> We know the width restrictions at Birmingham and we're happy with
> narrowboats, but how long can we go before we're seriously limiting
> ourselves? I understand 57.5 ft is thought to be optimum, but we just
> want to be able to go London - Manchester/Lancashire/Leeds liverpool
> canal area. If we went to 65 ft would we loose much canal network-wise?
>
The full answer is somewhat complicated, but in short...
A 57ft 6in boat will get virtually everywhere inluding all the main through routes.
A 65ft boat would not be guaranteed to get you through the Leeds & Liverpool between Wigan and Leeds, nor the Rufford Branch (which leads to the Ribble Link). These were built for boats 62ft by 14ft. A single narrowboat a couple of feet longer might just squeeze through by 'going diagonally' in the locks, but British Waterways don't really approve of this sort of thing (*), and anyway 65ft might be just too long. You would definitely not get through either the Calder & Hebble Navigation or the Huddersfield Broad Canal (so you won't get through either of the other two trans-Pennine through routes). A few other waterways in Yorkshire (eg River Ure, parts of Sheffield & S Yorks Navigation) would be either impossible or very tight.
(*) which wouldn't necessarily stop some of us from trying, but might lead to a lack of official sympathy if you got jammed!
Martin L
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