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Hi All,

 

Away for 7 nights from Friday, departing Clifton Cruises Rugby( still undecided on the route to take ??‍♂️, but not Warwickshire Ring (another time with a bigger crew))

 

Any current information on how busy the Canals around the routes from Rugby are ? How long waiting times for locks ?

 

Any other info from My upcoming trip gratefully received.

 

 Thanks 

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I live on the Coventry Canal and have never seen it so busy as it is now.

 

Took the boat out recently and had a one hour wait for the Glascote Locks in each direction.

 

CRT are advising against using the Ashby Canal at the moment due to low water levels, so either head south towards Braunston or north onto the Coventry and up towards Fradley.

 

 

Edited by cuthound
Phat phingers
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I have no information about the routes from Rugby. 

 

Last week I did the Llangollen canal (busiest canal in the country)........my 3rd time on there and it was certainly busier than previous trips. Every single hire boat is out and additionally day boats seem fully booked too. However each night I was easily able to moor up by myself in the countryside and the extra traffic didn't impact on travel times much.......I still did the whole length and back comfortably in 6 days, which is in the ball park of how long it took me on previous trips. The main snag was Grindley Brook (3 locks and a triple staircase lock) 2hrs going up (normal) and 4hrs going down. The Shropshire Union was much busier than normal, and each time I came through Barbridge Junction it was carnage!  

Edited by booke23
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Hi Cuthound 

 

Thanks for your reply. I’m fearing that we’re going to find some delays while we’re out, so I’m try to miss out any large flights of locks.

 

I'm hoping to get some more real-time updates like yours on where’s busy and where’s not (if any)

 

Thanks

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2 minutes ago, Jeff78 said:

Hi Cuthound 

 

Thanks for your reply. I’m fearing that we’re going to find some delays while we’re out, so I’m try to miss out any large flights of locks.

 

I'm hoping to get some more real-time updates like yours on where’s busy and where’s not (if any)

 

Thanks

North onto the Coventry would also be my choice.(As suggested by Cuthound).

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49 minutes ago, cuthound said:

 

 

CRT are advising against using the Ashby Canal at the moment due to low water levels, so either head south towards Braunston or north onto the Coventry and up towards Fradley.

 

 

But isn't the Ashby part of a very extensive pound with includes much of the Coventry? So if one has low water, so will the other, surely?

Edited by Athy
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2 minutes ago, Athy said:

But isn't the Ashby part of a very extensive pound with includes much of the Coventry? So if one has low water, so will the other, surely?

That is so very true. Hadn’t thoughtof that.

Perhaps the bottom is further away from the top where ever that is. 

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4 minutes ago, Athy said:

But isn't the Ashby part of a very extensive pound with includes much of the Coventry? So if one has low water, so will the other, surely?

But when the stop lock was in use was the Ashby lower than the Coventry in which case would be shallower than the rest of the Coventry.

Edited by Rob-M
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18 minutes ago, Athy said:

But isn't the Ashby part of a very extensive pound with includes much of the Coventry? So if one has low water, so will the other, surely?

 

Even though from Coventry through to the top of Atherstone, both canals are at the same level, the Ashby is shallower, as evidenced by the slower progress along it compared to the Coventry.

 

Here is the CRT notification.

 

Notice Alert

Ashby Canal
Location: Between Orton's Bridge 1 and Turnover Bridge 61
Starts At: Bridge 1, Orton's Bridge
Ends At: Bridge 61, Turnover Bridge

Thursday 13 August 2020 until further notice

Type: Advice
Reason: Water resources


 

Original message:

 

Due to the recent dry weather, we are currently experiencing extremely low water on the Ashby Canal. 

This is consequently making it very difficult for our boaters to travel. 

We are working hard with our colleagues in the West Midlands Team, who are trying to bring us water from the Coventry Canal. 

However, they are very low on water as well and so it is taking longer than normal to get the water levels back up. 

We advise boaters to minimise their travel at this moment in time and please proceed with care. 

We will update our website as the situation develops. 
We apologise for any inconvenience this may be causing and appreciate our customers patience at this time.

Please follow the government advice – stay alert, control the virus, save lives

You can view this notice and its map online here:
https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notice/18101/between-ortons-bridge-1-and-turnover-bridge-61

You can find all notices at the url below:
https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notices

 

However, I'm not sure how they can bring water from the Coventry Canal when it is at the same level or lower than the Ashby.

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Just been down Trent & Mersey, Fradley, Fazely, Birmingham, Warwick, Watford/Foxton heading to Leicester and they have been quiet, no waiting and all the big flights quiet. However what I have noticed is far more moored boats not moving and more Hire boats moving then other boats. So more time on tick over. I asked a CaRT enforcement officer if there was a reason and he said when CaRT relaxed the Covid rules so people could use their boats a lot left their Marina’s and have just moored on the towpath moving little when they have to. So I would say quiet apart from moored boats not moving.

