What are the maximum dimensions for a boat that is capable of travelling the entire network of connected waterways in England and Wales?
Beam: approximately 7ft (2.15m). Modern narrow boats are generally built to 6ft 10in (2.10m) beam, but former working boats built with a beam of 7ft (or 7ft 0.5in) regularly travel the entire narrow canal system. There are a small number of tight locks on several canals (including the Chesterfield and the Llangollen) where these craft have a tight squeeze, especially if they are deep draft and 7ft wide right down to the bottom of the hull. Length: 60ft (18.46m) plus or minus a few inches depending on the shape of the hull. Several waterways have maximum dimensions quoted that are below 60ft (eg 57ft (17.54m) for the Calder and Hebble Navigation) but these are all broad beam waterways capable of taking craft up to about 14ft (4.31m) wide, the maximum dimension quoted is for broad beam craft, and it is possible for a single narrowboat slightly longer than this to pass through the locks by ‘going diagonally’ The only waterways not capable of passing a 60ft narrowboat are the Welches Dam /
