Derek Porteous

In answer to my own questions. A lot of the permanent moorers on the car park arm seem to have migrated (either officially or unofficially ) to the “hairpin” arm due to silting up on the car park arm.’ My thanks to Haggis. There are indeed two water points. One halfway up the “hairpin” arm and one at the utility block in front of the two trip/party boats. The former has a length of hosepipe fixed to the tap lying on the ground. Not sure of the hygiene aspect to this. The latter is fine. The trip boat skipper was more than happy to point out to me where the tap is.

Yes, I see it now. Not happy about the fixed hose lying on the ground, but needs must with a thorough flush through….. unless someone comes back with utility block information. Sadly there is a big shortage of water points on the Bridgewater. Thanks.

Also where is the water point at Castlefield? (I have not seen a single soul on any of the moored boats in the last two days to ask). I know I have watered up several years ago at the utility block where the two wide beam trip boats moor, but from the other side of the canal it now seems to be a fixed water pipe to the trip boats only. Thanks.

First time we have been to Castlefield for several years since the moorings at the car park became “private”, as we had previously had unfortunate incidents at the hairpin moorings (pot plants thrown into the canal, very noisy at night). Very surprised to see the car park moorings almost empty, and the hairpin moorings almost full. What is going on?

I have exactly the same problem with my Becton 5kw stove. It seems that the Becton 5kw stove can have either a 4” or a 5” flue spigot/collar. Does anyone know whether the model no (B5MUG) is specific to the flue size, and if so, which one? Thanks. PS I am not on my boat so can’t just measure up.

Great, thanks for that.

Anyone any further information on the problem here. Got the Liverpool Link booked later this week, so would like to plan. Thanks.

Yes, plenty of time. Never had a problem getting there before 2pm. We have come out from Liverpool 5 or 6 times edit to add there were volunteers in the Stanley Locks last year. They seem very well organised.

On a follow up email, it seems the charges for 2025 haven’t yet been agreed, hence no booking link yet. I feel yet another price increase is on the cards. On the plus side, and loosely related to this thread, I see the passage booking system for the Bridgewater Canal can now be done on the day. Previously it had to be booked at least one day in advance for some unknown reason.

Trying to book passage for Spring 2025. The Liverpool Link is not currently on the "passage booking" CRT web page, although I normally book at this time of year for our Spring shakedown cruise. I emailed CRT asking when the passage booking site would be available and got an answer saying the Link was closed Oct-March, so try to book next Spring! Not sure that is entirely sensible, given the length of time it takes to get to the top of Stanley Locks. Anyone got inside information on what is going on here?

Most times that we pass, or indeed moor, at Goldstone, there is inevitably a moored boat on the water point by late afternoon/early evening. The visitor moorings fill up quickly here. I personally don't see the harm in it if they are prepared to have another boat moor alongside to get water. Don't know how you determine whether they "are prepared" or not, but guess the default must be, if moored at a water point, be prepared to be boarded.

Just had a fabulous three days in Lincoln. Good moorings (Brayford Pool Marina), central position, excellent shopping area and the Cathedral district is world class. In view of the original point of the thread (visitor mooring in Lincoln), we did pay particular attention to the visitor mooring at the university as we approached from the west. These are two day moorings and also very close to the city centre. On our way out after our three day stay we noted that, without exception, exactly the same boats were on the two day mooring. Hardly seems fair.

Follow up to my original post. I decided that I wanted certainty on my mooring in Lincoln, so I rang Brayford Trust, initially booking two nights, but subsequently increasing it to three nights due to the locking up times at Torksey Lock. The marina staff were very pleasant and accommodating. As we approached from the west, we noted that there were no spaces on the CRT visitor mooring suitable for a 55ft narrowboat. At a push, we might have asked a couple of boats already moored there to nudge up a bit (there were wide gaps between the existing moorers which on occasion would accommodate a 40 footers, but we didn't see anyone aboard any of the moored boats). The booked mooring in Brayford Pool is excellent. Central, great views with water and electricity. Cost of £16 per night. We walked up to and beyond the Glory Hole. There were a few spaces there but, as far as we could could discern, only at the railings which had to be scaled (no mean feat for our tender age). Also a bit leery about the area, perhaps for no real reason, but sometimes gut feel is important. Many thanks to all who have contributed to this thread. It is appreciated.

2004 and 7,000 hrs. No knocking at alll still fan belt was tightened properly.

Yes, indeed. However we have now solved the issue. It was the 12v alternator fan belt which needed tightening.

Are the paid visitor moorings in the marina? Can these be pre-booked or is it a case of just turning up?

What is the current situation on visitor moorings (2 days required) in Lincoln (close to or in Brayford Pool)? I have done a web search and found the results confusing. I have also seen the 2015 thread on this forum, but nothing more recent. Thanks

We were met by a large group of canoeist between the south portal of the Harecastle Tunnel and Westport Lake. They were well chaperoned by at least three people on the towpath wearing CRT vests. However on passing the canoes, at tick over, we were told in no uncertain terms by their instructor that, being the last boat through the tunnel, we should have given two long blasts of the horn. Not heard that one before.

Final update (I hope!). Although the belt felt tight, symptoms had persisted. Loosened two bolts, broke a mop handle used as leverage, resorted to a mooring pin, and all seems good now after a couple of hours cruising. seems a relatively easy fix to what I thought was complex symptoms, and yes I did check the belt and it seemed tight to my fingers tips (erroneously). Once again a huge thank you for all contributors to this thread. Your constructive comments were very much appreciated.

Yes , we do have solar panels. After two days of exactly the same symptoms (fine for first half hour of cruising, then very noisy for an hour, then fine after that), this morning very noisy after start up. Too noisy to continue, so we shut the engine down. Alternator belt tightened as far as it would go (no easy task). All good now, albeit short test whilst still on our overnight mooring. We will see what happens tomorrow when we get underway (again!).

Mmmm. The batteries were by no means low, although a bit flatter than usual as we did watch a LOT of TV dlast night (UEFA football and then election news). I don’t expect a repeat in TV watching tonight, but we will see what happens tomorrow.

Many thanks for the replies. Naughty Cal. Nothing as catastrophic as you experienced. All seems OK and indeed no noise/knowing /squealing or anything untoward now. Tony Brooks. Thanks for your comprehensive reply. Checked everything (but I am no engineer). All seems OK. Nuts are tight, no fraying of belts and pulley seems fine. it was the correlation between the rev counter under reading and the knocking noise which I was concerned about. Both have now gone so we will just carry until and/or it happens again. We will then take it into a boatyard to be checked out. Thanks again both.

We had a new alternator fitted to our boat last summer (Isuzu 35). Since then the rev counter can under read, or indeed not work at all. But the vast majority of the time it is fine. Today when we started up the engine made a knocking noise in anything over tick-over; both in and out out of gear, forward and reverse. The rev counter was consistently under reading. The knocking noise seemed to be coming from the front of the engine where the alternator and traveller are located. Turned everything off, and restarted the engine. All good now with no knocking and rev counter behaving normally. is this coincidence, but if not anyone able to suggest what is going on? Thanks.

There is no water at the service block in Worsley. The tap was always on the inside, and the building is now padlocked. There is a tap on the outside of the flats opposite the dry dock, but no idea whether this is for boaters. When we were there last month, it was being used by the mobile coffee van.

A lot of dead fish this morning on The Trent and Mersey particularly in the short stretch between Barnton Tunnel and Saltersford Tunnels. Lesser numbers to the west of Saltersford. Is this due to lower oxygen levels with the hot level or something more sinister? I have messaged CRT but not had a reply yet.