Jump to content

March of the Widebeams


cuthound

Featured Posts

1 hour ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

Now I understand - the addition of that little word 'steel' makes all the difference.

 

If I understand what you are (now) saying is that many steel boat owners moor inconsiderately, but the impact on navigation is more pronounced when a widebeam does it.

 

I also agree that I seldom see a 'tupperware' moored in an awkward or selfish manner - maybe they feel more vulnerable, so moor up with the avoidance of impact in their minds.

I must disagree with you on cruisers not mooring in a selfish way, you will quite often see, shall we say a 60Ft space, along come a cruiser and plonks/moors right in the middle of said mooring space. They seem very reluctant to moor to close to any Narrow or Wide-beam.

When a wide-beam moors at an inconvenient spot it IS more noticeable than a Narrowboat mooring at an inconvenient spot, but it still does not make it OK for the narrow boater to moor there. Whilst travelling along the GU I have seen quite a few Narrowboats moored near bridge holes, on bends and opposite trees that overhang the canal from the offside by as much as half the width of the canal, and yes, the odd wide-beam moored inconsiderately.

Edited by F DRAYKE
Spelling. To change was to w.ay
Link to comment
Share on other sites

14 minutes ago, F DRAYKE said:

I must disagree with you on cruisers not mooring in a selfish was, you will quite often see, shall we say a 60Ft space, along come a cruiser and plonks/moors right in the middle of said mooring space. They seem very reluctant to moor to close to any Narrow or Wide-beam

Quite right too. They probably don't want to have their evening wrecked by being pumped full of diesel fumes as the narrowboat runs the engine for four hours so they can use their microwave, washing machine and vast TV. No one in their right mind moors any closer to any of these generally inconsiderate sods as they have to, me included. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, Arthur Marshall said:

Quite right too. They probably don't want to have their evening wrecked by being pumped full of diesel fumes as the narrowboat runs the engine for four hours so they can use their microwave, washing machine and vast TV. No one in their right mind moors any closer to any of these generally inconsiderate sods as they have to, me included. 

Don't you mean 8 hours?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 hours ago, Arthur Marshall said:

you will quite often see, shall we say a 60Ft space, along come a cruiser and plonks/moors right in the middle

What does that matter?

Unless your hypothetical cruiser is 20' or under by the time 5' is allowed between either end you'd only get 25 useful feet out of the remainder.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

52 minutes ago, zenataomm said:

What does that matter?

Unless your hypothetical cruiser is 20' or under by the time 5' is allowed between either end you'd only get 25 useful feet out of the remainder.

Wasn't me. And I've only got 2 useful feet, and one of them is rubbish, really. 

  • Greenie 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, haggis said:

Or stones in a mile. That still foxes me ?

Haggis

I think that is a variable depending if C&RT have tarmacked the towpath (or not)

 

 

2 minutes ago, Jerra said:

Perches are useful if you are still not metricated and want to work out acres.

 

 

Now you've done it - you've gorn and mention fish !!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

I think that is a variable depending if C&RT have tarmacked the towpath (or not)

 

 

 

 

Now you've done it - you've gorn and mention fish !!!

And it's not even salmon enchanted evening 

 

Haggis

  • Greenie 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 21/09/2019 at 09:27, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

But, but, your stats show I am in EXACTLY the right ball park.

 

As a 'finger in the air' guess I said 1%, the true proportion according to your stats is 6.9%. I reckon that is the same 'ball park'. 

 

(All the other 'non-widebeam' but over 7ft are probably the plastic cruisers.)

With that crazy logic thinking a 600% increase in the number you guessed at, then 600% above of the real number would also be in 'The Ballpark' say around 42% of boats on the canal are widebeam.

Even when presented with facts some people try and twist them because they can not admit they were wrong, just like Trump. 

  • Greenie 1
  • Love 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 21/09/2019 at 15:31, Lily Rose said:

 

 

 

Immediately after getting through the bridge, bow-hauled, it then pulled over and moored at the very start of the Armco despite the fact that there was probably another 50 to 60 foot of Armco to the moored narrow boat. 

