nipper

Seems to me that the OP asked a perfectly good question, and the subject has been overshadowed with technicalities! All we really want to know is what bit of wire comes off first and what bit comes off last! I for one got so confused that I am getting a boat yard to supply and fit my bank of four batteries, today, for the labour cost of £45. I now can relax in the knowledge that if someone mucks up. it's down to them! Nipper

Yes, stayed two nights at the new moorings, we were the only ones there apart from a couple of longterm widebeam moorers. The proper locky came back from his holidays yesterday morning and promptly charged me £7 for a second night and 10 pence for plugging into the mains! Now at Tattershall Bridge in the frost with very duf batteries ,so todays mission is to get hold of 4 110 amp ones and having read the current thread about fitting them, try to get an electricion to do it! Nipper

Yes Phylis, We have had a flurry, well, sort of! One 20ft ish cruiser and two rowing skiffs! Now at Boston Moorings and there's room for the Navy! Well, this weeks anyway! The only other work we have seen going on was at Saxilby where some work was being done to a footbridge! Nipper

The Northern pontoons looked ok to me last night, it was the southern transit pontoon that I was moored up against that was at a bit of an angle, but the planking looked ok! No warnings from the two lock keepers about anything else untoward, and I am now way passed Lincoln on the way to Boston, on what seems a boatless waterway! Nipper

Hi Dave, This running aground lark seems to follow you around! Good post and nice to see that you have ventured to southern waters! Nipper (Water Jester)

Thanks for that Phylis. The idea is to chill out on this holiday, as we had an intense time of it in June doing a large ring from Loughborough down the Trent and up over the Pennines to Rochdale and returning via Manchester and Stoke etc, 310 miles and 237 locks. Using the EA Website, it is surprising that the river levels are down so much after the recent rainfall, so unless we have another large deluge, I'm now relaxed about the river levels. Living down here, one doesn't get an idea of what is happening on the rivers. Time to dust those those books off and maybe do a bit of fishing too! Thanks Phylis. Nipper

Hiya all! I'm off from Pillings Lock Marina next Friday for a three week cruise. My Ideal destination, Just for the hell of it, is Boston! Apart from the usual River Sour and River Trent flow restictions, if there are any! I have just read in another topic that Phylis mentions that there could be a problem mooring at Boston due to winter sluicing operations. If I make it down the rivers and enter the Fossdyke Navigation, I would think I would be in Boston around the 25th of October. My questions are, would these restrict my mooring up in Boston and also where do I get strong stream information for the Sour and Trent? Thanks Nipper

I myself never cruise the inland waterways with fenders down unless the onshore command module ( wife) has forgotten to take em off after mooring. Here on the south coast were we all dangle our fenders, but only for mooring and we are used to boats wandering about with all different sizes and colours about their hulls. But most of us will quickly clock a boat with just the one fender dangling in the breeze, and be very aware, that it will be a French yacht looking to moor! Nipper

Try here http://www.directlocks.co.uk/rim-locks-rim-panel-locks-c-125_223.html or here http://www.locksonline.co.uk/acatalog/Rim_Latches_.html Nipper

Midland Swindlers at Braunston have a selection, well they did last time I was in there! Nipper

Wonderful locks aren't they!! I hope your taking a divining rod with you as there is not much water up there? But heavy plastic bags and all other detritus abound near Rochdale itself! I got really used to going into the weed hatch when I was up there a week or so ago! Also, mind you don't go aground in the lock holes! Better to alight your "on shore" crew at the lock gates on most locks, although I certainly wouldn't normally. Also mind the trolleys at Tesco's! You'll have fun! Nipper

..Just came up Salterhebble locks today with my 60 footer. The guillotine was no problem, and indeed, had two boats side by side. The middle lock was a tad too tight for me, so had to take off my stern fender and just squeezed past the wood of the closed bottom gate, then ran out of water and went aground. The onshore command module (the wife) sent down a dose of water from the top lock down to improve the depth and just squeezed into the top lock, scraping a little wood away with the fender stub. All in all a job well done, next year I'll try it going down hill! Nipper

I'm on the Calder and Hebble now and can tell you that a good many locks have only one paddle working and that is if you can get it working at all! I've bent two lock keys and just a couple of hours ago, broke my mahogany spike at the Cromwell lock. taking my 60 footer down Salterhebble in the morning Nipper

clinicians? What's one of them then?

I now have this vision in my little brain of Anglers being chased by a gang of mink down the towpath! They can't be all bad then!

Well, Canal planner has us at Bighthouse on the 26th, but as it does not know about the Trent Tides, nor my wifes shopping habits, I would hazard a guess that we should pass on the Aire and Calder. I'll look out for you, I'll be wearing my sunglasses just in case your new paintwork dazzles me! Nipper

Well Phylis, at least it has a bit of salt water added, just to top it up a bit! And if i run out of water, I'll just have to put the kettle on and wait for a while. Nipper

Thanks for that. I'll continue with the number One Plan, but I have to make the, do I turn left? or do I turn right? decision around next Wed/Thursday. I have already put a nice piece of mahogany in the back of my car for a lock spike. In the meantime I have the River Trent to look forward too and of coarse the sunshine! Nipper Edited cus i'm a muppet!

Has there been any improvement to the situation? I'm still hoping to do my three weeks holiday, starting Friday, incorporating the leeds/Liverpool, but really can't afford to be stuck anywhere for too long. Or is it better that I try the Rochdale and take on the Calder and Hebble with a sixty footer? Any suggestions

Thanks for that John. It's supposed to rain this week, lets hope they get a good dose up in the hills. Nipper

Nice to know they care!

Look at the water down there...and BW are letting boats use the lock tomorrow? Someones having a larf Mmm! It would seem to be a little premature to use it tomorrow. unless, maybe it was rapid setting stuff? Still, BW are the experts! Nipper

I think that perhaps any draught will have a problem by the sounds of it. Maybe I'll go south instead. Happy days! Nipper

Thanks Martin. Well after dreaming of this cruise most of the winter, it does seem a shame to abandon it and we still have at least 8 hours a day cruising and Nicks Canal Planner is predicting 7.5 Hours a day. I am expecting some hold ups, but a lot I could well do without. Mind you, it hasn't helped discovering, this week, that we are going a week later than at first thought. I put that mistake down to age. Still, it does give us neap tides going down the Trent, were I was anticipating a hold up or two! Here's hoping we all have water to float in this year. Nipper