How fast is your tickover speed?

[Neil2]

We spent a few days on the Shropshire Union last week most of which seemed to be at little more than tickover owning to the miles and miles of linear moorings which I don't remember the last time we were down that way some years ago.  Anyway, to relieve the boredom I did a few calculations with the help of the GPS and discovered that on that particular canal my genuine tickover speed is about 1.7 mph.  I repeated the exercise on the Staffs and Worcs a couple of times and it was nearer 2mph.  

I'm just curious if this is typical of a narrowboat, under "impulse power".  Does anyone else know what their SOG at tickover is?

[Jess--]

1.5 - 2 Mph

depending on depth, width, wind and how much rubbish I have picked up on the prop

[mrsmelly]

2 minutes ago, Neil2 said:

We spent a few days on the Shropshire Union last week most of which seemed to be at little more than tickover owning to the miles and miles of linear moorings which I don't remember the last time we were down that way some years ago.  Anyway, to relieve the boredom I did a few calculations with the help of the GPS and discovered that on that particular canal my genuine tickover speed is about 1.7 mph.  I repeated the exercise on the Staffs and Worcs a couple of times and it was nearer 2mph.  

I'm just curious if this is typical of a narrowboat, under "impulse power".  Does anyone else know what their SOG at tickover is?

It will depend on prop size. Some boats whack along on tickover and others barely move. I always go as slow as possible past moored boats however long the line is and a little faster past anglers but still less than a thousand revs on my van engine. If I want to go anywhere fast I get in my nippy car and get on the motorway.

[dor]

I've been on the Shroppie for over 25 years and there isn't that much more linear moorings; in some places it is less.  And if I am passing LTMs I don't feel the need to slow down quite as much as they should be able to tie up properly and securely.   Not a lot of boats slow down when they pass me, but my boat hardly moves;  other boats nearby have slack ropes and wonder why their boat moves so much.   Different if you are on pins in soft ground, but with all the excellent ringed visitor moorings on the Shroppie this is less of a problem.

And my tickover speed in a decent channel is 1.8mph at 800 rpm.   Barely 2 mph at the 1,000 rpm that I pass ringed moorings at.

[koukouvagia]

About 100 RPM

Edited April 27, 2017 by koukouvagia

[Neil2]

6 minutes ago, dor said:

I've been on the Shroppie for over 25 years and there isn't that much more linear moorings; in some places it is less.  And if I am passing LTMs I don't feel the need to slow down quite as much as they should be able to tie up properly and securely.   Not a lot of boats slow down when they pass me, but my boat hardly moves;  other boats nearby have slack ropes and wonder why their boat moves so much.   Different if you are on pins in soft ground, but with all the excellent ringed visitor moorings on the Shroppie this is less of a problem.

And my tickover speed in a decent channel is 1.8mph at 800 rpm.   Barely 2 mph at the 1,000 rpm that I pass ringed moorings at.

That's interesting, my memory must be playing tricks I just don't recall these seemingly endless lines of boats although last week was the first time we've transited the entire length of the Shroppie in one go, so it was a bit wearisome by the end.

[Detling]

Try the lower G U south of Berkhampstead you rarely get out of tickover it is no good for hire boat type cruising expecting to do 20+ lock miles in a 6 hour days. 

[FadeToScarlet]

2 hours ago, Detling said:

Try the lower G U south of Berkhampstead you rarely get out of tickover it is no good for hire boat type cruising expecting to do 20+ lock miles in a 6 hour days. 

It's not that bad. I've just done that exact stretch. Yes, there are fair bits of linear mooring, but it doesn't feel endless until you get to Old Oak Common.

What does slightly annoy me is one or two boats tied up in the middle of a decent deep stretch, so you can get going nicely but have to really slow down a few lengths before.

There are plenty of deep bits that make up for it too, you can happily wind it on for them and feel like you're making progress, e.g. Cowley Peachey - Bulls Bridge, Bulls Bridge - Alperton, etc.

[cuthound]

According to my Ulysse Speedometer app, my 800 rpm tickover equates to 1.6mph,  slightly less if the bottom is too near the top. 

