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Lock Dimensions - Oxford to Gloucester & Sharpness


Lunasea7

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Hi there,

 

We have just bought a boat in Oxford and have a mooring on the Gloucester & Sharpness. We are due to cruise it over to the mooring in a few weeks and need to find out what the lock widths are as the boat is 7 foot wide. Can anyone tell me if we may run into problems? I've been told some of the locks in Oxford are 6.8 wide? If so looks like we will have to have it taken there on a low loader. We've tried calling the trust but the man they put me through to was not there. I cant seem to find anything on google either.. Thanks in advance.

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Have a look at this document:

 

http://canal.travel/sites/canal.travel/files/downloads/waterway_dimensions_2004.pdf

 

from the section on Oxford Canal under Grand Union:

 

 


Additional Cruising notes:

1. Occasionally craft of 7ft (2.13m) beam

may experience difficulty in Marston Doles Top,

Claydon Middle and Shut Bridge Locks. These

problems are being rectified as time and finance

permit.

 

So it sounds like there may be issues, and you're best to keep trying the CRT contact you have, to be sure.

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Up the severn? I thought it was tidal? If your right that would be a great solution! Is it safe? Please give me more info if its feasable please. Thank you!

Up the severn? I thought it was tidal? If your right that would be a great solution! Is it safe? Please give me more info if its feasable please. Thank you!

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Up the severn? I thought it was tidal? If your right that would be a great solution! Is it safe? Please give me more info if its feasable please. Thank you!

Up the severn? I thought it was tidal? If your right that would be a great solution! Is it safe? Please give me more info if its feasable please. Thank you!

 

Its tidal, and its pretty much a seaway, not a canal or river. You'd need a pilot to do it, and even then your boat should carry extra equipment and be in good mechanical condition especially the fuel system. Here's some pics:

 

http://canalplan.org.uk/photos/normal/d/d9_qis.jpg

 

http://canalplan.org.uk/photos/normal/1/1a_885.jpg

 

http://canalplan.org.uk/photos//normal/8/8jcd_0.jpg

 

http://canalplan.org.uk/photos/normal/c/c0_i4u.jpg

A bit more info here:

 

http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=36949

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Hahaha.. what do you mean by that?

I mean that if/when you get stuck you hammer in the stakes, backing them up to each other with some rope from the top of the first to the bottom of the second and so-on, attach the Tirfor to the boat at one end and the lowest visible point of the first stake at the other, then pull with the Tirfor till the boat comes unstuck.

 

That's broadly all that CART will do when you call them out so it's as easy to get on with it as to wait.

 

N

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I mean that if/when you get stuck you hammer in the stakes, backing them up to each other with some rope from the top of the first to the bottom of the second and so-on, attach the Tirfor to the boat at one end and the lowest visible point of the first stake at the other, then pull with the Tirfor till the boat comes unstuck.

 

That's broadly all that CART will do when you call them out so it's as easy to get on with it as to wait.

 

N

But CaRT will probably pull you out the way you went in and not the way you want to go.

Are you sure you are 7ft wide????

Edit

Also length can effect things and if the boat is straight or banana shaped

Edited by ditchcrawler
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Its tidal, and its pretty much a seaway, not a canal or river. You'd need a pilot to do it, and even then your boat should carry extra equipment and be in good mechanical condition especially the fuel system. Here's some pics:

 

http://canalplan.org.uk/photos/normal/d/d9_qis.jpg

 

http://canalplan.org.uk/photos/normal/1/1a_885.jpg

 

http://canalplan.org.uk/photos//normal/8/8jcd_0.jpg

 

http://canalplan.org.uk/photos/normal/c/c0_i4u.jpg

A bit more info here:

 

http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=36949

It is a great trip. Yes best to have a pilot though not compulsory. If they are going to Gloucester and Sharpness best to have an anchor and life jacket anyway unless they plan never to leave the G&S

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Forum member Blackrose did the trip a few months ago. Going from Bristol to Sharpness is more involved than the other way, and also consider that the weather will soon change. The pilots will only take your boat if they think the conditions are sufficiently calm. You may spend a long time waiting in either Bath or Portishead Marina, neither of which are cheap..

 

I took my boat down the Oxford three years ago, and struggled through one of the Knapton locks, but my boat is just over 7' wide.

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Thank you for all your help guys :) Yes im sure its 7 foot i measured it myself. I'm not sure what to do .. going up the severn sounds kind of scary! I have a cruiser stern so worried if it gets choppy and waves splash over the water will fill the engine bay. Is there a way of taping over the gaps?


Its a new'ish boat only 6 yrs old. I have an isuzu 35 engine and its 57 feet long.

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If it's newish and built as a narrow boat then unless someone has really made a hash of it it isn't more than 7 feet wide. Luctors boat is more than 7 feet wide, not a lot more, but enough, around 7 foot 2 inches probably: most of his boat was also built around 1898 and for the Birmingham Canal Navigations where it was common for working boats to (1) push the limits and (2) be abused and end up out of shape.

 

The third option is down the Thames and up the Grand Union, but TBH I'd try the Oxford and only retreat if you really get stuck

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Hi Lunasea

 

Welcome to the forum.

 

Now I do not wish to to say you cannot measure but a 'newish' boat and being 6 years old, I think it would be very doubtful that it is more than 6' 10'' width.

 

Of course it may be a one of, do you know who built the shell?

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Chalk and string ;) Hahaha.. don't worry.. ive run an precision engineering company for 35 years. Its 7 foot. It does fit through Dukes Lock as long as there is nothing jammed behind the gate (had to use a long pole to un-lodge debris already) . We've done that a few times already.


I will ask again.

 

 

A dear friend of mine who died in a car cash 4 years ago. An extremely brilliant boat builder/welder who worked there. He built several. Its had a full survey. He worked at Alchemy Boats in Oxford. No it wasn't the guy who owned the yard.

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