Would a 60 Narrowboat Be Able The: River Ure Navigation?

[Joe Bourke]

46 minutes ago, noddyboater said:

Wasn't '98 the year you set off to do the Trent & Mersey but only got to Shardlow, sampled all the pubs and came home?

What a trip that was Paul !  I giggle even now about it.  Mark and Leeds Paul decided to go up the Erewash and got grief from a gang of youths who proceeded to lob a football net complete with posts into the lock they were trying to get through. 

Leeds Paul also decided that when you go for an all you can eat Chinese you can  help yourself to ALL the chopsticks and take them home.

I think that was the same trip Mark ran out of diesel in Keadby Lock !

I also breasted Leeds Paul down the Trent and into Keadby Lock because he'd got blocked fuel filters.

Leeds Paul also was the one who broke down on the Tidal Trent and he threw his anchor over the side and his rope snapped.

I could write a book, but honestly when I look back they were great times.  

 

You've also done your bit on the Tidal Trent.  Rescuing that abandoned narrowboat between Gainsborough and West Stockwith. 

 

 

 

 

[Midnight]

19 minutes ago, Vidar Jutul said:

I'm planning as soon as the whole of Covid 19 is over, hopefully I'm not wedged when you need it

Keep an eye on CaRT's stoppages page - Beal Lock is still closed due to silt as far as I know (although I did hear but can't confirm that it's passable with a shallow draft)
https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notices/17368-beal-lock-river-aire

[Vidar Jutul]

8 minutes ago, Midnight said:

Keep an eye on CaRT's stoppages page - Beal Lock is still closed due to silt as far as I know (although I did hear but can't confirm that it's passable with a shallow draft)
https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notices/17368-beal-lock-river-aire

Okay, Thankyou

[noddyboater]

1 hour ago, Joe Bourke said:

What a trip that was Paul !  I giggle even now about it.  Mark and Leeds Paul decided to go up the Erewash and got grief from a gang of youths who proceeded to lob a football net complete with posts into the lock they were trying to get through. 

Leeds Paul also decided that when you go for an all you can eat Chinese you can  help yourself to ALL the chopsticks and take them home.

I think that was the same trip Mark ran out of diesel in Keadby Lock !

I also breasted Leeds Paul down the Trent and into Keadby Lock because he'd got blocked fuel filters.

Leeds Paul also was the one who broke down on the Tidal Trent and he threw his anchor over the side and his rope snapped.

I could write a book, but honestly when I look back they were great times.  

 

You've also done your bit on the Tidal Trent.  Rescuing that abandoned narrowboat between Gainsborough and West Stockwith. 

 

 

 

 

"Tales of the Tidal Trent " would be a great read, go for it!

The rescue that makes me smile was the time I was moving a boat for sale from Thorne to Mercia, a few years ago.  We left Keadby on an early tide with a few other boats,  blazing hot summers morning.  The boat kept dying on me as it had an airlock in the fuel line but luckily a narrowboat pulled alongside to assist while I sorted it out.  A family was on the boat, dad steering,  his wife asked if he was too hot in his T shirt and promptly reappeared with a huge pair of scissors and cut the neck and arms out his shirt whilst he was wearing it! 

Beers were then shared around for refreshment, it was about 9AM but I'm sure it wasn't their first. 

[Joe Bourke]

3 hours ago, noddyboater said:

"Tales of the Tidal Trent " would be a great read, go for it!

The rescue that makes me smile was the time I was moving a boat for sale from Thorne to Mercia, a few years ago.  We left Keadby on an early tide with a few other boats,  blazing hot summers morning.  The boat kept dying on me as it had an airlock in the fuel line but luckily a narrowboat pulled alongside to assist while I sorted it out.  A family was on the boat, dad steering,  his wife asked if he was too hot in his T shirt and promptly reappeared with a huge pair of scissors and cut the neck and arms out his shirt whilst he was wearing it! 

Beers were then shared around for refreshment, it was about 9AM but I'm sure it wasn't their first. 

I might do exactly that. Start a thread with a title "Tales of the Tidals"

[john6767]

5 hours ago, NB Caelmiri said:

I'm going to head up to Ripon next month, what are the visitor moorings like? I passed by briefly on the weekend as I went for a ride out there to have a look but actually didn't see any boats there at all, other than what looked like an untied trip boat floating around in the middle at the top end.

You are not allowed to stop in the basin, there is room for about 4 boats on the approach to the basin, the only issue being it is right next to a noisy road.  It’s ok for overnight though.  We were there in July and were the only boat there, basically from the Trent and all 

points north there were few boats anywhere on our trip.

[Naughty Cal]

It is worth the effort getting up to Ripon if you can. It is very pretty up that way.

 

We didn't have a problem at any of the locks and kept us a d the boat dry. Being 25ft has some advantages! 

 

ETA: not sure if it is still the same lady who looks after the facilities on the canal, but this was by far the best facility block we have encountered on our travels. It was so clean and comfy, definitely could tell it had a womans touch.

 

 

Edited May 27, 2020 by Naughty Cal

[Guest]

Nobody has followed up on Pocklington, we've never done it (in a boat) nor know anybody who has.

 

Anybody?

[Joe Bourke]

I've never done it.   However there is a Pocklington Canal Amenity Society complete with website.  The head of the society is Paul Waddington,  owner of Goole Boat House Marina.  I'm sure he would be delighted in giving you the latest information.

[haggis]

2 hours ago, The Happy Nomad said:

Nobody has followed up on Pocklington, we've never done it (in a boat) nor know anybody who has.

 

Anybody?

