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Stupid places to take your boat ...


TheBiscuits

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5 minutes ago, Loddon said:

I remember the weir was at the end of the River Lea

On the Stort I just remember a bridge.

 

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There was an adjustable dam/weir just the other side of the bridge which controlled the water level behind it (the castle gardens moat and river) it got removed after a bad flood which made the road you see impassable to vehicles. I believe the council, EA and BW got into an discussion/disagreement who was responsible for it. I'll see if I can find a picture of it

Edited by Insane.Pringle
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2 hours ago, Insane.Pringle said:

This is the other side of the bridge, there used to be an adjustable floodgate/dam/weir here, you can just see the guide rails for it on the concrete walls

Crocuses_March2017.jpg

When we did the Stort a couple of years ago I was surprised to be able to see under that bridge, as on my previous trip years ago there was indeed a sluice gate in the way.

 

So if they could just remove the sluice, why was it there in the first place?

Edited by David Mack
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25 minutes ago, David Mack said:

When we did the Stort a couple of years ago I was surprised to be able to see under that bridge, as on my previous trip years ago there was indeed a sluice gate in the way.

 

So if they could just remove the sluice, why was it there in the first place?

When it was there the river behind it had a higher water level. I'd say about 2 feet above the canal level. The castle moat which takes it water from further upstream had a much better water flow through it than it does now. I think that was why it was there.

 

The council, EA and BW couldn't agree who was responsible for it so it got removed. I think it needs to go back as it would

A - stop any future attempts by narrowboaters to go under the bridge (whether they'd fit or not!)

B - make a better water flow through the castle moat which it does need..

Edited by Insane.Pringle
Removed a smiley which decided to make an unnecessary appearance..
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16 hours ago, Scholar Gypsy said:

It's really quite fun in a strong crosswind.  It's  a nice mooring at the end, and Reach and the Devil's Dyke are well worth exploring.  I was fortunate to make a rather better speed on my last visit. 

https://scholargypsy.org.uk/2019/10/11/reach-lode-weedy/

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My greatest fear when going up to Reach (ignoring the question of whether we'd actually get there) was what would happen if we met someone coming the other way? I grounded as soon as I got anywhere out of the centre of the channel, to meet an oncoming boat would have made a very long day of it, with someone having to do some serious reversing through the reed growth.

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1 minute ago, Wanderer Vagabond said:

My greatest fear when going up to Reach (ignoring the question of whether we'd actually get there) was what would happen if we met someone coming the other way? I grounded as soon as I got anywhere out of the centre of the channel, to meet an oncoming boat would have made a very long day of it, with someone having to do some serious reversing through the reed growth.


Yes, I have met a boat coming the other way. Fortunately we both realised that we needed to keep going and not slow down. I found the depth reasonable on my last visit, apart from the last 200 metres, but one did have to push the weeds out of the way! I did get stuck once when my concentration wandered, I was grateful for me new long shaft.

 

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Just now, Scholar Gypsy said:


Yes, I have met a boat coming the other way. Fortunately we both realised that we needed to keep going and not slow down. I found the depth reasonable on my last visit, apart from the last 200 metres, but one did have to push the weeds out of the way! I did get stuck once when my concentration wandered, I was grateful for me new long shaft.

 

I appreciate such things are relative, by my satnav told me I was doing somewhere between 0.6 and 0.8 mph for most of the way (I doubt it was that accurate since I don't think it is designed for such low readings) but the only speed slower than that is 'stopped'.:rolleyes:

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1 hour ago, Wanderer Vagabond said:

I appreciate such things are relative, by my satnav told me I was doing somewhere between 0.6 and 0.8 mph for most of the way (I doubt it was that accurate since I don't think it is designed for such low readings) but the only speed slower than that is 'stopped'.:rolleyes:

 
That is slow! I was doing 3 to 5 km/hour -- you can see where I let my attention wander, as the red line (speed) drops to zero for  a bit! 

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7 hours ago, Loddon said:

I remember the weir was at the end of the River Lea

 

 

DSCF0573.JPG

 

On the Stort I just remember a bridge.

 

DSCF0580.JPG

There was originally a plan for the Stort Navigation to continue North to Cambridge and there was some hope when the weir was removed that would be the first step or at least some dredging to make it possible to moor in the park.

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On 30/04/2019 at 09:43, Boater Sam said:

Do be adventurous, try the Winsford Flashes. Made it about 70 yards in once.

Snap, but got further than that with our V bottom.

 

Plus the Avon and then the Severn until we could see the bottom with all the reeds and fishes.

