Narrow boat passage

Done the passage a few times but not in a narrowboat.

Someone on scuttlebut commented that there arent any navigation marks.Thats nonsence.there are several sets of leading marks as well as some bouys.

Narrowboats do the passage often but as Seedog said a strong SWly will kick up a lumpy sea against the ebb tide.
 
I'd park in Clifton. It's up the hill, but I'd have thought that it would be safer than anywhere near the docks. I'd be dubious about leaving my car south of the river (or east of the M32). I'm probably being paranoid though: it's probably safe to park in the docks area (north of the river). I wouldn't get involved with paying for parking. There's enough free parking around to make this unnecessary.
 
Can't remember where i saw them, but there were canal boats going to sea and they had what looked like scaffold poles strapped on with floats to make them more like a trimaran. Seemed prety good in the chop.
 
I thought about suggesting something like that but then I thought, naw they'll think I've completely lost it.
On reflection I think it would probably take quite a lot of work for just one passage when they just need to wait for the right weather but if the boat is going to do it a few times it has to be worth thinking about. Just out of interest does anyone know what the AVS curve might be for a narrowboat? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
Angle of Vanishing Stability - The stability curve is a plot on a graph of a boat's angle of heel against it's righting moment. The AVS is the angle of heel at which a boat no longer has a righting moment and will capsize.
 
Theres a Grolsch? Barge that appears in Cardiff Bay in the "Summer"i wonder where that comes from? its very beamy but still a barge.
 
Yet it's done all the time, in the summer months anyway. We see several here every week when the conditions are reasonable.

And the currents on their own couldn't turn anything over anyway /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
We have seen quite a few Bargees on passage to the Avon,they pick a good weather window, from the shore they appear as long floating logs but close to look fine. We always get a quick cheery wave as they pass when we are out sailing, the waving arm is quickly returned to the tiller, then their knuckles return to white with the very firm grip! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
Gloucester Pilots take many narrow boats each year up and down the Severn. We do, however, take the greatest care with such craft. ANYTHING over Force 3 and I put my thinking head on very carefully particularly regarding anticipated wind over tide situations. We are also cognisant that we are not usually dealing with 'sailors' per se and do our homework accordingly. Currents do not turn boats over - boats hitting sandbanks with a goodly tide behind them could do the trick though! I have been skewed nearly 180 degrees on a big spring tide between the bridges however by the rip eddies. However there are no giant squid and there is no reference to 'here be dragons' on the chart...As with any passage preparation is the key. Once the passage has been commenced you are generally committed - you are unlikely to be turning back.
 
I took a narrowboat to Gloucester but from the other side. When we were in the lock below Tewksbury the lockeeper told me about a narrowboat that came up the Severn every year from Bristol. He would not use the Shapeness canel but would go up the river and shoot the weir at the top of a spring tide. When I said that seemed mad the lockeeper agreed!
Allan
 
Thanks for all the comments. We should be going this afternoon.

Narrow boats are pretty stable. No keel but the bottom plating is pretty thick and the form stability is high. The engine has a fair amount of welly for coping with rivers as well as still water. I guess we'll need to arrange protection for the front doors.

In the end we are going to park at Sharpness and get a lift back afterwards.
 
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