boats come back from Coventry way and make complete hash of it.

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