The canal / narrowboat thread
Discussion
alfie2244 said:
JumboBeef said:
Back on topic.....
Just bought a 65ft cruiser stern narrowboat. Collecting it next week, and straight into a 159 mile/150 lock trip to our moorings....
Just bought a 65ft cruiser stern narrowboat. Collecting it next week, and straight into a 159 mile/150 lock trip to our moorings....
Where from / to?
The Caen flight, in the last couple of miles, has 29 locks alone.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caen_Hill_Locks
classicaholic said:
Sounds like a big trip, hope you are not doing it singlehanded!
We did the Marple flight in a new boat and it was dark 1/2 way down, we did the last 7 in the dark & then it started raining hard for the last 4! You have to live boating!
Good luck
Thanks. There'll be two of us, plus dog. She won't drive, so I get to do it all (and she does all the locks....)We did the Marple flight in a new boat and it was dark 1/2 way down, we did the last 7 in the dark & then it started raining hard for the last 4! You have to live boating!
Good luck
JumboBeef said:
She won't drive, so I get to do it all (and she does all the locks....)
This is a funny thing about canals. People see the lazy man at the tiller doing nothing, and the poor woman straining away at the heavy lock gates/paddles. They don't realise that the woman insists on it because she doesn't like driving the boat!Unless your dog is female and you meant that...
classicaholic said:
That’s the same with us.
I suppose the locks don’t move & you can’t damage them by operating them but the boat handling can go tits up really easily and you can look a proper prat if you hit anything!
My ex-bird actually fractured a finger when the windlass slipped on the Rochdale canal. Those locks are hard bds. And she was a pianist... luckily no lasting damage done.I suppose the locks don’t move & you can’t damage them by operating them but the boat handling can go tits up really easily and you can look a proper prat if you hit anything!
classicaholic said:
That’s the same with us.
I suppose the locks don’t move & you can’t damage them by operating them but the boat handling can go tits up really easily and you can look a proper prat if you hit anything!
I don't know. You can drop a paddle and break it, or your hand/face as said. You can wind the wrong paddle up and sink the boat (gate paddle, low front deck) or fail to close a paddle fast enough and sink a boat (if it gets hung up or held down) which makes scuffing the wall on the way in seem pretty tame. I suppose the locks don’t move & you can’t damage them by operating them but the boat handling can go tits up really easily and you can look a proper prat if you hit anything!
Aside from a very small number of places you can get something with the front corner of the cabin it's really quite hard to do damage to a narrowboat steering it.
Daniel
In laws are looking at buying a Linssen 380 and wanted to test something whilst getting a bit of tuition from yours truly on their first ever trip so we joined them for 24 hrs of their long weekend on the Thames this weekend.
Tbh, I've always thought non tidal boating was a bit crap and the weather looked iffy, but we had a brilliant time, even with a possessed toddler and a pregnant wife who'd rather be anywhere than on a boat in the rain.
Pootling along at 5kts made for a much more relaxing pace than normal Solent boating, we didn't bend or break anything which is a first for boating weekends and met some great people along the way. By the time we left, the inlaws could lock in/out on unattended locks without any help, mangling the fenders or using the bow thruster, so result all round..
Highly recommend Hobbs of Henley if anyone fancies hiring too.
Tbh, I've always thought non tidal boating was a bit crap and the weather looked iffy, but we had a brilliant time, even with a possessed toddler and a pregnant wife who'd rather be anywhere than on a boat in the rain.
Pootling along at 5kts made for a much more relaxing pace than normal Solent boating, we didn't bend or break anything which is a first for boating weekends and met some great people along the way. By the time we left, the inlaws could lock in/out on unattended locks without any help, mangling the fenders or using the bow thruster, so result all round..
Highly recommend Hobbs of Henley if anyone fancies hiring too.
I had another few days with the Narrowboat trust a couple of weeks ago, only 1 small drama when the ellum got lifted off the butty in a shallow section and we had to use a Tirfor off a bridge to put it back!
Meanwhile the previous trip met Mikron's boat going down Napton - lock 9 is well known for being a bit tight - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLQJCRsasnk
If you fancy a bit of real boating (and don't mind very basic facilities) the trust is an absolute bargain, £20 a year and you get to play on a working pair! No qualifications required (they are for the captain but not for crew). Previous experience is useful, if it's the first time you've steered you'll find it tricky but you'll get trained.
https://www.narrowboattrust.org.uk/
Meanwhile the previous trip met Mikron's boat going down Napton - lock 9 is well known for being a bit tight - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLQJCRsasnk
If you fancy a bit of real boating (and don't mind very basic facilities) the trust is an absolute bargain, £20 a year and you get to play on a working pair! No qualifications required (they are for the captain but not for crew). Previous experience is useful, if it's the first time you've steered you'll find it tricky but you'll get trained.
https://www.narrowboattrust.org.uk/
john2443 said:
I had another few days with the Narrowboat trust a couple of weeks ago, only 1 small drama when the ellum got lifted off the butty in a shallow section and we had to use a Tirfor off a bridge to put it back!
Meanwhile the previous trip met Mikron's boat going down Napton - lock 9 is well known for being a bit tight - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLQJCRsasnk
If you fancy a bit of real boating (and don't mind very basic facilities) the trust is an absolute bargain, £20 a year and you get to play on a working pair! No qualifications required (they are for the captain but not for crew). Previous experience is useful, if it's the first time you've steered you'll find it tricky but you'll get trained.
https://www.narrowboattrust.org.uk/
Sounds great.Meanwhile the previous trip met Mikron's boat going down Napton - lock 9 is well known for being a bit tight - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLQJCRsasnk
If you fancy a bit of real boating (and don't mind very basic facilities) the trust is an absolute bargain, £20 a year and you get to play on a working pair! No qualifications required (they are for the captain but not for crew). Previous experience is useful, if it's the first time you've steered you'll find it tricky but you'll get trained.
https://www.narrowboattrust.org.uk/
Ive not boated with the trust, but know a few of them, and have done an amount of pair boating with various friends in the circles. Great way to pass a weekend or longer.
Daniel
john2443 said:
I had another few days with the Narrowboat trust a couple of weeks ago, only 1 small drama when the ellum got lifted off the butty in a shallow section and we had to use a Tirfor off a bridge to put it back!
For those not up with training school banter, the rudder got lifted off the towed boat and they had to use a winch.bazjude2998 said:
Any recommendations please
I have been offered a project 45 ft narrow boat.... .....needs a new base plate......
Can of worms opened. To do a full job you would remove it and replace, or cut in patches if only certain areas are thin, however a lot will just over-plate without removing the old. The quality of either can go from as good as new to a total basket case.I have been offered a project 45 ft narrow boat.... .....needs a new base plate......
If over plating or increasing thickness dont forget this will as weight. Its not unheard of for over-plated boats (often older lighter boats initially) to have issues with being too heavy for the hull design, swim is all wrong, engine room vents and front deck drains underwater, etc.
Struggling to think off the top of my head who would take on the work, friends of mine own the boatyard and drydock in Northwich and I am sure could find you someone who would do the work for you, either directly or contacted via their yard, certainly not a bad starting point for asking.
http://www.northwichdrydock.com/
Daniel
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