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5:24 pm
Monday,17 October, 2011
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Hi all
I suspect a very silly question is about to pop out….. oops in advance.
I have been watching a lot of videos and reading a multitude of boater’s blogs and have noticed that although there are plenty of mentions of all the normal “hazards” of the waterways like locks, swing bridges and lift bridges and how to deal with them, however, I have failed to come across anything on this particular issue.
It seems there are many tunnels on the network ranging from quite short to over 5km long.
Here comes the stupid question(s):-
1/. Is there some sort of etiquette or protocol on who goes in first if you have a boat at both ends?
2/. How can you know if there’s a boat about to enter the other end if you can’t see it?
3/. In the very long tunnels, how do you know if there isn’t already another boat in there (I assume it would be impossible to see the full length of a 5km tunnel and the headlight on an oncoming boat may be confused for the “light at the end of the tunnel”)? Surely one wouldnt need to use a telescope to look down the tunnel?
4/. Would I be right in thinking that if you found yourself in a tunnel with another boat coming towards you that reversing out would be a nightmare?
5/. Are all tunnels single boat width? The ones I’ve seen pictures of seem very narrow, is it very difficult to steer through them without scraping all the paint off the sides of your boat?
Apologies in advance if these are all ridiculous questions 
Thanks for your patience
John
Better to do something imperfectly than to do nothing flawlessly.
6:57 pm
Thursday,22 July, 2010
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1/. Is there some sort of etiquette or protocol on who goes in first if you have a boat at both ends? – Most tunnels are timed. So, for example, boats coming from one direction go through “on the hour”, boats from the other direction go through “half past the hour”.
2/. How can you know if there’s a boat about to enter the other end if you can’t see it? – “Suck it and see approach!”
3/. In the very long tunnels, how do you know if there isn’t already another boat in there (I assume it would be impossible to see the full length of a 5km tunnel and the headlight on an oncoming boat may be confused for the “light at the end of the tunnel”)? Surely one wouldnt need to use a telescope to look down the tunnel? – See above two answers.
4/. Would I be right in thinking that if you found yourself in a tunnel with another boat coming towards you that reversing out would be a nightmare? – Yes, especially if only a boat width wide!
5/. Are all tunnels single boat width? The ones I’ve seen pictures of seem very narrow, is it very difficult to steer through them without scraping all the paint off the sides of your boat? – Only very few tunnels are narrow enough to damage the paintwork on your boat, but these have measures at either end so you can see if you boat will fit. Tunnels come in various widths and heights.
7:43 pm
Monday,17 October, 2011
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Thank you Andy
I have to say I’m a little worried about the “suck it and see” bit 
In the timed tunnels, if there are a few boats wanting to go through, do they go through in convoy?
Are there more problems during the summer season with the holiday renters and the plastic boats who perhaps don’t know the rules or don’t think they apply to them?
Good to know there’s a width guage to prevent expensive damage to paint and blacking.
John
Better to do something imperfectly than to do nothing flawlessly.
8:04 pm
Wednesday,30 March, 2011
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This is my first experience of a proper tunnel.
http://nb-lois-jane.blogspot.c…..-back.html
Most that we have been through have been two way. Just be sensible with what’s on the roof, take your time and keep a torch handy for glancing down the sides. Oh and they are always cold and wet.
Depending on your preferred mapping tool (books in my case) you will know in advance when one is coming so double check your tunnel light is working OK.
Jsmes
James and Debbie
NB Lois Jane
http://nb-lois-jane.blogspot.co.uk/
9:38 pm
Thursday,12 January, 2012
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Its not as bigger deal as you may imagine.
The very short and straight single width ones allow you to have a peek first before entering.
Other single width ones (even short ones if you cannot see the other end) have a timed system with marker boards at each end indicating the times or maybe even traffic lights. There is plenty of dead time between so no likelihood of meeting oncoming boats.
The very long tunnels, Standedge and Harecastle for example, have organised convoys of boats passing through in each direction with the former requiring three days advance notice.
I would be more concerned with double width ones such as Braunston for example. Its easy to misjudge widths with passing boats.
