Jump to content

Leeds to York cruise - any considerations needed?


Guest

Featured Posts

19 minutes ago, peterboat said:

I know Tim but good walks for the dogs lots of shops big proper boats visit I like the place.  Also cinema within easy reach along with J32 or whatever it is shopping centre 

Add.

 

Nice Visitor moorings, Great Fish and Chips, and a proper hardware store.

 

Nothing wrong with Castleford.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

26 minutes ago, peterboat said:

I know Tim but good walks for the dogs lots of shops big proper boats visit I like the place.  Also cinema within easy reach along with J32 or whatever it is shopping centre 

Oh yes to be sure there are some brilliant proper boats there not just a few sewer tubes, proper stuff and a great cruising area upt Aire to Leeds and indeed Calder to Wakey ? shopping on outskirts is called free port. 

Edited by mrsmelly
Link to comment
Share on other sites

33 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

Oh yes to be sure there are some brilliant proper boats there not just a few sewer tubes, proper stuff and a great cruising area upt Aire to Leeds and indeed Calder to Wakey ? shopping on outskirts is called free port. 

Not anymore Tim its junction 32 I used to meet up with an ex there google it, her kids used to go to escape whilst we had a coffee and watched them

40 minutes ago, The Happy Nomad said:

Add.

 

Nice Visitor moorings, Great Fish and Chips, and a proper hardware store.

 

Nothing wrong with Castleford.

I agree but Tim used to be a Bobby there in the bad old days

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 11/09/2019 at 19:01, MHS said:

Thanks Nick. We will be coming back in a couple of weeks time, so well worth knowing. 

Saw a video a while ago where they turned right, so I would have probably done that. 

Having done it many, many times I would still turn right towards the jetty - it's usually calm there and easier to line up for the lock.  Maybe there was a touch of fresh in the river when Nick did it. 

This is roughly how to do it although he turns a bit earlier than I do.
 

 

Edited by Midnight
added video
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, nicknorman said:

Yes there was some fresh on, and bigger tides. Certainly more flow. With us, the rate of turn definitely nearly stopped as the bow came into the stronger flow. What is the reason for you preferring to turn right?

As I said I done that trip many times probably approaching 30 and in all conditions including twice when they had to swing Caywood Bridge and once when Selby Railway Bridge had to be opened. I used the same method every time because usually the flow is slower on the city side and I drift back to the lock with the bows only about 20ft off the bank as in the video - keeping an eye on the sandbar just before the lock.


Not that I would recommend this method, but I once brought a friend's 55ft boat down on a spring ebb with a bit of fresh so there was flow right across the river. Just after Caywood the engine lost a lot of power due to a log getting caught in the skeg. As I made the turn I too realised there wasn't enough grunt to make the 360. I steered across until the bows nudged the jetty causing the front to stop whilst the stern carried round in the flow. A bit scary but not as scary as when the flood level was just 12 inches below the lock wall and I was about eye level with Fred the lockie.

  • Horror 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, Midnight said:

As I said I done that trip many times probably approaching 30 and in all conditions including twice when they had to swing Caywood Bridge and once when Selby Railway Bridge had to be opened. I used the same method every time because usually the flow is slower on the city side and I drift back to the lock with the bows only about 20ft off the bank as in the video - keeping an eye on the sandbar just before the lock.


Not that I would recommend this method, but I once brought a friend's 55ft boat down on a spring ebb with a bit of fresh so there was flow right across the river. Just after Caywood the engine lost a lot of power due to a log getting caught in the skeg. As I made the turn I too realised there wasn't enough grunt to make the 360. I steered across until the bows nudged the jetty causing the front to stop whilst the stern carried round in the flow. A bit scary but not as scary as when the flood level was just 12 inches below the lock wall and I was about eye level with Fred the lockie.

180?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Mike Todd said:

180?

Was never any good at geometry

1 hour ago, Nightwatch said:

I was advised and took the advice, I went past turned and approached from down river. It worked okay. The lecky was waving frantically at one time for me to up revs on final approach. Was this wrong?

