churchward
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Posts posted by churchward
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On 18/05/2022 at 13:34, David Mack said:
I've never found that. It's urban, but even quite a lot of that is through parkland and wooded areas. There are sometimes 'gentlemen of the road' gathered under bridges drinking cider or whatever, but you can either ignore them or say hello as you pass - they are not a problem.
I hesitate to mention it, but I suspect some of the negative perceptions one hears about owe more to some people's fear of the ethnic diversity of the local populace rather than any real risks. In my experience some of the locals will ignore you completely, some watch from a distance but don't engage, others will come up for a closer look and are happy to engage in a chat, or to push on a balance beam if invited to do so. I've never had any hostility or objects thrown or anything like that in Rochdale or on the 18.
It is not my impression of the Rochdale. I think the route up through Manchester is awful and one I am not keen to repeat but not because of the locals diverse or not. When we went up in April (before lock 72 failure) it was the state of canal that was the problem. The canal is used as a rubbish dump and lack of water was a significant issue. We took 10 hours to do 4 miles including 3 hours to remove a mattress and its metal work from the prop that had locked the drive forward and reverse. We had to call CRT for assistance twice ( for the first time in all our years boating) once for the mattress and once due to being stuck in a pound. The mattress was only released by a CRT chap getting in the water in a dry suit and using bolt cutters. I also counted 10 other occasions I opened the weed hatch that day to clear rubbish.
The locals we did speak to all seemed to be keen to tell us "not to moor here" if we wished to keep everything intact. It was all reminiscent of when we went round the Cheshire ring in the mid 1970s when the Ashton and Rochdale 9 were very grim indeed but this time without the youthful enthusiasm and energy. We did meet some nice young ladies having a picnic and listening to music at one of the locks but they seemed shocked to see us.
The Rochdale further on was much better especially the Yorkshire side of the summit but hard work all the way with poorly maintained equipment and leaky locks.
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I have never had to do that either.
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Yeeha! we have escaped!!!
We should reach the summit and Lancashire tomorrow weather permitting.
The CRT staff and volunteers were very helpful and we got through faster because of that. We were the first up in the uphill direction from lock 30 after the suits cut a ribbon and had photos with a working short boat coming down first.
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Yep looking forward to passage through tomorrow, currently at the bottom of lock 30.
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CRT have announced that on their stoppage webpage that the lock will open on Weds 25th 09:00am.
So, a few days longer in Skipton for us.
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11 hours ago, Midnight said:
My mate Big Jimmy who is waiting at Gargrave said there are still plenty of moorings on the village stretch.
OK but aren't those moorings the wrong side of the closure if one is coming from Skipton?
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4 minutes ago, The Happy Nomad said:
As you say there are worse places to be stuck.
Havent been for a while now but the Narrowboat pub always used to be worth a vist. (An anomalous name for a pub in a town served by a wide canal, I know)
It has been a very nice stay and we have been spoilt for choice of nice dog friendly pubs, eat-ins and take-away. It will be good to get on the go soon too.
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9 hours ago, harleyj said:
The closure is not on CRT's stoppages any more so we assume it is open.
Nope, it is still closed. The notice is still there on the stoppage pages. They have promised to update tomorrow ( Friday 20th) at the end of the day and have also said lock operation will begin between 20th to 25th latest but no indication of precisely when.
We are holed up in Skipton just now waiting for the word. Still, there are far worse places to have had to stop for a few days.
On 07/05/2022 at 17:50, Midnight said:I guess there will be boats travelling to Gargrave now for the reopening. Do you know what the mooring situation is?
It's packed in Skipton with most boats waiting for the Gargrave locks to open and I am told several moored nearer to Gargrave too.
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1 hour ago, Withywindle said:
I’m after some advice regarding the top mount 70amp top alternator belt fitted to Beta 38 engines. This is the one dedicated to the domestic battery bank.
