erne -shannon system

[Greg2]

According to the specs the air draft is 3.44m, which is around 11’2” Dino. Having looked online for the Shannon - Erne waterway I came up with 3.2m. Having previously owned a couple of Brooms (an Ocean 37 and a 41) I think we are 6”-8” higher so just the wrong side?

 

[Ferris]

Found a good video on this that you guys might find interesting

 

[Dino]

The Driftwood YouTube channel is worth a look also.
Here’s a link to their Shannon-Erne Waterway playlist that they have created.
The Shannon Erne Waterway
Harry and Marion do very nice cruising videos of the River Shannon and adjacent navigations.

 

[Loupe]

Hi I’m looking an owners manual for my Sealine 195. With a Volvo penta 151 c engine and Volvo Sp stern drive. Petrol of course.
thanks.

 

[Greg2]

Hi I’m looking an owners manual for my Sealine 195. With a Volvo penta 151 c engine and Volvo Sp stern drive. Petrol of course.
thanks.

Try the Sealine Forum
.

 

[Loupe]

Thanks.

 

[Hoplo]

Does anyone know the maximum air draft / clearance to get from Limerick (I.e. the sea) to Lough Derg? And further up inland if that is different?

Looking at the IWAI site it mentions a maximum head is10 feet (3.05M) over a width of 8 feet (!) For the Shannon system. But it does not say where this fairly low and very narrow bit is.

On the same page it says Limerick to Killaloe - which seems to be at the southern end of Lough Derg - can take boats up to 100 feet long, 18 feet wide and 5 feet deep! But does not mention head clearance. And then on from Killaloe to Lough Key (which would include the two large loughs Derg and Ree can be done by a boats even larger! But again no head clearance.

So if you turn up in Limerick with a 40 to 50 foot boat which meets the width and draft requirements can you go up the Shannon at all? Or do you get stopped by a low bridge and how soon? Can you even get to Lough Derg?

 

[Dino]

Hi Hoplo,
I have been down through Limerick twice. It’s a great trip but needs some planning and consideration. The pinch point is Killaloe Bridge and the clearance of the gates into Ardnacrusha lock. I have a Broom Crown and I have no problem and I know that a Princess 435 with a folding arch fits too. What boat do you have?
The river level does fluctuate with rainfall and depends on turbine usage at the dam. Basically if you can get under Killaloe bridge you are fine. There are a few shallow areas to watch out for above Lough Derg. There are some good charts that have been developed by volunteer surveyors and they can be useful if your draft is over 4ft.

 

[Ferris]

Looking at the IWAI site it mentions a maximum head is10 feet (3.05M) over a width of 8 feet (!) For the Shannon system. But it does not say where this fairly low and very narrow bit is.

I don't know the the clearance but the lowest bridges I have experienced are the bridge up to Boyle from Lough Key (although this is on the Boyle River I think it is still counted as Shannon Nav) and the bridge on the Camlin river (my favourite area). Both needed the canopy dropped on a Broom 37 - cleared the screens...just. Everything else the canopy stays up. I've never been below Killaloe.

 

[Hoplo]

Hi Dino,

No boat yet and COVID looks like it is going to delay me getting one. But I am at least as interested in inland waterway travel as I am in sea travel. As my long term plans areI to live aboard the boat for several weeks at a time and have occasional guests I want to get a larger boat but as I also want to be able to explore at least some of the Thames, Severn and possibly the Dutch / Belgium canals and the Rhine I also need a small or at least low boat... I had always intend to try and go around Ireland (in small steps) but had not realised I might be able to find good boating in the middle of Ireland too.

So this very old but now resurrected thread started me wondering what sort of sized boat could do that.

 

[Hoplo]

Thank you Ferris,

I had a look at the YouTube clip posted further up and I can see the bridges look very low up towards Lough Erne. So I doubt I will get anything that can get me up there lovely though it all looks.

Enjoy your boating up there though! It looks fantastic. And I am guessing a Broom 37 is not really what anyone could call small! I will need to take a look at one. I have concentrated my search more on sea going rather than river cruising vessels though. If I am ever to get to the Shannon I need to be able to cross the Irish Sea then around the coast to Limeric. So its got to be a decent sea boat to begin with.

 

[Ferris]

The problem is that a getting a boat that is suitable for inland and offshore will always be somewhat of a compromise. As I see it sea boats will generally have two large engines, have greater draft and air draft etc. and that may not be suitable for inland. Inland boats may have lower freeboards, single engines, limited nav equip., built to lighter scantlings etc. which makes them less than ideal for sea.

I sometimes think the best approach is to buy a river boat - do the inland thing, sell and buy a sea boat. In order to visit inland waterways in several countries - get the inland boat shipped by truck. I remember a guy that did this with an ex-shannon hire Broom 37 with a single engine many (20!) years ago, the boat popped up for sale in the south of france a little while back. He had done the same before that with an ex-hire Seamaster 30.

There are boats that do both reasonably well, aft cabin boats with raised steering positions and protected props - we mentioned Broom's - can suit. The Broom 35CL, 38CL are excellent but expensive. I like Broom Crowns, older and more affordable but will do a similar job.