nigeyfk

Good Evening All Just to say that there is now a significant bywash immediately downstream of the entrance gate to this lock. EA has been constructing a channel for fish movement on the west side and it must have been opened a few days ago. Even when the river is placid (as it is at the moment) this is catching boaters out just at the critical moment of entering the lock. There are no warning signs at present and the lock keeper admitted yesterday that this was catching out most boaters. Safe boating all.

We made the crossing yesterday. As suggested the Douglas is relatively narrow at Tarleton and the first mile is pretty slow progress. I kept our Beta 43 between 2000 and 2100 rpm for this section, but most of the rest of the trip was a comfortable 1900. We had been delayed from previous day because of high winds (up to around 20mph on the BBC forecast). We reached Savick Brook within 2 hours. Needed to wait for water level to fall before cruising under road bridge. Some tight turns and some shallows but all negotiable. There were 8 boats crossing yesterday. Great support and help from Canal and River Trust staff and volunteer. Plenty of water in the Lancaster it seems (even more after yesterday’s torrential downpours!). Enjoy the trip!

Many thanks for your responses. I agree that the canal has many highlights and certainly deserves a visit. Wide vistas, peaceful moorings, and a good range of canal side pubs. May I also mention an excellent butcher and useful Coop at Misterton and the very friendly welcome we received from the Retford and Worksop Boat Club at Clayworth. Perfect moorings there for a royal wedding weekend!

Hi everyone. My first post but I wanted to pass on some very recent experiences on the Chesterfield. We have just spent a week on the Chesterfield having come off the tidal Trent. With the royal wedding intervening, and at a relaxed pace, we reached Charlie’s lock between Retford and Worksop. We started with good intentions and certainly intended to cruise to the end. Unfortunately the combination of warm sunny weather, a wonderfully open waterway and very little traffic movement has contributed to very extensive weed growth. Frankly we were defeated. We had never come across “blanket weed” but it is abundant and reaches out like tentacles to catch the unwary. When combined with tougher reed cuttings it creates a serious impediment! We passed two Canal Trust weed boats but they were silent and unused during our stay. I suspect that this is a problem associated with this time of year and I really don’t want to put anyone off making the journey. It’s a beautiful canal and is worthy of our wholesome support. It can be navigated safely and it has some special rewards. Just be prepared for a little extra effort and a more gentle pace.