I bought my boat last year and the previous owner left several new spare belts for this alternator ranging in size from 6pk1295 to 6pk1305. The current belt a 6pk1300 failed yesterday. I’m pretty sure this was as a result of the belt wearing on the outside edge due to its perilously close proximity to the adjustment Allen bolt. If you have a Beta 38 you may well know what I mean by this. If the belt is on the loose side it can touch the adjustment bolt momentarily when the engine accelerates up, or at least it appears to on my engine.
Anyway I’ve replaced the belt but I’m starting to wonder if the previous owner had bought the correct size spares. A used one he left has the same ‘tell tale’ wear line.
Beta part number is 214-02614 but predictably they don’t state the actual belt length! Can anyone tell me the length of the genuine Beta belt so I can confirm I’m using the correct size? It should be printed on the outside edge.
If I am indeed using the correct size belt, I’m considering replacing the current Allen bolt with a regular hex bolt which my measurements indicate will provide much better clearance. Again, has anyone thought about doing this?
My Beta B38 (or rather BV1505) is rather old and uses a single 70A Alt but I get no rubbing issues from contact with anything. Have you looked at pully alignment? Each pully centre should be in line with each other otherwise the belt can ride up a pully or make contact with something. I used to have a problem with the belt getting worn too quickly and even breaking but shimming the pulley inline with the water pump and crank pulley solved that issue.
as above 1295mm should be fine.
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13 minutes ago, Midnight said:
At least you are in God's own country I'm sure you will enjoy the L&L plenty of nice places to moor up. Hopefully we will be travelling that way in June. Fingers crossed, rain dance done, prayers said. 🙏
Yes indeed I am looking forward to the L&L over the Pennines. We have been on the L&L before but only the Wigan to Liverpool end.
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Just now, Midnight said:
You say it's better now but you also say you managed the Cheshire Ring. It may be better now in some aspects, but the constant stream of stoppages seem to take longer to fix and make planning a huge gamble. I hope you manage to escape from Yorkshire it's not that easy at the moment and no doubt you will encounter further problems as you try.
As well as the 1970s trip round the Cheshire ring we did so again last year and although we did hit a stoppage at Marple for 3 days the journey around the ring was much easier than in 1975 no question.
The system as a whole (and a much larger one than in the 1970s) is much better now than it was in my view for sure. However, as a whole that is true in parts it is a different story. The Manchester side of the Rochdale to the summit is terrible we had to call CRT twice for assistance with two separate issues, previously we have never called CRT or BW for any help in all our years boating.
As you say escaping Yorkshire is challenging presently with a hugely restricted Huddersfield (one boat per direction per day) all booked up until June. L&L closed at Lock 31 until 17th May earliest and the Rochdale flight closed between lock 65 and 81 due to lock 72 having a blown cill I can't even turn round and go back. Not that I am going to I'd rather wait until the L&L is open.
Still, we have been enjoying the easy travel that push button lock operation can do for you on the A&C just now. C&H was nice too but heavy going at some locks.
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On 15/04/2022 at 11:58, Rambling Boater said:
I first started boating in the early 80s. To those who still remember boating in the 70s and 80s and have current experience has the infrastructure really got worse overall? I'm not so sure.
An interesting question.
In my view for the most part the canal system as a whole is much better these days than in the 1970s, some weren't even open then that we enjoy today.
We went round the Cheshire ring when it was first possible in the mid 1970s for instance. The Macclesfield was OK but shallow and still rural of course. The Ashton much worse than now. The only part of the Rochdale open then was the Rochdale 9 section and you had to pay a toll as it was still in private ownership. The condition of the 9 was horrendous, no over flowing locks but little water with whole cars in the cut ( I kid you not) and traversing the 9 took a long day. The 9 today is much better and the facilities at Castlefield very good.
However, Having just recently traversed The whole of the Rochdale I was very much reminded of the 1970s style of canal passage with large amounts of rubbish poorly maintained locks and very low water in many places. It was a bad journey and unlike the 1970s when I had youthful enthusiasm and energy on my side it was all very wearing on physical and mental health. Still, We have been enjoying the C&H and A&C canals and will be in Leeds Tomorrow.
