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philhynes

By philhynes
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philhynes Gongoozler

philhynes

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Hi all,
I'm new to this forum, and new to boating as well. I have a question that your wisdom and experience may be able to help me with.

I'm planning on moving from Essex to Exeter around springtime next year to finish off my commercial pilot training. What I'd love to do is buy a liveaboard boat and sail it from the River Lea via the Regents Canal, Thames, Kennet & Avon, Bristol Channel and around Lands End into the Exeter Ship Canal. Obviously, this puts a LOT of limitations on what type of vessel I could use, especially being on a bit of a budget. I have done some fairly extensive research into this so far and found that size-wise one of the best boats would be a Birchwood 33 GT (The one with the folding windscreens for extra bridge clearance)

My question is, how accurate would you say the waterways dimensions are? According to the inland waterways association the Birchwood would "just about" fit all the way. The tightest dimensions being water draft and air draft (headroom) on the K&A. The reason I ask is that if people have thrown shopping trolleys into the water etc. it might make things difficult. Also, would any of you recommend any other boats for the job? If I could dismantle the wheel house on a standard 33 that could also be an option. Anyone got any experience/thoughts about that?

Cheers, Phil.

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OldGoat Veteran II

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To start the ball rolling -

The Birchwood is a big boat to even consider taking on the canal system especially on shafts. There's so much junk in the water that you could easily wreck the 'under carriage', let alone running turbo engines continually at tick over speed.

It would be more sensible, though less fun to transport it by road.....

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Dharl Rising Star

Dharl

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Would suggest that a boat suitable for both the K&A and also capable of rounding Lands End will be hard to find.     I am not an expert on Birchwood 33, though having a quick look at some pics on google it does look a handsome craft, though not my cup of tea!     As Oldgoat said  if the boat has A Frames for the props and shafts then these will likely to get damaged on the system.    There are plenty of cruisers that have Z-Drives (combined propeller and rudder) which would be more suitable, however on a 1970's cruiser these are more prone to breakdowns and would think very limited experienced engineers on the cut who can fix them.   

 

Regards air and water draft, I would say that the guides are fairly accurate however at present levels are down on the canal, however that would change in the spring.   

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Alan de Enfield Veteran II

Alan de Enfield

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5 hours ago, philhynes said:

I'm new to this forum, and new to boating as well

May I suggest that you do no try to do this - you admit to being 'new to boating' and yet you are looking to tackle some of the most dangerous waters in the UK (Around Lands End and the Bristol Channel.)

Either buy a boat suitable for the sea ( go down the Thames, around Kent, along the South coast etc) and charter a skipper for the trip

or

Buy a canal boat. get as far as you can then have it lifted out and 'truck' it to your destination.

 

You will not find a boat that is capable and comfortably able to safely do both.

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Bee Veteran

Bee

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Cor! that's asking a lot of one boat. Realistically you would be looking at a cruiser rather than a narrowboat or small barge. I would start by looking at steel cruisers on the various Dutch sites, Botentekoop etc then see if you fancy a channel crossing in it to get it home, that would give you some perspective. Last year whilst in France we met a Swiss couple in a fairly shabby 30' cruiser who had almost completed circumnavigating France. Down the Rhone, up the Midi, around the French coast, back into the canal system at Calais and then back to the start at Strasbourg. That is quite a trip in a small cruiser and they were pensioners. Chances of finding a proper residential mooring is v. slim but there are thousands of people living on boats without the 'proper' mooring and if you trust your life to a machine full of pop rivets and split pins that could drop out of the sky at any time then I would go for it (carefully!)

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philhynes Gongoozler

philhynes

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Thanks for all the comments guys. Long way off getting a boat, let alone deciding on a route so just throwing a few ideas in the air at the mo. With regards to the Exeter problem, I've got family nearby up near Cullompton so I have the option to stay there which solves the "permanent livaboard" issue. Would be nice to spend most time on the boat but I'll stick to the rules on that one. Thinking of advertising for people to stay on the boat with me for short spells also. Anyone got any experience of this, good or bad?

