Derek Porteous

There has always been a differential, but not that big. There is voltmeter reading on the electrical panel which can toggle between battery banks.

Only one alternator with a split diode plus a traveller(I think!)

Still cruising, but once I stop I guess about 10 minutes or so before dropping to 13V.

I have three domestic batteries and a starter battery. During a lengthy cruise today I noticed that whilst charging on the alternator the voltage on the domestic batteries is 13V whilst the starter battery is 14V. If I switch charging to a 220V battery charger powered by the traveller, both banks increase to 14.2V. All four batteries are new. Is this normal?

Thanks Paringa. Took the plunge and dismantled the toilet. Found exactly the same as you, the macerator was surround by bits of a white wipes. Also don't know how they got there. Also design of unit made cleaning very difficult. After two hours it was as clean as I could get it. Put together and after a slight panic due to an air lock making the toilet pump working overtime, all is well with the toilet. Hope I get another 8 years before it needs cleaning again.

Our Vetus electric toilet is now 8 years old and never had any issues (or indeed maintenance). However over the last couple of weeks; although still working, it does not seem to have the same vigour that it did.Batteries are new, so power not a problem. Now we are not DIYers, but reading the manual it seems we should have been descaling it twice a year. We will have a go at this, but any ideas what might be the problem?

We are travelling from Leeds to Wigan at the moment. Hardly any boats moving and last night in the normally full Rodley moorings, not a single boat, apart from us. Real shame as facilities can be hard to find, and if there are no boats, the few boatyards left will soon become none.

Echo all of the above. Lovely trip and well worth it to go all the way to Ripon basin. However there is a length issue for more than 57ft from Linton Lock onwards.

Excellent pics from everyone and a good thread. Of particular interest to me as I have been meaning to visit the Pockington Canal for several years now. The nearest I got in the planning was a few years back but then the entrance lock from the River Ouse went out of action for over a year! However I have never been clear on the tide stragety on how best to reach the entrance from the River Ouse (I don't mean how to enter the lock itself, but where to leave from to get to the entrance at an appropriate time). I guess the jump off points would be Naburn, Selby or Goole. Can anyone offer advice on this for a fairly slow 55ft narrowboat? Also the same information in reverse would be good (leaving the River Derwent that is, not travelling in reverse gear for the wags out there!). I am based in Ripon so could visit either at the beginning of our annual summer cruise or at the end of the cruise, i,e from either the south or the north, which ever is easiest. Thanks.

Seconded, thirded and fourthed ( I know there are no such words). Mike is one of the good guys.

Isn't there a floating pontoon about 100 metres downstream of where the nb and cruiser are (same side of river), where York Boats or the Little Red Boats operate from?

Hi Dan, No, I don't think you have got the flood right. You will be leaving Selby on Low Water to catch the flood tide up to Naburn, not High Water. I suspect, due to the daylight hours, there will not be a passage on Sunday 4th November. Best to give the lock keeper at Selby a ring to confirm times and discuss options. The number is 01757 704182. Depending on whether you leave on Springs or Neaps the passage from Selby to Naburn will take between two and a half to three hours. From Naburn, York is about an hour and a half, Linton a further three hours. Locking through Selby and Naburn is very quick, 10 to 15 minutes each maximum. At Linton there is a floating pontoon with two visitor berths above the lock. You may be able to get on the inside of the floating pontoon below the lock, and there is the option, depending on the river levels of mooring at the river bank below the lock for a fee. I think it is £5 including use of utility block at the lock, but I may be wrong about that. You SHOULD NOT LEAVE YOUR BOAT on the river side for any length of time without ensuring the river levels will not rise when you are away. I have done from Selby to Boroughbridge in one day, but that was in summer and from memory took 11 hours. You should not have a problem on the tidal section. The current is quite fast at the entrance of Selby, but once you are past the first two bridges it settles down. The entrancce to Naburn Lock is easy (unlike the passage down stream entering Selby Lock). The only thing to look out for is debris in the river. Hope this helps, Derek Edit because I hadn't read your post properly. Options to moor at Selby Basin, Naburn, York and then Linton. Selby and Linton (on floating pontoons) are OK to leave the boat, but you need to make sure the river level don't rise if you are going to be away for days if you leave the boat at Naburn or York, unless you leave it at Naburn marina on a floating pontoon there. That won't be cheap!

We have a Liverpool boat of that vintage, and the blue is Mauritius Blue.

Sadly we have. We were warned by other moorers that we should use a chain, but didn' t have one. Bought one at Selby Boat Centre a few days later and they knew exactly why and where we were going to use it!

Presumably the reason it was chained was because of the reputation (deservedly so), of boats being untied. I have always thought this to be particulary dangerous on the river, as opposed to be inconvient on a canal. Did the authorities, who ever they might be, ever try to sort this problem out.

