A design for europe canals and the Med ?

Can anyone send me in the right direction for a proven steel hull design {about 35' to 40'} that can travel on the canals of europe and short trips to sea mainly in the med. It would be a self build but I am a experienced boat builder with my trade being a shipyard plater, and I am running a small boat building yard in East Yorkshire.

 

First you need to think which part of the European canal network appeals to you. Whilst a lot of the modern (ish) part has an airdraft of 3.50, there are some parts of the older French network that are substantially lower.

Do you just want to be able to get through to the Med and then stay there? Or do you want to cruise extensively on the canals?

Where are these short trips at sea (distance? season? part of Med?), etc. How sea worthy does it need to be?

What 'style' do you like? There are some Euro -boxes which maximise living space, but are dog ugly? Would one of these suit or is there a sense of aesthetics that has to be satisfied?

As a plater, but working DIY, do you have the capability of forming curves, or are you looking for something with developable surfaces only?

 

Hello I would like to stick to the southern area of the french canals and rivers
Midi, Rhone, and into the Med and along the coast in the summer months maybe the Balearics. I do not like the euro barge look as you say dog ugly. I am totally open to suggestions as to a good vessel for the purpose. I have plate rolls and other various machinery for the Fabrication of the vessel so round bilge would be prefered, as to the boxy look of hard chine or multi chine.

 

Hi,
Charley Ward's thames barge design at 45 feet long and 12 foot beam; designed to sail but with a small crew, may suit you. It will fit the canals, has a shallow draft and with the tabernacle mast lowered has a low air draft. She is also seaworthy for the kind of work you want to do. Google Charley Ward and it will give you his website. In my opinion she looks good as well. He actually builds the boats, but the plans should be available from the designer.
David.

 

Other Subject Thread

Have you looked thru this other (extensive) discussion thread? I think there is a lot of subject material in there.
Dutch Barge long distance cruisers
http://www.boatdesign.net/forums/showthread.php?t=11316

 

Hi,
I just revisited the Charlie Ward website, he no longer builds the boats, they are now built by www.nielthompsonboats.co.uk. The boat you want to look at is the Norfolk Trader. Charley Ward still charters his barge Juno and you can see the layout and a small video of her sailing on Charlies website. www.charlieward-trad-boats.co.uk

 

our new canal river boat, the red one is not ours, but proven the new one is 14.6x3.83x1
i posted this in another place, but hey we need the publicity