HARECASTLE TUNNEL

[whammy]

We recently had to travel from the south to the north on the system and our original plan was to go up the Trent and Mersey through the Harecastle Tunnel. We got as far as Braunston and I was casually glancing through the Nicholsons guide when I noticed with some dismay that the tunnels heigh limit was 5 foot 9 inches. We have a Aqualine Manhattan and our manual showed our height as 6 foot, we got the tape measure out and sure enough from waterline to top of the chimney stub is 6 foot. I rang BW to confirm things and they said I was a definate no no for going through. So we had a desperate re think and made a alternative plan and route which meant a mad dash via the shroppie to get through Audlem before the stoppage on the 6 Nov (which they have now put back to poss the end of Nov by the way). I know they have a guage at the entrance to the tunnel but I did not have the time this year to go to the entrance and measure things up against my boat. Anyway since then I have been speaking to various folk including boat owners of boats that look no smaller than me who say they have had no problems getting through - I had the new boat company engineer out yesterday and he was suprised about it when I spoke to him. Sorry to rabbit on - any comments from you good people ??????????

 

And yes I have heard the one about letting air out the tyres

[Paul Evans]

At my last measuring, I stood 5' 11" in my socks. Admittedly that was some time ago and we tend to shrink with age. My stern deck is at least 6" above the water, so standing on the back, I need at least 6' 5" of headroom. Last time I was through Harecastle (in August - once each way), I didn't need to stoop or duck. I think you would get through. If the guage says otherwise, there's plenty of room to turn at the south end of the tunnel. You might want to take the chimmney off though, especially if its close to one side or the other of the boat.

[DHutch]

Its not huge, but must boats go though all right...

 

We've been though 3/4times with emilyanne recently, and its fairly painless. Its defornatly not oversize, but she goes though without touching the sides, usally!

 

Obvously if your consered your first time, you could make a few extra provisions, brim there water tank (theres certainlty tap at the sounthend if not both) and maybe sort out 4/5guests and a few breezeblocks, and tape some old carpet over the front corners!

 

Wait and see what others say, but i would be tempted to arrange a really quiet day, ask to be put though last, and see what happens.

- Unless another member has a Mannhatten?

 

Only other thing you could do is talk to the tunnelkeepers driectly, see what they say.

 

 

Daniel

[Liam]

I went through in the summer, heading north, and although there was plenty of width and gunnel level, there wasn't much up top.

 

As you first go in there's bags of room but as I found myself going along I started to bend slightly, and then I ended up leaning on the cabin, before actually crouching on the back looking down the side of the boat. Once more than half way through you notice the roof starts to rise again.

 

The boat isn't high out of the water at all, actually quite low and I'm about 6ft.

[Paul Evans]

I think that stooping in Harecastle is a reaction to the optical illusion created by the white painting of the edges in the roof. They show up early in the tunnel light and look closer and lower than they really are. When you get under them you find there is plenty of clearance. Well anthing that doesn't smack you in the head is plenty.

[carlt]

A friend of mine was moving a wooden trawler from east coast of scotland to wales. He (sensibly) chose the inland route to avoid going around the top and informed bw of his plans. A bw official met him and his crew at the start of the canal (the crinan?) and accompanied them for the whole of the inland journey. They came to a particularly low bridge which the boat had no chance of getting under despite dismantling the wheelhouse. The bw guy hopped off the boat and into a pub next to the bridge and reappeared with about 30 half-cut scotsmen. They all piled on board and, the extra ballast enabled the boat to clear the bridge. So there you go! When you do the harecastle make sure you have a pubfull of drunken scots with you.

 

edited (twice) for spelling

Edited November 9, 2006 by carlt

[Paul Evans]

When you do the harecastle make sure you have a pubfull of drunken scots with you.

Aye. And make sure they are equipped with cabers to pole under the really tight bits!

Edited November 9, 2006 by Paul Evans

[Hairy-Neil]

(theres certainlty tap at the sounthend if not both)

 

The tap at the north end is at Red Bull yard which is about 3 locks down from the summit.

[Keeping Up]

I'd be very surprised if you couldn't fit through. The problem is that the profile is an arch, so if you're 6 foot high all across the top to the full 7-foot width, then you'd hit the corners against the arch. But if the width at roof-level is less than 6 foot, then you should be OK. Most boats are higher than 5 foot 9 across the roof but only for maybe 5 foot of width.

 

In addition, the tunnel was originally built with a towpath (on the right if you're heading north) which kept you tightly pressed up against the left-hand wall. That was removed some years back, so that if you can steer in the middle all the way you will not touch the sides with the corner of the roof.

 

The quoted profiles always tend to be pessimistic, on the basis that if you "can" steer yourself into the wall then you "will" do so, and may sue BW for any damage that is caused.

 

When you do the harecastle make sure you have a pubfull of drunken scots with you.

Or borrow a few tons of bricks, and fill the front cockpit with water as the TNC did to get through Dudley Tunnel

[DHutch]

Here we go, heres a photo of EM pritty much at the lower point.

- You can just see in the distance an arched whiteline where the tunnel narrows a little further, i *think* that this is the single lowest point.

 

 

Also, notice that we have all the lgihts on in the boat, lighting the tunnel wall (and the camera on 'night' mode!) , this makes it much easyer to see the side all the way along the boat.

- Also others will notice we have the funnel/whistle/blowoff pipe removed as well! Although it will *just* about go though with it on.

