March of the Wide Beams

[RLWP]

4 minutes ago, Captain Pegg said:

That's on the puddle banks on the way toward Napton; not on North Oxford.

JP

That bit is North Oxford according to CRT

https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/enjoy-the-waterways/canal-and-river-network/oxford-canal

Would you have it as GU?

Richard

[Captain Pegg]

13 minutes ago, RLWP said:

That bit is North Oxford according to CRT

https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/enjoy-the-waterways/canal-and-river-network/oxford-canal

Would you have it as GU?

Richard

Certainly not GU, they never owned it. I think of Braunston as the delineation of north and south Oxford but of course in reality the division has no formal basis. Anyway the key thing is that the picture shows a boat on the section on which wide craft are explicitly permitted (or so I had always assumed) between Braunston and Napton. Now I am wondering if there is anything specific published for that section and will go and check. Wouldn't be surprised if I find it covered by both the Oxford and GU published dimensions with different widths quoted!

JP

Just looked at the link and it seems confused itself. It seems it's only in the narrative that CRT suggest that the southern section is south of Napton but the map shows a change of colour at Fenny Compton.

Edited October 7, 2017 by Captain Pegg

[johnmck]

30 minutes ago, rusty69 said:

Is that the one in Braunston today? Saw it moored up, looks like a sailaway.  Don't  know if it went towards Rugby or towardsNapton.

 

 

 

[tree monkey]

39 minutes ago, roland elsdon said:

You can still get sandwich spread in Australia I think  they sent all the old stock there along with the abba records

And over here, I bought some a few years ago just to see if I still enjoyed it

Nope

[roland elsdon]

Just seen our old butty probably  fattest old boat on south oxford I remember a notorious occasion when stuck  getting into a lock I was observed spreading my lunch on the gunnel edges and then forcing  the boat into the lock

Known ever after as curry the sides and take a run at it

[GRLMK38]

That's the one that was craned in at the Marina.  The owner claimed to be heading "South" and had it dropped in at Braunston because it was too expensive to go the whole journey by road so it's strange that they are on the Oxford.  Perhaps they are enjoying the local waterways while they are waiting for the tunnel to be made exclusively available to them along with additional resources required from CRT.

 

[grahamjnewman]

19 hours ago, GRLMK38 said:

Did I see a new fatboat sail away being craned in at Braunston today?

Yes a 62 x 12 _- think they are headingvtowards Stockton to fit it out.

[john6767]

30 minutes ago, GRLMK38 said:

That's the one that was craned in at the Marina.  The owner claimed to be heading "South" and had it dropped in at Braunston because it was too expensive to go the whole journey by road so it's strange that they are on the Oxford.  Perhaps they are enjoying the local waterways while they are waiting for the tunnel to be made exclusively available to them along with additional resources required from CRT.

 

They are certainly not going south in that picture, they are heading towards Napton, on what you would generally call the GU, but which technically is the Oxford.  I would also say that given the section Braunston Turn to Napton Junction connects two parts of the GU and was improved (perhaps not really widened) as part of the 1930’s improvements when the GU was formed, that wide beam boats are fine on that, although the current state of off side vegetation is not really compatible.  All very different to going up the North Oxford from Braunston Turn.

[Dr Bob]

16 minutes ago, john6767 said:

They are certainly not going south in that picture, they are heading towards Napton, on what you would generally call the GU, but which technically is the Oxford.  I would also say that given the section Braunston Turn to Napton Junction connects two parts of the GU and was improved (perhaps not really widened) as part of the 1930’s improvements when the GU was formed, that wide beam boats are fine on that, although the current state of off side vegetation is not really compatible.  All very different to going up the North Oxford from Braunston Turn.

At least the crt have cut back the offside vegetation just before Napton  Jnct so a bit more room for it. 

[andy3196]

1 hour ago, Captain Pegg said:

Just looked at the link and it seems confused itself. It seems it's only in the narrative that CRT suggest that the southern section is south of Napton but the map shows a change of colour at Fenny Compton.

