Long barge pole

[blackrose]

I lost my long ash pole in a storm last winter as I stupidly had wedged begind the integral handrail to hold a tarp down on the roof and the tarp lifted and the pole went flying into deep water. I was thinking about a replacement, but I've no idea how I'd get one back to the boat as I don't have a roof rack on my car and it's probably not the sort of item that can be delivered. Then it occured to me that in 15 years I only used it a couple of times at most. Does everyone carry a long pole on their boat and how often do you actually use it? It's always worth having a couple of different length boat hooks, but my widebeam weighs nearly 30 tonnes so a barge pole seems to be of limited use.

[Stilllearning]

I had a pole on a boat I bought. A few years later it began to rot and made some very neat little logs. The trick was, I discovered, not to go boating when it was windy.

[mrsmelly]

I didnt have one on my last boat. There is one on this boat as it came with it. I havnt used one for many many years.

[dmr]

Ive got a short and long "long shaft"   I think the short one is about 2.4m? and these are easy get delivered as they fit in many delivery vans. I use this one most. The longer one is a bit more awkward to use but is great in deeper water, the shorter one is a bit inadequate on some deeper canals.  If you want a longer one then a few places sell them but you will have to collect it and will need a long wheelbase van and possibly a roof rack.

 

We don't have an electric bow thruster so the shaft can be essential for winding in tight winding holes.

 

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

[haggis]

I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of times we have used a boat pole in the 30 + years we have been boating. When we bought kelpie, she had rather nice fungi growing out of her boat pole so the next time we passed Stretton Stop we bought a new one (which we have haven't got round to painting yet ? ). The shared boat we had for many years before Kelpie, seemed to collect boat poles and it was not unknown for there to be 3 or 4 of them on the roof. We never used these either but apparently other owners found them necessary ? 

 

haggis 

[Old Son]

I use an aluminium scaffold pole with a plastic cover on each end. No rot, no rust and not much difference in weight.

[TheBiscuits]

I use mine quite a lot, but then I deliberately take my boat into stupid places where it get stuck, or I use the shaft to rake out cills or gate recesses to make make locks work.

 

I wondered how to get a long one delivered (most couriers won't touch anything over 3 m) , and then it occurred to me to buy it from Midland Chandlers at Preston Brook.  They price match, and I can get the boat alongside so why not?

 

 

 

 

[haggis]

7 minutes ago, TheBiscuits said:

I use mine quite a lot, but then I deliberately take my boat into stupid places where it get stuck, or I use the shaft to rake out cills or gate recesses to make make locks work.

 

 

That reminded me that we used our boat pole in the join of the bottom gates on lock 5 in the Atherstone flight to stop the water escaping and help fill the lock. I had forgotten that but we did it a few times. 

 

haggis

Edited June 5, 2020 by haggis

[robtheplod]

Midland seem to deliver?

 

https://www.midlandchandlers.co.uk/products/ash-boat-pole-12ft-x-46mm-e230

 

[TheBiscuits]

1 minute ago, haggis said:

That reminded me that we used our boat pole in the join of the bottom gates on lock 5 in the Atherstone flight to stop the water escaping and help fill the lock. I had forgotten that but we did it a few times. 

 

Yeah, you might not need one often, but when you do need one it's usually urgent!

 

1 minute ago, robtheplod said:

Midland seem to deliver?

 

https://www.midlandchandlers.co.uk/products/ash-boat-pole-12ft-x-46mm-e230

 

 

That's only a 12 ft pole, so they must have carriers who will go up to 4m.  

 

A 16ft pole is much more use if you can find one as you can stand up to use it instead of having to lie down on the roof and lean over the side ...

[WotEver]

The very first time I ever drove a narrowboat I got stuck on some mud.  The missus looked around and said "Where's that long pole that was on the roof?"  I replied, "Oh, I wondered what that was for, I left it on the bank..."

[TheBiscuits]

45 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

I havnt used one for many many years.

 

That's true for your windlass too though. 

 

[mrsmelly]

1 minute ago, TheBiscuits said:

 

That's true for your windlass too though. 

 

Thats a tool for the missus to use.

[Movin' on]

55 minutes ago, blackrose said:

I lost my long ash pole in a storm last winter as I stupidly had wedged begind the integral handrail to hold a tarp down on the roof and the tarp lifted and the pole went flying into deep water. I was thinking about a replacement, but I've no idea how I'd get one back to the boat as I don't have a roof rack on my car and it's probably not the sort of item that can be delivered. Then it occured to me that in 15 years I only used it a couple of times at most. Does everyone carry a long pole on their boat and how often do you actually use it? It's always worth having a couple of different length boat hooks, but my widebeam weighs nearly 30 tonnes so a barge pole seems to be of limited use.

