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Journeys through Manchester


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18 minutes ago, dmr said:

I think I've got a pair of them, somebody gave them to me during the Gosty Hill incident, you can have them next time we meet, trouble is they are so thick and clumsy you can't do a thing when you've got them on.

 

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

Hopefully see you soon. 
Booked to go through tunnel in  early June. 
So all being well. 

It’ll be interesting to see how the tunnel journey is done. As you know, you have to take a pilot through. 
I am guessing, and it is a guess, the pilot will be down at the bow keeping a distance and perhaps talk through baked bean cans and string. 
or will they go back to towing boats through?


We shall see ?

 

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As one of said Volunteers, I was asked if I would assist a solo boater in her sixties down the Ashton and the nine last August bank holiday, which is the weekend of the Pride event in Manchester. We left the top of the Ashton at10am and were tied up in Castlefield by 5:30pm. A hard working day with her steering and me setting and working all the locks solo. Also some interesting sights on Canal Street. I did manage a pint to cool off from one of the outside bars set up, although the barman was surprised when I popped up from the lock and tapped him on the back to request a drink.

If you don't have a crew go up the nine and stop at Islington basin having previously requested a volunteer for the eighteen locks up to Failsworth. Whoever turns out will give you invaluable help.

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14 minutes ago, captain birdseye said:

As one of said Volunteers, I was asked if I would assist a solo boater in her sixties down the Ashton and the nine last August bank holiday, which is the weekend of the Pride event in Manchester. We left the top of the Ashton at10am and were tied up in Castlefield by 5:30pm. A hard working day with her steering and me setting and working all the locks solo. Also some interesting sights on Canal Street. I did manage a pint to cool off from one of the outside bars set up, although the barman was surprised when I popped up from the lock and tapped him on the back to request a drink.

If you don't have a crew go up the nine and stop at Islington basin having previously requested a volunteer for the eighteen locks up to Failsworth. Whoever turns out will give you invaluable help.

There’s a couple here on the HNC that are considering going down the Ashton flight when the canal is fully open. They’ve said they’d like help. How can they get in touch with volunteers? When the time comes and volunteers are at it, what’s best: should they go through the 03030 number? or can they make arrangements direct with someone such as yourself? 
 

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You should book volunteers via the CRT number as this makes it all official and I think the volunteer hours get logged etc. Trouble is CRT rarely phone back so you don't know if the volunteer has actually been booked. If you are lucky enough to get hold of a volunteers direct phone number then its good to phone them both before and after talking to CRT. Phone before to confirm they are available and get good advice as when its best to go, they will likely know if other boats are booked in too etc.

 

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

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I am just waiting to see if I can get a local CRT number that might work better, but yes it should be an official request. When I have been emailed with a request asking if anybody is available and I am I usually sort out meeting with the boater directly so we have contact before the day and I turn up at the right time and place and are expected

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38 minutes ago, dmr said:

You should book volunteers via the CRT number as this makes it all official and I think the volunteer hours get logged etc. Trouble is CRT rarely phone back so you don't know if the volunteer has actually been booked. 

 

That was my experience last time I made the trip. After a delayed trip down the Ashton, stopping a little short of Piccadilly at about 10 pm, we started early next morning in order to make the possible 9.00 appointment with the volunteer, only to find there wasn't one.

But at least the Rochdale ascent was pretty much trouble free.

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

 

That was my experience last time I made the trip. After a delayed trip down the Ashton, stopping a little short of Piccadilly at about 10 pm, we started early next morning in order to make the possible 9.00 appointment with the volunteer, only to find there wasn't one.

But at least the Rochdale ascent was pretty much trouble free.

I suspect the Rochdale is very variable, when we came up in the autumn we had two weedhatch visits on the Rochdale 9, but then did New Islington to the top of Slattocks in a single day with no weedhatches. Last year I helped a boat down and we spent almost as much time in the weedhatch as boating ? and the Boat and Horses to  New Islington took two days.

