Rochdale (again)

[IanD]

30 minutes ago, dmr said:

Rochdale Locks are hard work, and some uneven stonework means you have to pay a lot of attention, but they are lovely solid stone built locks. On a sunny day the Slattocks flight is just wonderful, if it was anywhere else but hemmed in between Manchester and Rochdale it would be a top destination.

 

The Rochdale is a lot like the K&A, some boaters just love it, others do it once and say never again, most just keep well away.

 

...............Dave 

It's a pity more people don't use the Rochdale and HNC because -- as well as being probably our favourite canals -- they might get more maintenance with more use.

 

I don't think the Rochdale locks are worse than many other broad locks -- the ones on the Soar this week were pretty hard work with only two of us on the boat, especially given the wonderful weather... ?

[dmr]

7 minutes ago, IanD said:

It's a pity more people don't use the Rochdale and HNC because -- as well as being probably our favourite canals -- they might get more maintenance with more use.

 

I don't think the Rochdale locks are worse than many other broad locks -- the ones on the Soar this week were pretty hard work with only two of us on the boat, especially given the wonderful weather... ?

The Rochdale gates generally open nicely, though there are a couple of really difficult ones on the Littleborough flight. The paddles are mixed, there are a few top paddles that are beyond my strength, even with the long windlass, these are between Hebden and Summit. However as long as one works the stiff one generally eases once the lock is half full. There are a few locks where its possible to get wedged in uneven bits of the lock wall. 

 

The Rochdale does need more boats, if CRT ever decide to abandon a canal it would be this one, but except for the water supply issue the maintenance does not look that bad to me. There are a couple of really rough locks on the South Oxford and thats a real popular canal, and some of the Grand Union is not too good. Some of the Rochdale locks leak really badly at the cill which looks dramatic, but there are not many where water blasts right through the gates themselves.

 

The "Newton Heath shallows" are not good, but tha'ts not bad maintenance, its unfinished restoration ?

 

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

[dmr]

13 hours ago, Jim Riley said:

Harrumph! Just when we are looking at going west. I think we will go round the Macc, not done the T&M from kidsgrove to Middlewich. Hopefully then we could get back up through Manchester. Need to think about what day we will be dropping through Newton Heath to get help. With Noreen's Narcolepsy/Cataplexy I'm more or less single handed a lot of the time.

I'm confused, where are you? If you are still on the Rochdale then you ain't going anywhere till the New Islington pound is fixed. If you decide to go on through Newton Heath then give us a couple of days notice and maybe me and/or Goliath can come and help.

 

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

[Jim Riley]

11 hours ago, dmr said:

I'm confused, where are you? If you are still on the Rochdale then you ain't going anywhere till the New Islington pound is fixed. If you decide to go on through Newton Heath then give us a couple of days notice and maybe me and/or Goliath can come and help.

 

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

I'm dazed and confused too! I was thinking the stoppage was further down and we could get to the Ashton. Maybe we'll go to Huddersfield instead. Thanks for the offer though. Been past Goliath, no sign of life. We spent last night opposite the sani station, going up one lock to stay on the big pool tonight. 

[David Mack]

3 hours ago, Jim Riley said:

I'm dazed and confused too! I was thinking the stoppage was further down and we could get to the Ashton. Maybe we'll go to Huddersfield instead. Thanks for the offer though. Been past Goliath, no sign of life. We spent last night opposite the sani station, going up one lock to stay on the big pool tonight. 

You can't escape via Tod either:

https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notices/18262-lock-19-todmorden-guillotine-lock-rochdale

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

5 hours ago, Jim Riley said:

I'm dazed and confused too! I was thinking the stoppage was further down and we could get to the Ashton. Maybe we'll go to Huddersfield instead. Thanks for the offer though. Been past Goliath, no sign of life. We spent last night opposite the sani station, going up one lock to stay on the big pool tonight. 

I might move up a couple of locks tomorrow for water then onto the same pound as you. 
If you want to share locks later this week, or next, up to Summit I’d be up for it. 
Any day that suits, just not tomorrow. 

 

[Jim Riley]

16 hours ago, Goliath said:

I might move up a couple of locks tomorrow for water then onto the same pound as you. 
If you want to share locks later this week, or next, up to Summit I’d be up for it. 
Any day that suits, just not tomorrow. 

 

Sounds like a suitably flexible plan. In the little Dock, moving up to the big open pool tonight in the same pound. Nipping home this afternoon. Back later. 

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

10 hours ago, Jim Riley said:

Sounds like a suitably flexible plan. In the little Dock, moving up to the big open pool tonight in the same pound. Nipping home this afternoon. Back later. 

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