I've only ever used it for moving the sharp end if its stuck in a muddy winding hole then its invaluable 

With your boat and your cruising IMHO a complete waste of time, unless you need to extend your TV aerial height, and its something else to trip you up on the roof!

 

 

 

ALSO......if you do want one a mop stick handrail from any GOOD timber yard will do just as well and costs a 1/4 of the price

Edited June 5, 2020 by Halsey

[dmr]

Surprised that some people never use them, how do you turn in a tight winding hole, especially if the wind is not helping?

 

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

[mrsmelly]

1 minute ago, dmr said:

Surprised that some people never use them, how do you turn in a tight winding hole, especially if the wind is not helping?

 

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

Stick nose on bank, wind, pull backwards to clear, put appropriate tiller and revs and move off. This is assuming  instant power take up from modern engine. When using an old knacker with an old knacker gearbox it takes a bit more jiggling on occasion.

[TheBiscuits]

1 minute ago, dmr said:

Surprised that some people never use them, how do you turn in a tight winding hole, especially if the wind is not helping?

 

I'd try and do a handbrake turn, but your boat is 25 feet longer than mine!

[dmr]

6 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

Stick nose on bank, wind, pull backwards to clear, put appropriate tiller and revs and move off. This is assuming  instant power take up from modern engine. When using an old knacker with an old knacker gearbox it takes a bit more jiggling on occasion.

Yes, thats what we sometimes do if we can. We normally put the front into the winding hole as the back is deeper, but often the front just bogs down in the silt so I use the shaft to probe for  any deeper bits and then use it to hold the front in the deeper bits. Here (Hebden) we put the back in as the winding hole is also the drydock entrance. If there are boats moored in the there then there is little room to manouver the back so pushing the front round with the shaft is the best option.

 

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

[dor]

I once saw a boat with a hire crew, fresh out of Bunbury, heading for the first bridge at Calveley.  The teenage boy on the was clearly all ready to use the boat pole to help guide the boat through the bridge 'ole.  He was holding the pole out in front of himself, with the back of the pole firmly wedged in the middle of his chest.  Foretunately the vehemence with which i shouted at him did make him drop the pole.    Bit early for a spit roast.

[mrsmelly]

27 minutes ago, dmr said:

Yes, thats what we sometimes do if we can. We normally put the front into the winding hole as the back is deeper, but often the front just bogs down in the silt so I use the shaft to probe for  any deeper bits and then use it to hold the front in the deeper bits. Here (Hebden) we put the back in as the winding hole is also the drydock entrance. If there are boats moored in the there then there is little room to manouver the back so pushing the front round with the shaft is the best option.

 

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

Dont you just love it when some numpty usualy in a fifty footer or smaller moors either in or very close to the winding hole? ?

[David Mack]

We have long poles on both Fulbourne and Belfast. They don't get used that often, but there are occasions when nothing else will do.

Midland Chandlers (and probably others) can supply poles up to 12 ft long, but longer poles are harder to find. Rose Narrowboats had some a while back - no idea if they still have any in stock. Or you could enquire of your local specialist timber merchant if they can get them.

As for delivery, can't you ask if CWDF couriers could help transporting one from, say, Stretton to the Nene?

[dmr]

28 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

Dont you just love it when some numpty usualy in a fifty footer or smaller moors either in or very close to the winding hole? ?

Before we discovered the North we spent winters on the K&A where boats of any length moor IN the winding hole ?

 

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

[GUMPY]

2 hours ago, Old Son said:

I use an aluminium scaffold pole with a plastic cover on each end. No rot, no rust and not much difference in weight.

My two are thin wall 2" ali poles, used them quite often on Parglena and Idleness not so much on Loddon as it has a cover at the front. They are getting on for 25 years old only because I don't use them as a lever (that's what the gangplank is for).

[mark99]

Usefull for depth checking on increasingly shallow waterways. Tape the depth of your skeg on the pole. People always ask me what I'm doing walking the bank dipping the edge!

 

Have found the odd good mooring in shallow no hoper sections.

[blackrose]

5 hours ago, dmr said:

 

We don't have an electric bow thruster so the shaft can be essential for winding in tight winding holes.

 

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

 

Ok, that wouldn't work for me as I'm single-handed anyway.

5 hours ago, Old Son said:

I use an aluminium scaffold pole with a plastic cover on each end. No rot, no rust and not much difference in weight.

Aluminum scaffold pole? I always thought they were steel? Where does one procure an aluminum one?

5 hours ago, robtheplod said:

Midland seem to deliver?

 

https://www.midlandchandlers.co.uk/products/ash-boat-pole-12ft-x-46mm-e230

 

Thanks