River Virgin

[whisper]

Home is now upstream of the Tramway Bridge and Clopton Bridge in Stratford upon Avon. Current main boat in S.Devon won't get under these so I'm looking at boats that could be used on the Avon or else both there and on the sea. How does one find out the permissable max. airdraught for these bridges? Presumably a figure is available somewhere that gives this info at "normal" river levels.
Furthermore, if such info is available then does it tell you the figure for various beam measurements as obviously this is critical.

Then one needs to know when the river is actually at such "normal" levels. How do you deduce this?

Sorry if the above questions are stupid but I can manage tides ok but rivers seem to be somewhat different.

 

[Andrew_Fanner]

Try the UANT they should be able to help. Don't recall if Nicholson's give bridge clearances, though I'd be surprised if they didn't.

Failing that, ask at any local boatyard, ISTR hireboats in Stratford.

 

[whisper]

Thanks Andrew,
I can't find any info from UANT and local boatyards suck in their cheeks and say such phrases as :-"don't know", "oh that's far too difficult", "changes all the time" etc etc. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

I can't believe that such info. doesn't exist somewhere.

Regards,
John

 

[nickcred]

am pretty sure its in Nicholasons guide but its on the boat right now and I am stuck in the office lol

 

[Brayman]

for the River Avon Nicholson's (1989) states Max dimensions as:
Length 70'
Beam 13'6"
Draught 3'6"
Headroom 8' at normal levels
but doesn't show individual bridge dimensions.

 

[whisper]

Thanks Brayman,
Do you believe that those measurements apply all the way up to the end of navigation or just up as far as Stratford?

 

[Brayman]

The Red House at Tiddington/Avoncliffe is classed as the Safe Limit of Navigation but Alveston sluice is the limit for "shallow draught craft".
Hope that helps

 

[whisper]

Thanks very much. I've got a Nicholsons but haven't yet re-discovered it since moving house. It will be in one of the 20 odd large boxes yet to be unpacked - well I hope it will be, anyway.

 

[TrueBlue]

Just in case you don\'t know the Avon -

The locks on the Upper Avon are horrible constructions with large sticky-out-bits all over and the sides are made out steel shuttering.

I wouldn't want to take anything other than a steel boat up there even with jolly stout fendering. From Evesham down it's OK.

 

[whisper]

Re: Just in case you don\'t know the Avon -

OOOHHH EERRRR!!! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif