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calara

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Everything posted by calara

  1. We've done all of those - albeit on a barge not a narrow boat. All short sea passages are very weather dependent. We've crossed The Wash when it's been so calm we might have been on a canal, and other times when we've been holding on for dear life! My advice would be to look at least 3 x different weather prediction services - preferably with some sort of wave height prediction (0.3 m is plenty for a narrow boat) - and if all of them agree that it's OK to go, then it probably is. You, as skipper, are responsible for your crafts safety, so it's your call. You can take advice from the pilot, which will most likely be sensible, but it's ultimately your decision. Some friends of ours got caught in 1m swell last summer with a pilot on board - not much fun, and not much left standing inside. Of those 5 passages I would say that, all given good weather, the most challenging is the Severn. There's one section where you need to head across from one side of the estuary to the other with a huge tide taking you sideways. The pilots know where to go, and if you have a good recent chart (you'd better have) and GPS tracking it's fairly straightforward, you'll still post some impressive speeds though. Not for the novice without a pilot. Next comes The Wash - there are more than a few things that can go wrong there - again a good chart, up to date buoyage info from the ports you are using, and good GPS tracking are the very minimum you'll need. If going up the Great Ouse I'd suggest stopping on the pontoons at Kings Lynn - hang the expense. It's an interesting town, and you get to go under the low bridges at a time you choose, rather than near the top of the tide. Once in the other rivers it's reasonably easy going. The Thames in London is a pain because of the number of high speed craft making huge washes. We've been along the Maas in Rotterdam and the Thames is worse for wash. The banks are all solid so it all just reflects back into the river making for very confused water. Best plan is to try and find an early tide on a Sunday and book Limehouse out of hours so you can catch it. Once upstream of Chelsea it's not such a problem, and makes for a nice trip. The Trent upstream of Keadby requires good chart reading skills - but is probably the easiest passage of those listed. Spring tides can run fairly fast, but the smallest neaps are barely noticeable. There are a couple of places you need to be careful - but these are clearly marked on the chart. Don't miss the pies in the pub at Torksey. All of the above is my personal opinion, others will probably have had different experiences.
  2. In the first one the hire boat company have forced me into the piles. Because their fleet only ever goes downhill from here the pound is off by 0.6M and I'm on the bottom of the canal. There's tons of room on their wharf - they don't have to behave like this. (We also did plenty of training for them as they don't seem to show their customers what to do - not sure what's happened as these used to be a reputable hire company) In the second one there's a narrow boat moored opposite an overhanging tree with substantial branches concealed within (you can't see these on the video) which are about to gouge their way through my wheelhouse. The lady on the narrow boat didn't understand what was wrong. This would be poor form on a narrow canal - bloody stupid and dangerous on a wide one.
  3. It's more where they tend to moor opposite the many overgrown trees leaving maybe 1.5M channel if you're lucky. They don't have to do this - it's just plain rude and stupid - and to be honest I don't have any issues knocking them out of the way. Used to do the same when we encountered moronic behaviour when we were driving narrow boats in the 80's and 90's but it's got much worse as the canal has deteriorated. Also had big issues at Wyvern Shipping with the entire hire fleet moored right across the canal where the same hire fleet was responsible for the pound being about 1M down. Be careful with some of the trees - there was one on Tring summit that was like a spear sticking out well over half of the canal. Someone is going to get killed on one of these one day. Ah - didn't realise you were starting from Evesham. We were there last winter - now in Tewkesbury. The bridge here can be 'interesting' as well. Wide boats have every right to be on the GU given that it's a wide canal. We have to pay more for less of the system and expect the channel to be kept clear for us. There are plenty of narrow canals you will find you have exclusive use of.
  4. We took our (allegedly) replica barge up to Braunston in 2018 and have since crossed the K&A to Bristol and beyond. We are 2M @ 3.25M with the wheelhouse down (6'7" x 10'8") and would say that the GU was more of a struggle than expected. The condition of the canal below Stoke Bruene is very poor and overgrown. There are many narrow boats who don't allow for the fact that they are on a broad canal - I had to knock a couple of them out of the way rather than drive through trees - not an option for you with a cruiser. As others have said the arch bridges are a major pain - many having reinforcing underneath or 'falling off' gunnite. We managed quite a few lengths with the wheelhouse up (2.56M) but every bridge was a challenge. Of the two tunnels, you should be OK through Blisworth (take an umbrella!) but Brausnton will be more difficult as it has a much smaller bore and the profile moves all over the place - you need to keep the revs on to keep steerage, which of course will then cause more damage if you loose concentration on the way. The other thing you'll encounter is much snobbery from the narrow boat brigade who feel they have a right of way - it wasn't much fun. I've been boating around that area for a long time so know the canal well from Braunston onwards. The Blue Lias bridge is very low - but if you time your run to coincide with the hire boat fleet arriving from Warwick, you'll find the pound will run off enough for you to get through. There are a couple of other lowish bridges near the Avon aqueduct where you can't wait for low water though as you're on a sump pound. Don't even think about Hatton!! In comparison the Kennet and Avon was a dream. There are a few low bridges on the Avon as well that may well be an issue. We have never attempted Bideford, but the profile doesn't look good there. Also Eckington, although it has plenty of headroom in the middle, is set on an awkward angle and the flow of the river takes you sideways (similar to High Bridge at Reading). Anyway - good luck if you attempt it. If it were me I'd go through Bristol and up the estuary - easier run and generally better waterways.
  5. Please to report that the few basic timelapse videos I uploaded a couple of years ago of our barge on the Medway and Thames have still only got a few hundred views - and I think most of them are me ?
  6. Two different things:- Stoke Bardolph is on a large(ish) river, and dropping the silt on top of a weir essentially stirs it up into the water - which is then carried away by the current. Silt that drops out of solution will be spread over a large area and have a minimal effect on depth. This method has been used on larger rivers for centuries with reasonably good results. Throwing silt into the centre channel of a canal is just plain stupid and needs reporting.
  7. We brought our barge across last year. We are 2.55m (8' 5" ish) with the wheelhouse up. We took it down for High Bridge in Reading and Newbury Bridge - both of which were high enough but awkward with the river. We were close in several other places - at Marsh Farm I doubt we'd have got a rizzla between the bridge and the roof, and a few at Devizes needed the pounds dropping a bit. I'd say at 9' you'd have no chance unless you can get your boat down a bit.
  8. Last time we went down, in 2014, was my first time not in a narrow boat. I found them really hard work after a long day in the p*ssing rain. The main issue when you need both gates open is the lack of walkways across the bottom gates. Took to using a shaft to push the offside top gates open, but they wouldn't stay open for long on account of the water coming down the flight, and the usual BW fine balancing, so by the time I'd gone back for the boat they'd have closed again.. It was a real slog. In spite of the floods of water the bottom pound was virtually empty (where was it all going), and the paddle holes on the bottom lock were so jammed full of rubbish that we had to resort to jerking the top gates open with the barge and quickly jamming a bit of wood in the gap. For an organisation so obsessed with H&S that they spend about half of their budget on it, the flight was a disgrace.
  9. Ah yes - there's a tiny wharf just below - I forgot about that. I wonder if you'd be able to ride out a tide there? As long as you don't have a keel - I don't think I ever had a look at low water. I also got to go in the cabin and watch the trip boat come through - 5 years ago now. The lock keeper really knew his stuff - when to open the gates and when not to. Last time through in 2018 there was a new guy who wasn't so confident (and didn't much like it when I baled because I didn't like the look of the weather - rightly as it turned out). It's not rocket science, but you do have to understand what's happening.
  10. Hmmn - so how would he get off to operate the lock? Presumably we are talking about Daryl - is there no-one else piloting right across now? If the only weather window for weeks meant that I had to arrive in Boston out of hours (pilot or no pilot) I'd still wait at Black Sluis until waterways get the lock open (like they're supposed to) - assuming it's still there.
  11. To get back to the original question - logistics and timings for crossing the Wash.... There are good (but not really flood safe) moorings at Peterborough. This is probably the best place to wait for a weather window, although the Nene Cruising Club just upstream has always had good reviews. There is a mooring at Dog in a Doublet, but it's a bit of a desolate place. If the pub's still open it might be an option. When you're reasonably sure of a route across make you way down to Wisbech on the best tide the day before you go. They'll charge you a bit (hence not to stay for long), but they are helpful and friendly. If you take a pilot they will know to meet you there. You have to wait out 1 tide on the crossing, so you won't get to Boston for 12 hours. CRT are being twats about opening the lock at Boston (obviously a manager who doesn't understand tides and doesn't want to pay overtime!), and there's nowhere to stop below it - so hopefully the tide timings will be favourable for you. There used to be a floating pontoon at Black Sluice that no-one ever used and has a big no mooring sign on it - I'd just stop on that if it's still there and I arrived out of hours and argue with anyone who challenges you. From Boston no more that two days to Lincoln (there's not a great deal to see, but some of the towns are OK), and another half day to Torksey. We always drop down the lock at Torksey as soon as we can and wait for the tide below - there's a cracking pub there - the visitor mooring above is miles up the Fossdyke. You'll need to wait for a tide up the Trent to Cromwell (nothing too serious) - one day should get you to at least Newark. After that one good day (or two easy ones) to Nottingham, and another day to Sawley from there. Of course you can go slower if you see somewhere you like the look of. We've previously had our barge in both Mercia and Sawley. Mercia is nicer, but there are a few low bridges on the canal which makes access awkward - plus there are narrow boats everywhere on that stretch, and not much room or experience! Don't bother going any further west than Willington - as mentioned Horninglow is your westerly limit - but if you want to go to Burton there's a reasonably good bus service! We thought Sawley was OK - the flooding has been reduced by the goods yard on the road opposite building a higher flood bank, but big floods will still be an issue. The noise from the M1 is dependant on the wind - if it's in the wrong direction you can hear it - but this is a problem in ALL E Mids marinas - except maybe Shardlow & Beeston. Shardlow were only taking narrow boats and cruisers when we asked as they said that bigger boats were too heavy for their pontoons (questionable IMO, but they're their pontoons). You have a better cruising range from Sawley - the Soar is lovely but it's a bit like the Nene and the Avon - large town at the top of a small river that goes into flood as soon as it rains. Hope you have a good trip.
  12. Sorry - yes Outwell was the one I looked at. Won't be attempting it again though if we ever head back that way - but would definitely have a month or two on the Gt Ouse.
  13. We attempted Salters Lode and failed badly at 3.5m. I contacted the ML to enquire as to the width and they said that they didn't actually know, but to try it and see (good old UK Navigation Authority!). We would have fitted into the chamber OK but they have nailed a load of huge lorry tyres to the downstream fender - probably to stop narrowboats crashing into it. These tyres made the angle too tight for us - so we were jammed into the mouth of the lock on a falling tide - excellent stuff. Managed to reverse out after a bit of stress, and then went around The Wash - which IMO is a lot less stressful (as long as the weathers right). I had a look at the corner at Upwell and thought it would be tight but wouldn't cause us a problem - however there are some very low bridges which might have done. Maybe explore the ML from Peterborough by all means - but be prepared for a bit of reversing, and don't attempt Salters Lode unless they've moved those tyres.
  14. We are 3.5m and sailed through St Ives. I think the the 3.35 is old info - the EA have adjusted the dog leg now and it's slightly wider - but it will still depend on length (we are 17m). We went as far as Hemingford Grey - the last lock was very tight and I don't think 3.56 would get through. Still plenty of the fens system to explore through - including some very small waterways - Burwell, Wicken, Little Ouse, etc. Even the FRC is interesting for a day or so.
  15. The Great Ouse is nice as well. It gets progressively narrower the further upstream you go - but you should be able to get to St Ives easily enough. Some beautiful countryside, interesting towns and villages - and it's still EA so if you're already registered there should be no issues. Get a pilot for The Wash if you haven't been across before - and never go out in any wind with a north in it!
  16. Don't suppose there's a thermostat anywhere set to zero degrees - we had that - it took a while to realise. Good luck Rod
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