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Moving boat Manchester to Bath options?


jennywren

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So, my plan for the year was to do a big canal tour up to Manchester from London and then do a return journey to Bath (where I start a PhD in September). 

But I've had some bad luck boat mechanics wise and whilst I am okay pootling about for now (at least I will be when I fit the new propeller!!), it is almost definitely not going to get me all the way to Bath. I think I've come to the conclusion I am not going to have enough time (or money in time) to both get it repaired and take it down by water, so I think moving it by road is looking like the feasible option (then plan is find a few mooring spots for October before hopefully going into winter mooring and then sorting repairs out over the winter).

I'm struggling to work out a plan logisitics wise though. I have a 32ft GRP cruiser, want to have it taken out from somewhere around Manchester (I'm currently on the Rochdale but I suspect I will need to head back towards central Manchester) and put back in reasonably close to Bath as cheap as I can do it. I know Hilperton marina on the K&A have a crane (their price list says £365 for lift off transport-ouch) so I guess that's looking like a likely option, not sure what I'd be looking at doing this end though, or whether it might be cheaper to do the whole thing with a hiab (but then not sure about finding suitable locations for it either end?)

Any help or recommendations for people to do the job much appreciated.

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Me, i would use someone like Tuckeys, they have trucks that are fitted with a hiab so can lift your boat on the back, keeping the cost down.

You just need to find two spots on the canal where they can lift it straight out and back in again, like where the road runs right next to the canal.

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5 minutes ago, jennywren said:

So, my plan for the year was to do a big canal tour up to Manchester from London and then do a return journey to Bath (where I start a PhD in September). 

But I've had some bad luck boat mechanics wise and whilst I am okay pootling about for now (at least I will be when I fit the new propeller!!), it is almost definitely not going to get me all the way to Bath. I think I've come to the conclusion I am not going to have enough time (or money in time) to both get it repaired and take it down by water, so I think moving it by road is looking like the feasible option (then plan is find a few mooring spots for October before hopefully going into winter mooring and then sorting repairs out over the winter).

I'm struggling to work out a plan logisitics wise though. I have a 32ft GRP cruiser, want to have it taken out from somewhere around Manchester (I'm currently on the Rochdale but I suspect I will need to head back towards central Manchester) and put back in reasonably close to Bath as cheap as I can do it. I know Hilperton marina on the K&A have a crane (their price list says £365 for lift off transport-ouch) so I guess that's looking like a likely option, not sure what I'd be looking at doing this end though, or whether it might be cheaper to do the whole thing with a hiab (but then not sure about finding suitable locations for it either end?)

Any help or recommendations for people to do the job much appreciated.

Can I ask what the mechanical problem is ? 

Resorting to a move by road, and all the attendant cost, for the fear of a boat breakdown seems a bit drastic to me - maybe even being pessimistically over cautious.

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59 minutes ago, Dave Payne said:

Me, i would use someone like Tuckeys, they have trucks that are fitted with a hiab so can lift your boat on the back, keeping the cost down.

You just need to find two spots on the canal where they can lift it straight out and back in again, like where the road runs right next to the canal.

I am sure Tuckeys would have that information as well. But if you cant move the boat due to no prop where do you hope to more it.

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4 hours ago, PhilAtterley said:

Can I ask what the mechanical problem is ? 

Resorting to a move by road, and all the attendant cost, for the fear of a boat breakdown seems a bit drastic to me - maybe even being pessimistically over cautious.

It needs the coupling and prop shaft replacing, so expensive out of the water work. It's already broken down once and been temporarily repaired and they doubted I would get as far as Manchester...so yeah, not really willing to risk starting out on the 300 mile journey and breaking down half way. Kind of working on a wing and a prayer as it is. I do have to be in Bath to start my course; if I break down half way, I'm not only faced with boat fixing costs but the cost of renting somewhere in Bath and the difficulty of getting the boat the rest of the way. In light of that, the costs of moving by road seems more sensible than being stranded.

3 hours ago, ditchcrawler said:

I am sure Tuckeys would have that information as well. But if you cant move the boat due to no prop where do you hope to more it.

Prop should be sorted, so like I said, I should be pretty okay for pootling about for the time being, the other problems mean it just isn't going to cope with a 300 mile 4 week journey without more extensive repairs.

I will try Tuckeys. I did think doing it all with hiabs would make the most sense, but having had a look and not being familiar with the wider area either end not sure how to go about finding suitable places for taking boat out...maybe they will have some ideas though.

