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Why a New Build Barge?
►Why
a Wide Beam Barge?
►Why
New Build and not Old?
►Motor
or Sail?
►Comparisons
to a Narrowboat?
►Live
Aboard or Leisure (Moorings
& House Boats)
Where can I cruise?
►Where
can wide beams cruise?
►Map
of UK Broadbeam Canals
►UK
Broad Beam Network plans
►Where
can I navigate in Europe?
Buying a Barge
►Buying
a new Barge (sailaway, fully fitted, costs, delivery etc.)
►RCD.
The European law for new builds
►Buying
a Sailaway
►Generic
Specification Check List (for a typical sailaway barge)
►VAT
on New Build Barges
►Barge
Insurance Info
►New
Build Barge Builders
►New
Build Barges for Sale
DIY Barge Fit-out
►Fitting
out a barge yourself
►Equipment
Planning (engine, electrics, heating, painting
galley etc.)
►Equipment
Updates - 4 years on
►Solar
& Wind Generators
►Generator
Sets
►Combi
Inverter Comparison
►DIY
Fit-Out cost (for sailaway plus barge).
►Some
Useful tools for DIY fit-out
►Useful
Links & Further Reading
►Layout
plans of wide beams
►Slipping
/ dry docking a barge
Misc Barge Pages
►Photos
- New Build Barges
►Barge
Moorings - Some popular SE England moorings
►Barges
at Port Medway Marina
DBA The Barge Association
►About
the Association
►2002
Ghent Rally in Belgium
►2003
Beale Park (R Thames)
►2005
DBA Rally at Chatham
►2006
Beale Park Rally
►2007
Paris Rally
►2007
Kingston Rally
►2008
Bell Weir Gathering
►2009
Bisham Abbey |
Slipping / Dry docking a barge
Barges
have to be taken out of the water for routine and essential maintenance.
This is normally done by 'Slipping' or 'Dry Docking'.
Slipping
will often comprise of a concrete slipway running down at an angle into
the river / canal with a trolley on railway lines. The trolley is
lowered down and up via a winch. The barge will be floated onto the
submerged trolley and then winched up out of the water, normally into
sheltered area (with roof and sides) where painting and general
maintenance work can be done.
A dry dock
is a sealed docking facility into which a vessel can be floated. The
water is then drained from the dry dock which then leaves all parts of
the hull of the ship accessible for construction or maintenance.
Sometime a dry dock resembles a lock, but it is can be an old (large)
barge. The dry dock could be open or semi enclosed (roof and sides).
Mobile
Hoists is another option. These lift barge out of water and transport to
a local hardstanding area.
Some dry
dock / slips have many restrictions on what can be done, others few.
Some popular restrictions might be; No living on board, no grit
blasting, work time limits (eg. 9:00am to 5:00pm only) no power tools
after a certain time etc.
The
generally accepted time frame for routine maintenance is every 3 years
and will include re painting / blackening of the hull, replacing anodes
(if fitted) and a general inspection of propeller, keel / skeg and
underside fittings. Any propeller weed hatches and bow thruster
inspection hatches should also be removed and insides repainted and new
rubber gaskets fitted.
An
important aspect of slipping / dry docking is that as soon as your barge
is out of water, get to work jet washing everything under the waterline.
With a reasonable quality jet wash, all barnacles can be removed fairly
easily. It gets much more difficult to remove barnacles when they have
dried out.
Note;
most insurance
companies do not request a structural survey (requiring dry
docking) until a new build barge is
20 years old.
Original
old
barges
generally
require a
structural survey every 6 years.
Back to Home Page
Created
29 January 2010
- Last
updated
16 March 2010
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►Strand
on the Green Barge Blocks. A free to use facility on
the River Thames. Some Info and Photos
New
►Our
Own barge Work required during Slipping, 3 years
after launch
►Barge
slipping
Photos
At
Eel Pie Island on the River Thames
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