Ian on Leo Posted May 20, 2019 Report Share Posted May 20, 2019 Last Saturday we took our narrowboat, Leo, across the Wash from Wisbech to Boston. Anyone considering this journey may find it interesting to read our blog on this here: https://ianhelencanals.blogspot.com/2019/05/crossing-wash-from-wisbech-to-boston.html 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Son Posted May 21, 2019 Report Share Posted May 21, 2019 Looks like a great trip! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nut Posted May 21, 2019 Report Share Posted May 21, 2019 well done and a good read and pics thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer McM Posted May 21, 2019 Report Share Posted May 21, 2019 Thank you for sharing! It looked an exiting day! A day to remember... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Proper Charlie Posted May 21, 2019 Report Share Posted May 21, 2019 Great stuff. Thanks. We’ve done that trip in reverse, also with Daryl, and loved it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil2 Posted May 21, 2019 Report Share Posted May 21, 2019 Earlier this year I met a guy with a little 30 foot Springer who said he had done the trip in one go ie without beaching. I thought that wasn't possible, all the accounts I've read/heard about the Wash involve crossing on two tides, but he said it was quite straightforward and anyway as the Springer has a V hull he didn't want it to dry out. I didn't have time to go into detail so does anyone know how it can be done in one go? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
howardang Posted May 21, 2019 Report Share Posted May 21, 2019 5 hours ago, Neil2 said: Earlier this year I met a guy with a little 30 foot Springer who said he had done the trip in one go ie without beaching. I thought that wasn't possible, all the accounts I've read/heard about the Wash involve crossing on two tides, but he said it was quite straightforward and anyway as the Springer has a V hull he didn't want it to dry out. I didn't have time to go into detail so does anyone know how it can be done in one go? If you have to wait for the tide why not go to anchor rather that beaching? personally, I would be very reluctant to deliberately beach a narrow boat unless it was essential. They are not designed to take the ground and if the boat did sit on something - a rock or a piece of debris - and puncture the bottom plating, what started out as a pleasant "jolly" could easily become a sinking. Why take unnecessary risks. Howard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sea Dog Posted May 21, 2019 Report Share Posted May 21, 2019 Well I saw our vicar was washing the cross at the weekend and it didn't look particularly difficult. The cleaning lady normally manages it and she's 83 and has gout. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naughty Cal Posted May 21, 2019 Report Share Posted May 21, 2019 11 hours ago, Neil2 said: Earlier this year I met a guy with a little 30 foot Springer who said he had done the trip in one go ie without beaching. I thought that wasn't possible, all the accounts I've read/heard about the Wash involve crossing on two tides, but he said it was quite straightforward and anyway as the Springer has a V hull he didn't want it to dry out. I didn't have time to go into detail so does anyone know how it can be done in one go? We can do it in one tide. Pretty sure a narrowboat cant though. It just wont be quick enough. Did they perhaps just mooch around waiting for the next tide rather than anchoring or breaching? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scholar Gypsy Posted May 21, 2019 Report Share Posted May 21, 2019 20 minutes ago, Naughty Cal said: We can do it in one tide. Pretty sure a narrowboat cant though. It just wont be quick enough. Did they perhaps just mooch around waiting for the next tide rather than anchoring or breaching? Yes that is what we did when crossing from Kings Lynn to Boston. The weather was a little rough and Daryl was not happy about beaching in those conditions. So we just drifted for an hour or so, cutting the engine for some of the time, and then took it very gently into Boston, arriving about 60 mins before the tide made a level. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil2 Posted May 21, 2019 Report Share Posted May 21, 2019 24 minutes ago, Naughty Cal said: We can do it in one tide. Pretty sure a narrowboat cant though. It just wont be quick enough. Did they perhaps just mooch around waiting for the next tide rather than anchoring or breaching? Maybe, I wish I had got more info but the impression was he did it on one tide but I agree I can't see how it could be done in a NB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balder Posted May 22, 2019 Report Share Posted May 22, 2019 We also crossed the Wash last weekend on a Humber barge, Grimsby to the Medway in one hit, 200kn in 36 hours. Nice trip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard10002 Posted May 22, 2019 Report Share Posted May 22, 2019 200kn? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momac Posted May 22, 2019 Report Share Posted May 22, 2019 On 20/05/2019 at 22:51, Ian on Leo said: Last Saturday we took our narrowboat, Leo, across the Wash from Wisbech to Boston. Anyone considering this journey may find it interesting to read our blog on this here: https://ianhelencanals.blogspot.com/2019/05/crossing-wash-from-wisbech-to-boston.html Thank you. I enjoyed that. The sea conditions looked very calm . Its offen not like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scholar Gypsy Posted May 22, 2019 Report Share Posted May 22, 2019 2 hours ago, Richard10002 said: 200kn? I think the correct unit is knot-hours. A bit like Amp-hours. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cuthound Posted May 22, 2019 Report Share Posted May 22, 2019 24 minutes ago, Scholar Gypsy said: I think the correct unit is knot-hours. A bit like Amp-hours. Ah, so it shows your capacity for speed? ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momac Posted May 22, 2019 Report Share Posted May 22, 2019 31 minutes ago, Scholar Gypsy said: I think the correct unit is knot-hours. A bit like Amp-hours. Could be typo for km ? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naughty Cal Posted May 22, 2019 Report Share Posted May 22, 2019 2 hours ago, Richard10002 said: 200kn? 200 kilo newton's? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackrose Posted May 22, 2019 Report Share Posted May 22, 2019 (edited) On 21/05/2019 at 15:18, howardang said: If you have to wait for the tide why not go to anchor rather that beaching? personally, I would be very reluctant to deliberately beach a narrow boat unless it was essential. They are not designed to take the ground and if the boat did sit on something - a rock or a piece of debris - and puncture the bottom plating, what started out as a pleasant "jolly" could easily become a sinking. Why take unnecessary risks. Howard Surely flat bottomed boats are designed to take to ground? I've beached mine several times on the Thames tideway at isleworth where the ground is a lot rougher than the sand shown in the OP's blog. I've come down unevenly on rocks but I think it's going to take something pretty sharp to puncture a 10mm baseplate. The greatest danger in taking to ground is coming down onto something really big like a sunken car that might tip the boat over. However the chance of that happening seems pretty unlikely. I've also heard about the possibility of "mud suction" preventing the boat from rising on the next tide but I'm not sure if this is a real or imagined risk? It would need to be very strong suction to overcome the boat's buoyancy. Anyway, I would have no problem at all beaching my boat on the sand where the OP did it. Plenty of boats do it. I seem to remember seeing pictures of Julian (Loddon) beaching his barge, but that may have been in the Thames estuary or Medway. Edited May 22, 2019 by blackrose Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momac Posted May 22, 2019 Report Share Posted May 22, 2019 1 minute ago, Naughty Cal said: 200 kilo newton's? Newtons is capital N A unit of force. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naughty Cal Posted May 22, 2019 Report Share Posted May 22, 2019 56 minutes ago, MartynG said: Thank you. I enjoyed that. The sea conditions looked very calm . Its offen not like that. We have had it flat calm in the Wash And equally on the choppy side. 5 minutes ago, MartynG said: Newtons is capital N A unit of force. Indeed it is. Could be equally as likely a typo as you km though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackrose Posted May 22, 2019 Report Share Posted May 22, 2019 Do you beach your GRP boat NC? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naughty Cal Posted May 22, 2019 Report Share Posted May 22, 2019 7 minutes ago, blackrose said: Do you beach your GRP boat NC? No we anchor off the beach and dinghy in. You can beach them. But we prefer not too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackrose Posted May 22, 2019 Report Share Posted May 22, 2019 (edited) I can understand not wanting to take to ground on a GRP boat, but on the other hand anchoring is not entirely risk-free, especially on a big heavy steel boat. Edited May 22, 2019 by blackrose Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naughty Cal Posted May 22, 2019 Report Share Posted May 22, 2019 8 minutes ago, blackrose said: I can understand not wanting to take to ground on a GRP boat, but on the other hand anchoring is not entirely risk-free, especially on a big heavy steel boat. Beaching them isn't a problem. Friends of ours did it on a regular basis to clean the bottom and check the drives. Never had a problem. We just never fancied it. They have a bigger shaft drive boat now so dont think they will be so willing to beach that one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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