WB & France?

[Biggles]

I have seen it mentioned several times in threads over time that a WBNB is not a good or suitable craft for the French waterways.

 

I and I know others are interestd as to why this is given that thre is no 1 craft that is perfect for all situations.

 

Please discuss.

[blackrose]

I have seen it mentioned several times in threads over time that a WBNB is not a good or suitable craft for the French waterways.

 

I and I know others are interestd as to why this is given that thre is no 1 craft that is perfect for all situations.

 

Please discuss.

 

Have you become a Rasta?

[Biggles]

Have you become a Rasta?

 

Don't get it?

 

ETA Google is a wonderfull thing

 

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=I%20and%20I

Edited December 28, 2012 by Biggles

[Guest]

I have seen it mentioned several times in threads over time that a WBNB is not a good or suitable craft for the French waterways.

 

I and I know others are interestd as to why this is given that thre is no 1 craft that is perfect for all situations.

 

Please discuss.

 

A WBNB will be just fine on much of the French system. The North West waterways of Brittany being an example, along with the the waterways of the South West.

 

People who get their undies in a twist about it often assume the question means 'can we cruise the whole of the French system in a WBNB'. This is the debatable point, to do so would be inadvisable, particularly where the rivers in the centre and east are involved.

 

Summary - there are parts of the French system where cruising in a WBNB would be fine, some parts risky but there are parts where it would be entirely impractical.

 

 

..

Edited December 28, 2012 by The Dog House

[AMModels]

Have you become a Rasta?

 

 

Don't get it?

 

I do

 

[Biggles]

And back to the tread now?

[Timleech]

And back to the tread now?

 

A lot of it is to do with the way locks are worked. You need deck space and proper bollards or similar, lots of wide nb's don't have either.

 

Tim

[Guest]

A lot of it is to do with the way locks are worked. You need deck space and proper bollards or similar, lots of wide nb's don't have either.

 

Tim

 

here we go -

 

Tim which part of the french system does this comment refer to?

[steven wilkinson]

and would you like to elaborate on these technicalities?

[Guest]

and would you like to elaborate on these technicalities?

 

There are some parts of the French system which are very much like ours - in fact some parts are very much better because they have lock keepers or fully automated locks.

 

Some parts though require more care and are aided by a suitable deck height/width and accessible bollards, the 'WB in France naysayers' cite the latter as a way often of discouraging WBs or NB's coming to France.....

 

Shortly we will have pictures posted up here to confirm...

[Timleech]

here we go -

 

Tim which part of the french system does this comment refer to?

 

In my book, most of it.

Yes, some of the quieter parts you could manage otherwise but given any choice in the matter I would rather not.

 

 

Edit - I have no interest in 'discouraging' anybody, just hoping that those who do take their boats have a reasonable understanding of what's required.

 

Tim

Edited December 28, 2012 by Timleech

[bargemast]

Why don't you get in touch directly with people that are doing just that My link

 

You can read their blog too, if you're interested My link

 

Peter.

[Kiwipeter]

Read the last half of this thread and you will get full range of opinion http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=51196&st=100

[Lady Muck]

Sarcastic unhelpful comments removed.

[Albion]

I have seen it mentioned several times in threads over time that a WBNB is not a good or suitable craft for the French waterways.

 

I and I know others are interestd as to why this is given that thre is no 1 craft that is perfect for all situations.

 

Please discuss.

Kevin,

I'm quite prepared to tell you by PM why I don't think a wb nb is an ideal choice but I will not repeat what I have said before only to have Martin tell me, yet again, that I don't know what I'm talking about despite the fact that I have boated there for several years now. If you want informed comment then please PM me.

Roger

[Bee]

I would be apprehensive about deep uphill locks because of the difficulty of getting a rope around bollards, the bollards of varying types are set in the walls and seldom where you would like to see them, it often needs the crew to scurry along the deck to grab hold of something and you will usually be last in the lock, no time for faffing about, however, the more commercial canals are likely to be used only to get somewhere more suitable so as long as you dont want to do extensive exploring involving lots of commercial routes then yes, you should be fine but narrow and wide beam engish canal boats really are not ideal for the bigger waterways, don`t be discouraged but you need to concentrate and as with lots of things boaty have a plan B ready for use when you find yourself in a `situation`

[Biggles]

Bollards often get sighted.

 

These are mine.

 

 

Not the normal ones found on WB or NB.

[Guest]

Bollards often get sighted.

 

These are mine.

 

Pic removed

 

Not the normal ones found on WB or NB.

 

It's not only the type but the location.

