Taking a sailing yacht through the UK canals

[skipperob]

Hi everyone, I'm looking for advice and experiences again.
I plan to take an 8.4 metre sailing yacht ;
mast down and lashed on deck to give air draft of about two metres (I'd measure it properly beforehand, of course) ;
centreplate raised to give water draft of one metre ;
from Bristol (Sharpness) to Wisbech and into The Wash, along the appropriate canals which connect the Avon and the Nene rivers.
I've checked, those rivers appear to be navigable where needed.
My boat is apparently within the stated size limits for the rivers and canals involved.
Engine is a 9hp Volvo diesel (recently rebuilt so reliable).
I would have to do this during November - December this year, brrrrr !
Has anyone done anything similar, please ?
Thanks, Rob.

 

[skipperob]

Didn't know I could edit my post, so my correction here wasn't necessary. Sorry !
Rob

 

[HissyFit]

You need this:-

https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/media/original/32433-waterway-dimensions.pdf

 

[MoodySabre]

I can't find the thread I started about bringing an Achilles 24 from Wales to the east coast via the canals. I got put in my place.
Yachts don't work with the shape of canals. The boat would need to a licence and have to pass the boast safety scheme requirements (of which there was no hope. etc etc

 

[rogerthebodger]

In about 1977/8 I moved a little Dolphin Cabin Cruiser from Stourport to Northampton via the canals. The river nene arm i was then a narrow lock 7 ft and was very shallow but doable.

 

[LONG_KEELER]

I've read books on people who have done it.

It's quite physical with all the locks, and with not many others going through to help in winter.

Often there are workings in the winter so you could be limited.

Certainly a fun thing to do though.

 

[MoodySabre]

Found it Thames and canals across the UK - delivery idea

 

[HissyFit]

Found it Thames and canals across the UK - delivery idea

Reading that thread, I think you were put off too easily. All the issues you listed seemed to have a reasonable work-around. The only thing I couldn't see mentioned was that , like taking a bilge keeler on the French canals, one needs to carry a long gangplank.

 

[ProDave]

You will need to check air and water draft very carefully. I have been through lots of bridges and tunnels where the air draft is a lot less than 2 metres (on a narrowboat)

 

[duncan99210]

It’s not just the straight air draught that’s the problem on the canals, it’s the very curved bridges. There may well be say 2m between the water and the centre of the bridge but that clearance does not continue as you move away from the centre line.
Looking at the clearances in the list linked to Hisseyfit there may appear to be enough room to make it but you‘ll need to make sure you can fit through any bridges and tunnels.
There are some route planning tools on line, might be worth looking at them for some more detailed information.

 

[TernVI]

Narrowboats frequently come across obstructions (e.g. shopping trolleys) where the canal is shallower than advertised.
I would think if you have more draft than the average boat on any water way, you might find a lot of obstructions.
I have seen a couple of small sailing yachts with mast down motoring along the Kennet &Avon, but I think you mean another Avon?
A lot of those Midlands canals are only 7ft wide.

 

[ianc1200]

Surely, if I read your intentions correctly - Avon/Kennet & Avon canal to Reading, Thames to Brentford, Grand Union to the Nene link, the Nene to Wisbech, your problem is the Nene link which is for max 6' 10" wide boats. It's a several miles, many locks, connecting canal between the Grand Union and Northampton. I wonder if there is specialist transport to lift out and drop back in to get over the problem?

 

[SaltIre]

I took my Sadler25 through the Forth & Clyde Canal a few years back. The only excitement was hitting something a glancing blow near Twechar, probably an abandoned car, with one of the twin keels and progressively slowing down due to weed - easily solved by going astern occasionally. I subsequently found a piece of netting "round" the prop, which may or may not have been collected in the canal.

You may find it easier to offset the mast away from the midline - or even transport it by road if you can. It really does get in the way! Good luck.

 

[skipperob]

Thanks everyone for the helpful advice. My planned route was via Stratford (Avon), Northampton, Peterborough and Wisbech to The Wash, using canals linked by the rivers Avon and Nene. I sent a detailed description of the boat and a map of my intended route to the Waterways Association, hoping for their expert guidance. They answered my two emails in a friendly fashion but instead of offering 'tailored' advice they just sent links to their various webpages, the implication being "sort it out yourself". One of their links gave dimensions information. It told me that, at Bulls Bridge to Lock 82 Headroom is 2.34metres / 3ft 4" ( ! ) The next entry is Lock 82 (Stockers Lock) Rickmansworth to Berkhamsted Headroom 2.28m 7ft 6 (!!). So 2.3 metres = 3ft 4" at one lock, but 7ft 6" at another ; which does not inspire confidence in their information.
So I posted this thread, which has brought up all the problems which I thought would arise. I'll probably read through all the sub-links from the links which the BWA sent me, when I have spare time. But overall it looks unappealing, and I'd probably be better to pay the high cost of taking my boat across England on a big low-loader. Oh well, I tried !
Thanks again to all of you for giving me the benefit of your knowledge and experience. Rob.

 

[scottie]

Sailing boats can be sailed out with the canal system of course so it may be worth thinking outside your current box

 

[skipperob]

Thanks Scottie ; no box ; or this is just one of my many boxes !
Having been a sailor for over fifty years, I'm aware of many possibilities, but one by one they've ruled themselves out due to practical disadvantages which outweigh the theoretical attractions. Having to move this boat in winter (not my choice, inflicted on me by circumstances including The Virus) makes the 'obvious' methods impractical or too risky.
Thanks anyway, Rob.

 

[rogerthebodger]

The stratford on avon canal is also a narrow beam canal with limited head room .

I did part of that with a friends boat some years ago.

 

[penberth3]

mast down and lashed on deck to give air draft of about two metres (I'd measure it properly beforehand, of course) ;
centreplate raised to give water draft of one metre ;

I'm not familiar with the waterways you mentioned, but I think a metre is too much for comfort. Mid-channel might just be OK but I wouldn't be confident about that. Also the matter of any obstructions - already mentioned. Other problems will be passing other boats and mooring, often only half a metre at the edges.

 

[rogerthebodger]

Stratford-on-Avon Canal

This gives the following

The maximum size of boat that can navigate the Stratford-upon-Avon Canal is
length: 70' 11" (21.62 metres)
beam: 7' (2.1 metres)
height: 6' (1.9 metres)
draught: 3' 6" (1.05 metres)

Northampton arm. I used to keep my boat a gaydon junction when I lived in Northampton.

Northampton Arm (Grand Union Canal) | Canal & River Trust

 

[SaltIre]

I took my Sadler25 through the Forth & Clyde Canal a few years back. The only excitement was hitting something a glancing blow near Twechar, probably an abandoned car, with one of the twin keels and progressively slowing down due to weed - easily solved by going astern occasionally. I subsequently found a piece of netting "round" the prop, which may or may not have been collected in the canal.
View attachment 98396
You may find it easier to offset the mast away from the midline - or even transport it by road if you can. It really does get in the way! Good luck.

I forgot the mast down/up issue.
In 2012 I was going East to West and the mast had to come down in the River Carron before entering the canal. You can only enter the river if there is enough water in it - an hour after low water in my case. So it was on a rising tide, and I then had to get the mast down then under two road bridges and a pipe over the river before there was too little air clearance - or wait a few hours after high water... I made it - just.
It is much more straightforward since they extended the canal under the motorway with a new sealock and basin downstream of the three obstructions.

I got to Bowling and the mast up crane was out of action due to nesting jackdaws - so motored down the Clyde with the mast on deck and got it hoisted at Rosneath. So more excitement than I mentioned - the canal itself was easy.