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Naughty Cal Veteran II

Naughty Cal

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On 8/30/2017 at 09:46, Bee said:

Cor! that's asking a lot of one boat. Realistically you would be looking at a cruiser rather than a narrowboat or small barge. I would start by looking at steel cruisers on the various Dutch sites, Botentekoop etc then see if you fancy a channel crossing in it to get it home, that would give you some perspective. Last year whilst in France we met a Swiss couple in a fairly shabby 30' cruiser who had almost completed circumnavigating France. Down the Rhone, up the Midi, around the French coast, back into the canal system at Calais and then back to the start at Strasbourg. That is quite a trip in a small cruiser and they were pensioners. Chances of finding a proper residential mooring is v. slim but there are thousands of people living on boats without the 'proper' mooring and if you trust your life to a machine full of pop rivets and split pins that could drop out of the sky at any time then I would go for it (carefully!)

Several of our friends have switched to dutch steel cruisers. They seem to like them but they are not our cup of tea. They offer a lot of accomodation but do seem to suffer terribly with condensation. They are also very deep drafted. 4ft seems to be the norm. Air draft is also pretty high at around the 9ft mark on the 36fters.

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MtB Veteran II

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On 8/29/2017 at 11:51, philhynes said:



My question is, how accurate would you say the waterways dimensions are?

 

About as accurate as the altimeter in your aeroplane is (or perhaps, used to be). Absolutely cannot be relied upon to be even vaguely accurate.

 

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Dharl Rising Star

Dharl

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Exeter Ship Canal is administrated by Devon County Concil or I think Exeter City Council rather than Canal and River Trust (CaRT) so worth getting in touch with them regarding rules on keeping a boat on their waters, cost etc before getting much further in your planning.   

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philhynes Gongoozler

philhynes

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Hi Dharl,

You are right about the Exeter Ship Canal. I have done some preliminary research but I will be doing a lot more. So far I have established that they have limited moorings at either the Double Locks pub or the Turf Locks pub.

 

Hi Neil,

I've always had a dream about boating down the K&A. Some of my favourite places along there. My original plan was to finish up at or around Bristol so a canal boat would have been suitable. Circumstances have changed though so I'm now going to be based in Exeter, but still have the dream of travelling the K&A hence the choice of route. Perhaps it will be possible, perhaps not, but knowing me I am a glass-full kinda guy so I'm sure I'll find a way:)

 

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Neil2 Veteran

Neil2

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2 hours ago, philhynes said:

Hi Dharl,

You are right about the Exeter Ship Canal. I have done some preliminary research but I will be doing a lot more. So far I have established that they have limited moorings at either the Double Locks pub or the Turf Locks pub.

 

Hi Neil,

I've always had a dream about boating down the K&A. Some of my favourite places along there. My original plan was to finish up at or around Bristol so a canal boat would have been suitable. Circumstances have changed though so I'm now going to be based in Exeter, but still have the dream of travelling the K&A hence the choice of route. Perhaps it will be possible, perhaps not, but knowing me I am a glass-full kinda guy so I'm sure I'll find a way:)

 

I'd keep that as a dream if I were you, the reality won't be anything like as romantic as you imagine.  There's certainly no way you could do it in a Birchwood 33.  In theory, yes, but the K&A is surprisingly shallow these days.   Many of us would like a boat that could do everything but the nearest you could get would be a steel narrowboat that is specially rigged for sea cruising and it would be cheaper to just have two boats.

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Dharl Rising Star

Dharl

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, philhynes said:

Hi Dharl,

You are right about the Exeter Ship Canal. I have done some preliminary research but I will be doing a lot more. So far I have established that they have limited moorings at either the Double Locks pub or the Turf Locks pub.

I have family in Exeter so am down that way fairly often, whilst there is a range of different boats moored there, I dont remember seeing any live aboards, if any they keep they well below the radar!

 

Another possibility would be to get a canal suitable boat and find a suitable residential mooring on the K&A and you could commute from there if you wish to live on a boat and 'do' the K&A?

 

 

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