12.6 wide down the GU

[Lumisid]

Hi all

amazing forum

 

has anyone cruised a 12’6” (x60’) from Stockton locks down towards Apsley area on the GU ? Is there any pinch points that I should know about or narrow sections preventing that beam from cruising on through?

 

many thanks 

[Rob VP]

It is certainly passable, though probably not a fun experience if your boat has nice paintwork.

[alan_fincher]

Probably the bit to be most concerned about is at the very start, if you are going through the bridge at Blue Lias.

I believe 12' 6" should pass, but I gather it depends as well on the profile of your cabin.

[zenataomm]

There's one at Braunston and another at Blisworth …… both called tunnels.

 

After that it's wherever the towpath is on your left and another boat comes towards you.

[roland elsdon]

Yes its possible, just hope you dont meet yourself going the other way. You are on the max posted width at braunston tunnel, though others have gone through at 14 foot.  Blue lias bridge is ok. There are many pinch points, the a45 bridges, braunston, buckby stoke bruerne . By the time you get to leighton things will improve.

we used to run breasted 14 ft beam almost all the way from london to berko, but that was in the 80s.

Do not expect to be popular. The historic  limit of wide boat navigation is berko.

i assume you are buying at stockton and moving south, rather than pleasure boating...

[Dr Bob]

2 hours ago, Lumisid said:

Hi all

amazing forum

 

has anyone cruised a 12’6” (x60’) from Stockton locks down towards Apsley area on the GU ? Is there any pinch points that I should know about or narrow sections preventing that beam from cruising on through?

 

many thanks 

Please do this trip at 5am in the morning.

Do not attempt it at weekends.

 

The Napton to Braunston bit is a very busy section of the canal and fat boats cause chaos here. You may not realize you are causing a problem as everyone coming the other way will try and keep clear. It will be the 20 boats behind you that you will be upsetting.

Edited July 20, 2018 by Dr Bob

[Slim]

Who the hell would want to 'cruise' a 12.5 ' beam boat on a typiical UK canal?. It's not an aquatic housing estate.

[zenataomm]

51 minutes ago, Dr Bob said:

Please do this trip at 5am in the morning.

Do not attempt it at weekends.

 

The Napton to Braunston bit is a very busy section of the canal and fat boats cause chaos here. You may not realize you are causing a problem as everyone coming the other way will try and keep clear. It will be the 20 boats behind you that you will be upsetting.

I won't try and keep clear, and I shall probably give you my opinion.

[frangar]

7 hours ago, zenataomm said:

I won't try and keep clear, and I shall probably give you my opinion.

I thought the same....I really don’t get this obsession with fat boats on unsuitable waterways. 

[Athy]

8 hours ago, Slim said:

Who the hell would want to 'cruise' a 12.5 ' beam boat on a typiical UK canal?. It's not an aquatic housing estate.

With a name like that, you would say that, wouldn't you? Don't worry, they're unlikely to reach the area where you moor (assuming that you are the Sideways Boat Of Cropredy).

The answer is probably, people who appreciate the extra interior space which such craft offer. Our boat is a narrowboat but, having often hire boats about 11' wide on French waterways, I can see the appeal.

[DonCorleone]

10 hours ago, roland elsdon said:

 

   .................          we used to run breasted 14 ft beam almost all the way from london to berko, but that was in the 80s.

                                        ................................                       The historic  limit of wide boat navigation is berko.

 

In the days of regular commercial traffic it was customary, everyday practice for pairs of empty boats returning to the Midlands coalfields to run abreast from Cowley Lock to the Cowroast, and from the top of Marsworth to Grove Lock.

[roland elsdon]

We never tried maffers to grove in one go but     used to do sections breasted up, and the flights of course.

[roland elsdon]

1 hour ago, frangar said:

I thought the same....I really don’t get this obsession with fat boats on unsuitable waterways. 

While some might not like fatboats, at least this gentleman is trying to make an informed decision , unlike other idiots who have slapped unsuitable boats into the water around this area and caused chaos.