 

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

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3 minutes ago, dmr said:

I suspect the Rochdale is very variable, when we came up in the autumn we had two weedhatch visits on the Rochdale 9, but then did New Islington to the top of Slattocks in a single day with no weedhatches. Last year I helped a boat down and we spent almost as much time in the weedhatch as boating ? and the Boat and Horses to  New Islington took two days.

 

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

I caught a big carpet entering lock 2. Unfortunately I lost grip on it as I freed it from the prop. So it’s there for the next poor sod going up. 

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The Ashton is a non event. As well as boating through it I cycle it on occasion. There has been much urban regeneration and kids are now tied up with their phones so the days of being fair game are behind us, 

 

I also take exception to the idea that there are problems in the Gay village. Yes, there are issues underneath Picaddilly station but the rest of the Rochdale 9 is uneventful

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34 minutes ago, Cheshire cat said:

The Ashton is a non event. As well as boating through it I cycle it on occasion. There has been much urban regeneration and kids are now tied up with their phones so the days of being fair game are behind us, 

 

I also take exception to the idea that there are problems in the Gay village. Yes, there are issues underneath Picaddilly station but the rest of the Rochdale 9 is uneventful

A friend got stuck on the Ashton last year and had to spend the night in a lock, and she did have trouble. Shes the sort of person who does not get things out of perspective, but it was trouble. There are still incidents on the Rochdale 9, but then there are incidents everywhere. We have only been shot at once in 11 years and that was in a good safe place.

 

Manchesters canals are not too pleasant, but they are interesting, and with the usual urban canal common sense and preparation they should be ok.

 

Funny how everybody goes on about the Rochdale 9 when its the next bit up that is scary and difficult ?

 

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

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5 minutes ago, dmr said:

We have only been shot at once in 11 years and that was in a good safe place.

 

That's a different definition of safe than most people use!

 

6 minutes ago, dmr said:

Funny how everybody goes on about the Rochdale 9 when its the next bit up that is scary and difficult

 

They only do that 10% of the locks on their way via the Peak Forest ...

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9 minutes ago, TheBiscuits said:

 

That's a different definition of safe than most people use!

 

 

They only do that 10% of the locks on their way via the Peak Forest ...

Yeah, we have been back since and didn't get shot at again, so on the basis that "I have done that without trouble" we declared it to be safe.

 

Interesting that in our years of boating we have had:

 

Untied three times, two in central brum where its expected, once at Crooke hall near Wigan.

Untied and rope stolen,   Thrupp

Shot at (once), a nice spot on the Weaver

3 thefts, 1 in Newbury (maybe expected) 2 in Hungerford (posh genteel town on the K&A)

Water-bombed,   Banbury

Had bread thrown at us,   Ocker Hill Birmingham.

 

Verbal abuse and threats by cyclists, hire-boaters and other boaters not included.

 

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

 

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  • 1 month later...
On 17/05/2020 at 12:40, captain birdseye said:

I am just waiting to see if I can get a local CRT number that might work better, but yes it should be an official request. When I have been emailed with a request asking if anybody is available and I am I usually sort out meeting with the boater directly so we have contact before the day and I turn up at the right time and place and are expected

 

Are volunteers still offered on the Machester 18 on the Rochdale?  The latest stoppage notice on the CRT website (https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notices/17708-lock-65-to-lock-79-rochdale-canal) says you once again have to book passage of locks 65-79 and states "Please note, this will not be an assisted passage."

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40 minutes ago, David Mack said:

 

Are volunteers still offered on the Machester 18 on the Rochdale?  The latest stoppage notice on the CRT website (https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notices/17708-lock-65-to-lock-79-rochdale-canal) says you once again have to book passage of locks 65-79 and states "Please note, this will not be an assisted passage."

I assume you have to book to get the CRT man to take the padlocks off and he does not provide assistance, but also assume that you can still separately try to book a volunteer. A volunteer who knows that stretch of canal really is a big help.

