Haul-in facilities for 60ft NB

[WickedWay]

Hello Boaters!

 

Our 60ft NB is lying at Rochford, Essex and ready to be trucked to a canal.

 

Can anybody give me some choices of marinas that have a haul-in facility from a truck, as close as possible to our present location?

Maybe River Lee, Stort, Regents etc etc.

 

Many thanks,

 

Jon

[Slim]

A bit of a distance but what about the yard at Croxley / Cassio on the Grand Union near Rickmansworth. I know they can crane a 60' widebeam in from an artic. (I helped move it to it's mooring)

 

Not sure of name or phone no but could easily drive by in the course of today if needed

 

 

 

Frank

[Peter X]

I think you mean P&S Marine,

https://www.yell.com/biz/p-and-s-marine-watford-7120233/

I've been in there three times as crew on different customers' boats.

 

As a lot of the cost of haulage is the cranes and for the lorry to turn up, you may find it doesn't increase much with distance, in which case you should be looking to crane in close to where you want the boat to be. Is that actually the Lea/Stort, and if so does anyone know what's possible there?

 

From Watford it's not a long way by water, two days or maybe three at this time of year would see you through onto the Lea unless there's a stoppage.

[Tim Lewis]

A bit of a distance but what about the yard at Croxley / Cassio on the Grand Union near Rickmansworth. I know they can crane a 60' widebeam in from an artic. (I helped move it to it's mooring)

 

Not sure of name or phone no but could easily drive by in the course of today if needed

 

 

 

Frank

http://pandsmarine.co.uk/services/crane-lifts/

 

Tim

[bizzard]

Stanstead Abbots marina river Lee, craneage 70' and up to 18 tons. 01920 870 499.

[Arthur Brown]

smallgains-marina.com

 

Must be about the closest BUT you'd have a trek up the tidal Thames to do. BUT maybe the crane would travel with you to do both lifts in one price.

 

The more sensible option would be to consider where you want the boat to be ultimately -Lea, GU, etc and get the lorry to take it there directly. Lorry 50 mph average boat 3 mph max.

Anything like the North Sea in winter really isn't safe for a narrow boat designed for canals.

[WickedWay]

Hi all,

Thanks for the replies.

We are located on the River Crouch to be exact & have toyed with the idea of sailing NB down the Roach and out at Southend, then following-on up the Thames into the system.

We have a 26ft power boat and have crossed the estuary plenty of times, even to Calais and back but that is with a 200hp engine.

Looking out today it was so flat calm, If I wait for weather the same as today and use our power boat as a kind of pilot sailing alongside, it seems very possible.

It's not so much as the money saving advantage, we just love a challenge. Cons against this is that NB is our home, with all our worldly possessions onboard. We would hate to lose it all.

We just can't decide at the moment.

Stanstead Abbott is a good suggestion as is P&S Marine.

Please keep suggestions coming in..

Regards,

 

Jon

Edited October 29, 2016 by WickedWay

[Peter X]

It presumably helps that you have experience at sea and an accompanying sea worthy boat, but also depends on how well the narrow boat is set up for choppy waters, e.g. any engine exhaust hole. I don't know much, but there are some topics about it on the forum. Personally I'd feel very nervous about being aboard a narrow boat out in the Thames estuary even in the best of weather, but I'm very much an inland boater. Also I guess you would need more than one day to reach London, but I suppose refuge is possible along the way at places like Sheerness and Tilbury.

 

You might want to make sure the more valuable worldly possessions are on the power boat!