[alan_fincher]

35 minutes ago, DonCorleone said:

In the days of regular commercial traffic it was customary, everyday practice for pairs of empty boats returning to the Midlands coalfields to run abreast from Cowley Lock to the Cowroast, and from the top of Marsworth to Grove Lock.

Welcome back, Tony!

[blackrose]

10 hours ago, Slim said:

Who the hell would want to 'cruise' a 12.5 ' beam boat on a typiical UK canal?. It's not an aquatic housing estate.

I've cruised a 12' beam boat along the GU from Brentford to Marsworth, the Paddington Arm from Bulls Bridge to Limehouse, the K&A from Reading to Bristol and never had a problem or been a problem for anyone else. The only time I ever left early so that I didn't get in anyone's way was going through the Tring cutting at 5am.   

 

 

[alan_fincher]

26 minutes ago, blackrose said:

I've cruised a 12' beam boat along the GU from Brentford to Marsworth, the Paddington Arm from Bulls Bridge to Limehouse, the K&A from Reading to Bristol and never had a problem or been a problem for anyone else. The only time I ever left early so that I didn't get in anyone's way was going through the Tring cutting at 5am.   

 

 

As I said in a recent post, Mike, it is a very different situation now from when you were on the GU.

There have to be at least ten times the number of wide-beam boats now, probably more than that.

I'd also suggest that when you were doing it those that did exist generally neither moved very far or very often.

Back then I was relaxed on the topic - I now no longer am.

[MtB]

15 hours ago, zenataomm said:

There's one at Braunston and another at Blisworth …… both called tunnels.

 

After that it's wherever the towpath is on your left and another boat comes towards you.

 

And bear in mind as a widebeam you need to book your passage through with CRT in advance. If you go in without a booking and meet a boat or boats coming the other way (highly likely) there really WILL be chaos. 

[koukouvagia]

Lock 47 (Dudswell) has a broken balance beam and only one gate is open.  If you have a widebeam, you'll have to seek the assistance of CaRT and book a passage.

 

Incidentally, I recently counted 80 widebeams on the GU between Cowroast and Braunston.  Three years ago there were about 50.

 

[pete harrison]

4 hours ago, DonCorleone said:

In the days of regular commercial traffic it was customary, everyday practice for pairs of empty boats returning to the Midlands coalfields to run abreast from Cowley Lock to the Cowroast, and from the top of Marsworth to Grove Lock.

I last did exactly what you describe with an empty pair of large Grand Union boats in mid November 2005 when single handing them north. I then went singled out through Leighton Buzzard to Stoke Hammond 3 (Soulbury) then abreast to Talbots (Stoke Hammond). 

 

Obviously when travelling these sort of distances abreast the empty butty needs to be on the right (when looking forward) in order to keep the motor in the deep water when passing other boats and the butty's water cans and chimney away from the bridge arches / trees 

[zenataomm]

5 hours ago, DonCorleone said:

In the days of regular commercial traffic it was customary, everyday practice for pairs of empty boats returning to the Midlands coalfields to run abreast from Cowley Lock to the Cowroast, and from the top of Marsworth to Grove Lock.

And of course this wouldn't have been a problem for anyone as they wouldn't have met any other breasted up boats coming South.

[DonCorleone]

15 minutes ago, zenataomm said:

And of course this wouldn't have been a problem for anyone as they wouldn't have met any other breasted up boats coming South.

Correct on the first count, and entirely wrong on the second. There were pairs of empty boats from Wellingborough going back to Brentford to reload with wheat and they too ran abreast up Slapton Fields and Marsworth, and from the Cowroast to Cowley Lock.

[Guest]

Loadsa room on the GU, we're 10 ft wide and manage to pass other boats or pull in quite easily. Lots of fluff and nonsense spoken on here about widebeams, which is stirring up aggro unnecessarily between boaters. We ALL have different boats, that make and add to the colour and interest of the waterways and should be appreciated for their unique qualities. 

