The Trent claims another boat

[Alan de Enfield]

4 minutes ago, system 4-50 said:

Ok you clever tinkerers.  How about knocking up a simple pole, rather like a scaffolding pipe, that has a float mechanism and a means of sending a text message to your phone.  You hammer it in when you moor, note the current water level on your phone app, and it messages you when significant level changes begin.  Then you can panic and rush back to the boat. And it needs handles so you can extract it when you move off.  I suggest you call it a SmartPole.

I haven't got time to do it myself, I'm busy trying to run my engine remotely, and anyway I don't do rivers very much.

Or, alternatively just either :

 

1) Moor against a floating pontoon, or

2) Learn how to moor when water levels can change (in some places twice a day).

[system 4-50]

Just now, Alan de Enfield said:

Or, alternatively just either :

 

1) Moor against a floating pontoon, or

2) Learn how to moor when water levels can change (in some places twice a day).

This is unsatisfactory as a solution for obvious reasons:

1. It contains no batteries.

2. It doesn't involve an Iphone.

3. It doesn't give the opportunity to have a good panic in the pub.

[Momac]

39 minutes ago, Mrs Trackman said:

Err... there's a lot more to come yet. According to the E A site, the Trent is currently higher at shardlow than the peak last Thursday. 

And more rain forecast tonight. 

Yes but no need to panic.

[mrsmelly]

4 minutes ago, MartynG said:

Yes but no need to panic.

Precisely. The levels are nowt realy at the moment. I remember not many winters ago when I moored in Sawley marina and my mate moored on Sawley cut between the locks. He couldnt get off his boat at all as the towpath was well under water and he would have needed waders, it was too deep for wellies. We in the marina were encircled by the river which went right round the marina and closed the road. A poor lady in the marina was airlifted by helicopter to hospital as no ambulance could get in to the marina, hence the new access higher up being built.

[Boater Sam]

Many years ago as a callow youth we were on the Trent somewhere and it went into flood overnight.

We were not in a good place and some inexperienced crew members decided we should move even though we were tied up slack enough. There was no easy way we could now get to what we were tied to, a tree I think.

They cut the rope and we sailed off.

Within a few moments it was realised that we had no idea if we were over the channel or the bank or even a field!

Things got worse, trees were floating past.

We got to a bridge and I suggested that as we knew the channel was under the bridge, that we stopped here and waited for the level to fall.

We tied to the bridge somehow and waited it out with debris thumping the hull all night.

Next morning we were floating in the cut, there were boats scattered on the banks, in fields and even a cruiser up a tree.

Never been so happy to leave the river as that day.

[Mrs Trackman]

Agree about current levels compared with previous years. It's not that long ago that cranfleet flood gates were shut for months apart from a very brief opening of a few hours. There's a lot of boaters who won't be aware of this though I believe the poor boaters from the original post had been boating a good while. 

4 hours ago, Boater Sam said:

Many years ago as a callow youth we were on the Trent somewhere and it went into flood overnight.

We were not in a good place and some inexperienced crew members decided we should move even though we were tied up slack enough. There was no easy way we could now get to what we were tied to, a tree I think.

They cut the rope and we sailed off.

Within a few moments it was realised that we had no idea if we were over the channel or the bank or even a field!

Things got worse, trees were floating past.

We got to a bridge and I suggested that as we knew the channel was under the bridge, that we stopped here and waited for the level to fall.

We tied to the bridge somehow and waited it out with debris thumping the hull all night.

Next morning we were floating in the cut, there were boats scattered on the banks, in fields and even a cruiser up a tree.

Never been so happy to leave the river as that day.

Sounds terrifying. It's like the story of the boaters arriving at sileby lock in a flood and being asked if they knew the soar well. On replying they didn't the questioner said they thought not since the boat had been navigated straight across the fields. 

[roland elsdon]

I got caught at beeston lock a few years ago on a minor flood, waited until it went yellow from red on a dropping river and headed up on to get on to the cranfleet cut. 

Anticipated worse weather so decided to go through to T and M.

with a fairly powerful motor boat (lister hb2) we were making very little headway into the stream as we approached the redhill weir.

by then the markers were green, and we headed on to the trent and mersey.

the trent and in particular the soar are dangerous rivers in flood. 