 

 

 

Daniel

[Pirate]

A friend of mine was moving a wooden trawler from east coast of scotland to wales. He (sensibly) chose the inland route to avoid going around the top and informed bw of his plans. A bw official met him and his crew at the start of the canal (the crinan?) and accompanied them for the whole of the inland journey. They came to a particularly low bridge which the boat had no chance of getting under despite dismantling the wheelhouse. The bw guy hopped off the boat and into a pub next to the bridge and reappeared with about 30 half-cut scotsmen. They all piled on board and, the extra ballast enabled the boat to clear the bridge. So there you go! When you do the harecastle make sure you have a pubfull of drunken scots with you.

 

edited (twice) for spelling

 

 

Or....... it might be better with a pub full of drunken women on board

[Liam]

Dan, you have a picture for everything!

[carlt]

Dan, you have a picture for everything!

Bet he hasn't got a picture of 30 bladdered jocks on a knackered old trawler.

[DHutch]

Dan, you have a picture for everything!

I take a few, yes...

[William Martin]

You would have fitted through - My rear deck must be at least a foot above the water, I am six foot and I was never 'compressed' by as much as a foot, though I did have to stoop in the middle.

[wrigglefingers]

You would have fitted through - My rear deck must be at least a foot above the water, I am six foot and I was never 'compressed' by as much as a foot, though I did have to stoop in the middle.

 

tsk, tsk, You're all far too tall Harecastle should be a breeze for Elly and me then; 5'1" and 5'3" respectively. It's possible the cats are taller though .....

[John Orentas]

If your boat will pass below the normal bridges of the Trent and Mersey it will get through the tunnel without problems. It is quite surprising how durable these stories are, there was a time when the Harecastle was severely restricted in many places the roof was subsiding, dipping down close to the roof of the average boat, there were also places were the remnants of the old towpath narrowed the channel without warning. Along with all this, torrents of water poured down from fissures in the roof lining, a trip through the Harecastle could be an exciting adventure, oh and then there was the ghost but we don't talk about him.

 

All this was a good thirty years ago before major rebuilding was carried out, the passage now is invariably totally uneventful to the point of boredom. The only unexplained phenomenon now is how the slowest (I mean painfully, no steerage slow) boat manages always manages to get to the front of the queue.

Edited November 10, 2006 by John Orentas

[Keeping Up]

The only unexplained phenomenon now is how the slowest (I mean painfully, no steerage slow) boat manages always manages to get to the front of the queue.

Last time we went through, the boat at the front of the queue managed to take almost 90 minutes. The WE who were 4th and last in the queue got a tirade of abuse from one of the boats waiting to go the other way, as if it were somehow our fault!

[Hairy-Neil]

Last time we went through, the boat at the front of the queue managed to take almost 90 minutes. The WE who were 4th and last in the queue got a tirade of abuse from one of the boats waiting to go the other way, as if it were somehow our fault!

 

I've had similar abuse when steering a butty on a long line, as if I could do anything about the speed we were travelling at......

 

 

..... oh and then there was the ghost but we don't talk about him.

 

 

I always understood the ghost to be female.....

Edited November 10, 2006 by Hairy-Neil

[Hairy-Neil]

BTW, BW has a thing about exagerating the lowness of tunnels. In august I passed easily through Froghall Tunnel on a boat that managed to get through even before the pound level was dropped 6 inches, but according to the plastic gauge overhanging the exit of Flint Mill Lock we were still far too high.

 

The Tuesday Night Club also claims the tunnel gauge at the Tipton portal is something like 3 inches lower than the one at Parkhead..... We were too high for this by about an inch or so, ignoring the roof vents etc that we'll remove for the day, so are hatching plans to return with some extra ballast, though, armed with the TNC knowledge, we'll likely travel north - south as well.....

Edited November 10, 2006 by Hairy-Neil

[Liam]

Years ago, I actually remember watching the boat, Earnest, filling his watertank, bilges, bath and everything else that he could full of water, including gas locker!

 

I was sat there in amazement watching this bloke, and didn't know about the TNC or their journeys.

[whammy]

Once again thanks very much for you taking time to answer my question, I am not sure about having a boat load of drunken scotsmen onboard and drunken women tend to frighten me I just wonder if there is a local branch of the womens institute who could come along each carrying a home made cake and pot of jam for extra weight

 

I am not keen of tunnels of any description, height or length but if I am to do the whole system they are a necessary evil but if nothing else a tribute to the original builders and engineers.

 

Once again thanks -- Whammy

[William Martin]

"unexplained phenomenon now is how the slowest boat manages always manages to get to the front of the queue."

 

 

You just cant win - I went in first but the couple on the boat behind me were really nervous because they had broken down inside the tunnel previously. They asked me to wait at the end for them to make sure they made it out - 15 minutes I waited!

[John Orentas]

I've had similar abuse when steering a butty on a long line, as if I could do anything about the speed we were travelling at......

I always understood the ghost to be female.....

 

 

Well there was only a male one visible, but may of course have been his wife in the cabin. But everyone knows the well documented story.

Edited November 10, 2006 by John Orentas

[Hairy-Neil]

Years ago, I actually remember watching the boat, Earnest, filling his watertank, bilges, bath and everything else that he could full of water, including gas locker!

 

 

They had also loaded a couple of tons of block paving bricks ........