different hulls on narrowboats

[tortuga guy]

hi, i am considering buying a 40ft cruiser stern narrowboat, the one i am thinking of getting has a displacement hull. would i be better off with a flat hull ?, and for what reasons. thank you all

[dmr]

All narrowboats, like ships, have displacement hulls, it means they move through the water so "displacing" or moving the water as they go. The only alternative is speedboats and the like that sort of skim over the top of the water at high speed. This sort of thing is really not allowed on the cut.

I suspect you are confusing flat bottomed boats with boats that have a sort of semi V shape. There are some advantages to having a part V shape in the hull when mooring in shallow water but you loose some space inside. However the real issue is that ALL modern narrowboats are flat and only boats made by a Mr Springer are shaped. Nothing wrong with Springers as such but they are now all very old or very very old, were made of thin steel, and have often been neglected.

 

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

[DHutch]

All narrowboats are displacment hulls, rather than say a planing hull. Almost all also have a flat bottom.

 

 

Daniel

[Naughty Cal]

A bit of info on the various hull types in the link below:

 

https://www.boatsmartexam.com/knowledge-base/article/boat-hull-types/

 

All narrowboats are displacement hulls. Some have a slight V to them, but they are still displacement hulls.

[tortuga guy]

thank you all , i now understand , i contacted the owner who finally replied and said flat. great

Edited November 3, 2016 by tortuga guy

[matty40s]

. Almost all also have a flat bottom.

 

 

Daniel

 

Ok, sorry Dan, you are wrong.

 

There are many narrowboats have a V bottom, most of them Springers. but others have them as well.

 

There are also quite a few narrowboats which have a flat baseplate, but also have a centreline welded steel bar from front to rear, some owners do not realise this until they come in for blacking and it tips over.

[DHutch]

Almost all also have a flat bottom.

Ok, sorry Dan, you are wrong.

I could have added more clarification, however I would also dispute that my statement is wrong.

 

A small number have a shallow vee, a feature typical of 'springers' if not many others. A small number have a flat bottom, with some sort of 'keel' added to the outside. However, almost all do have a flat bottom, I am plicking numbers, but I expect its well clear of 90% of narrowboats and or narrow boats.

 

 

Daniel

[matty40s]

I could have added more clarification, however I would also dispute that my statement is wrong.

 

A small number have a shallow vee, a feature typical of 'springers' if not many others. A small number have a flat bottom, with some sort of 'keel' added to the outside. However, almost all do have a flat bottom, I am plicking numbers, but I expect its well clear of 90% of narrowboats and or narrow boats.

 

 

Daniel

we did see a local boatyard try to drop a springer onto sleepers today, and helped with wedges.

Springers are still a large part of our narrowboat users, especially since most are used daily rather than once a year for a two week break.

[DHutch]

we did see a local boatyard try to drop a springer onto sleepers today, and helped with wedges.

Springers are still a large part of our narrowboat users, especially since most are used daily rather than once a year for a two week break.

 

Which is fair enough, but while a very significant number remain, often in active use, they are very much the exception to the rule.

 

- I exepct it is however important that a spinger is not placed on a flat stand, at very least it would not be stable or level, at worse I expect it could place sufficent stress to cause significant damage.

 

Daniel