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does size matter ??


matrix

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hi people

well the missis says it does !! but thats a different subject!

 

but were thinking of taking the plunge in 6 months / one years time

and have been looking at all the various options / styles of NBs

and already ruled out my first choice of a wide beam

and have decided on a custom built new boat

but what i cant seem to decide is the best length?

most boats we've looked at so far are 57ft but i was thinking of going for a 65 ft as this amounts to an extra bedroom without having to compromise on other rooms being smaller ( if you get my drift )

but would and extra 8 ft be more of a hindrance when cruising etc

 

we intend living on the boat

3 of us at first but hoping the youngest daughter will soon leave us in peace ( LOL )

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Matrix

 

The only hinderence of going bigger than 57' is that it will rule out a few canals in the north but if you are to live aboard then space is more important.

 

We are going for a 60' and there is only two of us (managed to get daughter of our hands :cheers: )

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57/58ft is the most you can be and go everywhere.

- A longer boat wont be able to make certain canals, such as the heble and calder.

- 60 odd ft will do the leedes and liverpool, much longer and it wont be able to.

- 70 odd ft will do most of the narrow canals, but basicaly non of the wide ones.

- 80ft and your totally screwed in the uk....

 

But yeah, its a balance thing.

- Longer boat gives more space, but less flexablity for crusing on certain canals.

 

 

Daniel

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If I was going for a live aboard existence and I certainly am not, I believe I would opt for a boat close to the 72 foot maximum size. I have a theory that the 58 foot fashion is more the making of modern boat builders rather than those who built those obscure waterways the Calder and Hebble a couple of hundred years ago. Boats close to and above sixty feet are big to maul around, need huge cranes to swing them and they won't fit on sensible sized lorries.

 

If you were to ask the average boat dweller anywhere south of Watford Gap he/ she could tell you only that those two mystical canals are to be found around the area where the map says 'Here be dragons'. They certainly would not have the slightest intention of ever going there. Boats that have actually ventured onto those waterways will be about as rare as those that have crossed the Styx.

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- 70 odd ft will do most of the narrow canals, but basicaly non of the wide ones.

 

Did you mean this the other way around Daniel? Locks on the wide Southern GU will accommodate boats of up to 72'

 

Anyway it's not just length that matters - what about girth? :cheers:

Edited by blackrose
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if i had a family, ie kids and all the baggage they come with then I would definitely consider a bigger boat.

weve got a 57 narrowboat, just the two of us and we manage to fill it nicely. we dont feel cramped at all but if there was an ankle biter around then we would need another room and that would mean another few feet added to the length.

the only down side is with longer boats they are harder to find decent mooring spots for, plus if you want to moor canal side, longer boats often have deeper draughts and can be hard to get near the edge.

 

i would consider a wide beam if i had a family. the narrow canals are ruled out but theres still plenty of canal and river to explore with wide beam. theres some lovely spacious dutch barges about for around the same money as a narrowboat

in fact im hoping to move into a yacht eventually, once this boat is paid for, they rule out canals and most rivers completely but open a whole wide world of exploration.

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ok cheers for the replys

about as i thought

i did know about the couple of canals that i wont be able to take a 65 ft

but my brother lives in bacup so that would be a good excuse not to go visit him LOL

( sorry brov if you read this )

 

but i didnt know about the restrictions on the liverpool bit

i`ll go and take a look at exactly which bit of the network 65ft would rule out!

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during the week there is me and Smudge and our 11 year old daughter, at weekends Smudge's 13 year old son comes over. we also have a huge german shepherd.

 

the 'fairie' is a 60' narrowboat with 3 bedrooms, a bathroom with a bath and shower, galley and saloon and after 2 years we have yet to find ourselves cramped or in each others space. you find you have to be tidy (even the kids) and you don't store up the sort of crap that you'd hang onto if you were in a house. there are also less arguments since moving aboard, disagreements have to be resolved simply because no-one can barricade themselves into their bedrooms! :cheers:

 

it's all a matter of how well you can adapt. personally i could make myself at home in a broom cupboard, and i never lived in one house for more than 2 years when growing up. kids, famously, can adapt to just about any situation you put them in.

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We have a 70 ft NB and love the bigger space..