Open the menu, uncheck "Fisheries" and "Waterway Wanderers", the reason for the change in colour will become clear.

[john6767]

59 minutes ago, Dr Bob said:

At least the crt have cut back the offside vegetation just before Napton  Jnct so a bit more room for it. 

I got all excited when I first saw that in the hope they had done it all the way to Braunston, but alas only that one spot, which admittedly was bad.  Just in front of where that widebeam is pictured there is a “chicane” between a large bush on the towpath side between the towpath and the water, and one on the offside.

[rusty69]

2 hours ago, johnmck said:

Is that the one in Braunston today? Saw it moored up, looks like a sailaway.  Don't  know if it went towards Rugby or towardsNapton.

 

 

 

Yes.It was being steered with the bow thruster(even on the straight bits).Looked like it was in the process of being fitted out.

[ditchcrawler]

1 hour ago, john6767 said:

They are certainly not going south in that picture, they are heading towards Napton, on what you would generally call the GU, but which technically is the Oxford.  I would also say that given the section Braunston Turn to Napton Junction connects two parts of the GU and was improved (perhaps not really widened) as part of the 1930’s improvements when the GU was formed, that wide beam boats are fine on that, although the current state of off side vegetation is not really compatible.  All very different to going up the North Oxford from Braunston Turn.

Well that is south if you go through Napton and Banbury to the Thames 

[b0atman]

there is a pinch point further on where the long term moorings are. When i came through a breasted up GRP was opposite the pinch part making it quite narrow.

 

[john6767]

1 hour ago, ditchcrawler said:

Well that is south if you go through Napton and Banbury to the Thames 

Hum, not with that boat.......  only one way south with that and it’s not the way it is going.

[ditchcrawler]

1 minute ago, john6767 said:

Hum, not with that boat.......  only one way south with that and it’s not the way it is going.

But he may not know that (yet).

[roland elsdon]

they all go downhill 

[john6767]

4 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

But he may not know that (yet).

Now that would be funny, sort of.

[grahamjnewman]

3 hours ago, grahamjnewman said:

Yes a 62 x 12 _- think they are headingvtowards Stockton to fit it out.

 

29 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

But he may not know that (yet).

He does. He used to live in Stockton.

[StephenA]

33 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

But he may not know that (yet).

Given the number of boats we've met that have no clue where they're going..... For example being asked just above King's Lock at Middlewich "Which way do I go for Chester?"

[Ray T]

On 07/10/2017 at 14:19, johnmck said:

Is that the one in Braunston today? Saw it moored up, looks like a sailaway.  Don't  know if it went towards Rugby or towardsNapton.

 

 

 

Passed it at Puddlebanks this afternoon,headed towards Napton. Bow thruster a gogo.

Edited October 8, 2017 by Ray T

[rusty69]

17 minutes ago, Ray T said:

 Bow thruster a gogo

Hope he gets the hang of steering it with the rudder instead

[cuthound]

8 minutes ago, rusty69 said:

Hope he gets the hang of steering it with the rudder instead

Trouble is if you don't learn to steer properly with the tiller first, then your never will. 

I had been boating for 40 years before I got a boat with a bow thruster. I rarely use it,  but it is very useful when reversing and to counter sudden gusts of wind.

[rusty69]

3 minutes ago, cuthound said:

Trouble is if you don't learn to steer properly with the tiller first, then your never will. 

I had been boating for 40 years before I got a boat with a bow thruster. I rarely use it,  but it is very useful when reversing and to counter sudden gusts of wind.

Suspect you are right.Unfortunately it was a bit blowy today, and probably very tempting if new at it to use the BT for course corrections. Our 70ft nb hasn't got one,and I wouldn't want one, but would probably use it if fitted.

[alan_fincher]

5 hours ago, rusty69 said:

Another great front end shape, just ready to lift a gate from off it's mountings in a filling lock.