 

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

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3 minutes ago, dmr said:

I assume you have to book to get the CRT man to take the padlocks off and he does not provide assistance, but also assume that you can still separately try to book a volunteer. A volunteer who knows that stretch of canal really is a big help.

 

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

 

Well its not very clear. You have to ring the same number to book the padlock removal and to request volunteer assistance, so it would make more sense for the two requests to be combined, and both referred to in the lastest notice!

 

Anyway, its all academic for now if tomorrow's promised update on Lock 46 does not say the canal is reopened (and I spoke to the Northwest team this afternoon, and they have no idea how the repairs are going).

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Just now, David Mack said:

 

Well its not very clear. You have to ring the same number to book the padlock removal and to request volunteer assistance, so it would make more sense for the two requests to be combined, and both referred to in the lastest notice!

 

Anyway, its all academic for now if tomorrow's promised update on Lock 46 does not say the canal is reopened (and I spoke to the Northwest team this afternoon, and they have no idea how the repairs are going).

A workboat went over the summit this morning (at 6:30 am) so they should be starting work very soon. It was full of lots of stuff, so much so that it spent some time yesterday stuck on the bottom a little way below lock 34.

 

There is a new problem at lock 39 causing the longish pound above it to drain very quickly and due to this (and me going down there to turn around, plus a hire boat plus the workboat) the summit level is now quite low. I reckon at least a week from now before its open, maybe even two.

 

................Dave 

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40 minutes ago, dmr said:

A workboat went over the summit this morning (at 6:30 am) so they should be starting work very soon. It was full of lots of stuff, so much so that it spent some time yesterday stuck on the bottom a little way below lock 34.

 

There is a new problem at lock 39 causing the longish pound above it to drain very quickly and due to this (and me going down there to turn around, plus a hire boat plus the workboat) the summit level is now quite low. I reckon at least a week from now before its open, maybe even two.

 

................Dave 

 

I drove past this morning, and from the A58 you can look across the fields to Lock 46. There was Heras fencing around the lock and some plant there, so at least they have started, but no indication of how much progress may have been made. I didn't have time to walk up and take a closer look.

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33 minutes ago, David Mack said:

 

I drove past this morning, and from the A58 you can look across the fields to Lock 46. There was Heras fencing around the lock and some plant there, so at least they have started, but no indication of how much progress may have been made. I didn't have time to walk up and take a closer look.

We have given up any plans to go serious boating this year, cancelled the Liverpool booking, and will stay on the Rochdale till next spring. I hope CRT are sympathetic as we will not be able to achieve the 20 mile cruising range (summit to Sowerby Bridge is significantly less than 20 miles). We should be mooring next to you at the Golden Lion tomorrow to get a pump out, then will probably go back up to Warland.

 

........Dave

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16 minutes ago, dmr said:

We have given up any plans to go serious boating this year, cancelled the Liverpool booking, and will stay on the Rochdale till next spring. I hope CRT are sympathetic as we will not be able to achieve the 20 mile cruising range (summit to Sowerby Bridge is significantly less than 20 miles).

https://canalplan.org.uk/cgi-bin/canal.cgi?quickroute=yes&where=Salterhebble Basin, Rochdale Junction

 

This is a trip of 21.76 miles and 49 locks from Salterhebble Basin to Rochdale Junction.

This will take 12 hours and 53 minutes ...

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3 minutes ago, TheBiscuits said:

https://canalplan.org.uk/cgi-bin/canal.cgi?quickroute=yes&where=Salterhebble Basin, Rochdale Junction

 

This is a trip of 21.76 miles and 49 locks from Salterhebble Basin to Rochdale Junction.

This will take 12 hours and 53 minutes ...

Thats canalplan time, not Rochdale time ?. If I wanted to play the CRT minimum distance game then I would need to get sightings in Rochdale, and I don't want to spend a night in Rochdale especially now as it might get locked down, and I suspect CRT data checkers don't go there anyway. I think with 11 years of over 1000 miles most years we can make a  good case that we are bone fide navigators but circumstances have conspired against us. ? CRT are also a little bit to blame for our current plans but that's another story not for a public forum.

