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benfordboy

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benfordboy last won the day on July 3 2011

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  • Boat Name
    Guinevere
  • Boat Location
    Syston

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  1. One conversation that sticks with me was while eating at the Unicorn at Gunthorpe (Obviously our talk was more interesting than that at the next table!); "Well at least we can keep an eye on the boat dear from this table" "Oh - Is your boat that lovely big one (A Princess 32)" "Err, no - can you see the little one behind it ?" "Oh". Followed later by...... "Its getting chilly now love - may be a bit cold tonight aboard" "You'll put your heating on surely?" "Err, no we dont have any......." "Ahh, well easy to fit & run off your boiler on a small boat though?" "Err , no we dont have a boiler" "Well cant you run heating off your engine - thats what some people do isn't it?" "No - We have an outboard!" "Oh my goodness how do you manage !!!!!!!"
  2. Hmmm Just my opinion (Probably worthless......) Having met many rowers on the Soar at Kegworth/Zouch plus really serious rowers on the Thames nr Oxford, we have always made room whenever possible. Sometimes you meet them on a blind bend & that makes it difficult but if I was traveling backwards at a high rate of knots with the missus shouting instructions through a megaphone hopefully someone would move out f my way :-) Seen plenty of angry narrowboaters at Trent lock on windy days when a dingy has tracked in front of them - not the end of the world for us as our reverse is quite adequate to stop in time. Water is for all for me so no problem!
  3. Its scary isnt it - We were on the Rochdale coming up to the summit a few yrs back & the corner of the boat got caught in the gap between the stonework (Where the pointing had gone). We were roped correctly & against the side wall, due to the lack of topgate access we had already opened one set of paddles the other side so SWMBO was wrongsided to quickly close........ As she ran around the boat was listing heavily from the rear corner, a few more seconds & I think we would have had water in through the outboard well - Full throttle & it popped out luckily from the wall with a resounding splosh. Once again a reminder that you never stop learning - It certainly was a clenching moment ! Glad nobody hurt in your incident.
  4. Sounds about right - We did similar from Leicester via Keadby,Stanforth, SSYN, Aire & Clader , Calder & Hebble, Rochdale (Not allowed thru Standedge), Ashton, Peak forest, Macc,T&M then Soar to home.... 16 Days - It was probably the biggest challange I will ever do !!!! Sounds much more enjoyable at 3hrs a day ! Edited - Missed out the Macc !
  5. Thinking of when we last did this trip.......... (In a Norman 22 aptly!) Left Torksey sometime in the morning on the ebb,,,, Arrived at Keadby around 12.00 to 13.00 (IIRC) made the trip up the S&K and stopped somewhere near the new junction canal (maybe) Arrived at Castleford around 4pm next day (not a early start if I remember) - We traversed from Ferrybridge under heavy flow arriving Castleford under red conditions!!!! (So not the fastest trip upstream!) That was a 2 day trip that CanalPlan lists as 3 days.....We didnt see hardly any traffic however !
  6. Looks like its available in Sept this yr http://www.amazon.co.uk/Flower-Gloster-DVD-Richard-OCallaghan/dp/B00WQT47M0/ref=sr_1_1?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1431377817&sr=1-1&keywords=flower+of+gloster
  7. Not sure on the exact destinations, but recall being on the Rochdale a couple of years ago, we had gone well past Todmorden & looking for a mooring as it was dark - Suddenly a steam train went past very close in full steam - It was like we had gone back in time as we had seen no boats since Hebden Bridge. Seem to recall at Littleborough station the following day that this was a fairly regular steam service.
  8. The Trent lockies will advise you as beat they can - But every boat / skipper is different ! We have left Cromwell & arrived very early in Dads NB (And we didnt run aground like some :-) !) at Torksey - No problems, just wait for the tide to rise to enter (Seen others moan that they have had to wait!!!) Have left Torksey earlier than told in the cruiser & arrived perfect to lock into Keadby (Later may have been a problem as tide was ebbing fast) but we were on tickover following a nb so we could pen up together. The lockies can only estimate your transit time - some will be faster & arrive before there is enough water to get over the cill, others will be late ! If you are unsure dont blame the lockies , they will advise as best they can.
  9. Dean Its been 3 odd yrs since we did the Rochdale on part of our ridiculous 2 week cruise down the Trent from Leicester , Aire & Calder, Calder & Hebble then back over the Rochdale, Ashton, Peak.Macc & T&M. We had some early worries about the Manchester end of the Rochdale on advice from others...... We had the most amazing trip (But tiring!) Thinking of your end of the Rochdale.... We had traversed from the summit with a retired couple in a NB, 1) Close to you - We couldn't moor at the Rose as the moorings had collapsed - Having booked the passage down for the next day we moored above the lock by the Lift Bridge (Grimshaw lane?). Right next to the houses - Plenty of teenagers partaking in special cigarettes ! But all extremely friendly even tho we had moored in their usual fishing swim! Bit too near to home & not as good as your home mooring! 2) Moving up past the Rose it didnt seem too bad - We met a lad who frequently left his hostel in Manchester & camped along the towpath as he enjoyed the peace & quiet. 3)Hopwood ? This seemed fairly quiet - I recall getting petrol from a canalside station. Would have stopped here if we were not on such a mission ! Not sure how far you want to go from home as dont know the local transport network. We didnt even find Rochdale that bad (The drunks were friendly at the locks @ 8am! - Even offered to marry my Wife !) Not an option tho for mooring for us! Have to say one of the best places we overnighted was the visitor moorings at Islington Marina (But you know that !!!) In essence - Rochdale Canal - Hard work , stunning scenery & a undeserved bad reputation in our view !
  10. Just seen the advert for it !!!
  11. You will come into contact with a lot of GRP craft on rivers. On smaller rivers like the Soar (in fact most apart from the Thames!), etiquette can be different if you haven't encountered many GRP craft - Steel in first , GRP out first - Let them past if they come up behind as most of us will wait at the next lock for you & indeed have it ready for you to sail straight into !!
  12. So Sorry Tim - Maybe the bottle of wine that made me post Leech not Lewis !! (Cant really blame the spell check I guess !) Top photo still !!! Dad has a great Underground poster that went with the event.
  13. Already Done ! - Dads NB Marah whilst under original ownership of Graham Capelin - Photo courtesy of Tim Leech.
  14. Wow ! I can live with it on my boat - But in the house (1900's build) we have 10ft ceilings - In yours I'd probably end up with a spine like Richard III ! On that note - It was the end of all the history for local Leics Boaters as we thought his bones were thrown into the Soar ! How wrong we were !
  15. I guess you can live with it ! I'm 6'6" & own a GRP cruiser !! No chance of standing upright in her, although its better than some where my head almost hits the ceiling when sitting!! Dads Springer is better but still not the best, even a friends Nb is a struggle but I can almost stand straight ! However - Even when on a fortnight out, I can manage - The bow beds are fine, although it can be entertaining getting out early doors without disturbing the OH. Cooking is fine , just a stoop!, Once sitting all is ok. I would say I would rather bend & stoop a little aboard than be stuck in the house with all the headroom I could wish for !!!!
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