 

I heard, 2nd hand, that it has "lost its rudder". Even if that is true (I have no reason to doubt it) it doesn't excuse mooring it up immediately after the bridge and not another 50 or 60 foot along. 

 

 

 

 

 

Interesting, we have some widebeames moored in the marina I have just left, last week one asked to change his mooring to a full length pontoon, not a problem and Dave the man on the spot asked if he needed a hand, No he would be fine, but it turned out it wasn't and he got stuck in the bottom corner of the marina, came out of his berth OK but could only go straight or right, not left. Turned out that when he last went out and winded he backed up against the bank and the hydraulic steering was powerful enough to twist the coupling on top or the rudder stock by 90 deg, so he had ahead round to full right rudder. Maybe this chap had the same problem

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

In the 1980s I had a lovely 41' Mindon narrowboat with a 3-cylinder Lister air-cooled engine, a very high seaworthy bow, and a cruiser stern with a square transom. That was sold a while ago, but I've recently acquired a 54' x 12' x 3'3" (draft) widebeam  barge. She was being used as a live-aboard on a boatyard on the Trent & Mersey. She's not a "fat narrowboat", but an English-designed "Dutch" barge. I plan to have the barge carried on a low-loader to a wide canal, probably to Reading. I'd make a visit to Oxford and back to check the boat's systems, before taking her down the Thames to Dover, across the Channel to Calais (by sea!) and into the French canal system. Rather than Reading, if feasible, I'd prefer to take it to Stourport or Gloucester, and then navigate via Sheerness, Avonmouth and the Kennet & Avon to the Thames. Two questions: (i) is the K&A large enough for a boat with these dimensions?; and (ii) having read much of this web chat, I am disheartened by some of the anti-widebeam tribalism. Assuming the answer to q.1 is "yes", might there be unpleasantness from narrowboaters resenting my widebeam's presence on the K&A?

Edited by Trevor Lyons
Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 minutes ago, Trevor Lyons said:

.........….before taking her down the Thames to Dover, across the Channel to Calais (by sea!) and into the French canal system.

I am sure that given the right conditions the boat is capable of making the journey but just a couple of points / question :

 

1) Do you have sea-going experience ?

2) The Channel is rated as the busiest waterway in the world and not knowing the colregs and how to navigate in tidal waters can leave you very vulnerable.

3) Have the fuel tank emptied and steam cleaned and refill with WHITE diesel (red is not allowed in Europe) before you leave UK waters.

4) Make sure you have the ORIGINAL documents (VAT paid certificate, RCD certificate of compliance) as the French do love their paperwork

 

It is not a journey to make in the winter.

 

Whilst you have it on a truck, why not take it all the way and 'get to know it' on the French canals ?

Edited by Alan de Enfield
  • Greenie 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

23 minutes ago, Trevor Lyons said:

In the 1980s I had a lovely 41' Mindon narrowboat with a 3-cylinder Lister air-cooled engine, a very high seaworthy bow, and a cruiser stern with a square transom. That was sold a while ago, but I've recently acquired a 54' x 12' x 3'3" (draft) widebeam  barge. She was being used as a live-aboard on a boatyard on the Trent & Mersey. She's not a "fat narrowboat", but an English-designed "Dutch" barge. I plan to have the barge carried on a low-loader to a wide canal, probably to Reading. I'd make a visit to Oxford and back to check the boat's systems, before taking her down the Thames to Dover, across the Channel to Calais (by sea!) and into the French canal system. Rather than Reading, if feasible, I'd prefer to take it to Stourport or Gloucester, and then navigate via Sheerness, Avonmouth and the Kennet & Avon to the Thames. Two questions: (i) is the K&A large enough for a boat with these dimensions?; and (ii) having read much of this web chat, I am disheartened by some of the anti-widebeam tribalism. Assuming the answer to q.1 is "yes", might there be unpleasantness from narrowboaters resenting my widebeam's presence on the K&A?

Lots of interesting widebeams and even a small ship or two on the K&A.

As long as you don't behave in an arrogant way and regard yourself as superior I suspect you will be made very welcome.

Your draft will be a challenge but you should get through. Is the air-draft ok????

 

............Dave

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.