Jump to content

March of the Widebeams


cuthound

Featured Posts

22 minutes ago, hider said:

Get the daft beggar through the bridge then rebuild it for narrow boats so he can't get back in to the proper canal made for proper size boats.

Preferably let these barge skips sail all the way to the coasts, out to sea and then not let them back in. 

B***** off to the Continent with the stupid boats.

They are perfectly suited to the relevant BRITISH canals.
 

  • Greenie 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Graham Davis said:

They are perfectly suited to the relevant BRITISH canals.
 

Would you care to list all the relevant British canals where you could moor one and get 2 others to pass one another  in the same place?

It will be an amazingly short list.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Is that not the problem (and the reason C&RT are spending money to widen the bridge) ?

 

He did buy a boat which according to C&RTs published information WAS SUITABLE for the canal.

 

Forum member may believe it to be unsuitable but the 'track-owner' says otherwise.

Absolute maximum navigation width does NOT mean the boat is SUITABLE for the upper GU, just that it should fit.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Up-Side-Down said:

Have spoken to the owner of the fat boat and its beam = 12' 6". He is very upset about all the speculation that has taken place on the forums. But then I haven't noticed him contributing to this forum and nipping things in the bud by posting this somewhat critical dimension. Apparently work on the bridge masonry commences today – indeed it may well have started by now! 

But isn’t the next bridge at Blue Lias advertised as being only 12’ wide ?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, matty40s said:

If he had bought a boat suitable for the canal, there would have been no speculation.

Indeed. Just because it (possibly) fits a lock or bridgehole doesn’t make it suitable...I can think of any number of places that 2 narrowboats are a squeeze to pass...so what happens when he meets another entitled owner of an equally unsuitable boat? 

 

He also could have moored up in a slightly more suitable spot while waiting as well. I’ve little sympathy I’m afraid. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

23 minutes ago, frangar said:

Indeed. Just because it (possibly) fits a lock or bridgehole doesn’t make it suitable...

I agree - BUT when C&RT state the "maximum craft dimensions" on their website a boater would expect if his boat meets those dimensions he should be able to 'boat'.

 

Maybe it is C&RT that need educating what the true 'usable' dimensions are, and, where they fall below those stated they are legally required to bring them back to those 'usable' dimensions.

 

 

image.png.7ef725536cf041005eae39b1608ed628.png

 

 

Edited by Alan de Enfield
Link to comment
Share on other sites

41 minutes ago, matty40s said:

Absolute maximum navigation width does NOT mean the boat is SUITABLE for the upper GU, just that it should fit.

If you go over a bridge marked with a 10 tonne weight limit, and as you go over it, it collapses, despite you GVW only being 9 tonnes, is the truck driver to blame ?

  • Greenie 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

27 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

If you go over a bridge marked with a 10 tonne weight limit, and as you go over it, it collapses, despite you GVW only being 9 tonnes, is the truck driver to blame ?

The bridge is probably looked after properly. The Grand Union offside is currently starting to look like an extension of the National Forest.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, hider said:

Would you care to list all the relevant British canals where you could moor one and get 2 others to pass one another  in the same place?

It will be an amazingly short list.

A few for starters.

 

Aire and Calder

Sheffield and South Yorkshire navigation

Fossdyke 

Nottingham canal

  • Greenie 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 minutes ago, Tumshie said:

In my best Dan Shambles: Like a cheap wool cardie in a heavy rain shower. ?‍♂️

 

 

 

Tut tut tut tut......(shaking head) used to be such a nice, middle aged person.......

 

 

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, roland elsdon said:

Hang on wasnt it reported at 4 m wide earlier. Did it shrink in the water?

If its only 12’6 that’ll be fine, for another few yards

Of course the boat may have been ordered with a 12’ 6” beam but that doesn’t mean it was built to 12’ 6”.....it might not also be straight!! Has anyone (Eg CRT) actually measured it?? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 minutes ago, frangar said:

Of course the boat may have been ordered with a 12’ 6” beam but that doesn’t mean it was built to 12’ 6”.....it might not also be straight!! Has anyone (Eg CRT) actually measured it?? 

Or he might just be saying that it's 12' 6" because he's "Very upset about all the speculation that's taken place on the forum"

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

39 minutes ago, frangar said:

Of course the boat may have been ordered with a 12’ 6” beam but that doesn’t mean it was built to 12’ 6”.....it might not also be straight!! Has anyone (Eg CRT) actually measured it?? 

Given that another fat boat that could get through the bridge but now cant, doesn't that suggest there is a problem with the bridge not the boat?

  • Greenie 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

14 minutes ago, Naughty Cal said:

Given that another fat boat that could get through the bridge but now cant, doesn't that suggest there is a problem with the bridge not the boat?

That depends by how much it doesn’t fit!! 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

58 minutes ago, Naughty Cal said:

Given that another fat boat that could get through the bridge but now cant, doesn't that suggest there is a problem with the bridge not the boat?

It does to me, but I don't care about fatties wanting to navigate that area.

 

Odd that those who do mind private boats seem to think the hotel boat is OK.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As far I can tell from this thread the most likely facts are;-

 

1. The boat is intended to be used on the Thames - for which it is eminently suitable

 

2. Having been built on an inland waterway it is deliberately sized so as to be able to make passage to the Thames by water

 

3. The WFBC bridge has moved and is now less than the minimum dimensions thereby precluding the above

 

4. CRT are doing something about as they are legally bound to do

 

5. Hurleston locks - or even the Blue Lias bridge - are nothing to do with anything related to this boat or bridge

 

If those are the circumstances I can understand why the owner might be more than a little narked by some of the comments on this thread.

 

JP

Edited by Captain Pegg
  • Greenie 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, hider said:

Get the daft beggar through the bridge then rebuild it for narrow boats so he can't get back in to the proper canal made for proper size boats.

Preferably let these barge skips sail all the way to the coasts, out to sea and then not let them back in. 

Bugger off to the Continent with the stupid boats.

In fairness its narrowboats that are a stupid size. The vast majority of the boats in the world are not a silly seven foot beam. Wide beam boats are superior to narrowboats and far more sensible. However the bone of contention is the stupid place some people put them, the North Oxford is totaly unsuitable for instance. We have a very long stretch of linked waterways to include the Trent, Ouse, Aire and Calder, sheffield and south yorkshire and others that are eminently suitable for sensible dimension boats. The Thames in the South likewise. The problem arises when wider than seven feet beam are put in stupid locations. If we want to cruise inland UK extensively then we are stuck with poxy narrowbeam and have to put up with them worse luck. In reality if all locks were minimum 14 feet not many people would be daft enough to stipulate a 6ft 10 inch beam boat today as they make no sense whatsoever in 2019.

  • Greenie 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.