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3 minutes ago, PaulJ said:
@David Mack I was talking to one of the CRT chaps who work the East stretch earlier and asked him about the reservoirs. He said it wasnt because they are running out of water at the moment-just that they are having to make what they have last.
@IanD Ran into the 60fter earlier and they are no longer going to attempt the C&H as (a) have been advised not to do the Broad locks and (b) dont fancy getting stranded on the Rochdale if they did make it that far..
We have just gone through the Sowerby locks and our friends boat at 58ft was a tight fit in the first lock and leaking top gates dropped a lot of water across their cruiser deck and into the bilge overcoming the drains with no way to manoeuvre out of the way. Still, all good now and after the first couple we have been able to fit in the locks together so far.
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6 hours ago, IanD said:
So if the reason isn't an *actual* shortage of water -- because let's face it, the number of boats going through Standedge (was only ever 9 per week each way) could never have used much water compared to the size of a reservoir -- what is it?
Lack of staff to accompany boats through?
CART not wanting to pay for staff? (or are they all volunteers now?)
CART just not wanting the pay the cost of the water, since they sold off the reservoirs some time ago?
Or is there a real water shortage in one particular reservoir that supplies the summit (Diggle? -- and it's pretty small. Slaithwaite is the biggest by far but also too low down to supply the summit. Sparth is tiny and too low), even though the whole group (Sparth, Slaithwaite and Diggle) is at 77%?
Maybe some people are blaming CART unfairly when in fact they haven't got much choice... 😉
They may not have much choice but we all know the running of a waterway is mainly about water management.
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7 hours ago, The Happy Nomad said:
I wonder how long it will be before they just close it and let it decay so far that it wont be viable to re-open. Along with all the other Northern system? Plough all remaining resources into the Midlands and the South.
Like 'levelling up' but in reverse.
Things seem to be deteriorating massively since we left in 2015.
It is such a shame if that happens. Rochdale troubles aside the network in the north has some great canals. We are presently enjoying the C&H and onwards to A&C and Leeds.
The loss of the Huddersfield would be a harsh blow to many especially those that fought so hard to get it open again. We would have gone that route this trip but could not get a booking for two boats to pass through Standedge and the Closure on the L&L made it not possible to go that way so Rochdale was the last resort for us. But we shall take our time getting to lock 31 on the L&L in hope that it will open on 17th May or thereabouts.
The Rochdale is now is cut in half now with a blown cill structure to be repaired at lock 72 so the flight between locks 65 and 81 are closed. CRT say it will be a week before they can advise any further updates on repairs.
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7 minutes ago, PaulJ said:
Yep thanks for that-hadnt realised that until your post👍Though to be fair if I actually had have read the email it did say as much.
Bit I was referring to was that, presuming they implement it, no one is going between Lock 24W and 32E as well without a booking. Going to be very quiet there..
Yes indeed I should think there will be more boats on the Montgomery than the Huddersfield Narrow and that is pretty restricted.
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1 hour ago, PaulJ said:
Dont know if you see the notice CRT put out a few days ago but from May 9th looks like you have no chance of getting anywhere near either without a booking first!
CRT have removed Standedge from the online booking system and you can only book if you phone. They are also letting just one boat a day through and when we asked there were no booking slots available until June.
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2 hours ago, IanD said:
Not at all what I was saying!!!
As I credited you with saying, your post -- as well as justifiably being p*ssed-off about the bad things with the Rochdale -- did also credit the good things.
But as in so many aspects of life people are more likely to post -- and read -- bad experiences than good ones, we regularly see people claiming that some part of the canal network is a "no-go" area because something bad happened to them, and then other people saying that it's nothing of the sort.
I've talked to people who have been on the "no-go" areas of canals (and the Rochdale) and some -- often a few -- have had problems, but a lot -- often many more -- have not. Maybe the Rochdale right now is worse than normal, but still there was one report further up of a recent transit without problems.
