Gunnels

[IONA boat 123]

I have a narrowboat built without gunnels to walk all around and would like info if I could get them added on if so what size can i go to etc Especially if it would pass the Boat safety when done?

 

[William_H]

My little GRP trailer sailor has toe rails. ie a piece of wood about 40mm high screwed to the deck near the gunwhale. This is a design requirement for off shore racing and is useful to stop your foot slipping off the side. It is simply screwed down through the deck /hull joint about every 40 cms.
However oP might be referring to rubbing strakes which are sacrificial wood strips along the out side of the hull at gunwhale height. Again very useful. Although perhaps something soft like rope might also work. The only trouble being that it increases the beam of the boat. ol'will

 

[VicS]

I have a narrowboat built without gunnels to walk all around and would like info if I could get them added on if so what size can i go to etc Especially if it would pass the Boat safety when done?

What part of the Boat safety scheme http://angliaboatsafety.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/BSS-Essential-Guide-Guide.pdf do you think would apply to gunwales, gunnlels, gunwhales or whatever term you prefer.?

I think you could make them what ever size you like provided the beam did not exceed the max for the waterways you use.

Perhaps you should have posted your question on "The Thames Forum", which is the place to discuss boating issues specific to the Thames and other inland waterways

 

[prv]

However oP might be referring to rubbing strakes which are sacrificial wood strips along the out side of the hull at gunwhale height.

No, he’s talking about a narrow ledge outboard of the cabin on his traditional-style canal boat - the equivalent of the side decks on our type of boats. From looking at pictures it appears that some narrowboats have these (more of a toehold than a deck, but that’s all you need on smooth water with a handrail on the cabin top) and some carry the cabin-side right out to the full beam to get more space inside. It sounds like he has the latter but wishes he had the former.

I suppose there’s nothing stopping you welding a kind of shelf along there, but it doesn’t seem like a very sensible proposition given the amount of time narrowboats spend bouncing off the walls. But it may be worth asking the question on a ditchcrawlers’ forum where they know about these things.

Pete

 

[rotrax]

No, he’s talking about a narrow ledge outboard of the cabin on his traditional-style canal boat - the equivalent of the side decks on our type of boats. From looking at pictures it appears that some narrowboats have these (more of a toehold than a deck, but that’s all you need on smooth water with a handrail on the cabin top) and some carry the cabin-side right out to the full beam to get more space inside. It sounds like he has the latter but wishes he had the former.

I suppose there’s nothing stopping you welding a kind of shelf along there, but it doesn’t seem like a very sensible proposition given the amount of time narrowboats spend bouncing off the walls. But it may be worth asking the question on a ditchcrawlers’ forum where they know about these things.

Pete

A proper reply.

I had a similar narrowboat once. To access the bow I enlarged the front door, so we went through the boat interior, not along the side.

If it was built without the normal 4 or 5 inch ledge along each cabin side, probably not worth modifying it. It can be dangerous to use the roof-those bridgeholes come up pretty quick!