If you are new to the world of canal boating then the term widebeam canal boat might be a slightly alien term, whilst many who aren’t familiar with canal boats will have at least heard the term narrowboat.
What’s the difference? Well, the name gives it away really, one’s wide and one’s narrow. However, for a newcomer looking to make their first canal boat purchase, then choosing the appropriate width of your vessel can present a challenge, as ultimately it can have an effect on how you use the vessel, especially if you intend to cruise the waterways in your new boat.
What is a Widebeam Canal Boat and What Are Their Advantages?
A widebeam canal boat is a canal vessel that typically measures 10ft or more (up to 12ft) across the beam (width) of the craft. Due to their extra width, they are typically used as an alternative living space, as the extra room allows for freestanding furniture and more freedom to move about without restriction.
The extra width also gives the boat more stability. You won’t notice the chop of the water so much when the weather turns a bit “moody”, nor will you notice the rocking caused by the wake left by passing vessels, again making them ideal houseboats.
However, the blessings of a widebeam canal boat are also their curse. As mentioned before the extra width makes them great as live-aboard vessels but this also means there is a good chunk of the canal network in the UK that is inaccessible if you are the adventurous type looking to cruise the waterways.
The waterways around the West Midlands in particular are inaccessible to widebeam vessels as the width of the canal was built to allow access to narrowboats only, and there are also sections of the East Midlands that only accommodate narrowboats.
If venturing up and down the waterways is the dream lifestyle for you, then a narrowboat might be the preferred choice.
What Benefits Does a Narrowboat Have?
Narrowboats might lack the living space that a widebeam offers, but in terms of cruising and the space that they take up on the waterways, they do have some advantages.
First, their narrow beam of 7ft allows them to traverse waterways that a wide beam wouldn’t. Secondly, they are usually cheaper in both maintenance costs and running costs when compared to a widebeam boat of the same length. A smaller space means lower heating costs, and blacking the hull will take less paint and man hours resulting in less expenditure.
Narrowboats are also typically cheaper to moor up as they take up less space than a widebeam.
The trade-off with a narrowboat is less internal room, they feel more like a boat than a floating apartment, so whilst you may get more accessibility to the more historic waterways, that don’t cater to wider boats, they are a less popular choice as a liveaboard vessel.
Where Can I Buy a Widebeam Canal Boat?
Collingwood Boat Builders are the largest canal boat builder in the UK, designing and constructing boats from scratch to our customers’ exact specifications. With a large selection of widebeam and narrowboats, from hull only to fully fitted out vessels you can find exactly what you’re looking for in your ideal canal boat lifestyle.
Browse our ranges today or talk to our friendly staff and start your canal boat project today!
