narrowboat
Enable an agent to recognise a narrowboat, assess its condition and waterway compatibility, and determine which movements, uses and maintenance actions are appropriate.
Bundle → Layer → Finding → Questions Filled
6 bundles · 11 layers · 19 findings · 29 questions
Narrowboat identity Establish membership of the vessel kind and distinguish configuration from use.
Kind boundary
Assess design form and provenance against neighbouring vessel kinds.
Design and form evidence
Record the evidence supporting narrowboat classification without imposing an unresearched universal dimensional cutoff.
- Which measured hull features and design records support classifying this vessel as a narrowboat? definition
- What distinguishes this example from a wide-beam canal boat, barge or other narrow inland vessel? boundary
Configuration and conversion
Separate propulsion, stern form and conversion history from kind membership.
Identity through alteration
Track original and current arrangements where motorisation, cabin additions or residential conversion affect interpretation.
- Was the vessel built as a powered boat, an unpowered butty or another documented configuration? provenance
- Which alterations changed its stern, working spaces or accommodation, and what evidence connects the current vessel to its earlier form? provenance
Hull and waterway fit Relate hull dimensions and loading to the constrained spaces of canal navigation.
Passage envelope
Establish dimensions in the configuration proposed for movement.
Restricted passage clearance
Assess length, width and overhead projections against locks, bridges and tunnels.
- What are the maximum length, beam and air draught with the current fenders, chimney, solar panels and other projections? measurement
- Which restrictions on the proposed route have verified clearance, and which require further measurement or removal of fittings? action
Loading and underwater clearance
Assess how contents and water conditions change the hull's navigable envelope.
Draught, trim and freeboard
Record the loading state behind any claim of depth clearance or safe hull openings.
- What are the deepest draught, list and relevant freeboard measurements with current tank, cargo and passenger loads? measurement
- How would the proposed load change affect grounding risk, bridge clearance and the height of openings above water? action
Movement and canal handling Assess propulsion, steering and practical control in confined waterways.
Propulsion and control
Describe how thrust and directional control are produced and their current limitations.
Movement readiness
Connect installed equipment or towing arrangements to demonstrated movement capability.
- Which propulsion, transmission and steering components are fitted, and what recent checks establish their operating state? provenance
- What evidence establishes stopping, reversing and turning behaviour, or the control available under tow? measurement
Locks, turning and mooring
Assess vessel-specific working arrangements during constrained manoeuvres.
Confined-water operations
Relate vessel length, stern layout, crew access and line arrangements to canal operations.
- Where are the steering position, usable line attachment points and safe routes between working positions? measurement
- What positioning and line-handling plan addresses lock cills, projections, changing water levels and available turning space? action
Onboard use and services Assess working or occupied spaces and the services installed within the narrow hull.
Spaces and occupation
Relate actual use to access, ventilation and escape.
Usable interior and decks
Record how fit-out and stored contents affect movement and occupation.
- Which spaces serve cargo, sleeping, cooking or machinery functions, and how are access and exits arranged? definition
- Does the proposed use obstruct ventilation, escape routes or access to equipment requiring inspection? action
Energy, water and waste
Assess installed services and their replenishment, isolation and discharge arrangements.
Service capacity and hazards
Connect tanks, batteries, shore connections and combustion appliances to the intended duration and mode of use.
- What usable fuel, electrical-energy, freshwater and waste capacities are documented, in litres or kWh as appropriate? measurement
- Which checks establish safe isolation, ventilation, exhaust routing and servicing for the systems actually fitted? action
Condition and operating evidence Connect physical inspection and applicable operating requirements to decisions about use.
Hull and machinery condition
Assess deterioration, ingress and maintenance needs using evidence appropriate to construction.
Inspection and repair basis
Record survey coverage, material-specific defects and access to underwater components.
- What inspection evidence covers the bottom, sides, waterline, openings and propulsion penetrations where fitted? provenance
- Which defects require repair, monitoring or out-of-water inspection before the proposed use? action
Navigation and use requirements
Link the vessel and intended activity to applicable authority requirements and supporting records.
Applicable evidence
Distinguish physical suitability from documented permission and inspection requirements for a specified place and use.
- Which navigation authority, jurisdiction and use category govern the proposed movement or occupation? boundary
- Which licences, inspections or conformity records are required, and what are their issuing bodies, validity periods and coverage? provenance
Evidence and external alignment What the world already says about this thing, gathered so the model can be checked against it.
Reported evidence
Findings from the breadth pass, kept separate from the structural claims.
Check these first
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Which of these check these first hold for the sense of narrowboat this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Kinds and varieties
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Which of these kinds and varieties hold for the sense of narrowboat this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Identifiers and schemes
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Which of these identifiers and schemes hold for the sense of narrowboat this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Standards and regulation
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Which of these standards and regulation hold for the sense of narrowboat this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Real-world use
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Which of these real-world use hold for the sense of narrowboat this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Typical measurements
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Which of these typical measurements hold for the sense of narrowboat this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Failure modes and hazards
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Which of these failure modes and hazards hold for the sense of narrowboat this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Regional variation
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Which of these regional variation hold for the sense of narrowboat this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Which of these neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart hold for the sense of narrowboat this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Classifiers Filled
- Family
- Thing Registry
- Category
- Physical world and living systems
- Entry kind
- thing
- Plane
- PHY
- Domain
- PHY.OBJ
What it is Filled
A narrowboat is a long, slender, usually flat-bottomed inland-waterway vessel developed for British canals, with a beam of about 7 feet or less to pass through their narrow locks.