What I'm saying is that reported problems -- especially on forums -- don't always represent the reality of something like this, and people -- especially newcomers -- should maybe not be quite so worried about such reports as they sometimes are... 😉
CRT are reporting a structural failure (don't know what kind) at lock 72 on Rochdale and have closed the flight between 65 and 81 until further notice.
Crossing Manchester we did not have issues with local youths but everyone we spoke to on the way to lock 65 said don't stop "here" including our CRT hero Billy. The issues we had were all to do with the canal being in a poor state, lack of water and laden with rubbish. Mind you with the amount removed after being round my prop it may be more passable now!
In all my posts above I have not even hinted at any advice for others not to try the Rochdale but I can only say by my own experience how good or bad it has been for us. We are all feeling drained and have needed a couple of days R&R at Todmorden and Sowerby Bridge. I am hoping for better things from the C&H then onto the A&C to Leeds it is the part of the journey to Leeds that I have been most looking forward to. I shall enjoy the L&L as well and look forward to stopping at places like Saltaire and Skipton.
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6 minutes ago, David Mack said:
But nevertheless, the perception that this is a bookable location does I think serve to discourage the less organised boaters. The same as the need to book passage over the Summit and through the Manchester 18 did before these were opened to all comers without notice.
I agree it takes some planning with these places that need to be booked and that may put some off. Mind you having to book a passage across the Bridgewater now does not seem to stop the movement of CRT boats.
In the light of this trip up the Rochdale I would have rather had to book assisted passage I think and as it turned out we almost had that anyway with the two calls we had to make to CRT.
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37 minutes ago, IanD said:
Maybe, but (at least at Tuel Lane) this is also another self-reinforcing problem -- few boats (except at weekends when the hire fleet moves and the lock is manned all day) means the lock-keepers only attend when requested/needed.
Standedge is more of a problem with the way transits are run (all attended and 45mins between boats IIRC, which means 3 each way per day) and even more so if there aren't enough qualified people to accompany boats through which I believe is now a problem too 😞
This might have helped temporarily in 2019 but it doesn't help with the longer-term problem of people being put off because these canals are "difficult" -- I think "hard work but very rewarding" is a more accurate description... 🙂
You could even say that the famous British traits of liking a good old moan but not saying much when things go well is also a factor, especially online... 😉
They are only allowing one boat movement a day just now and not every day at that due to water shortages. We phoned them today.
There are no bookings available until June presently.
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1 hour ago, IanD said:
I suspect the biggest problem for the canals like the Rochdale and HNC -- and to a lesser extent the L&L -- is lack of boat traffic (and cheapskate restoration?) compared to the more popular canals, IIRC the Rochdale and HNC average about 1 boat movement per day (according to CART lock use records) and the L&L maybe 3, compared to more than 20 on the most popular routes. Which not only means fewer boats to clear out crap and report problems, but also more chance for water levels to drop, and fewer complaints if there's any problem which means they're well down on CART's priority list when it comes to fixing them.
The trouble is that this is then a self-reinforcing problem; more people run into trouble (and tell people how bad it is on CWDF and other online forums...) which then puts people off from using them, so the numbers drop further, which makes the problems even worse... 😞
Canals like the Rochdale and HNC are undoubtedly harder work than many (duh -- they cross the Pennines...) and (like many other canals) have some grotty bits, but they also have a lot of absolutely splendid sections and go through some great places -- as does the L&L, though this is more popular. It would be a shame to see the Northern canals continue spiralling into decline as the number of boats using them drops -- so it may be a radical idea, but maybe encouraging more people to use them is a better option than putting them off? 😉
(having said that, churchward's post *does* also mention the good sides of them, and even gives a positive view of CART -- or at least, of Billy! -- unlike many...)
I suspect that as in most forums people -- even if there are only a few of them -- who have had terrible experiences post about them because they're justifiably annoyed, and people who have had good ones -- even if there are a lot of them -- don't post so much (if at all) because they're happy... 😉
I think for canals like the Rochdale and Huddersfield it is a bit of a self fulfilling prophecy or vicious circle. They are poorly maintained so few boats go there and because few boats go there they are poorly maintained or rather receive less funding to maintain them.
