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Post by Clinton Cool on Mar 27, 2018 13:43:32 GMT
I currently carry my old Yamaha RS125 on a rack I had put on the back of my boat. This works well. However, I'm hankering after something a little bigger.
My bike is 6'4 long, having removed the number plate and moved the rear light unit out of the way. The boat is supposed to be 6'10 but it's actually just over 6'8. I suppose the rubbing strips on each side will take it to close to 6'10. When I go through locks and the boat 'swings' a bit the bike comes within an inch of so of touching the lock walls. I'm hankering after a Honda CB/CD 175/200 which measures around 6'8.
My idea is to get a 6'10 inch length of scaffold tubing. Bolt a couple of those handrail support bracket type things, one at each end of the handrail on the back of the boat. Before going through locks it should be a simple job to slide the tubing through the supports and secure it. The effective width of the boat is then 6'10 very close to the bike. So, the bike should never come in contact with any lock walls.
I'd have to take care when going down, make sure the boat is fairly straight when the scaffold tubing reaches the level of the towpath. Otherwise though, my thinking is that if the tubing makes contact with a wall at any other time it shouldn't be a problem, it should bounce off.
Any thoughts on this madcap idea?
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Post by Stumpy on Mar 27, 2018 14:48:45 GMT
A photo of the set-up would be useful.
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Post by Telemachus on Mar 27, 2018 15:52:05 GMT
I currently carry my old Yamaha RS125 on a rack I had put on the back of my boat. This works well. However, I'm hankering after something a little bigger. My bike is 6'4 long, having removed the number plate and moved the rear light unit out of the way. The boat is supposed to be 6'10 but it's actually just over 6'8. I suppose the rubbing strips on each side will take it to close to 6'10. When I go through locks and the boat 'swings' a bit the bike comes within an inch of so of touching the lock walls. I'm hankering after a Honda CB/CD 175/200 which measures around 6'8. My idea is to get a 6'10 inch length of scaffold tubing. Bolt a couple of those handrail support bracket type things, one at each end of the handrail on the back of the boat. Before going through locks it should be a simple job to slide the tubing through the supports and secure it. The effective width of the boat is then 6'10 very close to the bike. So, the bike should never come in contact with any lock walls. I'd have to take care when going down, make sure the boat is fairly straight when the scaffold tubing reaches the level of the towpath. Otherwise though, my thinking is that if the tubing makes contact with a wall at any other time it shouldn't be a problem, it should bounce off. Any thoughts on this madcap idea? I don’t think bare-ended scaffold pole would be very good, too easy to catch and anyway you could be accused of damaging the lock walls. Better to make the tubes slightly shorter and bung the ends up with some nylon plugs with rounded ends. Oh and if you ever venture on to wide locks and share, folk might not be too keen on having their boat prodded and scraped with scaffold poles! |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 27, 2018 16:01:36 GMT
Plastic scaffold caps  I'd be inclined to also put big Ben scaff foam on any pipework if for no other purpose than to just make it more visible. Or if you think the scaffold tubes are a real danger then it might be worth cutting a slot in the ends and bolting/recessing sack truck wheels verically into the ends. |
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Post by flatdog on Mar 27, 2018 16:57:31 GMT
Have you considered a lockable pivot point on the rack central to the bikes COG then rotate it on its axis so shes not so vulnerable and it would increase you bike options too.
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Post by Stumpy on Mar 27, 2018 17:18:50 GMT
Have you considered a lockable pivot point on the rack central to the bikes COG then rotate it on its axis so shes not so vulnerable and it would increase you bike options too. Beat me to it. If you had even a slight rotation (say 30 degrees) over the stern, it would give you plenty of room. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 27, 2018 17:27:15 GMT
What about a punt?
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Post by Clinton Cool on Mar 27, 2018 17:28:11 GMT
Thanks for the replies, some great ideas! I really like the idea to have some kind of wheels on the ends of the tube, that should work really well.
I can't build a pivot into the rack. Well maybe I could, but as it's welded to the back of the boat (3mm u section 100mm x 100mm)it would mean a whole new rack.
As for wide locks, I've avoided them, nervous about the boat swinging too much and hanging the bike up on a wall. I'll probably go through some this summer though. Plan is, wait at lock landing for a boat that's longer than me. Shouldn't take long, I'm only 35ft. Explain the predicament and ask the longer boat to go in first, and be so kind to operate the lock. I'll go in after (avoiding the chance of the other boat hitting my bike). Shouldn't swing around too much with 2 boats in and anyway, I'll be there to manually avoid any nasties with the lock wall/ other boat!
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Post by Deleted on Mar 27, 2018 17:37:28 GMT
In wide locks, if you're alone, just slowly open the paddle ON THE SAME SIDE as the boat. The ingress of water pins the boat to the lock wall, but just take your time. Forgive me if you already knew that Rog |
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Post by Clinton Cool on Mar 27, 2018 18:53:34 GMT
I didn't know that Rog, it's useful to know though! Is that 100%, the boat won't leave the lock wall at all?
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Post by Deleted on Mar 27, 2018 20:29:11 GMT
In 99% of wide locks it works.
Off the top of my head, Bascote staircase on the GU heading towards Leamington is one it doesn't work, but I'm struggling to think of another.
Lifting the paddle on the same side as the boat, means the incoming water hits the opposite side lock wall and bounces back to pin the boat.
Works for us.
Rog
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Post by Telemachus on Mar 27, 2018 21:50:52 GMT
In 99% of wide locks it works. Off the top of my head, Bascote staircase on the GU heading towards Leamington is one it doesn't work, but I'm struggling to think of another. Lifting the paddle on the same side as the boat, means the incoming water hits the opposite side lock wall and bounces back to pin the boat. Works for us. Rog Generally works on all the GU wide locks, especially the 1930s Ham Baker paddled ones. Where it didn't work was on the KandA, and I think the wide locks on the T&M (but that's because I think some of them only have gate paddles). So yes worth mentioning we are talking about ground paddles, not gate paddles. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 28, 2018 7:30:44 GMT
Agreed.
Gate paddles the flow is straight down the lock, so it doesn't work.
Rog
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Post by IainS on Mar 28, 2018 12:14:49 GMT
With gate paddles, usually the one on the opposite side will hold the boat against the side. Not on the T&M wide locks, though!
e.t.a. where the ground paddles have the opposite effect to conventional wisdom as well
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Post by Jim on Mar 29, 2018 6:20:40 GMT
Advice from big lock country. Sit the boat well to the tail of the lock, just take it slow. And may be have a couple of fenders, that would keep the bike from the wall too. Might stop you going through a single gate. (Jealous fat boat owners grumble about that though).
With the dc22, I'd sit well back and whack the paddle up, nearside paddle as dogless said, control boat with centreline.
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I'd be inclined to also put big Ben scaff foam on any pipework if for no other purpose than to just make it more visible. Or if you think the scaffold tubes are a real danger then it might be worth cutting a slot in the ends and bolting/recessing sack truck wheels verically into the ends. 