I was dragged up in beeston in the 1980s and saw the trent over the fields many times

[Rob-M]

The thing with rivers is knowing where the water catchment area is as it isn't generally the local weather that causes the flooding. We got caught on a rapid riding Warwickshire Avon at Twnying once, moored on the pub moorings but part way through the night we were hitting the branches of the tree. Fortunately we were moored against scaffold poles but dad had to cut branches down so the boat could rise. Our weeks holiday was spent rowing across the pubs garden to get off the boat. 

[Momac]

The river level at Farndon is on a downward trend  a little this morning .

Still no cause to panic despite more rain coming.

There is no notice on the C&RT website so the flood gates at Newark would appear to remain open.

 

[Mrs Trackman]

2 minutes ago, MartynG said:

The river level at Farndon is on a downward trend  a little this morning .

Still no cause to panic despite more rain coming.

There is no notice on the C&RT website so the flood gates at Newark would appear to remain open.

 

Way up at shardlow last night but falling now. 

[Sea Dog]

9 minutes ago, Rob-M said:

The thing with rivers is knowing where the water catchment area is as it isn't generally the local weather that causes the flooding. We got caught on a rapid riding Warwickshire Avon at Twnying once, moored on the pub moorings but part way through the night we were hitting the branches of the tree. Fortunately we were moored against scaffold poles but dad had to cut branches down so the boat could rise. Our weeks holiday was spent rowing across the pubs garden to get off the boat. 

Good lad, your Dad!  That could very easily have gone wrong for many.

[Naughty Cal]

11 hours ago, MartynG said:

I have missed  seeing this thread.

If you are still at Hazelford - the floating pontoon upstream is a private mooring but it is possible to stay a s visitor if there is enough space . At a cost of course.

 

I would say you are pretty safe in the upstream cut and as you say in the lock where the gates/walls are taller . If the river rises above that we are all doomed.

 

The river level has peaked just now at Farndon. I have seen it a lot higher .

Keep safe.

 

 

 

I don't think it has. Heavy rain forecast for most of the day today and then plenty more for the rest of the week.

[Momac]

1 minute ago, Naughty Cal said:

I don't think it has. Heavy rain forecast for most of the day today and then plenty more for the rest of the week.

The level has reached a peak and it currently on a downward trend.

Yes there is more rain on the way and the level will probably rise in response.

The Trent below Nottingham is is not in flood and there is plenty of room to accommodate more rain.

 

 

[Naughty Cal]

28 minutes ago, Rob-M said:

The thing with rivers is knowing where the water catchment area is as it isn't generally the local weather that causes the flooding. We got caught on a rapid riding Warwickshire Avon at Twnying once, moored on the pub moorings but part way through the night we were hitting the branches of the tree. Fortunately we were moored against scaffold poles but dad had to cut branches down so the boat could rise. Our weeks holiday was spent rowing across the pubs garden to get off the boat. 

Not all that many years ago there was flooding on Windermere. 

 

There are properties on the lake with boat houses beneath them. As the water levels rose so did the boats and they started to damage the houses. The home insurers and boat insurers agreed that the best course of action and least expensive course of action was to scupper the boats.

 

There were a lot of damaged boats that year on the lakes and it wasn't long before they started appearing for sale with no mention of the damage they had sustained.

 

We know one chap who had a very lucky escape when buying an S23. There had been no mention it had been almost completey submerged and it was only when he found video footage of it on You TUbe that he found out.

3 minutes ago, MartynG said:

The level has reached a peak and it currently on a downward trend.

Yes there is more rain on the way and the level will probably rise in response.

The Trent below Nottingham is is not in flood and there is plenty of room to accommodate more rain.

 

 

Indeed but to say that it has reached it's peak with plenty more rain coming downstream and on its way is not correct.

 

The forecast for Colwick is for levels to rise.

 

Edited March 12, 2019 by Naughty Cal

[Momac]

2 minutes ago, Naughty Cal said:

 

Indeed but to say that it has reached it's peak with plenty more rain coming downstream and on its way is not correct.

It has reached a peak last night and is now on a downward trend.

The level reached  its peak last night as far as the last 24  hours was concerned.