 

Top of the Ashby to touch the very end.

Edited by MaryP
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On 03/02/2021 at 09:25, Insane.Pringle said:

Had wondered if anyone had tried to go beyond that bridge. I don't think the water is deep enough for anything other than a dinghy.

 

I'm assuming you went under the bridge after they removed the dam/weir about 10-15 years ago?

We used to litter pick the river for BW in a dinghy and explored beyond that bridge a little way into the park, it is very shallow. It is-was a full width guillotine gate normally kept closed down but now propped up open permanentlyr with Acro's and about 20 years ago after heavy rain flooding threatened part of the town, some goon wound that huge gate up fast instead of little by little causing a huge Tsunami wave which flooded our island, sank one narrowboat and put one on the bank. Not sure who it was BW or EA or a local council bod that did it

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  • 5 months later...
On 11/02/2021 at 16:19, David Mack said:

 

We tried to take Fulbourne up Reach Lode in 2001. Our Imray guide helpfully gave us the width, depth and headroom of the lock at Upware. But is was only once we got the bows to here:

 

How long is Fulbourne, is there any chance of getting a 65' narrowboat onto Reach Lode / Burwell Lode?

I see @magpie patrick says it's 63' here ( https://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?/topic/69294-max-length/&do=findComment&comment=1378813 ) and @Keeping Up says it's about 62' (https://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?/topic/33503-70-foot-limitations/&do=findComment&comment=593314).

 

I'm 65' but with a rounded stern. And I hear the guillotine gates can potentially let you through if the levels are just about right.

 

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5 hours ago, jetzi said:

 

How long is Fulbourne, is there any chance of getting a 65' narrowboat onto Reach Lode / Burwell Lode?

I see @magpie patrick says it's 63' here ( https://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?/topic/69294-max-length/&do=findComment&comment=1378813 ) and @Keeping Up says it's about 62' (https://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?/topic/33503-70-foot-limitations/&do=findComment&comment=593314).

 

I'm 65' but with a rounded stern. And I hear the guillotine gates can potentially let you through if the levels are just about right.

 

65' would be very tight,  but you might make it with fenders up and at an angle.

 

The interlocking  system on the guillotines prevents you opening both gates at once,  even if the water is level.  Fall is normally 6-12". If the river Cam rises too much then the pumping station ķicks in and the lock is not useable.

 

 

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3 hours ago, Scholar Gypsy said:

65' would be very tight,  but you might make it with fenders up and at an angle.

 

The interlocking  system on the guillotines prevents you opening both gates at once,  even if the water is level.  Fall is normally 6-12". If the river Cam rises too much then the pumping station ķicks in and the lock is not useable.

 

 

Thank you, I won't total write it off the list of "stupid places to take my boat... One day!"

 

Though I expect whichever way I go (wicken, burwell or reach) there won't be space to wind at the ends,and it looks very weedy from your blogs..

 

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1 hour ago, jetzi said:

Thank you, I won't total write it off the list of "stupid places to take my boat... One day!"

 

Though I expect whichever way I go (wicken, burwell or reach) there won't be space to wind at the ends,and it looks very weedy from your blogs..

 

It's normally not too weedy.

 

If you can get through the lock, you can wind at the end of all three Lodes.

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16 hours ago, jetzi said:

 

How long is Fulbourne, is there any chance of getting a 65' narrowboat onto Reach Lode / Burwell Lode?

I see @magpie patrick says it's 63' here ( https://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?/topic/69294-max-length/&do=findComment&comment=1378813 ) and @Keeping Up says it's about 62' (https://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?/topic/33503-70-foot-limitations/&do=findComment&comment=593314).

 

I'm 65' but with a rounded stern. And I hear the guillotine gates can potentially let you through if the levels are just about right.

 

I have measured it, if I come across the information I will post it here. I wouldn't want to get it wrong, if I remember correctly if you do nothing after a pre set time the gate closes by its self, so if you are not sorted by then you could be in trouble. I measured it because a friend with a 66 foot boat wanted to know and he wouldn't fit

Edited by ditchcrawler
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30 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

I have measured it, if I come across the information I will post it here. I wouldn't want to get it wrong, if I remember correctly if you do nothing after a pre set time the gate closes by its self, so if you are not sorted by then you could be in trouble. I measured it because a friend with a 66 foot boat wanted to know and he wouldn't fit

 

Thanks. I'm aiming to be on the Anglian waterways in April so don't need the information now. I'm making a map of the waterways that has all the bits my boat can't access removed so I mostly just want to know whether Reach makes the cut!

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