ABNB frequently receives requests for details of vessels no larger than 57 feet. When a potential customer is asked why 57 feet is the magic number, the answer is invariably based on the erroneous belief that 57 feet is the maximum length of a narrow vessel that will allow it to go anywhere it wants in the entire system of connected waterways in England and Wales. In fact, being strictly correct, 40 feet is the maximum if you want to sail the last few hundred meters of the Little Ouse River to the Norfolk town of Brandon. Do you want to sail permanently along the canal system to explore the more than two thousand miles or do you prefer to moor in a fixed position without moving at all? The longest narrow boat you can buy measures around seventy feet.
Seventy feet is ideal for space, but if you want to explore your entire ship system, you need something a little smaller. The shortest lock in the network is the Salterhebble Middle Lock lock, on the Calder and Hebble Navigation route, with a height of 15 meters. However, the lock is 14 feet and 2 inches wide, so you can nail a 60-foot boat into it. Therefore, the maximum length of the boat is 60 feet if you want to travel to any part of the system.
Narrow boats are the most visible from the towpath and are the most frequently used for living. The maximum length of a narrow vessel is about 70 feet, as the longest locks in the UK are only 71 feet and 6 inches long. If it's for pleasure, a boat measuring between 30 and 40 feet will be more than enough, and 50 feet is a good figure if you're going to buy a narrow boat to live in.