Regards – Richard –
Ecky Thump
12:56 pm
Thursday,12 January, 2012
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The worst tunnel is probably Barton on the Trent & Mersey. Whilst the tunnel immediately north, Saltersford, is timed, Barnton isn’t or rather wasn’t when we last went through in 2010. Is complicated by having a couple of kinks in it but it is possible to see through it, just. It is a case of getting your bows in the right place so someone can see, blowing hard on the horn several times and listening for a reply then going for it.
If you want a low tunnel then try Gosty Hill on the Lapal Canal in Birmingham or even lower is Froghall on the Caldon.
If you are going through Ashted Tunnel on the way up to Birmingham then take a good look at the water level. If it is near overtopping the towpath in the tunnel then open the paddles on the lock below to run some water off and lower the level.
Regards
Pete
Living retirement in the slow lane.
20 years hiring, 6 years of shared ownership and a Continuous Cruiser since 2007 but still learning!
1:12 pm
Thursday,12 January, 2012
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Should have added that I find a second light pointing upward and slightly up and positioned a couple of feet in front of the steerer gives me a much better awareness of where the back end of the boat is in relationship to the tunnel sides.
I use a rechargeable LED inspection lamp with a magnetic base and stick on the front edge of the rear hatch.
Regards
Pete
PS. Don’t forget to take the chimney down, especially so if it is on the right hand side – starboard for you sailors.
Living retirement in the slow lane.
20 years hiring, 6 years of shared ownership and a Continuous Cruiser since 2007 but still learning!
3:12 pm
Saturday,2 March, 2013
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pearley said
Don’t forget to take the chimney down, especially so if it is on the right hand side – starboard for you sailors.
Just wondering what all you hoarders, with top boxes, bikes, herb gardens, palm trees and the like adorning the roof, do in these circumstances.
Do you just find a route that misses out all tunnels?
Cheers,
Blakie 
Poole, Dorset … not a canal in sight, but I’m not going to be here for long … Anupadin
3:57 pm
Thursday,12 January, 2012
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Blakie said
pearley said
Don’t forget to take the chimney down, especially so if it is on the right hand side – starboard for you sailors.Just wondering what all you hoarders, with top boxes, bikes, herb gardens, palm trees and the like adorning the roof, do in these circumstances.
Do you just find a route that misses out all tunnels?
Cheers,
Blakie
We have two top boxes plus a platform for storing coal. Being well inside the edges of the roof and most tunnels and bridges being rounded we don’t normally have a problem. Though I wouldn’t want to go through Gosty Hill – last time was before the boxes.
To go through Standedge on the Huddersfield Narrow we had to remove everything. They run a height gauge over you before taking you through. There are also some very low bridges at Slaithwaite, also on the HNC, where we had to remove everything. We did get caught on the Middle Levels with an un-marked farm bridge, where I had to reverse smartly. We moved everything heavy – full toilet cassettes, my tool boxes, etc. – to the front and squeezed under it with an inch to spare.
Regards
Pete
Living retirement in the slow lane.
20 years hiring, 6 years of shared ownership and a Continuous Cruiser since 2007 but still learning!
11:32 am
Monday,8 August, 2011
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Tunnels can be daunting, but if you are prepared and concentrate they do not need to be that bad. On short tunnels where you can see the other end it is similar to bridges in that the boat that gets there first goes through and the other waits – assuming you can’t pass in the tunnel. Longer single boat tunnels will have a system allocating who goes first. Double width tunnels it is a case of keeping tight right and slowing right down until the boats have passed.
I find it best to have twin tunnel lights one on each side. The left side light should point forward and upwards at quite a steep angle so that it illuminates the roof of the tunnel in front of you and does not blind helms of oncoming boats. The right side light should illuminate ahead, but again make sure you do not blind the helms of other boats. When making normal progress through the tunnel you concentrate on keeping the left light beam on the centre of the tunnel and this should take account of any kinks in the tunnel. Of course if another boat approaches you need to slow down and pull over to the the right.
Simple really!!
Chris Brown
NB Serenity
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