We went up the Derwent and the Pocklington, as far as it was open then, several years ago on our shared boat, Copperkins. My memory is of mooring on a very rickety pontoon on the Derwent with only about 4 feet of boat along side the pontoon and the rest tied to a tree. The swing bridges were jolly hard work, probably because they weren't used much and it sometimes took three of us jumping up and down to move them. We tried going further up the Derwent  from the junction with the Pocklington but very quickly gave up as the trees on both sides had grown over the river and it was almost impassible.

When we were coming back onto the Ouse, the lock keeper held us in the lock for a while as a big GRP boat was coming up river at speed and it was creating a large wash. 

 

haggis. 

Edited May 27, 2020 by haggis

[Midnight]

4 hours ago, The Happy Nomad said:

Nobody has followed up on Pocklington, we've never done it (in a boat) nor know anybody who has.

 

Anybody?

I've been up there a few times recently in a 57. I can't remember it being so tight in the locks that I was concerned. I'm not qualified to say if a 60ft boat would make it but I suspect it will. The main issue is water depth you really have to WANT to go there. It's very shallow and very weedy for the first few miles. I managed less than 1mph over the first mile two years running. Having said that it is a splendid rural river (The Derwent) and canal and I would recommend it. As for the tidal bit. From Selby it's probably the most uncomplicated tidal stretch I've ever done even easier going back. From Goole a bit of a white knuckle ride in a narrowboat but a relatively easy exit. I've never attempted the reverse preferring to go the long way round via Selby. Moorings are few and far between probably two in the Melbourne arm if you count the trip boat jetty and if you don't mind the jungle plenty of towpath - you may need a long plank and a machete.

Edited May 27, 2020 by Midnight

[Mac of Cygnet]

4 hours ago, The Happy Nomad said:

Nobody has followed up on Pocklington, we've never done it (in a boat) nor know anybody who has.

 

Anybody?

 

I went up to the (new) head of navigation of the Pocklington last year.  There's not much to detain one there, but at least it's a bit further.  I put some pics up on here.  I'll see if I can find them. 

Here we are:  https://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?/topic/102851-pocklington-canal-jungle-boating/&tab=comments#comment-2349242

Edited May 27, 2020 by Mac of Cygnet

[Guest]

9 hours ago, Mac of Cygnet said:

 

I went up to the (new) head of navigation of the Pocklington last year.  There's not much to detain one there, but at least it's a bit further.  I put some pics up on here.  I'll see if I can find them. 

Here we are:  https://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?/topic/102851-pocklington-canal-jungle-boating/&tab=comments#comment-2349242

Interesting thread.

 

Last time I was along that way (on foot) a few years ago that last bit had water in it, the lock looked as if it was usable and was in a good state of repair/restoration but boats couldnt navigate beyond Melbourne.

[Rose Narrowboats]

We got Toucan (60'6") up to Melbourne on the Pocklington and Stamford Bridge on the Derwent in the late 80's.

 

From memory we shared the locks with our friends' 45 footer, but we did have to push round some of the bottom gates coming back down, certainly with the bow fender still on,  and I don't remember lifting the stern fenders either.

 

The biggest problem was the lock keeper on the EA lock off the Ouse who declared we were too long and wouldn't let us into the lock - it some persuading to actually get him to try!

 

Oh and the weed........we bow hauled the last bit up to the arm at Melbourne, it was quicker.

 

We came over the L&L on the same trip and Bingley sticks in my mind as having shorter chambers than all of the supposedly 58' max. length locks we went through, including the Ure Navigation. I don't know about the Ripon Canal as it was derelict at the time.

[Guest]

9 hours ago, Rose Narrowboats said:

We got Toucan (60'6") up to Melbourne on the Pocklington and Stamford Bridge on the Derwent in the late 80's.

 

From memory we shared the locks with our friends' 45 footer, but we did have to push round some of the bottom gates coming back down, certainly with the bow fender still on,  and I don't remember lifting the stern fenders either.

 

The biggest problem was the lock keeper on the EA lock off the Ouse who declared we were too long and wouldn't let us into the lock - it some persuading to actually get him to try!

 

Oh and the weed........we bow hauled the last bit up to the arm at Melbourne, it was quicker.

 

We came over the L&L on the same trip and Bingley sticks in my mind as having shorter chambers than all of the supposedly 58' max. length locks we went through, including the Ure Navigation. I don't know about the Ripon Canal as it was derelict at the time.

Barry who worked the locks at Bingley for a long time and knew them like the back of his hand told us the locks there are the shortest on the L&L. Only a matter of a few inches but yes the shortest.

 

So I would say your recollection is correct.

[Guest]

16 minutes ago, The Happy Nomad said:

Barry who worked the locks at Bingley for a long time and knew them like the back of his hand told us the locks there are the shortest on the L&L. Only a matter of a few inches but yes the shortest.

 

So I would say your recollection is correct.

I forget which chamber it is, possibly the middle of the 5, is definitely the shortest on that canal, but still doable (just) in a 63ft narrowboat at an angle. 

[mrsmelly]

2 hours ago, The Happy Nomad said:

Barry who worked the locks at Bingley for a long time and knew them like the back of his hand told us the locks there are the shortest on the L&L. Only a matter of a few inches but yes the shortest.

 

So I would say your recollection is correct.

Barry was a proper character, there was one way to do those locks and one way only and that was Barries way!! he was spot on and after we had done them a couple of times he would nod as he knew we would be ok lol. iirc he ended up with some sort of gong? mbe or sommet for services rendered?

[Mac of Cygnet]

3 hours ago, mrsmelly said:

Barry was a proper character, there was one way to do those locks and one way only and that was Barries way!! he was spot on and after we had done them a couple of times he would nod as he knew we would be ok lol. iirc he ended up with some sort of gong? mbe or sommet for services rendered?

 

And here's the man himself, in typically disguntled mode'