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March of the Widebeams


cuthound

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On 02/05/2018 at 00:12, Goliath said:

Pretty thorough checking. They have all the tech. A large right angle with feet and inches marked with a felt pen. They measure draft, air draft and width of the gunnels and cabin top.

I think Gosty tunnel is lower? You got through that. A 70 footer would be tricky to get through the tunnel here because it aint straight in places but it’s doable. Very deep water through out so that’s not a problem for you, you shouldn’t catch a tyre. Fantastic viewing in there. You’ll have to see it. 

If you are interested I’ll ask tomorrow, I’m still west end of tunnel, Diggle. 

Post me dimentions of Vox and I’ll ask. 

And don't forget to fill the water tank before they measure . . .

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On 05/05/2018 at 21:11, Neil2 said:

 

I'd be interested to know if (in the modern era) anyone has ever done the HNC in a 70 footer, given that you can only go as far as Huddersfield.   To get to Yorkshire only to have to turn round and head back over the Pennines to Lancashire doesn't bear thinking about.

 

 

 

Don't know about the HNC, but many 70 footers, including ex working boats, have done the similar two way trip on the Rochdale.

On 05/05/2018 at 21:11, Neil2 said:

 

I'd be interested to know if (in the modern era) anyone has ever done the HNC in a 70 footer, given that you can only go as far as Huddersfield.   To get to Yorkshire only to have to turn round and head back over the Pennines to Lancashire doesn't bear thinking about.

 

 

 

Don't know about the HNC, but many 70 footers, including ex working boats, have done the similar two way trip on the Rochdale.

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My wife just told me that the 14 foot wide 'thing' we followed up Calcutt yesterday cost £250000 . It was in red oxide primer. The owner was ' terrified '

 

last year we bought a new canal side apartment not 30 miles away in market bosworth (  canal and marina view 2 beds and car parking )for just over half of that. Our 55 ft boat flat and car come to  a lot less than quarter of a million and they can't throw us out of the flat.

is it me?

 

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On 05/05/2018 at 21:11, Neil2 said:

 

.   To get to Yorkshire only to have to turn round and head back over the Pennines to Lancashire doesn't bear thinking about.

 

 

I'd do the tunnel and turn roud as fast as possible to get back to Lancashire.

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On 03/05/2018 at 21:47, welly said:

There was a widebeam moored up in front of me the other day. It was the antithesis of the canals. It was easily 70ft long and easily 14ft wide. It had a satellite dish on the roof and an anchor that would tie down an oil rig hanging off the front.

 

Get on the Thames you nobber. The canal isn't for you pal.

Or it could go on a proper commercial canal system and not the little ditch that is the Gu and the meandering brook known as the Thames. On the aire and calder navigation just to mention one area such a craft as you mention would be classed as a " Tender " being so small.

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39 minutes ago, Cheshire cat said:

It looks to me like one of the widebeams that used to be owned by canaltime and moored at Market Harborough 10+ years ago. The typeface of the name on the bow "fits".

Yes, and they do not have engines. There are still a bunch of them at Priory Marina, Bedford.

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On 05/05/2018 at 21:11, Neil2 said:

 

I'd be interested to know if (in the modern era) anyone has ever done the HNC in a 70 footer, given that you can only go as far as Huddersfield.   To get to Yorkshire only to have to turn round and head back over the Pennines to Lancashire doesn't bear thinking about.

 

 

Yes.

Horseboat Maria has done it several times , by horse  power and legging through Standedge. 

Motor maintenance boat Joel  and Maria attended the IWA national rally at Huddersfield not long after the canal was re-opened. There is a video of Joel entering the top lock of the Broad canal, the lock keeper's face is a picture. For some reason the lock had been built too short and too wide.

Sadly, some of the HNC locks are too narrow for many ex-working boats, generally ex GUCC boats won't get beyond Wade Lock in Uppermill and some don't get that far. It isn't called the Huddersfield Narrow Canal for nothing?

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 4 weeks later...
29 minutes ago, sirweste said:

I'm quite surprised at the procedure at the end of that lift, with the straps flapping about with no bloke guiding them

Its quite normal here, the mud is so near to the top that Barry washes the straps off by swinging back and forth on the surface, then lifts across to let them drain off. The numpty stood on the edge who almost got hit shouldn't have been there.

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16 hours ago, matty40s said:

Its quite normal here, the mud is so near to the top that Barry washes the straps off by swinging back and forth on the surface, then lifts across to let them drain off. The numpty stood on the edge who almost got hit shouldn't have been there.

Yer that's what I mean, that bloke, with no flag / high vis. Stood precariously close to the straps as they fling about. I would have had an exclusion zone or something until straps were well up out of the way. 

Perhaps just my inexperience of lifting boats in

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18 hours ago, matty40s said:

....and another widey in at Stowe Hill, 2 in 2 days. ...with a 70 x 12 footer on its way later in the week.

 

I note it isn't a new boat though. Do you know where it came from?

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1 hour ago, ditchcrawler said:

They sell them at Wincham Wharf

...whose web site can't have been designed by a boater: they call themselves "Narrowboats Ltd." and yet the photo on their front page clearly depicts a widebeam.

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