Preston Brook tunnel advice

[NickF]

It is illegal to pass thru Preston Brook Tunnel without a headlight.

Preston Brook Tunnel is 1239 yards.

 

The law states :

 

(9) Any vessel passing by day or by night through a tunnel exceeding four hundred and forty yards in length shall display in the forepart of the vessel a visible white light.

 

It is foolhardy to attempt to do such a tunnel without a light. What happens when you are half-way thru, and someone else enters the tunnel - are you going to make them reverse back ?

I thought it was one way working so meeting someone is not likely. It depends on what you call a headlight, my LED torch is probably more powerful than the average boat headlight and if that were fixed to the bow I guess it would be legal. The OP says he/she has a flashlight, I suppose it depends on what he/she means by that and where it is going to be placed on the boat.

Edited January 25, 2017 by NickF

[Alan de Enfield]

I thought it was one way working so meeting someone is not likely.

 

At this time of year - "There will be no one else about, sod this waiting around, lets go".

[NickF]

Sorry about lack of replies everyone - been cruising/stopping to photograph everything as it's the most amazing day!!

 

Not sure I'll make it through the tunnel today - bit behind schedule. First thing in the morning perhaps!

 

Amelia

Can we see the pictures? Are you able to post them on here?

[alan_fincher]

It is illegal to pass thru Preston Brook Tunnel without a headlight.

Preston Brook Tunnel is 1239 yards.

 

The law states :

 

(9) Any vessel passing by day or by night through a tunnel exceeding four hundred and forty yards in length shall display in the forepart of the vessel a visible white light.

 

It is foolhardy to attempt to do such a tunnel without a light. What happens when you are half-way thru, and someone else enters the tunnel - are you going to make them reverse back ?

 

This tunnel is controlled by lights. If someone has ignored a red light, and gone in whilst I was going the other way having gone in on green, yes, I would make sure it is them that does the reversing.

 

Note it is not actually illegal in the bye-laws to have a "head" light as most people would describe it, it is only required to have a visible white light. There is absolutely no requirement about how powerful that white light is.

 

That said I think it is pretty daft to do any tunnel of that length just using a torch, (or a mobile phone's "flashlight" app, as I was recently told of an example of!), even if nobody should be coming the other way.

 

At this time of year - "There will be no one else about, sod this waiting around, lets go".

 

It's still their obligation to do the reversing if they get it wrong though, isn't it ?!?

[Alan de Enfield]

 

.

 

Note it is not actually illegal in the bye-laws to NOT have a "head" light as most people would describe it, it is only required to have a visible white light. There is absolutely no requirement about how powerful that white light is.

 

 

 

I think you missed a word there (I have added one in)

[Nightwatch]

No lights at Preston Brook Alan. There's signs stating times etc.

 

When we came through today we hadn't seen a moving boat. We moored about two hours ago and a boat has joined us here having passed through the tunnel. Amelia passed us heading for the tunnel about twenty minutes ago.

 

She'll be fine.

[junior]

 

This tunnel is controlled by lights. If someone has ignored a red light, and gone in whilst I was going the other way having gone in on green, yes, I would make sure it is them that does the reversing.

 

 

Do you mean Preston Brook tunnel is controlled by lights? It isn't.

[series3]

Flashlight should be fine. You can see the other end of preston brook as you enter. It's a straight run. No bends as such.

I'll be in the boat behind nightwatch. Just been through also. ...go through on the hour...about fifteen mins to exit other end. You'll be fine.

Flashlight should be fine. You can see the other end of preston brook as you enter. It's a straight run. No bends as such.

I'll be in the boat behind nightwatch. Just been through also. ...go through on the hour...about fifteen mins to exit other end. You'll be fine.

No junior...no lights. Just a clock painted on a board

[Nightwatch]

Flashlight should be fine. You can see the other end of preston brook as you enter. It's a straight run. No bends as such.

I'll be in the boat behind nightwatch. Just been through also. ...go through on the hour...about fifteen mins to exit other end. You'll be fine.Flashlight should be fine. You can see the other end of preston brook as you enter. It's a straight run. No bends as such.

I'll be in the boat behind nightwatch. Just been through also. ...go through on the hour...about fifteen mins to exit other end. You'll be fine.No junior...no lights. Just a clock painted on a board

A small world. Hadn't realised you participate on here.

 

Nice to meet the two of you. It's times like this when I wish I was wide awake.

 

Martyn (& Margaret).

[alan_fincher]

No lights at Preston Brook Alan. There's signs stating times etc.

