nb lengths and locks

[rawsondsr]

Is there a clear map or source anywhere that shows you where the longer nbs are limited to - a map with lengths in ft for example?

[Ex Brummie]

Plenty of guides that stipulate the waterways dimensions. Nicholsons have all this information at the start of each waterway chapter. I don't know of any reference work that has complete details all in one list.

[Alan de Enfield]

I have a "Stanfords' Inland Cruising Map of England For larger Craft"

This has various tables showing (for example) 

Table A "Locks less than 14 feet" (detailing individual canals)

Table B "Locks less than 70 feet long" (detailing individual locks)

Then colour coded waterway charts :

Blue = Canals & Rivers having locks 14 feet or over wide and 70 feet long or over (See Table A For individual detail)

Green = Canals & Rivers having locks less than 70 feet (See table B for individual detail)

Red = Canals with locks for craft of 7ft beam only

 

It also has 'Mileage of Through Routes'

 

The 'main chart' is 8 miles to the inch but has 'Mini-Chartlets of 'busy areas'

Birmingham (2.5 Miles to the inch)

Manchester & Liverpool Area (4 miles to the inch)

Goole, Leeds & Huddersfield Area

London Area (2 miles to the inch)

[rawsondsr]

i think i will have to get one of them - thanks

[Peter X]

The devil is in the detail, and no doubt the map Alan mentions will give you a lot of that, but a good rule of thumb is that a full length narrow boat will fit just about everywhere except the canals over the Pennines, the tightest of those being the Calder & Hebble.

Lots of boats are around the 70' mark, the longest tend to be old working boats going up to about 71' 6", and most canals in the midlands and south were designed to take those, with that as the minimum lock length. But the locks on those northern canals weren't, so about 58 feet is often referred to as a "go-anywhere" length.

[Alan de Enfield]

7 hours ago, Peter X said:

The devil is in the detail, and no doubt the map Alan mentions will give you a lot of that, but a good rule of thumb is that a full length narrow boat will fit just about everywhere except the canals over the Pennines, the tightest of those being the Calder & Hebble.

Lots of boats are around the 70' mark, the longest tend to be old working boats going up to about 71' 6", and most canals in the midlands and south were designed to take those, with that as the minimum lock length. But the locks on those northern canals weren't, so about 58 feet is often referred to as a "go-anywhere" length.

Correct it is most of the 'Northerly' canals, and one 'main line' canal that is limited is :

Leeds & Liverpool (Leeds to Wigan) 62' 0"

Leeds & Liverpool (Rufford Branch) 62' 0"

 

Whilst most of the "under 14 foot width" locks tend to be Midlands-South example :

Kennet & Avon (Bath to Newbury) 13' 6" Max beam

River Wey 13' 10 1/2" Max beam