 

I would be apprehensive about deep uphill locks because of the difficulty of getting a rope around bollards, the bollards of varying types are set in the walls and seldom where you would like to see them, it often needs the crew to scurry along the deck to grab hold of something and you will usually be last in the lock, no time for faffing about, however, the more commercial canals are likely to be used only to get somewhere more suitable so as long as you dont want to do extensive exploring involving lots of commercial routes then yes, you should be fine but narrow and wide beam engish canal boats really are not ideal for the bigger waterways, don`t be discouraged but you need to concentrate and as with lots of things boaty have a plan B ready for use when you find yourself in a `situation`

 

A good balanced and sensible post.

 

Kevin,

I'm quite prepared to tell you by PM why I don't think a wb nb is an ideal choice but I will not repeat what I have said before only to have Martin tell me, yet again, that I don't know what I'm talking about despite the fact that I have boated there for several years now. If you want informed comment then please PM me.

Roger

 

I have never said what you are claiming. I have said that such boat will be fine on much of the French system but not all.

 

You don't have to actually boat on the parts I have visited to see this with your own eyes. Peter's links clearly endorse this showing parts of the system I have referred to.

Edited December 29, 2012 by The Dog House

[Athy]

 

 

 

A good balanced and sensible post.

 

 

.

Yes indeed, and perhaps the longest single sentence which I have ever seen on CWF. Maybe Bee has been reading, and been influenced by, James Joyce.

Our experience in this matter is limited (a week on a narrowboat on the Canal du Midi) but I would think that the low decks of a NB (and of the typical WBNB) would be problematical in locks. We found them to be so.

[DeanS]

Sarcastic unhelpful comments removed.

 

 

I thought they were very helpful. As someone who is contemplating taking my widebeam to France in a few years, his balanced view to the naysayers was very comforting Halle-****-lu-yah ))

[magpie patrick]

In my book, most of it.

Yes, some of the quieter parts you could manage otherwise but given any choice in the matter I would rather not.

 

 

Edit - I have no interest in 'discouraging' anybody, just hoping that those who do take their boats have a reasonable understanding of what's required.

 

Tim

 

I'm guessing you'd rather not travel the full length of the Trent and Mersey or Leeds and Liverpool in a car top dinghy either, but I have. The main problem was persuading lock keepers that as the boat had the same license as a 20 foot cruiser, I didn't have to carry the boat round locks or tunnels and I was allowed to go through them.

[Timleech]

I'm guessing you'd rather not travel the full length of the Trent and Mersey or Leeds and Liverpool in a car top dinghy either, but I have. The main problem was persuading lock keepers that as the boat had the same license as a 20 foot cruiser, I didn't have to carry the boat round locks or tunnels and I was allowed to go through them.

 

Lock keepers? What are they?

 

Tim

[Timleech]

Bollards often get sighted.

 

These are mine.

 

 

Not the normal ones found on WB or NB.

 

You'll curse them if, as they appear to be, they are right at the stern.

Something equally solid on either side would make life much easier.

 

Tim

 

I thought they were very helpful. As someone who is contemplating taking my widebeam to France in a few years, his balanced view to the naysayers was very comforting Halle-****-lu-yah ))

 

 

You mean he was telling you what you want to hear?

Always comforting

 

Tim

[mrsmelly]

You'll curse them if, as they appear to be, they are right at the stern.

Something equally solid on either side would make life much easier.

 

Tim

 

 

 

 

You mean he was telling you what you want to hear?

Always comforting

 

Tim

 

 

All I have to say on this matter is that no boat is suitable for all ocacasions. I personaly wouldnt take either a n/b or fat n/b to france, if i want to boat in France I will buy a boat shaped boat already in France. n/bs are designed for narrow canals of which the uk has the monopoly, fat narrowboats are suited to wider canals and are certainly more stable on our rivers than n/bs but for continual use on our serious rivers or stuff abroad, quite simply a proper boat shaped boat of many descriptions is more suited.

 

Tim

[Guest]

You mean he was telling you what you want to hear?

Always comforting

 

Tim

 

No I wasn't - I was just glad somebody (in this case Peter) could find a link to somebody who was actually doing what the OP was asking about. This was also backed up by Bees post - so we have boaters who are actually boating over there who say it is possible.

 

Wandering Snail

 

http://wanderingsnail.blogspot.co.uk/ is another case in point (OK not a WB but the basic point is the same) - even being more adventurous than I think I would care to be.

 

So it brought balance to the argument that is all. It can be done the evidence is there, some parts require care and some I wouldn't attempt at all even though as seen above some are not afraid to do so.

 

I don't think people should post on here if they think everybody should just accept what they post is 'gospel' it's a discussion forum after all, and posters should expect what they post to be challenged - it is the nature of the beast.

 

All I have to say on this matter is that no boat is suitable for all ocacasions.

 

Tim

 

This is so true - amply demonstrated by what we have found since moving to our new base on the A&CN - there are boats much better suited to the waterways up here, higher decks would be good for one thing (just like is being advocated in other posts for the French system) - but we adapt.

 

ed to add - it could do with being 2 or 3 feet shorter too ideally....

Edited December 29, 2012 by The Dog House