 

 

Do you mean Preston Brook tunnel is controlled by lights? It isn't.

 

Quite correct - delete any reference to lights, but can still replace with equivalent comments about timed entry.

 

For reasons I can't now explain, I had got Foulridge in my brain - no idea why, though!

[system 4-50]

Every boat instrument panel ie the one for the driver should have a nice easy to read clock on it, preferably with a millisecond hand on it so that it can be used to time VM time slots as well as time tunnels.

[silverlode]

When I was a child we always knew them as "Flashlights" and they normally had a button to press to flash them on, when you pulled the switch back it pressed and held the button down so the light was constant.

Yeah, I just meant a big torch! Soz to confuse!

[series3]

Nice to meet you too nightwatch. It's nice to put faces to names.

Dave n Michelle

[silverlode]

Can we see the pictures? Are you able to post them on here?

They're all on my fancy camera - will link to them once I've transferred & uploaded them if you/anyone's interested? In a sec i'll try and upload the one I took on my phone of the amazing evening sky!

No lights at Preston Brook Alan. There's signs stating times etc.

When we came through today we hadn't seen a moving boat. We moored about two hours ago and a boat has joined us here having passed through the tunnel. Amelia passed us heading for the tunnel about twenty minutes ago.

She'll be fine.

Nice to see you, albeit briefly!!

Pretty sky...

[Guest]

First cabin boat we had as youths had no on-board electrickery. We used to use a Pifco lantern to navigate tunnels, like this one:

Edited January 25, 2017 by Guest

[ditchcrawler]

First cabin boat we had as youths had no on-board electrickery. We used to use a Pifco lantern to navigate tunnels, like this one:

I hope you had it switched to beam and not flashing red with that little leaver selector switch

[Guest]

I hope you had it switched to beam and not flashing red with that little leaver selector switch

That takes me back The flashing lamp on top was quite a thing in its day, with a bimetalic strip in the lamp causing it to flash! It also had an interchangable white dome for the top, with a standard non-flashing lamp. Very high tech we were in those days; two stroke Anzani outboard, battery torch and radio, Camping Gaz Super Bleut single burner stove, outside toilet and a couple of gallons of water in a plastic container. Aye we was poor, but we was 'appier in them days

[starman]

I used one of those big rechargeable torches through Braunston once - discovered how long the battery lasted halfway through the tunnel!

[billh]

1972(might have been '71?), Preston Brook Tunnel going south with Spey and a well noisy Bolinder. The lighting was a bike lamp with nearly flat battery,next to useless. There was only one casualty and thankfully he's still boating today. It was already dark when we entered so couldn't really see the other end and the steerer, although very experienced, was unable to see anything past the passengers stood on deck in front of the engine 'ole.

Bill

[silverlode]

I survived!! Went through in the dark, and it would've been nice to see daylight at the other end, but I suspect traversing the tunnel would've been just as TERRIFYING during the day! I've opened my special sloe gin to recover.

Strong torch absolutely fine, by the way - good to be able to angle the beam wherever needed when solo boating - but probs wise to have decent headlamps too.

Edited January 26, 2017 by Athy
To remove obscene language.

[NickF]

I survived!! Went through in the dark, and it would've been nice to see daylight at the other end, but I suspect traversing the tunnel would've been just as TERRIFYING during the day! I've opened my special sloe gin to recover.

 

Strong torch absolutely fine, by the way - good to be able to angle the beam wherever needed when solo boating - but probs wise to have decent headlamps too.

Excellent ... Enjoy the gin!

Edited January 26, 2017 by magpie patrick

[Nightwatch]

I survived!! Went through in the dark, and it would've been nice to see daylight at the other end, but I suspect traversing the tunnel would've been just as TERRIFYING during the day! I've opened my special sloe gin to recover.

Strong torch absolutely fine, by the way - good to be able to angle the beam wherever needed when solo boating - but probs wise to have decent headlamps too.

absolutely, enjoy thegin.

 

I wouldn't have gone through after daylight. Well done. An experience I'm sure.

 

Martyn

Edited January 26, 2017 by Dave_P

[furnessvale]

I wouldn't have gone through after daylight. Well done. An experience I'm sure.

 

Martyn

That reminds me of "Boating Butler" a midlands TV presenter.

 

He was going on about needing a tunnel light when passing through tunnels at night!

 

His mate, a retired airline pilot if I recall correctly, just gave him a funny look!

 

George ex nb Alton retired