Jump to content

Old boats in Hebden


Jim Riley

Featured Posts

14 hours ago, alan_fincher said:

We have largely escaped the cameras with Flamingo I think.  Whether that's because we are moored slightly away from the main mass of boats, just through the bridge, or whether it is because we are currently deemed "too scruffy" I can't possibly say

 

13 hours ago, BilgePump said:

IMG_20190525_112658 (1).jpg

 

Pleased to see you have moved the outside loo Alan! :giggles:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

17 hours ago, alan_fincher said:

We have largely escaped the cameras with Flamingo I think.  Whether that's because we are moored slightly away from the main mass of boats, just through the bridge, or whether it is because we are currently deemed "too scruffy" I can't possibly say, but I'm aware that the brass has remained rather unpolished.  However we are still here.

I did not think your boat looked scruffy, but there was certainly a couple of scruffy boats there. I always think the number of boats is what makes a good event rather than how shiny they are, and the boat that made my visit worth while was SALTAIRE as I had not seen it for 29 years :captain:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We travelled much of the way up with Saltaire, or to be accurate the back end of Saltaire with a new front on - the front end of Saltaire forms part of a different boat.  It has been a major oroject for the current owner, work including relocating the engine t where you might expect to to be.

 

Both (this part of) Saltaire and Flamingo are fairly heavily ballasted at the back, (too heavily for this canal) and when we started off Saltaire was perhaps an inch deeper at the back than Flamingo, otherwise the back ends should be pretty well identical, both being "Large Northwich" boats.  However Saltaire struggled far more with grounding than Flamingo, and nobody could really work out why.  The owner has since off-loaded about a ton of ballast...

Pete, I would be very interested about what you can tell us of the circumstances of Saltaire being cut in half please - I remember it as a full length maintenance boat in the 1970s on either the Apsley or Bulbourne section of the GU - it worked on maintenance with Sickle. The owner of this bit of Saltaire says BW cut it in half for sale, because they would get more for two boats than one.  Whilst I might believe that for a butty, I struggle to for a motor.  Are you able to give us the real story, please, if that isn't correct?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, alan_fincher said:

Pete, I would be very interested about what you can tell us of the circumstances of Saltaire being cut in half please - I remember it as a full length maintenance boat in the 1970s on either the Apsley or Bulbourne section of the GU - it worked on maintenance with Sickle. The owner of this bit of Saltaire says BW cut it in half for sale, because they would get more for two boats than one.  Whilst I might believe that for a butty, I struggle to for a motor.  Are you able to give us the real story, please, if that isn't correct?

I think there may me somebody else here who can answer this better than me, but my understanding is that Bulls Bridge condemned the original stern as being knackered so cut it off. A new stern of sorts (I am told it was poor but I did not see it) was fitted to the original fore end and this SALTAIRE was put back into maintenance service. The disconnected stern was sold in 1977 and was subsequently built into the SALTAIRE that was at Hebden Bridge, the steelwork being started by Doug Greaves and completed by Dave Harris about 10 years later.

 

The fore end of SALTAIRE (fitted with a poor stern) continued to work in the B.W.B. maintenance fleet until being sold off in February 1987, where it was fitted with a new counter stern to a similar design to original and rebuilt into a full length carrying boat - which it still is today.

 

So the story you heard is not correct as the two sections of SALTAIRE were sold 10 years apart, although clearly their individual rebuilds were both completed at about the same time - and they even have the same engines. :captain:

 

edit = On my return home from Hebden Bridge I sent the current owner of SALTAIRE (original stern) one of my boat history documents (for what it is worth), although I have yet to have confirmation that it has been received.

Edited by pete harrison
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oops!

 

https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notices/15388-lock-49-rochdale-canal

 

Please be advised navigation is closed at Lock 49, on the Rochdale Canal, due to a blown cill. Our local team are carrying on with their investigations today and an update will be provided once we have a better understanding of the repair required.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, TheBiscuits said:

Oops!

 

https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notices/15388-lock-49-rochdale-canal

 

Please be advised navigation is closed at Lock 49, on the Rochdale Canal, due to a blown cill. Our local team are carrying on with their investigations today and an update will be provided once we have a better understanding of the repair required.