No many do it that way, some prefer that and you've no choice if there's a queue. After my first horrendous attempt Nigel the lockie mentioned the reverse technique and it's always worked for me. Never scraped the upstream wall since.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 26/05/2020 at 17:28, mrsmelly said:

Blimey you got caught in the lockdown then. Dont spend a second longer in Castleford than is absolutely necessary, its a cr@~p hole. The rest of the trip is fab.

Yeah, I'm not sure what I think about Castleford. There's a couple of reasonable pubs, the town  has an Iceland, a Greggs and a B&Q and everything else you'd expect a pretty average shit town to have. It's a bit "what you see is what you get" - ie. shallow but it is what it is. It wasn't the worst time being there and by no means the best either. I won't be hanging around any longer than I have to. I could fancy myself stopping in Selby for a week or so - I've not been there for ages.

And I also note there is a navigation up to Tadcaster. Is it actually navigable? I should check canal plan.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just now, NB Caelmiri said:

Yeah, I'm not sure what I think about Castleford. There's a couple of reasonable pubs, the town  has an Iceland, a Greggs and a B&Q and everything else you'd expect a pretty average shit town to have. It's a bit "what you see is what you get" - ie. shallow but it is what it is. It wasn't the worst time being there and by no means the best either. I won't be hanging around any longer than I have to. I could fancy myself stopping in Selby for a week or so - I've not been there for ages.

And I also note there is a navigation up to Tadcaster. Is it actually navigable? I should check canal plan.

Selby is a million percent nicer than Cass ?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"I could fancy myself stopping in Selby for a week or so - I've not been there for ages."
 

Great place especially if you spend 6 of those 7 days at West Haddlesey

 

"And I also note there is a navigation up to Tadcaster. Is it actually navigable? I should check canal plan."

 

Fortune favours the brave let us know how you get on - if you get back!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

18 hours ago, Midnight said:

Was never any good at geometry

No many do it that way, some prefer that and you've no choice if there's a queue. After my first horrendous attempt Nigel the lockie mentioned the reverse technique and it's always worked for me. Never scraped the upstream wall since.

We have failed on two occasions to exit Selby as it was not recommended by the lockie owing to flood conditions (we could not have moored at York anyway!) However, our alarming experience a number of years ago was at Keadby, River Trent. Although mid summer here had been a lot of rain and we had been delayed at Stockwith but were eventually advised that it was OK to travel and we set off. All was fine until we neared Keadby when the tide turned earlier than the lockies expected (it is hard to judge when there is a lot of fresh) and we made our turn to the lock as we had been advised, arriving at the lock facing upstream from just below the lock, a couple of boat lengths out from the entrance wall. The trouble was that the engine at near max revs simply held us in the stream and we only just moved forward (worrying about imminent over heating!) with the lockie looking on apparently unconcerned. After what seemed like an eternity (probably only 10 - 15 mins) we eventually came level with the lock and made a dash for it into the safety of the lock.

 

Thinking about it later (which we have done many times, usually in a nightmare!) I wondered about the reversing down technique although concerned about what would happen if the increasing flow simply took us past against our engine's best endeavours.

 

We have only been that way once since then and there was no problem with the flow so no chance to test out the theory as the advice was still to use the approach from downstream, facing upstream. 

 

Maybe next time . . . 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

53 minutes ago, Mike Todd said:

We have failed on two occasions to exit Selby as it was not recommended by the lockie owing to flood conditions (we could not have moored at York anyway!) However, our alarming experience a number of years ago was at Keadby, River Trent. Although mid summer here had been a lot of rain and we had been delayed at Stockwith but were eventually advised that it was OK to travel and we set off. All was fine until we neared Keadby when the tide turned earlier than the lockies expected (it is hard to judge when there is a lot of fresh) and we made our turn to the lock as we had been advised, arriving at the lock facing upstream from just below the lock, a couple of boat lengths out from the entrance wall. The trouble was that the engine at near max revs simply held us in the stream and we only just moved forward (worrying about imminent over heating!) with the lockie looking on apparently unconcerned. After what seemed like an eternity (probably only 10 - 15 mins) we eventually came level with the lock and made a dash for it into the safety of the lock.

 

Thinking about it later (which we have done many times, usually in a nightmare!) I wondered about the reversing down technique although concerned about what would happen if the increasing flow simply took us past against our engine's best endeavours.

