--- In [email protected], "Mike Stevens" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > On Monday, October 01, 2007 9:55 AM [GMT+1=CET], > Rob Bruce <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > Adrian, > > > > Are you saying that only 60% of registered boats are narrow? > > > > I certainly haven't been all over the canal system, but I would have > > thought the proportion of wider beam craft much less than 40%. > > Apart from the broad/wide canals (apologies, Adrian, I can never remember > the pedantic distinction between the two terms), where the proportion of > broader craft has been increasing in recent years, although not yet to 40%, > there are many miles of river navigations where narrow-beam craft are > probably in the minority. Try looking at the Thames between Reading and > London, for example. > > Mike Stevens > narrowboat Felis Catus III > web-site www.mike-stevens.co.uk > > No man is an island. So is Man. >
You are assuming that all waterways only contain steel boats. On the Lancaster (a broad canal) there is is still a very high proportion of GRP cruisers, many of which of the larger ones, Freemans, Seamasters etc, are over 7 foot wide, many around 8-9 foot, even the baby Freeman 22 was 7ft 6in wide until about 1972 so most of those cannot access narrow canals. If you mainly visit narrow canals, then you will seen narrow beam boats, but on broader canals the proportion is much higher towards wider boats, although it must be said the number of Narrow Boats (as opposed to narrow beaed boats in general) IS increasing. I do agree, though that thought should be given to access, and we seem to be getting fewer Nationals in the North. I wet to Huddersfield and Preston Brook and enjoyed both, but the last couple of years, and next year's are just too far away for me.