Yes, quite!

Our travels are far from going to plan anyway.  There are two indicated full length winding holes between where we wee moored at Hebden Bridge and Sowerby Bridge, and Flamingo wouldn't go around in either.  We have therefore had to carry on and get a booking for Tuel Lane to be able to turn around.

 

Our engine now has the "wobblies", possibly because of the exertions of trying (and failing) to turn around yesterday.  We seemed to be running on only one cylinder for large parts of this morning.  Shire Cruisers are currently seeing if they can help us.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, alan_fincher said:

Yes, quite!

Our travels are far from going to plan anyway.  There are two indicated full length winding holes between where we wee moored at Hebden Bridge and Sowerby Bridge, and Flamingo wouldn't go around in either.  We have therefore had to carry on and get a booking for Tuel Lane to be able to turn around.

 

Our engine now has the "wobblies", possibly because of the exertions of trying (and failing) to turn around yesterday.  We seemed to be running on only one cylinder for large parts of this morning.  Shire Cruisers are currently seeing if they can help us.

 

 

You can wind a full length boat in the drydock entrance at Hebden as long as nobody is moored right opposite, otherwise it is, as you now know, Sowerby Bridge.

 

I was rather hoping that you lot might cut a channel into those other winding holes ready for us to return to the Rochdale next winter :).

 

Quite a few nice pubs in Sowerby, including the old waiting room on the station. A nice dog walk down the Calder and Hebble gets to the first short locks and what remains of the old Halifax arm, if you walk up the arm you can trace some of the route of the lost arm, locks and a bridge are still very easy to spot. Nice pubs in Halifax and the Piece Hall is well worth a visit.

 

...............Dave

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, pete harrison said:

I think there may me somebody else here who can answer this better than me, but my understanding is that Bulls Bridge condemned the original stern as being knackered so cut it off. A new stern of sorts (I am told it was poor but I did not see it) was fitted to the original fore end and this SALTAIRE was put back into maintenance service. The disconnected stern was sold in 1977 and was subsequently built into the SALTAIRE that was at Hebden Bridge, the steelwork being started by Doug Greaves and completed by Dave Harris about 10 years later.

 

The fore end of SALTAIRE (fitted with a poor stern) continued to work in the B.W.B. maintenance fleet until being sold off in February 1987, where it was fitted with a new counter stern to a similar design to original and rebuilt into a full length carrying boat - which it still is today.

 

So the story you heard is not correct as the two sections of SALTAIRE were sold 10 years apart, although clearly their individual rebuilds were both completed at about the same time - and they even have the same engines. :captain:

 

edit = On my return home from Hebden Bridge I sent the current owner of SALTAIRE (original stern) one of my boat history documents (for what it is worth), although I have yet to have confirmation that it has been received.

Doug Greaves bought the stern end as scrap, he took the "Otley" down to Bulls Bridge where he loaded the "Saltaire" stern end on it's side and took it to, IIRC, Caggy's  yard at Tipton where it had (most of) the fore end built. As you say it was some time later that it was completed, ownership having passed meanwhile  from Mr Greaves to Dick Smith to Malcolm Wigley, and the intended PD2 was never fitted, instead having a (again IIRC) HR2

Link to comment
Share on other sites

18 minutes ago, archie57 said:

Doug Greaves bought the stern end as scrap, he took the "Otley" down to Bulls Bridge where he loaded the "Saltaire" stern end on it's side and took it to, IIRC, Caggy's  yard at Tipton where it had (most of) the fore end built. As you say it was some time later that it was completed, ownership having passed meanwhile  from Mr Greaves to Dick Smith to Malcolm Wigley, and the intended PD2 was never fitted, instead having a (again IIRC) HR2

So I have SALTAIRE's history correct - which is always good to know (I deliberately left out the owners names and engine type). I certainly remember this SALTAIRE tied in Gas street Basin for several years with an incomplete fore end, and I also remember Richard Smith telling me that he planned to letter it in gold leaf - Richard Smith being a time served sign-writer.