 

We have only been that way once since then and there was no problem with the flow so no chance to test out the theory as the advice was still to use the approach from downstream, facing upstream. 

 

Maybe next time . . . 

I have often wondered why the lockies at Keadby tell boaters to go past the lock and turn back into the flow. I've found that very difficult to get into the lock especially if there's a strong pull on the ebb. Several years ago with quite a bit of fresh in the river I decided to try the 'Selby Reverse Exit' method and it worked like a treat. Obviously it's not so easy if the coaster is moored upstream of the lock, but I now use that method despite what Mr Lockie advises.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Midnight said:

I have often wondered why the lockies at Keadby tell boaters to go past the lock and turn back into the flow. I've found that very difficult to get into the lock especially if there's a strong pull on the ebb. Several years ago with quite a bit of fresh in the river I decided to try the 'Selby Reverse Exit' method and it worked like a treat. Obviously it's not so easy if the coaster is moored upstream of the lock, but I now use that method despite what Mr Lockie advises.

I'd advise the same approach at Denver, and at West Stockwith. I just can't see any argument for going past and turning, and then bashing your way back against the tide.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Scholar Gypsy said:

I'd advise the same approach at Denver, and at West Stockwith. I just can't see any argument for going past and turning, and then bashing your way back against the tide.

I guess the argument is that you are - potentially - in greater control moving deliberately forwards whilst in the reverse direction you are 'letting go' in a hopefully controlled way. In either case, you only find that you have insufficient power when it si too late to do much about it!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Scholar Gypsy said:

I'd advise the same approach at Denver, and at West Stockwith. 

Of all river exits I found Stockwith coming from Torkesy to be the hardest of all. Only done it once with Locky Sue expertly guiding me in, just couldn't believe I'd need so many revs on to make progress against the ebb.

Edited by Midnight
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Mike Todd said:

I guess the argument is that you are - potentially - in greater control moving deliberately forwards whilst in the reverse direction you are 'letting go' in a hopefully controlled way. In either case, you only find that you have insufficient power when it si too late to do much about it!

I'm not really convinced, and there's certainly no element of "letting go". When you are going backwards over the ground, you are still going forward through the water, at nice low engine revs (eg 2 mph through the water + 3 mph stream = 1 mph backwards over the ground), giving you good directional and lateral control. By contrast if you have gone past the entrance you are having to do 4 mph through the water to make 1 mph forward progress, consequently with much less power in reserve.  Here's a rather boring video I made....
 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 9 months later...

Hi 

 

I am planning to travel to Ripon from Marston this summer for the first time.

 

NB Caelmiri - re your post September 2019 - Did you get to York? Did you have any issues?

 

NickNorman - re your post September 2019 - You mentioned you used your radio to communicate with Selby Swing Bride. Can you recommend a radio?

 

Thanks

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, Steve Manc said:

Hi 

 

I am planning to travel to Ripon from Marston this summer for the first time.

 

NB Caelmiri - re your post September 2019 - Did you get to York? Did you have any issues?

 

NickNorman - re your post September 2019 - You mentioned you used your radio to communicate with Selby Swing Bride. Can you recommend a radio?

 

Thanks

Radio I use a Standard Horizon HX300E VH but any decent VHF radio will do. The bridges and locks are also contactable on mobile phone.
Going up - if the tide is flowing strong don't panic and ease the revs as you head from the Railway bridge to the road bridge 
Coming down - see video above somewhere

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nicknorman, Midnight

 

I have decided to purchase  Standard Horizon HX210E  https://standardhorizon.co.uk/products/#handheld-vhf to enable me to listen to any chatter when arriving at locks or bridges on River Ouse. Also to communicate with them.

 

I understand from reading another thread 'VHF Radio' that I need a licence. This has been confirmed by https://www.rya.org.uk/knowledge-advice/boating-abroad/european-inland-waterways/Pages/atis-and-rainwat.aspx

 

The manual for HX210E states the user has to install the ATIS code. If you are narrow boaters only like myself and do not intend going on Coastal Waters what are your thoughts? 

https://standardhorizon.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/HX210_E_OM_ENG_EM061N210_1804M-BC-1.pdf

 

RYA say the unit cannot be used on inline waters within 14 miles of coastal low tide if only on a inland licence. 

 

Thanks

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.