Canal Boatbuilders Association

Did you know that you can travel by water from Guildford in the south east to Skipton on the North Yorkshire moors, or westwards as far as Bath and Bristol?  Of course you would need a suitable boat, for your route might combine both broad and narrow canals and navigable rivers. In fact some 2000 to 3000 miles of waterway, canal and river, are available to you in one great connected system.

Narrow canals and working boats
Locks are, of course, used to raise or lower boats between levels - in effect to take boats “up and down the hills”. Since water is drained from a higher pound (the section between locks) and has to be replaced every time a lock is used, early canal engineers often chose routes which remained on the same level for as long as possible.  

In many places they were able to work around the contours of the land and so build fewer locks (saving money) and minimising the problems of water supply to the highest, or summit, levels. For us the result is a delightful legacy of “contour” canals, which connect major industrial centres, but often wind around the rural countryside between.

These early Canal engineers mostly chose to build locks which were 7’0 (2.13m approx) wide and would accept the typical 72ft (21.9m approx) working boat of the day. The boats fitted snugly into the locks as you will see from the photographs on these pages, and soon became known as “narrowboats”, which is the term for a boat of 6’10 beam (2.10m approx) we use today. Mostly they were worked horse drawn in the early days and decorated in ways we now find “traditional”

 The “broad” waterways
In the later years horse drawn boats gave way to boat and butty pairs in which one of the boats was motorized. With improved engineering and water pumping techniques, waterways were developed in which a lock would now accept a pair breasted-up side by side. These broad canals were in effect the motorways of their day. For example, much of the Grand Union Canal between London and Birmingham is built to the broad standard and its engineers did not hesitate to work over (or through!) steep hills, regularly putting in long flights of wide locks or tunnels where they were needed. Working across the face of the country these later waterways were much more direct than their narrow counterparts.

 Choosing a boat
Clearly to navigate the entire waterways system you will require a boat which can pass through all the locks, including the narrow locks of the extensive early canals. And that will mean a narrow boat of 6’10 beam and suitable “air height” for there are low-ish bridges on the system. These boats are beautifully fitted out for cruising - or as permanent homes

Many locks on the canal network are capable of taking a boat up to 70 - 72ft in length, but some locks are shorter, particularly on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, and there are some tight corners here and there. Perhaps a length of 58 - 60 feet (17.62 - 18.22m) would be about right for anyone intending to cruise the whole system - certainly your builder will be able to advise you.

Wide beam boats
Wide beam boats are also available, and these have a big ship feel. They are often referred to as Dutch Barges, but typically English designs are now usual. Hardly anybody now uses the term “barge” except for Dutch Barges and the sailing barges of the Thames and East Coast.

If you feel that you want to cruise only on the broad waterways, particularly on the major rivers with their deeper water and wider locks, or you plan to cruise extensively on Continental waterways, then should you consider a wide-beam boat. Although unable to use the narrow locks – and some of the lower bridges and tunnels – wide beam craft have greater accommodation and regularly provide permanent homes for their owners.

Boat built by CBA members.
CBA members build narrowboats in both traditional and modern styles and a growing number also build wide-beam boats. Most boats intended for the waterways are built in steel, some in aluminium, occasionally in grp, and others that are trailable.

CBA boatbuilders provide a finished boat to a very high standard, drawing on a lot of experience with owners up and down the system. Several CBA members will provide you with a shell, probably with an engine ready fitted - a “sailaway” - so that you can fit out the interior to your own design and in your own time, or take it to a specialised fitter. In the following pages we have provided a guide to ownership, both for cruising and residential owners, and hopefully answered many of your questions.