[WotEver]

What is it with the spelling of Berkhamsted that folk find so difficult?

[rusty69]

11 minutes ago, WotEver said:

What is it with the spelling of Berkhamsted that folk find so difficult?

It's the Burk bit for me. 

Least I'm not called Hemel,! 

[WotEver]

Better than being "Hunt, the Culture Secretary"

Edited April 28, 2017 by WotEver

[sirweste]

Mine is around or a little more than 2 mph, though I tend to pass folks on "fast idle". Will measure it properly next move.

[WotEver]

11 minutes ago, sirweste said:

Mine is around or a little more than 2 mph, though I tend to pass folks on "fast idle". Will measure it properly next move.

Did you ask permission to post on topic?

[sirweste]

56 minutes ago, WotEver said:

Did you ask permission to post on topic?

hahaha

[ditchcrawler]

Well mine can be anywhere between one and three quarters and two and a quarter mph depending on the canal. my speed would easily change by half a mph between Kings Bromley marina and Woodend lock

[sirweste]

Just measured mine on a shallowish section of the GU. It came out at 1.8 mph 

[Canal Cuttings]

Very useful info, as with my Lister engine the tickover is around 1mph.  It's so slow that people come out of their boats and give me a hard stare because I am loitering.  It's a stupid campaign to mention tickover, when this is a mechanical thing that varies from boat to boat.

[Peter-Bullfinch]

Ours ticks over at  about 300 and this also seems to be a about 1mph.

[Detling]

Tried following someone like the above I think less than 1 mph, it was a windy day and as I was in neutral most of the time after about 20 minutes I gave up and moored. For a cup of tea. I was bouncing off moored boats drifting into the trees just impossible.

 

[Neil2]

One reason why I asked the question is I have been behind boats in the past whose tickover speed is obviously a lot lower than mine, and I have been yelled at by moored boaters from time to time, one notable occasion last year on the Peak Forest where a guy moored by one of the movable bridges was quite apoplectic despite my protesting that I simply could not go any slower.  (Mind you, rather like a dog that barks at the traffic, I suspect he reacts that way to all passing boats.)

My suspicion is that a boat with the right engine/gearbox/prop combination should be able to slow to a snails pace, narrowboats such as mine that tickover at close to 2mph are probably overpropped.    

[Mike Todd]

57 minutes ago, Neil2 said:

One reason why I asked the question is I have been behind boats in the past whose tickover speed is obviously a lot lower than mine, and I have been yelled at by moored boaters from time to time, one notable occasion last year on the Peak Forest where a guy moored by one of the movable bridges was quite apoplectic despite my protesting that I simply could not go any slower.  (Mind you, rather like a dog that barks at the traffic, I suspect he reacts that way to all passing boats.)

My suspicion is that a boat with the right engine/gearbox/prop combination should be able to slow to a snails pace, narrowboats such as mine that tickover at close to 2mph are probably overpropped.    

Sadly, there are some people who seem to enjoy shouting at almost anyone that passes by, regardless of actual speed or - more importantly - what the effect is on their boat. I've certainly had comments when barely coasting by, even just arriving at or leaving a lock landing! One has to learn to smile and move on . . .

[Peter-Bullfinch]

Unfortunately there are very occasionally disagreeable people around....but the vast majority are really nice.

I have been intrigued I must admit by this thread so today with a Ulysses app on my phone I kept the boat at the lowest revs which is actually 380 rpm for us. (22hp Sabb). The speedometer showed a steady 1.2mph. At 800rpm it's at 2.5 which is a quite slow steady ambling along speed but we often get to the high wind in the hair speeds of over 3mph .

As I was trying this tick over speed today I was glowered at by someone in his boat. All I can surmise is he thought we were going so slow in order to stare into his boat!

[Morat]

TOO BLOODY FAST, YOU "£$%"£$ "£$"£$"£$$£

apparently.

:bothered:

[X Alan W]

On 27/04/2017 at 20:37, koukouvagia said:

About 100 RPM

Is that the "Kelvin" or the "Seffle" Mr Owl