towpaths - a cautionary tale
- Thread starter 12xu22
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I thought canals were generally about 4 ft deep except at locks, is that correct?
exactly so - probably more like 3ft and that's in the middle. Remember the canals were hand cut by Irish navvies 200 years ago to carry boats drawing a couple of foot of water. Water which has to pumped to the top of the canals so for those two reasons they weren't made any deeper than necessary to do the job.
So whilst riding into the canal was undoubtedly a shock you're deffo not going to drown unless you're incapacitated - or very short indeed! I should know - I've fallen or stepped off the back of more than one narrowboat in my time - generally to the families amusement!
exactly so - probably more like 3ft and that's in the middle. Remember the canals were hand cut by Irish navvies 200 years ago to carry boats drawing a couple of foot of water. Water which has to pumped to the top of the canals so for those two reasons they weren't made any deeper than necessary to do the job.
So whilst riding into the canal was undoubtedly a shock you're deffo not going to drown unless you're incapacitated - or very short indeed! I should know - I've fallen or stepped off the back of more than one narrowboat in my time - generally to the families amusement!
I can only speak for the particular spot where I went in but it was up to my neck so I make that 5 feet or so .... of course it's a mistake to think you can't drown in shallow water: a quarter of all drownings are in a meter or less, but these may just be safety-conscious people who didn't learn to swim ....
Depends on the canal, I cycle along the Union Canal - it's 3'6" but the Forth & Clyde Canal which it connects to is nearly double that at 6' (and a lot deeper in the locks). The Crinan Canal is 8'10" deep and the Caledonian Canal 12'6".
I've sailed through them all (apart from the Union Canal as my boat draws 3" less than the maximum, not good of there is a shopping trolley in there...) so know them fairly well. Typically it's the sea linked canals that are deeper in order to accommodate the larger sea going vessels.
Some of the craft that go through the Caledonian and Crinan canals are quite big, I got stuck behind the attached ship - 'Lord of the Glens' when transiting the Caledonain Canal a few years ago.
I've sailed through them all (apart from the Union Canal as my boat draws 3" less than the maximum, not good of there is a shopping trolley in there...) so know them fairly well. Typically it's the sea linked canals that are deeper in order to accommodate the larger sea going vessels.
Some of the craft that go through the Caledonian and Crinan canals are quite big, I got stuck behind the attached ship - 'Lord of the Glens' when transiting the Caledonain Canal a few years ago.
have you tried your home insurance ? should cover the camera at least,,,and possibly a little for the bike
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