I did say there is more rain on the way and the level will probably rise in response .

 

[Naughty Cal]

Just now, MartynG said:

It has reached a peak last night and is now on a downward trend.

The level reached  its peak last night as far as the last 24  hours was concerned.

I did say there is more rain on the way and the level will probably rise in response .

 

It will definitley rise not probably. No question of that. It is what rivers do when it rains.

[JJPHG]

11 minutes ago, Naughty Cal said:

It will definitley rise not probably. No question of that. It is what rivers do when it rains.

No - probably is the correct term as it depends on a myriad of factors but primarily the rainfall/run-off relationship.  Granted at this time of year with the ground at or close to field capacity rainfall will equate to some corresponding rise in river level. 

[Naughty Cal]

Just now, JJPHG said:

No - probably is the correct term as it depends on a myriad of factors but primarily the rainfall/run-off relationship.  Granted at this time of year with the ground at or close to field capacity rainfall will equate to some corresponding rise in river level. 

Conversely in the summer when the ground is hard from lack of rain the water also just runs off rather then soaking in so the same happens during summer rainfall events.

1 minute ago, JJPHG said:

No - probably is the correct term as it depends on a myriad of factors but primarily the rainfall/run-off relationship.  Granted at this time of year with the ground at or close to field capacity rainfall will equate to some corresponding rise in river level. 

Ok we will pick Farndon. The current river level is 0.78m taken at 8am.

 

By the end of the day it will be higher.

 

That is not a probably. It is a certainly.

[JJPHG]

1 minute ago, Naughty Cal said:

Conversely in the summer when the ground is hard from lack of rain the water also just runs off rather then soaking in so the same happens during summer rainfall events.

Big summer (thunderstorm) event yes that can happen.  But for 'normal' intensities of rain it wouldn't.  Other factors to bear in mind are water table levels, vegetative evapotranspiration rates, ambient humidity, wind speed and amount of non-porous material (concrete - yes I know it's porous but not in the scheme of things) are what I can remember from my flood warning days.  Thankfully computers took over and were on the whole, a lot better at forecasting.

[matty40s]

55 minutes ago, MartynG said:

The river level at Farndon is on a downward trend  a little this morning .

Still no cause to panic despite more rain coming.

There is no notice on the C&RT website so the flood gates at Newark would appear to remain open.

 

CRT are generally a day or more late with their flood warnings.

Make it Christmas time and they can be two weeks late!!!

[Grebe]

I've just been listening to the travel reports on the radio - slip roads etc closed on the M6 in the Crewe/Staffordshire areas due to flooding.  Yhr brunt of the rainfall has been on the west side of the Pennines so the Dove and trent will be filling up and sending its gift to the Nottingham area pretty soon.  Never mind the Soar and Tame adding their bit.

[Momac]

2 hours ago, Naughty Cal said:

 

Ok we will pick Farndon. The current river level is 0.78m taken at 8am.

 

By the end of the day it will be higher.

 

That is not a probably. It is a certainly.

 

The peak level yesterday was 0.83m . Do you know for certain that will be exceeded today (before midnight) or are you sticking with your lower prediction of 0.78m?

I certainly don't know whether it will or not but  I would say its not certain to exceed 0.83m today . However may see the level higher tomorrow or later in the week.

 

People out on the river an on a safe mooring need not panic.

The non tidal River Trent  below Nottingham may well be at the higher end of the normal range but  is not in flood .

Let's wait and see what happens .

 

 

[Momac]

2 hours ago, JJPHG said:

(concrete - yes I know it's porous but not in the scheme of things) 

Concrete is commonly used for water retaining structures including sewer pipes and has been used to make boats.

[mykaskin]

In Summer 2007 we had a good amount of water in the Trent:

 

Youtube Playlist Clicky

 

Not for the inexperienced...

 

Mike

[mrsmelly]

26 minutes ago, MartynG said:

Concrete is commonly used for water retaining structures including sewer pipes and has been used to make boats.

Very true. Very robust stuff. Whilst the river at present is a bit hairy its certainly ok although I have to say that these days I dont venture out on red boards as I remain convinced that today any insurance company would tell you to sod off if a claim resulted in loss entering a river on red boards.