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Where can't we go with a 62 foot narrow boat???


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For the past 20 years we have been regularly cruising from the Bridgewater canal to skipton & leeds on our 62ft narrowboatboat. Some locks its safer to go in and rise or fall diagonally but the L&L was built for 62ft boats so statements from CRT or others giving 60ft as the standard are incorrect albeit if they are done for safety reasons. You have to be watchful for dangerous situations. My wife controls the stern and I observe the bows. Only one lock (leeds lock) has given extreme problems because the automation only allows for both downstream gates to open together. The bows of the boat thus have to be exactly in the middle to get through. Before buying our boat we considered it essential that the L&L was navigable and 62ft is OK

Going up the calder we have always been able to reach Horbury Bridge before having to turn round.

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8 minutes ago, Stevec said:

Only one lock (leeds lock) has given extreme problems because the automation only allows for both downstream gates to open together. The bows of the boat thus have to be exactly in the middle to get through

Or use the full lock bottom gates that are an extra 43m / 141 feet from the top gates :)

 

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13 hours ago, TheBiscuits said:

[Leeds Lock] Or use the full lock bottom gates that are an extra 43m / 141 feet from the top gates :)

 

I was there when a paddle had been lost from one of the middle gates in 2014(?).  The suggestion of using the full bottom gates was rejected by the staff working to find and refit it on the grounds that they hadn't been used in over a decade and were silted up.:(

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On 1/26/2018 at 15:38, Jen-in-Wellies said:

The limiting factor for reaching the Yorkshire waterways via the Trent is Thorne lock. Officially this is 60', but I have seen a 62' narrowboat do it diagonally and longer ones still have done it. This saves going round Trent Falls, which is a bit hard core for ditch crawlers, though it is done. From there you have access to canals set up for very large boats indeed. Certainly as far as Leeds, Wakefield and Rotherham and most of the way to Ripon. You can reach Huddersfield via the narrow canal from Manchester area, but will have to return the same way because of the Hiuddersfield broad.

Jen

According to the Fraenkel Report (1975) the maximum craft dimensions for Thorne Lock under the 1968 Act are:  66 ft long and 17 ft 6 in beam - which is why narrow boats up to 70 ft can get through.  Presumably the Trust (and possibly BW previously) discourage boats longer than Sheffield size becauee of the risk of catching up on walkways.  I haven't been through Thorne Lock for some years and didn't pay any attention to the subject then as my boat was 57 ft long.

While on the subject, max legal dimensions for the L&L, Leeds to Wigan:  61 ft (limited by a lock in the Wigan flight, though I always found the middle lock of either Newlay or Forge to be the shortest) x 14ft 3 in beam.  C&H short locks:  57ft 6 in x 14 ft 2 in.  Tinsley flight not included as being a Remainder Waterway there were no legal dimensions but Edwards (1962) gives 61 ft 6 in x 15ft 6 in from Keadby to Sheffield.

Best wishes David . 

Edited by fanshaft
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7 minutes ago, fanshaft said:

According to the Fraenkel Report (1975) the maximum craft dimensions for Thorne Lock under the 1968 Act are:  66 ft long and 17 ft 6 in beam - which is why narrow boats up to 70 ft can get through.  Presumably the Trust (and possibly BW previously) discourage boats longer than Sheffield size becauee of the risk of catching up on walkways.  I haven't been through Thorne Lock for some years and didn't pay any attention to the subject then as my boat was 57 ft long.

While on the subject, max legal dimensions for the L&L, Leeds to Wigan:  61 ft (limited by a lock in the Wigan flight, though I always found the middle lock of either Newlay or Forge to be the shortest) x 14ft 3 in beam.  C&H short locks:  57ft 6 in x 14 ft 2 in.  Tinsley flight not included as being a Remainder Waterway there were no legal dimensions but Edwards (1962) gives 61 ft 6 in x 15ft 6 in from Keadby to Sheffield.

Best wishes David . 

Hi David

You are of course right that seventy foot goes through as I did it twice recently in 2011. The walkways do indeed encroach on the lock and GREAT care has to be taken especialy going uphill. The tiller arm needs to be able to be swung into a full 90 degrees angle to the stern of the boat to clear. You do also need to spin round at the top and come down backwards to clear the sill.

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On 1/27/2018 at 09:40, DaveP said:

I was there when a paddle had been lost from one of the middle gates in 2014(?).  The suggestion of using the full bottom gates was rejected by the staff working to find and refit it on the grounds that they hadn't been used in over a decade and were silted up.:(

The last use of the full length lock might have been by narrow boat Victoria, loaded with coal, July 2014. I was with Mike at the time.  Following a failure due to siltation, and at the behest of the NE Partnership,  the bottom most gates are currently being replaced to allow craft up to 143 ft to access Leeds city centre.  There is an Open weekend coming up, 3rd/4th February.

Regards David

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For the L&LC, these are plans for Wigan locks done in 1890 which show the exact size of the locks. The second plan is from 1934, and shows the dimensions of Yarwoods built short boats as 61 feet overall, to which the rudder and bow fender can be added to make at least 62 feet.

1890 Wigan locks 692.jpeg

1934 Yarwoods lines.jpg

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3 hours ago, Pluto said:

For the L&LC, these are plans for Wigan locks done in 1890 which show the exact size of the locks. The second plan is from 1934, and shows the dimensions of Yarwoods built short boats as 61 feet overall, to which the rudder and bow fender can be added to make at least 62 feet.

1890 Wigan locks 692.jpeg

1934 Yarwoods lines.jpg

Impressive 

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I should have noted that the fall of Wigan Top Lock is given at 15 feet 2 inches. This was the result of subsidence, and the locks were subsequently 'equalised' at least twice in order to reduce the water wasted by a 15 feet fall. In the photo, the arrow shows the top of depth markings chiselled into the stonework on Wigan Top Lock. The layers of stone above were added around 1900 because of subsidence.

Wigan Top Lock.jpg

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1 hour ago, Aguila said:

Interesting to see Wigan top lock at the moment with stop planks in above the lock and all 4 gates wide open. The pound below is almost dry and there are new gates on the bank ready to be fitted.

where's the piccies !!!!?

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On Fri Jan 26 2018 at 16:36, plainsman said:

Technically there is wriggle room on Wigan Flight BUT the gates leak so much as to risk flooding over the bows or if coming down, flooding engine hole. At best getting wet feet. I did it in a 60 footer coming down - never again.

Seconded. 

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T'was chucking it down when I walked up the flight to have a look at progress so the Nikon stayed in it's bag. The contractors had thoughtfully wedged the 'services' door open so I sheltered from the rain inside the shower room!

I should be in that area in the next few days so 'watch this space'.

 

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On the equalisation of the lock falls, this is lock 13. The first photo shows three sets of copings; an original at the bottom, and two above as a result of equalisation. In the seconf, you can see how the lower entrance has been built up as the lock subsided. The distortion of the lock chambers due to subsidence is probably the main factor in why gates on this flight are so heavy, though there are others.

Wigan 13-1.JPG

Wigan 13-2.JPG

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Think you are missing a treat of you don't do the full length of the L&L- it's one of the best canals on the system and you should be able to manage fine with a 62ft. We shared a large section of the canal with a boat this length last year (incl the Wigan flight) and it was fine.

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