There is at least for the Rochdale the level of contempt the locals through Manchester (or at least enough of them) show for the Canal resource and CRT is fighting a loosing battle against vandalism and rubbish tipping.
I do not think just falsely advertising the state of the canal and trying to get more boats through that way will help. Some will fair better than others for sure but the truth will out, it's not just a few with bad experiences and it always looks rosier when you have not had the bad experience oneself.
45 minutes ago, David Mack said:Perhaps not helped by the need to book passage at Tuel Lane and Standedge, rather than the turn-up-and-go that operates elsewhere.
The lock booking is only for the mid week days when there is not the resident Locky and /or volunteer on Friday through Monday. Those days do not require booking.
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1 minute ago, IanD said:
...and the many L&L swing bridges, some well-nigh immovable... 😞
Indeed! I do not expect boating to be easy anywhere and regard some prop fouling as an occupational hazard normally. All part of the challenge but we all have our limits where it stops being fun.
Where it is just hard work one can pace oneself and stop for the day sooner for a rest if necessary but the Rochdale for us has been more than just hard work not least because you have the added issue of needing to put some distance from certain places.
The upside has been the scenery and places the Yorkshire side of the Summit but even there not trouble free. Also it has to be said that CRT have been very good in assisting us when we have needed to call them. The chap who came out to help get rid of the mattress was superb (named Billy) getting into his dry suit and cutting away the mattress from under the boat. His dry suit leaked too and as part of the note I sent to CRT in his praise I requested they buy him a new one which to be fair they said they would. I hope they do as promised.
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27 minutes ago, dmr said:
It is usually much easier going down the Rochdale into Manchester than coming up because you take the water with you, and if there is an empty pound you can fill it without creating too much trouble for yourself.
I agree it is easier that way normally but it was so bad coming up we grounded in a much longer pound too at/near Failsworth and could not get off the boats so had to call CRT and it took much more than a single locks worth to get us free. Then there is just such a lot of rubbish as I mentioned 12 times down the weed hatch ( I don't mean just a nuisance but enough to lock drive and stall the engine)including a 3 hour wrestle with a mattress and springs and 12 hours to do 4 miles. We even have had trouble on the Yorkshire side of the summit with low water and fallen trees.
It was like going back to the 1970s on the canal but without the youthful enthusiasm and strength!
I'd rather moor somewhere pleasant and wait for the L&L lock 31.
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10 hours ago, Midnight said:
58ft on the Calder will be fine but you have only one option to escape from Yorkshire. That'll be Goole > River Ouse > River Trent - not for the faint hearted though.
Yes indeed we don't fancy that much but but neither do we fancy going back down the Rochdale with water shortages, grounding, many visits down the weed hatch (12 in one day) and calling CRT twice, once for a mattress round the prop that was only released by CRT getting in the water in a dry suit and cutting it off after 3 hours. Fortunately we do not have to be anywhere so can wait for lock 31 on the L&L to be finished.
All routes out if Yorkshire closed ...again
in Stoppages
Posted
It is not quite all routes are open or at least fully open the Huddersfield is still heavily restricted for passage through Standedge etc. to1 boat in each direction per day (not all days per week) with most slots booked for the next 2 months it is almost closed. It certainly makes it virtually impossible to travel two boats in company.
see here for latest news from CRT sent today.
Due to the restrictions that we have had to put in place to conserve water on the Huddersfield Narrow Canal. We have had to reduce the numbers of slots for passage that we have had in previous years, through the tunnel in order to conserve the water in the network this year. We currently have 1 slot for a Monday (Diggle to Marsden), 2 slots on a Wednesday (1 in either direction only) and 1 slot for a Friday (Marsden to Diggle).
Having 4 passages per week, weeks are becoming booked up very quickly.
We currently have no more availability for June or July but August, September and October we have slot available to book.
Please call the 03030 404040 to book available slots and to discuss with the team.