In scope
- Narrow canal-vessel identity, including powered, unpowered, historic and converted examples
- Hull geometry, construction, loading and compatibility with restricted waterways
- Propulsion, steering, stopping and handling arrangements
- Accommodation, cargo spaces and onboard utility systems where fitted
- Condition, maintenance needs and evidence governing navigation or occupation
Out of scope
- Canals, locks, bridges, tunnels and moorings as infrastructure assets
- Wide-beam canal boats, barges and other vessel kinds beyond boundary comparisons
- Engine, battery, stove and other component models in full technical detail
- Boatbuilder businesses, product ranges and commercial listings
- Ownership, insurance, navigation licences and residential permissions as independent administrative records
Why it exists Filled
Enable an agent to recognise a narrowboat, assess its condition and waterway compatibility, and determine which movements, uses and maintenance actions are appropriate.
Distinguishing features Filled
- Check whether the vessel's design identity and narrow hull form belong to the narrowboat tradition; being a small boat on a canal is insufficient.
- Distinguish a narrowboat from a wide-beam canal boat using measured beam and documented design context rather than similar cabin styling.
- Distinguish the vessel from a floating home or pontoon by examining its hull, navigation arrangements and original or current vessel identity; residential use alone does not decide the boundary.
- Do not require an engine for membership: establish whether an unpowered example is a narrowboat intended for towing, such as a butty.
- Treat traditional, semi-traditional and cruiser stern arrangements as configuration differences within the kind rather than separate vessel kinds.
What robots and AI may and may not do Filled
Must not
- Operate locks or move a boat without a competent person in control.
- Disable carbon monoxide or smoke alarms aboard.
- Discharge sewage, fuel or oily bilge water into the canal.
- Overstay or moor where navigation authority rules forbid it on the owner's behalf.
Only with a human decision
- Working a lock flight or passing through tunnels.
- Any decision in an emergency such as sinking, fire or a person in the water.
May
- Describe narrowboats, their dimensions and their history on British canals.
- Monitor a boat's systems, such as bilge, batteries and carbon monoxide alarms, for the owner who authorised it.
- Help plan routes, locks and moorings within navigation authority rules.
Moral aspects Filled
- Narrowboats are homes for many people who face insecure housing and limited services.
- Canals are shared heritage and wildlife habitat.
Who is affected
- Boaters and their families
- Other canal users
- Canal wildlife
Owners Filled
Steward
The boat's owner; the navigation authority licenses boats on its waterways.
Master systems
- Navigation authority boat licence registers
Links to other meta-models Filled
parent
- Q35872 - registry parent class
What else AI and robots need to interact with it Filled
Identity and identifiers required Filled
- Vercy registry: vr.tr.narrowboat
- Wikidata: Q649870 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q649870)
Direct properties required Filled
- Vessel configuration: powered narrowboat | unpowered butty | other documented configuration | unresolved
- Overall length: m, with measurement endpoints and projecting fittings recorded
- Maximum beam: m, distinguishing hull width from fenders and other projections
- Loaded draught: m, with loading condition and deepest point identified
- Air draught: m above waterline, with roof equipment and removable items identified
- Hull construction: documented material, construction method and repair history
- Stern arrangement: traditional | semi-traditional | cruiser | other | unresolved
- Propulsion and energy arrangement: combustion | electric | hybrid | unpowered; installed energy sources recorded
- Loading and trim: observed fore-and-aft trim, list, freeboard and tank or cargo condition
- Hull and watertight integrity: surveyed condition, observed leakage, defects, evidence date and unknown areas
- Space use: cargo | leisure accommodation | residential accommodation | passenger use | mixed | other
- Waterway compatibility: vessel configuration linked to a route and its dated dimensional and operational restrictions
Recognition required Filled
- A very long, narrow steel boat with a flat bottom and a cabin running most of its length.
- A tiller steering position at the stern, often with traditional painted decoration.
Capabilities and actions required Filled
- Assess a proposed route against measured dimensions, loading and waterway restrictions.
- Determine whether the vessel can move under its own power or requires a suitable towing arrangement.
- Plan lock passage, turning and mooring around the vessel's steering position and handling limits.
- Identify inspections or repairs needed before navigation or occupation.
- Assess proposed cargo, accommodation or energy-system changes for effects on trim, clearances and onboard safety.
- Plan fuel, charging, water and waste-service stops for the installed systems.
Hazards and failure modes required Filled
- Carbon monoxide poisoning from stoves, heaters or engines.
- Sinking or capsizing in locks if the boat catches on a sill or gate.
- Falls into the water, especially in winter.
Standards and interfaces required Filled
- Boat Safety Scheme examination requirements for boats on inland waterways, Canal and River Trust and the Environment Agency.
Context of use required Filled
- Narrowboats are encountered on British inland waterways, particularly canals whose locks constrain vessel width.
- Originally developed for carrying freight, they are also used for cruising, residential accommodation and heritage activities.
- Route planning requires checking the individual vessel against lock dimensions, bridge clearances, water depth and local navigation conditions.
Sources Filled
- Wikidata item Q649870: narrowboat - identity and sense of the item
- Wikipedia: Narrowboat - general description of the item
Open questions
- What authoritative definition establishes the narrowboat boundary, including dimensional conventions, historic variants and unusual hull forms?
- Which waterway authorities publish reliable lock, bridge, tunnel and depth restrictions, and how should temporary restrictions affect compatibility assessments?
- Which construction and onboard-system standards apply by build date, jurisdiction and private or commercial use, and what does each inspection scheme actually establish?
- What material-specific survey criteria and maintenance evidence support condition decisions for steel, iron, timber and repaired or composite examples?
- Which alterations require renewed assessment of stability, loading, escape provision or conformity, particularly after residential or electric-propulsion conversion?
Machine files
Provenance
thing registry research (pass 2) · unreviewed
Built from: models/things/publications/thing-q649870/spec.json