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Hi all when we go through canal tunnels I have a problem with catching the corners of our roof on the tunnel sides I have tried to keep away but the boat seams to want to go to the wall ,so I have bought 4 trolley wheels which iam going to fit to the sides of each corner of the boat so I should keep me away from the sides of the tunnel where it curves round ,the tunnel wall was ripping off our bunge clips ,and ripping our cratch cover on the corners , should work with a bit of look ps only £7 for 4 of eBay 

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Will they be permanent?  They could end up causing more damage as they could set-in the side of your boat.  Will you mount them on the roof or gunwales?  I though t of something similar but it was going to be a temporary thing that could be fitted port or starboard.

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I suspect you will end up damaging your boat and / or the actual structure of the tunnels.

The tunnel walls are all uneven and have suspect brick work in places, this surely will catch or break off if in contact with these wheels.

  • Greenie 1
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Try going through tunnels at a normal cruising speed - it is easier steer at a decent speed. It also helps to have your tunnel light pointing up towards the roof and to the starboard side of the boat - yoy don't blind the steerers of boats coming in the opposite direction. I also like to have a second light at the rear of the boat - you can then still see the low bits when your headlight has gone past them - this is really helpful in tunnels like Harecastle which have changing profiles. Finally if you think you might damage your cratch cover take it off before entering tunnels.

  • Greenie 1
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Yes you all have good comments,the wheels are rubber and swivel 180 degrees , when we have gone through the tunnel the wheels can be reversed so the wheels will be on the inside the boat I will take a picture when I have fitted them and you will see what I mean , I think I do more damage to the inside of the tunnels when I am scraping along the tunnel and brick dust and bits of brick coming off 

Edited by Dave Bebb
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The OP's boat must have a very square profile, i.e. not much 'tumblehome' (is that right?)  if the corners of the roof contact the tunnel before the gunwale does, in most tunnels at least.  Even in Standedge, where I routinely protect my leading top corners, it's always lower down (and usually the back deck rails) which get scratched.

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I think you will cause & be caused more damage with those castors ,the uneven rof will kock them out of line they will probably fall into the holes in the brickwork & rip them out of the cabin sides/roof  damage fest waiting too happen I would guess the tumble home is not enough to let the hull hitting the wall without the cabin making contact have you tried switching on all the cabin lights they shine through the windows & light up the tunnel walls give you an idea as to your position in the tunnel & as said keep normal cruising speed  if possiblebit faster if you can the boat pushing the water in a confined space will tend to better keep you in the centre

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31 minutes ago, Bee said:

Tunnels (and very narrow channels) are tricky, the boat does get pulled into the side, its not just imagination. A bit of speed seems to help as does fierce concentration.

I absolutely agree, the real effort in Standedge is concentrating that hard for that long, I was mentally exhausted after I steered through.

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Personally I think castors are a stupid idea which will cause more problems than they solve. With the tunnel light properly adjusted (see above) and all the cabin lights turned on, you can see where the wall is at all times and a tunnel is no more difficult than a very long bridge hole. 

Edited by Machpoint005
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I suggest before you go down this route get one of those Durite LED tunnel lights, they really are the bollox and make tunneling a much more pleasant experience.

1 hour ago, Mac of Cygnet said:

The OP's boat must have a very square profile, i.e. not much 'tumblehome' (is that right?)  if the corners of the roof contact the tunnel before the gunwale does, in most tunnels at least.  Even in Standedge, where I routinely protect my leading top corners, it's always lower down (and usually the back deck rails) which get scratched.

A lot of modern boats are built too square and too tall.   It's not the first time I've heard this issue raised, honestly do the builders not expect these boats to ever go through a tunnel??  

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Agree with all the above. Castors likely to cause more damage to your boat. Internal lights and a head torch, with plenty of revs help you keep centred. If you still get damage, then you might want to try helicopter tape on the corners. It is transparent and tough stuff. Used to protect the leading edges of helicopter blades. Mountain bikers use it to protect expenzsive bike frames. When it gets damaged you just peel it off and replace.

Jen

https://www.amazon.co.uk/3MTM-8671HS-Helicopter-Tape-2-74m/dp/B00NMESRBK

For example.

Edited by Jen-in-Wellies
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I'd be interested in how the castors would be mounted to the boat. Given there's no suspension, then there will be a shock loading of some kind which is imparted through the castors and their mounting position on the boat. If simply bolted to the side of the roof, then it may dent the entire panel. If mounted on some kind of frame, then the frame's mounting may damage the boat metalwork - all leading to potential areas for leaks later on. We never bothered with any kind of guarding but did consider it for very narrow/low tunnels, the conclusion being some kind of rubber matting such as a portion of judo matting or similar, would do the job but we never resolved how to mount it to the boat.

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19 minutes ago, Neil2 said:

I suggest before you go down this route get one of those Durite LED tunnel lights, they really are the bollox and make tunneling a much more pleasant experience.

 

Unless you're coming the other way, in which case only the other bloke with the led is having a pleasant experience! Not all are well adjusted, I'll grant you, and any badly aimed lamp can cause issues, but I think these led spotlights are much brighter than anyone needs them to be and I hate passing them. It's not the power of the of tunnel light that's the issue, else no-one would have got through tunnels in t'old days... it's where it's shining.

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21 minutes ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

Agree with all the above. Castors likely to cause more damage to your boat. Internal lights and a head torch, with plenty of revs help you keep centred. If you still get damage, then you might want to try helicopter tape on the corners. It is transparent and tough stuff. Used to protect the leading edges of helicopter blades. Mountain bikers use it to protect expenzsive bike frames. When it gets damaged you just peel it off and replace.

Jen

https://www.amazon.co.uk/3MTM-8671HS-Helicopter-Tape-2-74m/dp/B00NMESRBK

For example.

I was just about to buy some when I saw the price!    £94.95     :o

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1 hour ago, Mac of Cygnet said:

The OP's boat must have a very square profile, i.e. not much 'tumblehome' (is that right?)  if the corners of the roof contact the tunnel before the gunwale does, in most tunnels at least.  Even in Standedge, where I routinely protect my leading top corners, it's always lower down (and usually the back deck rails) which get scratched.

I would disagree with that, I can think of a few narrow tunnels where the roof profile is such that the edge if the roof/handrail can touch before the gunwale would touch the side.  Examples on the BCN being, Gosty Hill, Asthed, Curdworth.

i would be interested to know which tunnels the OP is having an issue with, the wheels to me could cause some real damage if the get stuck in a void.

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1 minute ago, bizzard said:

I'd go for much larger diameter wheels like motorbike wheels,far less likely to snag on things, plus you could just set the throttle, go below for a snooze while the boat rumbles through on its own.

I well remember someone on these forums claiming that going through Harecastle he once set the tiller and proceeded to a bit of activity with the missus while the boat bumped its way through.  Now who was that?..........

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If you are really having trouble in tunnels. your best bet is invest in some proper lighting. Holding the front of the cabin in the middle of the light up tunnel at the front helps a lot. We often stick a light on the cabin slide at the back pointing upwards. That helps too. So does the rear light that illuminates the deck and the tunnel sides

Richard

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9 minutes ago, Mac of Cygnet said:

I well remember someone on these forums claiming that going through Harecastle he once set the tiller and proceeded to a bit of activity with the missus while the boat bumped its way through.  Now who was that?..........

:blush:

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