 

We weighed up very carefully which canals were a no- go because of size and the 2 I will miss cruising on the most are the Leeds and Liverpool and the Lancaster...but we could always swap the boat for a couple of weeks or hire one to go on those 2 canals.

 

I love steering her and find her easier to handle than the shorter hire boats we have cruised...

 

Why stop at 65 ft?...why not go for 70ft as you get the same restrictions with 65ft... :)

 

Can't really understand Daniels comments about wide canals as we are on the K & A last time I looked and fit all the locks perfectly..

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On the ABNB site, this table is very informative

 

Ooh - that's another new website with loads of info - thanks for pointing me in its direction.

 

As for size, obviously boat length/lock length is an issue. We'll be on the L&L which in theory can take up to 62ft. But there's also the width of the canal in general, not just the locks, to think about - as we experienced recently.

 

We were checking out a boat for sale and the owner took us for a spin, er, float (?). After about 10 minutes it was time to return to the mooring. How do you turn a 62ft boat round on a very bendy bit of canal with no basin, winding holes or convenient crane nearby? With great difficulty - and this boat was only 50ft.

 

After a 103-point turn, helped by a strapping teenager who heaved and hoed with a rope while the engine was forwarding and reversing like nobody's business, the boat was finally pointing in the right direction, but any longer than 50ft and we'd have had to go through 3 locks and travel many more miles before being able to turn round.

 

Maybe an experienced boater would have done it no probs, but mere mortals like us will struggle.

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Its never easy to wind away from a winding hole and for us with our 70 ft..mostly impossible,,

 

But like everything on the canals the only way to hurry is to go slow...

and potter up to the next available winding hole..( providing no-one is moored in it...my pet hate!! ) :)

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We looked at constraining ourselves to a 'go anywhere' size but decided that as the vast majority of our boating time will be moored and 'living' we opted for the longer size - just under 62ft.

 

The odds of me exploring the 'nether regions' are such that if I want to I'll just hire for a few weeks.

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I have found this to be a really interesting thread.

We are buying to live aboard, and in the end, decided that we would go for a wide beam.It was a compromise of being able to go anywhere for 2 x 2 weeks of the year or feeling cramped for the remaining 48.

With 5 dogs, I couldnt imagine living in a traditional 6 10 narrowboat. ;)

We are looking at a 12 and a half wide 50 ft long. We will make do and be happy with where we can go, and be comfy at the same time.

Perhaps when we are older, have given up work, have more time for cruising and less dogs, then we may go for a smaller boat. :(

Its interesting to read and understand peoples reasons for what they choose.

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It was a compromise of being able to go anywhere for 2 x 2 weeks of the year or feeling cramped for the remaining 48.

And of cause it all depends on what you planning to do with it.

- If your planning to move it for 58 weeks of the year, with just four odd weeks of not moving, you get a diffrent boat!!

 

 

Dainel

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The full 12'6" width is a bit of a tight squeeze in places and can be a bit stressful, especially in tunnels which

obviously arch inwards and come perilously close to your hand rails.

You might wish to consider a slightly narrower wide beam like 10'6" or 11'3", etc.

 

I have found this to be a really interesting thread.

We are buying to live aboard, and in the end, decided that we would go for a wide beam.It was a compromise of being able to go anywhere for 2 x 2 weeks of the year or feeling cramped for the remaining 48.

With 5 dogs, I couldnt imagine living in a traditional 6 10 narrowboat. ;)

We are looking at a 12 and a half wide 50 ft long. We will make do and be happy with where we can go, and be comfy at the same time.

Perhaps when we are older, have given up work, have more time for cruising and less dogs, then we may go for a smaller boat. :(

Its interesting to read and understand peoples reasons for what they choose.

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Living at the end of the Calder and Hebble, I think I'll be going for 57' but am tempted to go for 60'. However I have my doubts about single handing 60' through the Salterhebble locks. Anyone want to lend me a 60' boat to experiment with? :(

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  • 4 weeks later...
Only blokes ask this question - I wonder why ??? :cheers:

Cause size (envy) always matters to men, it's like taking mechanical things apart. eating pizza after too many beers when the footy's ended and other similar gender based behaviour for a large majority of male humans.

 

We know better ... the right tool for the right job with the right technique :D

 

and size does matter if you are not going to get stuck in a lock as that's both embarrassing and expensive :D

Debbi

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