Jump to content

March of the Widebeams


cuthound

Featured Posts

1 minute ago, Chris Williams said:

How does 12 foot six suddenly become 12 foot 1 1/2 inches, which Is a very strange measurement ?  Are we including rubbing strakes and rivets ?

The gauged measurement is accurately taken at the time of gauging, and was the total width including strakes.

 

The Grand Union Canal Company gauged boats to within 1/8'', and these odd measurements are often seen on their gauge tables - but 1/2'' was more common :captain:

  • Greenie 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

21 hours ago, peterboat said:

Must have built the bridges to allow for a bit of spread ?

Bridges should be built with a margin either side of the specified maximum width to allow water to pass by. Otherwise (as can happen even with standard narrow boats) you come almost to a standstill under the bridge. Even more so if there is little depth under the keel as well. Just watch what happens when you next pass under a narrow bridge.

  • Greenie 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, Mike Todd said:

you come almost to a standstill under the bridge. Even more so if there is little depth under the keel as well. Just watch what happens when you next pass under a narrow bridge.

That's what happened when Tadworth bent my tiller.  The steerer didn't realise what would happen in the bridge.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Mike Todd said:

Bridges should be built with a margin either side of the specified maximum width to allow water to pass by. Otherwise (as can happen even with standard narrow boats) you come almost to a standstill under the bridge. Even more so if there is little depth under the keel as well. Just watch what happens when you next pass under a narrow bridge.

When the exol pride comes past me you should see the water running past me next to the bank! And the bow wave if CRT saw it they would have my license ?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

1 hour ago, roland elsdon said:

How would a 75-footer get through Grand Union locks?  

Might be worth looking in Bradshaw. I have feeling the GU was always wide and longer up to Berko as many of the wide boats from London traded up there. The Regent's Canal Locks are more than 70ft. I am sure you can get a 75ft boat around the London Ring. Unfortunately my copy fell apart many years ago and I have never got around to replacing it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Mike Todd said:

Bridges should be built with a margin either side of the specified maximum width to allow water to pass by. Otherwise (as can happen even with standard narrow boats) you come almost to a standstill under the bridge. Even more so if there is little depth under the keel as well. Just watch what happens when you next pass under a narrow bridge.

 

i.e. almost any bridge on the South Stratford. If ever a canal was built on the cheap...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

42 minutes ago, Mike Adams said:

 

Might be worth looking in Bradshaw. I have feeling the GU was always wide and longer up to Berko as many of the wide boats from London traded up there. The Regent's Canal Locks are more than 70ft. I am sure you can get a 75ft boat around the London Ring. Unfortunately my copy fell apart many years ago and I have never got around to replacing it.

My Bradshaw's gives the "maximum size of vessels that can use the navigation" "Main Line" as length 72'0'' and width 14'3''.

 

Individual lock dimensions are not given, but all branches are given with their individual maximum boat dimensions. There is however section dimensions for draught, and Brentford to Berkhampstead is 4'3'' for narrow boats and 4'0'' for wide boats and barges - then from Berkhampstead to Braunston only narrow boat draught is given, with the maximum being 3'8''.

 

The Regents Canal maximum boat dimensions are listed as 80'0'' x 14'6'' with a draught of 4'6'' :captain:

 

edit = my Bradshaw's is a facsimile of the 1904 edition, but republished in 2012 by Old House books and maps, Oxford - and it is still a useful term of reference.

Edited by pete harrison
Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, Athy said:

How would a 75-footer get through Grand Union locks? 

Because the quoted maximum length is 76 feet as far as Braunston then actually 78 feet as far as Camp Hill.

A single barge style boat can be longer than a pair of narrow boats, and still get the bottom gates open or shut.

 

 

  • Greenie 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just now, alan_fincher said:

Because the quoted maximum length is 76 feet as far as Braunston then actually 78 feet as far as Camp Hill.

A single barge style boat can be longer than a pair of narrow boats, and still get the bottom gates open or shut.

 

 

Plus, being built at the same time, they were designed to fit each other

 

Richard

Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 hours ago, Mike Adams said:

 

Might be worth looking in Bradshaw. I have feeling the GU was always wide and longer up to Berko as many of the wide boats from London traded up there. The Regent's Canal Locks are more than 70ft. I am sure you can get a 75ft boat around the London Ring. Unfortunately my copy fell apart many years ago and I have never got around to replacing it.

It is not known as the Port of Berkhamsted for nothing!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

22 hours ago, ditchcrawler said:

Two wide beams can pass on the GU, see this blog http://jhalfie.blogspot.com/2019/07/widebeam-meets-widebeam-tranquil-rose.html

I passed Tranquil Rose the other day somewhere around Braunston and it was on a bend, no trouble at all, plenty of room, my boat is 11' wide.

Edited by F DRAYKE
Should have said 11ft wide
Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, F DRAYKE said:

I passed Tranquil Rose the other day somewhere around Braunston and it was on a bend, no trouble at all, plenty of room, my boat is 11" wide.

What is it - a canoe?

  • Greenie 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

25 minutes ago, Mike Todd said:

No, it says so on the bridge. And Dacorum and wiki and CaRT . . .

Indeed but wasn't she responsible for making that happen. It certainly came about when she was on the local council/mayor, wasn't there before that, and no one had heard it before then.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

17 minutes ago, Loddon said:

Indeed but wasn't she responsible for making that happen. It certainly came about when she was on the local council/mayor, wasn't there before that, and no one had heard it before then.

Ah, but the gorilla in the sun lounge was definitely the same one that was in the bush when Livingstone met Stanley in Africa. ...she told me..

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 10/07/2019 at 17:21, Alan de Enfield said:

 

I wonder where C&RTs 'able to navigate' dimension is taken ?

For the maximum published beam it is at the maximum published draught, at the maximum published headroom, and at all points in between.

 

JP

Edited by Captain Pegg
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.