 

Last winter we chickened out of going to Salterhebble and turned at Sowerby, I am not convinced that a 71 footer can turn at Salterhebble but I might give it a try this winter, we need a shorter boat to go down with us in case we need towing back.

 

An option would be to go through Rochdale and have a few nights at the Ship at the top of Slattocks but I don't want to risk pubs just yet, and depending on winding hole silting we just might then have to go down to New Islington to wind, that would mean doing Newton Heath twice just to turn round ?

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1 hour ago, dmr said:

We have given up any plans to go serious boating this year, cancelled the Liverpool booking, and will stay on the Rochdale till next spring.

 

Its beginning to look like that for us, although I have plans to be elsewhere next winter.

 

1 hour ago, dmr said:

We should be mooring next to you at the Golden Lion tomorrow to get a pump out, then will probably go back up to Warland.

Feel free to breast up to Belfast.

Edited by David Mack
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18 minutes ago, dmr said:

Last winter we chickened out of going to Salterhebble and turned at Sowerby, I am not convinced that a 71 footer can turn at Salterhebble but I might give it a try this winter, we need a shorter boat to go down with us in case we need towing back.

 

You can always use Salterhebble top lock to give you some extra turning space and reverse up to the basin.  You can easily get a 60 foot boat out of the lock, so there is more than 120 feet of length available - just stick your extra length into the (filled) lock.

 

I think there's probably space to turn yours in the basin, but depth might cause you problems as it's shallow in places.

 

salterhebble_basin.jpg.d8061da382285f941fb5505e8917d933.jpg

 

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Salterhebble,+Halifax/@53.7020471,-1.8544722,77m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x487bdd4a4bdf8815:0x11ceedb61047b00f!8m2!3d53.70224!4d-1.8557789?hl=en&authuser=0

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20 minutes ago, dmr said:

Last winter we chickened out of going to Salterhebble and turned at Sowerby, I am not convinced that a 71 footer can turn at Salterhebble but I might give it a try this winter, we need a shorter boat to go down with us in case we need towing back.

 

Plenty of room to turn at Salterhebble Basin for a full length boat. I have done it a number of times, as did most of the ex-working boats that attended last year's Hebden Bridge gathering.

 

But same can't be said for the winding holes. In 2012 we struggled to turn at the one below Lock 5 in Fulbourne - an unconverted boat with not a lot of draft at the bows, and last year Alan Fincher failed to wind Flamingo at the winding hole just east of Falling Royd tunnel. I think the WH at Littleborough by Ben Healy Bridge is also short. These winding holes were all dug/re-excavated when the length from above Tuel Lane to Littleborough was restored but unconnected to the rest of the system, so only accessible initially to craned in boats, and after Tuel Lane opened, only to boats up to 60 ft long.

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8 minutes ago, TheBiscuits said:

 

You can always use Salterhebble top lock to give you some extra turning space and reverse up to the basin.  You can easily get a 60 foot boat out of the lock, so there is more than 120 feet of length available - just stick your extra length into the (filled) lock.

 

I think there's probably space to turn yours in the basin, but depth might cause you problems as it's shallow in places.

 

salterhebble_basin.jpg.d8061da382285f941fb5505e8917d933.jpg

 

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Salterhebble,+Halifax/@53.7020471,-1.8544722,77m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x487bdd4a4bdf8815:0x11ceedb61047b00f!8m2!3d53.70224!4d-1.8557789?hl=en&authuser=0

 

Indeed. This is Belfast nose in as far as it will go into the Halifax Canal. I don;t have a picture showing us mid-winding, but you can see there is plenty of room. No problem with depth for a boat drawing 3 ft either.

20190610_171128.jpg.436db5a80c2f7520f1559023d68ecc27.jpg

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