[Lumisid]

19 hours ago, alan_fincher said:

Probably the bit to be most concerned about is at the very start, if you are going through the bridge at Blue Lias.

I believe 12' 6" should pass, but I gather it depends as well on the profile of your cabin.

Hi alan_fincher, If you mean the road bridge by the pub, yes it looked narrow when I saw it the other day, probably going from above the flight though

 

 

18 hours ago, roland elsdon said:

Yes its possible, just hope you dont meet yourself going the other way. You are on the max posted width at braunston tunnel, though others have gone through at 14 foot.  Blue lias bridge is ok. There are many pinch points, the a45 bridges, braunston, buckby stoke bruerne . By the time you get to leighton things will improve.

we used to run breasted 14 ft beam almost all the way from london to berko, but that was in the 80s.

Do not expect to be popular. The historic  limit of wide boat navigation is berko.

i assume you are buying at stockton and moving south, rather than pleasure boating...

Hi Roland Elsdon, Thanks for this and yes buying at Stockton area

 

 

7 hours ago, Athy said:

With a name like that, you would say that, wouldn't you? Don't worry, they're unlikely to reach the area where you moor (assuming that you are the Sideways Boat Of Cropredy).

The answer is probably, people who appreciate the extra interior space which such craft offer. Our boat is a narrowboat but, having often hire boats about 11' wide on French waterways, I can see the appeal.

Hi Athy, I've lived on narrowboats for years...but with a family of five and old dog we finally decided to side grade to a widebeam. And yes, hoping the extra interior space will make things a little easier...

 

 

7 hours ago, roland elsdon said:

While some might not like fatboats, at least this gentleman is trying to make an informed decision , unlike other idiots who have slapped unsuitable boats into the water around this area and caused chaos.

Yes exactly

 

 

5 hours ago, blackrose said:

I've cruised a 12' beam boat along the GU from Brentford to Marsworth, the Paddington Arm from Bulls Bridge to Limehouse, the K&A from Reading to Bristol and never had a problem or been a problem for anyone else. The only time I ever left early so that I didn't get in anyone's way was going through the Tring cutting at 5am.   

 

 

Hi blackrose, sounds great...done most of what you say on a narrow just needed to hear words of experience directly from the fat side....

 

 

4 hours ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

And bear in mind as a widebeam you need to book your passage through with CRT in advance. If you go in without a booking and meet a boat or boats coming the other way (highly likely) there really WILL be chaos. 

Hi Mike the Boilerman, yes I know this. Thanks. Not a massive fan of those tunnels...

 

 

2 hours ago, koukouvagia said:

Lock 47 (Dudswell) has a broken balance beam and only one gate is open.  If you have a widebeam, you'll have to seek the assistance of CaRT and book a passage.

 

Incidentally, I recently counted 80 widebeams on the GU between Cowroast and Braunston.  Three years ago there were about 50.

 

Hi Koukouvagia, thanks for this info

9 minutes ago, Meanderingviking said:

Loadsa room on the GU, we're 10 ft wide and manage to pass other boats or pull in quite easily. Lots of fluff and nonsense spoken on here about widebeams, which is stirring up aggro unnecessarily between boaters. We ALL have different boats, that make and add to the colour and interest of the waterways and should be appreciated for their unique qualities. 

Hi Meanderingviking, thanks and well said

[zenataomm]

2 hours ago, DonCorleone said:

Correct on the first count, and entirely wrong on the second. There were pairs of empty boats from Wellingborough going back to Brentford to reload with wheat and they too ran abreast up Slapton Fields and Marsworth, and from the Cowroast to Cowley Lock.

I was talking about on a Tuesday.

[PaulJ]

Lumisid-once you have got the hang of handling your boat you will find its actually great fun messing about with a fatty. I recently came across the L&L,Trent,Soar(in a 12.8) and some of that isnt as wide as the GU is in alot of places-thoroughly enjoyed myself (when I wasnt aground)☺

In the real world you wont come across so many antis.I had some great laughs and banter with fellow (cheerful) boaters while we were busy dodging each other..