I realise it's totally weather dependent, but in your experience, am I likely to be held up by flooding on the Calder & Hebble in late October? Sadly, yes! Also on the Aire and Calder Navigation after that and on the River Ouse/Ure on the way up to Ripon. You will just have to take each stage as and when you can. Derek

Hi Marian, There is room for about three narrowboats at the bottom of the Marple flight. We have always found them to be excellent moorings and just a short(ish) walk into town. I would allow three hours for the Rochdale nine. Some of them are very hard work as they have restricted area for the pushing, pulling and general heaving. I also guess that with all the rain the water will be cascading over the top of the lock gate which makes it a bit tougher. Ideally if you would pair up with another boat, that would be better. The Thomas Telford Basin is perfectly safe, but you will not have access to the street from the mooring. This means either do the Rochdale Nine in the afternoon and waiting overnight for an early start on the Ashton, or be prepared to wait out the rest of the day until morning. Alternatively carry straight on over the Ashton. I believe the situation is greatly improved (no doubt other members will be on with their views), but you should be prepared to cruise right through to Portland Basin.We have never had a problem on this stretch, but have always completed it by early afternoon. Hope this helps, Derek

Hi Dan, Both the Rochdale and Huddersfield are relentless locks, but they are both a delight. You would enjoy either. However as there is a lot of the wet stuff around at the moment, and the Rochdale cascades over the top of the lock gates, then the Huddersfield Narrow is the better bet. Remember you have to book your passage through the tunnel. I assume that you will be berthed at Ripon Racecourse Marina. Hope to meet you there one day. Regards Derek

All good advice above. However trust to the lockkeepers. They will give you all the advice you need and not let you go if the river levels are too high. Wear life jackets and have an anchor with appropriate chain at the ready. The entrance at Selby can be tricky so aim to turn at the entrance (which is at right angles to the river), so you drift past it and come back up river against the current. You will find once you get level with the lock, there is an area of slack water which will assist. Also, Fred the lock keeper will stand at lockside giving directions if he knows this is your first time. A VHF is handy. Again Fred will contact you on the VHF en route so he knows exactly where you are and will have the lock ready for you. If you do not have a VHF it is worthwhile phoning Fred when to reach the flour mill on the outskirts of Selby. Finally it has been mentioned that Springs and Neaps will affect the strength of the current (as well as the amount of fresh coming down river). I have always tried to make the passage on Neaps to make life a bit easier. However I had to go on a high Spring tide last time at the end of August. Now here's the thing. Because the current was stronger (at least for the first part of the journey) we arrived at Selby after only two hours instead of the usual two and a half to three hours)so the ebb was not yet in full flow. We made for a relatively easy approach and entrance to the lock. I certainly will not be avoiding Spring at all costs in the future as I have always done in the past (Naburn to Selby that is, Selby to Naburn is a dawdle on any tide!). Also Selby Canal is a delight. Usually the water is very clear (not so sure at the moment with all the rain and run off) which means you can view the aquatic life as you cruise. I have seen small terrapins there before but last trip a large terrapin, about 12" in diameter, dived under the boat. Seen them on the Thames before, but never on a canal. Enjoy you trip.

Yes, quite right. But the point is that surely in flood conditions any floating pontoon (all pontoons at Linton and the one at Nayburn)can be used as a safe haven. Yes, strictly speaking it is for lock operation (Linton) and for services (Nayburn) but if the lock is under water then the pontoon is surplus to requirement for lock operation, and in the case of Nayburn services it is not too much to ask an boat requiring access to raft up along side.

About 7 years ago we were moored overnight at Kings Straith. The river rose to a foot or two from the top of the wharf so we decided to run up to Linton Lock for a safe mooring. We arrived some four hours later (the current was strong by this time) and moored on the floating pontoon above the lock to sit out the flood. The following day the whole of the lock was under water. We were quite safe and, unlike the floating pontoon below the lock, had access to the river bank. We waited it out for a week before it was safe to move. This got me thinking. Where do York Boats go during severe floods? Their normal berth is just downstream of Lendal Bridge, rafted up. Do they remain there or go elsewhere? Also how secure are the numerous private moorings which seem to be fixed to the river bank by somewhat flimsy looking scaffolding poles? Anyone know?

But you can run down to Naburn Lock ( an hour and a half away) and perhaps get a mooring on the services floating pontoon. The alternative is to go upstream to Linton Lock (about two and a half hours away) which has floating pontoons both below and above the lock. Whilst the River Ouse can rise very quickly, keeping an eye on the weather forecast and also the river levels would be wise and give sufficient time to move on. I saw two narrowboats moored at Museum Gardens on Sunday night. I was sure, with the heavy rain forecast, that they would move to a safer mooring on the Monday. Obviously at least one of them did not for some reason.

Don't know either. However we tried to get fuel at Snaygill a couple of weeks ago. We came alongside and waited for someone to come and serve us. After ten minutes or so I wandered up to the office. There were three people there all of whom had seen us moor up but no one ventured out. They would not serve us as we were heading West and would have to get too close to a newly painted boat to allow the fuel line to reach. Totally different story at Pennine. They greeted us, took our moorings ropes and could not have been more helpful. I know which one we will use in future irrespective of price.

Confirm that Lemonroyd Lock re-opened at 2pm on Friday.

Thanks for that. Spoke to someone sensible who rang back to say lock would be re-opened this afternoon. Also thanks for walking around to Saul hello. Nice to meet you, sir! Enjoy the Rochdale.