 

I believe this poor quality photograph just about shows the stern of SALTAIRE loaded on its side in OTLEY at Bulls Bridge - and can be dated to July 1977 :captain:

(photograph courtesy of Matt Parrott defunct working boat website)

1311246866_OTLEYatBullsBridgelate1970s(MattParrott002).jpg.42ba4e4b95d9b841ca0d2ac594a1cf92.jpg

 

 

Edited by pete harrison
Link to comment
Share on other sites

21 hours ago, TheBiscuits said:

Oops!

 

https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notices/15388-lock-49-rochdale-canal

 

Please be advised navigation is closed at Lock 49, on the Rochdale Canal, due to a blown cill. Our local team are carrying on with their investigations today and an update will be provided once we have a better understanding of the repair required.

I blame the recent passage of a deep draughted boat, come on fess up!

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 minutes ago, Jim Riley said:

I blame the recent passage of a deep draughted boat, come on fess up!


This is of course possible, although the canal should of course be navigable by any of the deeper draughted ones that have ventured up here.

The CRT website has not until just now been updated in any way to reflect what they know, or how long it might be to fix - not terribly helpful really.

The story I am hearing elsewhere is that they are not actually very far forwards in their investigations, and have not yet exposed the cill to see the full nature of the issue.

I'm not really understanding why, as there appears to be a pretty long pound above Lock 49, and a pretty short one below it, but it would seem from available information that they can't or won't empty that short pound, and are instead building some kind of coffer dam.

 

Not sounding particularly quick at the moment.

EDIT:

Actually there is now an update this morning...

 

 

Quote

 

30/05/2019 09:43

Our local team are working alongside contractors today to install a dam in the canal to surround Lock 49. The local team will be working this weekend to repair the tailgate cill.

An update will be provided Monday 3 June.

 


Ho hum!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

21 minutes ago, Athy said:

What exactly is meant by a "blown" cill? Terrorism on the Rochdale?


One that ought to be there in its entirety and now isn't, I think.

Apparently this lock is in one of the areas you would least want to spend a night, so nobody will be going anywhere near it unless it is known to be navigable.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, Athy said:

What exactly is meant by a "blown" cill?

It's when the stone or concrete cill cracks and the water blows the masonry into the lock.  You end up with a strong jet of water shooting into the lock, and can not operate the lock due to all the water coming under the head gates.

 

Here is one on Blackburn flight on the L&L just before it blew a couple of years ago - the photo was one I took to report it as an imminent failure.

 

20170507_135122.jpg.a8d5ed2b7d256e08b71ac275e46a77b3.jpg

 

 

  • Greenie 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 minutes ago, TheBiscuits said:

It's when the stone or concrete cill cracks and the water blows the masonry into the lock.  You end up with a strong jet of water shooting into the lock, and can not operate the lock due to all the water coming under the head gates.

 

Here is one on Blackburn flight on the L&L just before it blew a couple of years ago - the photo was one I took to report it as an imminent failure.

 

20170507_135122.jpg.a8d5ed2b7d256e08b71ac275e46a77b3.jpg

 

 

Ah, now I see the sense of "blown", thank you.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, TheBiscuits said:

It's when the stone or concrete cill cracks and the water blows the masonry into the lock.  You end up with a strong jet of water shooting into the lock, and can not operate the lock due to all the water coming under the head gates.

 

Here is one on Blackburn flight on the L&L just before it blew a couple of years ago - the photo was one I took to report it as an imminent failure.

 

20170507_135122.jpg.a8d5ed2b7d256e08b71ac275e46a77b3.jpg

 

 

How imminent did cart think it was? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

If anyone needs an extra pair of hands or just walking company in the area, I live near lock 65 and can add a bit of extra middle aged lock work if needed. If I'm not on my own boat, I'd be glad to help passage/company for any boat coming through this way.

  • Greenie 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

18 hours ago, TheBiscuits said:

Did the historic convoy get off the Rochdale before the next lock failure at Lock 66, or are some of them still stuck there?

 

https://waterwaynews.blogspot.com/2019/06/gate-failure-could-close-rochdale-canal.htm

 

rochdale-l66-05.jpg

 

rochdale-l66-03.jpg

That link no longer works. 

Somebody tried really hard to successfully smash that gate up!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.