Jump to content

originalsmoothie

Member
  • Posts

    49
  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    3

originalsmoothie last won the day on December 25 2013

originalsmoothie had the most liked content!

Profile Information

  • Gender
    Male
  • Occupation
    Writer
  • Boat Name
    Orient
  • Boat Location
    Calcutt Boats

Recent Profile Visitors

2,026 profile views

originalsmoothie's Achievements

Engager

Engager (3/12)

20

Reputation

  1. The recent shared ownership boaters I mentioned where on their way from their moorings, not back to them.
  2. I never complain about the coal boat's movements, or about anyone else with a valid reason to move through ice. The local coal boat cruised past yesterday. Good luck to the guy. He does a great job. I've noticed that many of the ice breakers are crews on shared ownership boats. They don't have to move but want to because it's their turn for a cruise.
  3. And the deep joy of hearing a boat smashing through the ice towards you when you've sensibly decided to stop on your mooring to protect your hull paint. The ice on my mooring is at least an inch thick but I can hear it creaking and groaning as a boater a few hundred metres away smashes his way along the canal.
  4. Funny you should mention getting frozen in. I wrote that and I am frozen in at the moment and have been for the last six days. It's all about planning though. I have shops nearby, enough coal to last another two weeks, and gas and water for another month. I think I'll survive!
  5. Thanks for that, Alan. I think I remember seeing your boats and wondering how on Earth you managed to get off your mooring.
  6. I cruised that way in May when I dropped down onto the Nene. I struggled with the depth in the wooded cutting south of Weedon and on the Northampton flight. Given that there has been little rain since I passed through at the beginning of May, I'm a little nervous about the return leg at the end of this month. My boat draught is 36". I'm looking for information from boaters with similar draughts who have negotiated this route recently. Thanks in advance.
  7. It's been a good experience, one that has left me feeling far more positive about urban cruising than I have been in the past. Camp Hill was disgusting when I passed through in 2015. I stopped four times on the flight to clear my prop. The locks and the pounds between them were a sea of plastic and clothing. This time there was little sign of rubbish and the facilities block at the head of the flight is one of the most pleasant I have had the pleasure to visit. I look forward to returning.
  8. Yes, the OP made it down Farmer's Bridge and moored at Aston University for the night. I did the Ashted and Camp Hill flights today and got as far as Catherine-de-Barnes. There was a little ice on the Ashted flight and then nothing until the top of Camp Hill. There was ice pretty much continuously until Catherine-de-Barnes, up to 1.5 inches in a few places. The pressure's off now so I'll stay here for a couple of days while the ice thaws. Thanks again for all the advice.
  9. Thank you for all your advice. I got as far as Smethwick locks before dusk. Someone had gone before me on the Old Main Line but the ice had begun to freeze again. It was half an inch thick for much of the route, but not too bad. If the temperature doesn't drop too much tonight I should be OK for Farmers Bridge flight tomorrow. Thank you for the alternative route suggestion if I miss it. This forum has come up trumps again.
  10. I know that. I’m trying to avoid the ridiculous cost of crane hire!
  11. I fought my way up the Wolverhampton 21 through ice and low water yesterday. I'm now on the visitor moorings at the top of the flight in a sea of ice. I need to get through the Farmer's Bridge flight before they close on 4th Feb. Given the forecast for the next few days, that's going to be a bit of a challenge. I have to get to Napton Junction ASAP. If I can't get through Farmer's Bridge, the route south is closed to me until March. The only alternative will be to have the boat transported by road. The Wolverhampton 21 is also due to close on 4th Feb so will block my escape from Wolverhampton. Are there any boatyard's able to lift a 62' narrowboat out in the Wolverhampton/Birmingham area? I look forward to your usual helpful replies.
  12. That is NOT good. I can't get through Harecastle Tunnel until 2nd January so, unless I can fit 50 hours cruising into the day I'm knackered. I didn't think of looking at the Keepers Lock restrictions given that it is past the junction. I guess another call to CRT is in order tomorrow before I hit Barbridge junction.
  13. Thanks for all the useful advice. The Fradley locks closure appears to have been pushed back to mid-February, so it's going to be Shroppie, T & M, Coventry, Oxford and GU in, I hope, seven first light to last light cruising days. Bring it on!
  14. Correct. It's livingonanarrowboat.co.uk. I've been writing occasional posts for it over the last two years, but about the Dutch waterways rather than the (much better) English canals. Stepping onto a narrowboat again felt like coming home.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.