RichardN

I don't know who the bouncer outside Kennet was but he was doing a fine job when I pushed my bike through. Congratulations are due.

We passed through yesterday, sadly had guests on board and no time to stop but did break out the flags and all dogs came out to inspect the show. I have to say it looked a fine thing to stage, Lots of people working hard giving the canal a good show. Canoeists though were, hmm let's say interesting to get past.

I don't think Sid does email which is such a shame! Must save a copy for him If he is still about in 2017

If you get near Limehouse then pop into the office and get a telephone number for Sid - really good diesel mechanic.

? not sure who that was aimed at ? Of course not but no point in restating what others have already said about needing an anchor and vhf, the link I gave is virtually the same as Leo No. 2 and has loads of advice about needing an anchor and vhf, No one had mentioned the current issues at Limehouse so that was the bit that needing mentioning as depending on your boat and which tide you catch it *may* not be possible to do Teddington - Limehouse on one tide.

Oh I like that idea. Checking the oil level is a nightmare, I only mange it by rolling the dip stick on a glove but since been told put a bit of chalk on the dip stick. Our PRM 150 just went as we were coming into a lock, I think we are circa 3500 hours, engine only run when we are moving. Our engine had been given a good going over by Isuzu engine guru Neil Coventry last Autumn, there were a few things that needed sorting but the gear box was fine, he was very surprised to hear that it had gone. Replaced with a refurb very smoothly by RCR / Bronte Boats. Sounds like clutches had gone but also there was a sliver of metal caught somewhere but not had the full story.

Too true, in somewhere like London £25 a night is a bargain compared to the cost of renting a flat.

We have an enclosed cruiser stern which the dogs love and so do we as it makes our life so much easier Worth thinking through how your boat is setup as locking them inside is a bit harsh but sometimes is essential. Including guests I think we are up to having had 43 different greyhounds on board and a collection of other breeds. We have had a few accidental splashes eg when a rug has moved just as a dog with a dodgy knee jumped off but off hand I can only think of one dog that has fallen in and he has managed it twice. So it happens but for us it is a rare experience, thank fully as reaching down and lifting out 30+kg of greyhound is not easy. ymmv. We only make them wear life jackets when we are on tidal waters. That said dogs we are nervous of get put in a harness or a life jacket mainly as it is easier to get them out using the convenient handle. We have taught all our dogs to swim to the great amusement of anyone walking past. Easiest way is to moor on a nice big river next to a bit with a sloping bank and then walk out with them as far as you can and then let them go. Some get it straight away and are naturals, others need 3 or 4 dips before they relax and get used to paddling rather than trying to run on top of the water. Has to be very breed dependent - only 1 of our greyhounds enjoyed swimming. Each dog is different as to how much freedom you can give it and obviously also that depends on your temperament and how much training work you put in. The original boating greyhounds, Lou and Blue and also Lynx were off lead virtually all the time with no incident or worry. Current dogs are restricted for various reasons eg Ollie is very good but getting so old that his balance / stability is not what it was. At the moment we have two long stay guests who get a reasonable amount of freedom but I don't let on about all their adventures. So my advice is train your dog (I sometimes think that dog training classes are as much for the owner as the dog), teach them to swim. Consider how your boat is set up. Get a harness. Consider a life jacket depending on your setup and the dog. If you spend time on big rivers or tidal waters, then you must get a life jacket. Cuthounds story of two dogs getting sucked through a paddle is the stuff of nightmares. A couple of piccies from last weekend:

If you go for the Limehouse trip then talk to the Limehouse lock keepers well in advance - contact numbers are here. Opening hours may be restricted when you are coming down depending on whether they have fixed those downstream seals [1], timings may be tight, possibly too tight unless you have done it before and can come down at some speed. [1] I went into the lock when they were fixing the seals last time, it was a big job to do when they had a full closure so has to be so much harder to do a fix and trying to keep the lock working at times.

Our gearbox (PRM150D2) went a few weeks ago just as we were coming into Fall Ings lock, fortunately from the upstream side. RCR's own Engineers were tied up so they got in a guy from Hebden Bridge. Our gear box was replaced with a refurbished gear box fitted with no fuss. Talked to several people as to whether a refurbished gear box was wise, the verdict was that a refurbished unit would be fine though RCR would have fitted a new one with me just paying the price difference. Last time we called out RCR was some 10 years ago, getting to us took longer this time, but was pleased with what they did. Sounds like RCR will soon be moving into a permanent office which is not near a fireworks factory, I suspect that will be a good thing.

