71Ft On The Llangollen :-)

[Narrowboat Communicator]

Good morning all,

 

I am thinking about having a two week cruise from kings bromley to somewhere up the Llangollen canal.

 

Does any one know how far up the canal you can go in a 71ft boat?

 

We are going in the first two weeks of September, and will be ending our cruise at norbury junction for Blacking :-)

 

Is the canal a mostly countryside one or has it lots of villages pubs etc??

 

Thanks

[bigste]

Can't help on the length but it is virtually all countryside passing through quite a few villages with waterside or nearby pubs. Not many locks after Grindley Brook. If 71ft is ok you will have to send someone ahead after the aqueduct because it is very narrow in places. You can certainly turn at Llangollen.

Edited August 5, 2013 by bigste

[Narrowboat Communicator]

That sounds lovely :-) I will check on the length and I think we'll go for it.

[bigste]

Your main problem may be draught from the aqueduct to Llangollen, it is quite shallow in a couple of places.

[XAlan W]

Your main problem may be draught from the aqueduct to Llangollen, it is quite shallow in a couple of places.

Also if it`s a converted ex working boat, beam may be a problem in the hurleston locks, If the beam is 7ft, it depends, some are OK, some have problems. With a full length boat you have no wriggle room

Edited August 5, 2013 by AlanW

[Narrowboat Communicator]

Also if it`s a converted ex working boat, beam may be a problem in the hurleston locks, If the beam is 7ft, it depends, some are OK, some have problems. With a full length boat you have no wriggle room

The design is Grand Union Large Woolwich with 9" taken out of the middle so lessening the height to gunnel level and thus reducing her draught from 3'3" to 2'8", i"m sure it's under 7ft wide too

[FadeToScarlet]

The design is Grand Union Large Woolwich with 9" taken out of the middle so lessening the height to gunnel level and thus reducing her draught from 3'3" to 2'8", i"m sure it's under 7ft wide too

Was it gauged at 71' long? Big woolwiches were designed to 71'6" as far as I know.

 

HNBC is also compiling a register of which boats can and cannot get up Hurleston, so they'd be glad to know if you can't.

[David Mack]

Does any one know how far up the canal you can go in a 71ft boat?

 

Horseshoe Falls, although the last winding hole is at the basin in Llangollen. And you need to draw less than about 6" to get over the gravel bar at the basin. But 3ft draught ex working boats get to Llangollen if they can get through Hurleston.

[pete harrison]

Was it gauged at 71' long? Big woolwiches were designed to 71'6" as far as I know.

 

HNBC is also compiling a register of which boats can and cannot get up Hurleston, so they'd be glad to know if you can't.

COMMUNICATOR was built by a member of this Forum in 1991, so it was never gauged.

 

All former Grand Union Canal Carrying Co. Ltd. narrow boats were built at a nominal 71'6'' and can vary by as much as 6'', according to their respective gauge tables anyway.

 

edit - several full length Grand Union Canal Carrying Co. Ltd. motors have been up the LLangollen Canal in the past so COMMUNICATOR should be O.K., length wise at least, but you may have to lift the fenders here and there.

Edited August 5, 2013 by pete harrison

[Timleech]

COMMUNICATOR was built by a member of this Forum in 1991, so it was never gauged.

 

All former Grand Union Canal Carrying Co. Ltd. narrow boats were built at a nominal 71'6'' and can vary by as much as 6'', according to their respective gauge tables anyway.

 

edit - several full length Grand Union Canal Carrying Co. Ltd. motors have been up the LLangollen Canal in the past so COMMUNICATOR should be O.K., length wise at least, but you may have to lift the fenders here and there.

 

The Hotel Boat MABEL used to regularly run up to Llangollen & length was not an issue. As a motorised horse boat, with the counter block bolted onto the back of the original stern post, she was (is?) longer than most motor boats though I don't know whether anyone ever measured her length exactly. She was very tight for length in the stop lock at Cut End, for instance.

 

Tim