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1 minute ago, jennywren said:

 

 

I will try Tuckeys. I did think doing it all with hiabs would make the most sense, but having had a look and not being familiar with the wider area either end not sure how to go about finding suitable places for taking boat out...maybe they will have some ideas though.

I am sure they will know all the available places to launch where you want to be

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Ask at   Sally Boats Bradford  on Avon for a hiab launch. Otherwise cranage at Keynsham and Bristol. Unless you  have a mooring you will   need a functioning boat to meet  the CART movement criteria. Very  few places to moor due to the large number  of Ccmers in the vicinity of  Bath

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16 hours ago, adrianh said:

Ask at   Sally Boats Bradford  on Avon for a hiab launch. Otherwise cranage at Keynsham and Bristol. Unless you  have a mooring you will   need a functioning boat to meet  the CART movement criteria. Very  few places to moor due to the large number  of Ccmers in the vicinity of  Bath

I was having a scout round on satellite view on google maps and noticed that looked like a good spot. And yes, I know that part of the K&A is busy. My priority right now is getting the boat in at least the right place, and then I can tackle any problems with everything else

4 hours ago, Horace42 said:

A phD will be child's play after your sort this out.

I'm starting to get that feeling. I am more stressed about sorting out my boat issues than I am about the PhD, that's for sure!

 

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I moved a 27ft grp by road from Newbury to merseyside, it cost me about £500 transport, £30 to slip out and £50 to slip back in, that was about three years ago. Look up www tonytugboats he was great and will advise.

 

 

 

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18 minutes ago, jennywren said:

 

I'm starting to get that feeling. I am more stressed about sorting out my boat issues than I am about the PhD, that's for sure!

 

It will change when you get towards submission date and viva, believe me!

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11 minutes ago, Timx said:

I moved a 27ft grp by road from Newbury to merseyside, it cost me about £500 transport, £30 to slip out and £50 to slip back in, that was about three years ago. Look up www tonytugboats he was great and will advise.

 

 

 

I've looked at the option of having boat slipped in and out as I think it's right at the upper end to allow being put on a trailer (I had my previous boat delivered by trailer and slipped in but it was a bit smaller than current boat), but I think weight is an issue (it's about 3.8 tonnes from what I can calculate by displacement-I can get rid of some weight but I doubt I could get rid of the 800kg of weight needed to go to get boat + trailer down to the towing limit) so I think that wouldn't work.

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The weight limit for a ball and over-run trailer brakes is 3500kg. 

Some vehicles can tow heavier trailers, up to the maximum weights specified on the VIN plate of the vehicle. For instance, a Land Rover Defender, with factory modification to fit air brake equipment can legally tow up to 4000kg, using a pin or NATO hitch. (It gets a new VIN plate at the factory)

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I suggest you visit the K.A before you spend a lot of money moving your boat. The google maps image is many years out of date and the number of boats is many times more in the bath area to the point that only a few visitor moorings are occasionally free.

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12 minutes ago, Iain_S said:

The weight limit for a ball and over-run trailer brakes is 3500kg. 

Some vehicles can tow heavier trailers, up to the maximum weights specified on the VIN plate of the vehicle. For instance, a Land Rover Defender, with factory modification to fit air brake equipment can legally tow up to 4000kg, using a pin or NATO hitch. (It gets a new VIN plate at the factory)

Maybe worth keeping in mind then still- slipways suitable for boat length would still be a hurdle though.

6 minutes ago, adrianh said:

I suggest you visit the K.A before you spend a lot of money moving your boat. The google maps image is many years out of date and the number of boats is many times more in the bath area to the point that only a few visitor moorings are occasionally free.

I'm really well aware it's not an ideal area in terms of boating, but I can't afford to both pay to moor my boat elsewhere and rent in Bath, so either boat comes with and I find some way to make it work (ultimately I intend to do my utmost to try and find a permanent mooring, CCing will only be for the short term while I sort stuff out; I've CCd in central London though so I'm used to congestion) or boat has to go...which is obviously something I really really really really don't want to do since I love my boat.

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4 hours ago, jennywren said:

I've looked at the option of having boat slipped in and out as I think it's right at the upper end to allow being put on a trailer (I had my previous boat delivered by trailer and slipped in but it was a bit smaller than current boat), but I think weight is an issue (it's about 3.8 tonnes from what I can calculate by displacement-I can get rid of some weight but I doubt I could get rid of the 800kg of weight needed to go to get boat + trailer down to the towing limit) so I think that wouldn't work.

Worth a call I would of thought, but if you think different fair enough

 

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