It is a big journey up - took us 7.5 hours from Piccadilly to the Rose of Lancaster though we did have to empty every lock which took time. I would have a chat with CRT, I am not sure how easy it is to take a widebeam up the Rochdale as it does look very tight in places plus obviously you need to get the M62 towpath moved but that is just below Castleton so later in your journey. Incidentally we moored safely just below the M62 and left a car there for a few days with no issue, Castleton looks rough, the area feels skint but the people we talked to were fine. I am not so sure about water points: I did not see any by the Rose of Lancaster though I guess the pub may allow you to use the dog bowl tap but you will need to have your filler in line with the stairs unless you have a super long hose. Can't recall seeing any water points at Smithy Bridge The CRT maps says there is a water point by Lock 54, to be precise it says "Slattock Lk Hse L8", not sure what that means. We saw a tap on the house wall off side with a hose attached to it but that tap is inside someone's garden so without being able to talk to someone we did not feel we could use it. I doubt if there would be any issue, from the Rose to Sowerby Bridge not only is the canal stunning but we liked the people. A local heard us talking in the lock below the Littleborough services, he lives in the house by that lock and said that we were welcome to use his tap.

Edit: Picture needs re-sizing

Rose of Lancaster and upwards felt completely safe to us with good rail connections. We had no trouble below there but there were shady deals going on in the shadows and the odd person we talked to were not right, I would not stop anywhere downstream of the Rose of Lancaster. Above there bits of Rochdale seem very deprived but the people we chatted to did not have derelict minds, they were decent folk, we moored there with no trouble and had no worries about leaving a car there for a few days. Talking to the Red Bull Office I got the impression that it is completely safe everywhere except below the Rose of Lancaster. I have to say it looks really tight for a widebeam, there are widebeams and all sorts at Hebden Bridge but they probably came up from the east. if you don't know anyone who has done it then I would suggest asking CRT for assistance as they still offer that service as far as the top of the Manchester flight (at least that is how far they went with a single hander we talked to the other day). Going further is really worthwhile apart from probably the train fare but you need to get the floating pontoon moved just below Rochdale. Thinking about it do go further, it is stunning

Dean: Idle curiosity but can you actually get up the Rochdale? For a narrowboat we thought it was stunning but for a broad canal even allowing for towpaths that can be moved it looks incredibly tight in places above and below the waterline. PS I must admit we avoided stopping in Islington Marina but we were told that Islington Marina is far calmer nowadays, is that true? If that development was to be completed it looks like it could be a great place to moor (in between boating)

Have a great time Lesley, crossing the wash, I am impressed!

We came up a few weeks ago from Manchester and had a wonderful cruise but must admit it got a lot lot lot better once we were past the Rose of Lancaster! Had no trouble but you could see all sorts of shady dealings going on, quite sad. Higher up you go through some areas which looked poor but the people we chatted to were a pleasure to talk to and their kids just loved pushing open the odd lock beam for us. For the last part to the summit we paired up with a very competent single hander and only had water issues where the locks only allow a single boat through. We were the first boats of the day to cross the summit, it was down a bit even then. As we came off the summit we saw a total of 9!!! boats coming up most of who intended to turn round on the summit. I wondered if the single boat requirement at lock 34 was what resulted in sending so much water down, only read about the leak in the other thread after so did not spot it. Effectively it means that you have to go slow on some of the paddles, well go slow on one paddle particularly near that fantastic gothic bridge as the bywashes are so small that they don't cope. I thought the Rochdale was fantastic, the last day on the Riochdale was really sad as the scenery is not quite as stunning and I knew that work pressures meant no boating for 3 weeks.

Thanks for the recommendation but Rats, still on the m25 so Littleborough will be just a bit too far.

Sadly not, the work thing has got in the way for 3 days so have not moved since Tuesday. We will probably drive up on Saturday and then try to get to the top of the Slattock flight so that we can take on water, then go to the pub (if it is dog friendly) I am liking the Rochdale but good to be past the less good bits.

If you happen to work your way down to Limehouse there is a great guy called Sid who works on the boats there - the marina office can give you his contact details.

That sounds like it will take out valuable pub time. Can I suggest just measuring the thickness and divide by 9, or 6 if it is compacted down.

Have a great 24 hours folks!

Went up from Piccadilly / Dale Street to the Rose of Lancaster on Monday so west to east. No issues with water but I am not sure if it was because there was a boat an hour or two ahead of us so we had to empty every lock first or because we must have had an inch of rain on Monday! I really enjoyed the journey but it takes a bit of effort, took us 7.5 hours so I would suggest stopping near Piccadilly Village rather than making the full journey to or from Castlefields. I have no idea how a widebeam could get up there, it looks too tight in places!

http://www.thamescruising.co.uk has all the hints we could think of. There is a section about the turn into LImehouse, treat it with respect but don't be too worried about it, most boats get in unscathed! Hammersmith Bridge - as Simon says aim for the middle, that means aim for the gap between "Hammersmith" and "Bridge". There is a photo here if that helps.

Great photos, I love the way that you get tugged across by the tide at Greenwich!

Probably not but London is stunning by night. The nasty is Albert Bridge, you get there and think wonderful I can see what is happening thanks to the 4000 light bulbs there. Get past it and you find that 4000 light bulbs have totally wrecked your night vision, where were those moored boats? Oh and the rafted up work boats don't have any lights so when you see a dark shape . . .