Stoke Bruerne winding

[Rooffy]

Can a 62ft boat be turned at Stoke Bruerne museum?

Approaching from the north it seems that otherwise if you miss the two winding holes which are half a mile north of the museum, you would need to turn the six locks twice to get turned around.

[alan_fincher]

There is only one winding hole up towards the tunnel - not sure where you are getting two from?

If you are anywhere in that pound to the top lock, it is not that hard to reverse back to it.

I can't remember the definitive answer on the longest boat that can be turned outside the pub.  I think 62 feet might be pushing it, but maybe not.  It may depend on what is moored there, such as the trip boats, if nothing else.

You only need to go down a maximum of 4 locks before you can wind 72 feet, but with just 62 feet you could very easily turn below the third lock down.

(There are 7 locks in the Stoke Bruerne flight, with no obvious winding options after just 6!)

[john6767]

If you are coming from the north and intending to go back north without going down any locks, then I would turn round at the winding hole just after you come out of the tunnel and then reverse back to a free mooring.

[alan_fincher]

This post in another thread talks about winding 61 feet outside the pub....

It does sound like an extra foot would really be pushing the limits.
 

On 3/23/2009 at 23:38, Kraken said:

I regularly wind a 61 foot boat in front of the pub, so there is a good chance you will be OK, but it will depend on how vertical your bow is (that is, how much it overhangs the edge). The canal gets wider, closer to the lock, so you have to put the bow in quite close to the trip boat. Crew holds the bow with a rope on the bollard, letting it drift down 6 or 8 feet from the bollard towards the trip boat. Stern clears the other side by an inch or two with the tiller hard over. Rear button skimps over the tow path. After 90 degrees the rope comes off the bollard and the boat spins around in one. Any further up the canal and it won't go. Bamboozlers at the pub are occasionally impressed (Especially the one time I was too far up the canal and got just a tiny bit wedged).

 

6 minutes ago, john6767 said:

If you are coming from the north and intending to go back north without going down any locks, then I would turn round at the winding hole just after you come out of the tunnel and then reverse back to a free mooring.

Yep, that is what we would do with our 72 footer if we didn't fancy going down 4 locks to turn.

[john6767]

15 minutes ago, alan_fincher said:

Yep, that is what we would do with our 72 footer if we didn't fancy going down 4 locks to turn.

What i’ve done with 50ft.   You don’t know what could be moored both sides above the locks, and anyway if you cock it up there you will have a audience!

[Boat&Bikes]

Never winded there but I reckon you can...I'd be tempted to moor up down by the village and see what you think. You can then decide whether to wind there or reverse back to the winding hole.

Ian.

[GUMPY]

Used to wind Idleness outside the pub on a regular basis 59' 6" was tight, used to have to lift the rear fenders, bow facing the pub. Much easier if Indian Chief is away.

[Leo No2]

60' max outside the double glass doors for the Boat Inn and right next to Indian Chief's fore end. So much depends on the amount of water in the cut (and that can go up and down a surprising amount), the type of fore end you have, whether the top lock is being used or not, how much traffic is around and which way (and how hard) the wind is blowing. My 60' Orion shell (sadly no longer mine) could only just get round with fore end and stern end fenders up when all conditions were in my favour. Use the winding hole just on the Stoke Bruerne side of the tunnel, which can take a full length boat easily.

You can get 62' round in the Long Pound between locks 15 and 16 with a bit of care otherwise it's between 16 and 17 and for a full length boat it's between 17 and 18 or right down to the bottom and wind in the River Tove.

What perhaps really is worth bearing in mind is what your overall length is about 4" to 6" above the waterline

Edited February 2, 2018 by Leo No2
Typos

[Rooffy]

Many thanks all. Think we'll turn at the winding hole and moor after a little reversing. The extent of detailed knowledge on this forum never ceases to amaze!

[john6767]

33 minutes ago, Rooffy said:

Many thanks all. Think we'll turn at the winding hole and moor after a little reversing. The extent of detailed knowledge on this forum never ceases to amaze!

Good choice, you could get to the top lock and find this lot there 

 

[IanM]

60’ is easy below the 3rd lock down. I’ve looked at winding in the long pound but have always chickend out!

[Mike Todd]

14 hours ago, Leo No2 said:

60' max outside the double glass doors for the Boat Inn and right next to Indian Chief's fore end. So much depends on the amount of water in the cut (and that can go up and down a surprising amount), the type of fore end you have, whether the top lock is being used or not, how much traffic is around and which way (and how hard) the wind is blowing. My 60' Orion shell (sadly no longer mine) could only just get round with fore end and stern end fenders up when all conditions were in my favour. Use the winding hole just on the Stoke Bruerne side of the tunnel, which can take a full length boat easily.

You can get 62' round in the Long Pound between locks 15 and 16 with a bit of care otherwise it's between 16 and 17 and for a full length boat it's between 17 and 18 or right down to the bottom and wind in the River Tove.

What perhaps really is worth bearing in mind is what your overall length is about 4" to 6" above the waterline

And the wind there can be quite counter intuitive. Don't just look at the clouds as, if coming from the west especially, the wind reflects off the buildings and pushes the boat towards the west, ie away from the towpath. Not, of course, the only place that this happens - try just before Wigan Pier - but it is one place that I have found it particularly significant. Might just have been the added embarrassment of onlookers. (BTW, when just above the lock the towpath can be almost level with the water such that if you use the engine anything other than tickover it pushes water right over the toes of onlookers. They can get quite stroppy but best ignored!)

[Leo No2]

Funnily enough a northbound (well it came up the flight) boat (62’) has just attempted to wind outside the Boat Inn and is now on his way to the winding hole to wind.

Mike Todd you are quite right in that the wind, from whatever direction, bounces off the buildings around the top lock and makes life interesting; I have seen very experienced owners of historic former working boats struggle with the vagaries of the wind here.