Kennet And Avon Canal Cruising Dimensions

We decided to move for the weekend in the hope that there might be some painting weather one day to put some undercoat on the red oxide that Epiphany wears like a rash!

Off I went to work and John moved! He arrived at All Cannings at lunch time. As I was in transit between Devizes and Marlborough for work, I shopped and dropped it off at lunch time as the boat was moored at a convenient spot!

The wind by then was north easterly and too windy to paint so the boat is still at All Cannings, moving around in the wind! It is quite exposed here. We shall see what tomorrow brings.

We have just been passed by a stupidly wide widebeam boat! We have seen him around! He really has no room for mistakes in his helmsmanship. He was trying to steer with his bow thrusters in a gale! Now I have never used bow thrusters and actually never want to, but the very name gives their use away I would of thought. They thrust the bow, leaving the stern to swing and be forgotten.

Anyway this boat was crabbing down the canal and guess what? Yes, his stern hit our bow. We now have a section of the red oxide on the rubbing strake that needs doing again!

We watched him continue to do the same with the boats behind us - saying sorry as he went. I must admit he heard me being a bit vocal in reaction and did say sorry to us too. Hey ho - he has some nice red oxide on his yellow paint as a souvenir from us! The joys of a contact sport.

In case you were wondering the maximum beam on the Kennet and Avon is 13 foot 2 inches (Nicholson) as this is the narrowest stretch from Bristol to Reading. It is also the stretch with the lowest maximum length of 70 foot. These dimensions are disputed in other sources e.g The K & A Trust , Canal Junction and Waterways Guides, so it is no wonder wide boats can have problems!