Edited by PD1964
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From Clifton Cruisers base, it's about 18 hours cruising to the top of Foxton locks. Once past Bruanston and onto the Leicester line, you will find it quiet, rural, with good stops at Crick, Welford and Foxton itself. Aim to get to the bottom of Watford locks as early as you can. Any delay can easily be made up on the lock free summit pound.

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@Jeff78, are you still needing to swap boats on Monday?

 

I agree with @johnmck that the Leicester line makes a good and varied out and back route from Rugby. I did it from Stockton top lock on a Monday to Friday hire six years ago. That’s a very similar distance to doing it from Rugby. I did suggest this on your other thread and if you have the full seven days you could aim for Market Harborough rather than Welford. That depends upon how you are getting on and how busy things are.

 

Personally I don’t bother about what everyone else is doing. You’ve got to plan what you want to do. The only variable is the exact point at which you turn around and head back to base.


I’ve spent 10 days out since lockdown ended and while there have been plenty of boats about (apart from yesterday when I was off the beaten track) I’ve not had to wait for more than one boat in front of me at a lock. In many cases there were also boats coming up so the work was shared and no one had close gates behind them which mitigates some of the waiting.

 

JP

Edited by Captain Pegg
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This is causing major problems and queues at Braunston bottom lock, especially on UCC changover days(Saturday).

I would try to do the Braunston locks on Friday evening, at least the first 2(admiral nelson pound), or hit it very early on Saturday.

The Watford flight has been manned from around 8am the last 4 times I have been through in the last 2 months.....Foxton still seems to be 10am.

 

20200815_214948.jpg

 

From below Foxton through to the Soar was lovely and quiet.

Edited by matty40s
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We are just finishing doing the Warwickshire ring (‘ish), including the Ashy.  It is very busy everywhere, with the exception of central Birmingham .  All the hire companies that we have passed have had all their boats out.

 

it is about 3 weeks since we did the Ashby and it was no shallower than normal then.

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We are heading off on the weekend for a couple of weeks down towards Oxford. Not been past Cropredy for a long time so will see how far we get, having to do Atherstone and Hillmorton on the way out but I'm sure it won't stop us getting to where we want.

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52 minutes ago, Rob-M said:

We are heading off on the weekend for a couple of weeks down towards Oxford. Not been past Cropredy for a long time so will see how far we get, having to do Atherstone and Hillmorton on the way out but I'm sure it won't stop us getting to where we want.

All the way from Great Haywood to Napton bottom and just 19.1 locks if my memory hasn’t missed any. (ETA - yes it has, Glascote. Make that 21.1). That’s a good run. A little queue at the locks shouldn’t be much of an issue. Easily made up for with a nice evening or early morning cruise, those are the best cruising times in any case.

 

It’s 42 years since I went south of the Old Engine House Arm winding hole. I often forget the Oxford exists. Maybe I’ll get there the year after next (which I’ve decided will be an elongated Four Counties ring(ish) after the (fingers crossed) BCN Challenge.

Edited by Captain Pegg
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11 hours ago, Rob-M said:

We are heading off on the weekend for a couple of weeks down towards Oxford. Not been past Cropredy for a long time so will see how far we get, having to do Atherstone and Hillmorton on the way out but I'm sure it won't stop us getting to where we want.

We are setting off down the South Oxford 1st Sept, for a month on the Thames.  In case you missed it there are time restrictions on when Napton is open, something like 9:30 - 4:00?

  • Greenie 1
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1 hour ago, john6767 said:

We are setting off down the South Oxford 1st Sept, for a month on the Thames.  In case you missed it there are time restrictions on when Napton is open, something like 9:30 - 4:00?

If you are unaware,

EA has just published its lock manning levels for the rest of the season (though that shouldn't affect a proper boater...) here:-

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/river-thames-restrictions-and-closures#planned-lock-closures

More than an inconvenience is that Culham lock cut is closed 9 to 5 Monday to Friday while divers apply some sticking plaster to the aged timber footbridge. That's a pain as there are very few places where you can moor in the reaches above and below the lock and I suspect the lock cut will be full of plant and machinery.

 

 

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1 hour ago, OldGoat said:

If you are unaware,

EA has just published its lock manning levels for the rest of the season (though that shouldn't affect a proper boater...) here:-

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/river-thames-restrictions-and-closures#planned-lock-closures

More than an inconvenience is that Culham lock cut is closed 9 to 5 Monday to Friday while divers apply some sticking plaster to the aged timber footbridge. That's a pain as there are very few places where you can moor in the reaches above and below the lock and I suspect the lock cut will be full of plant and machinery.

 

 

Thanks, I get the harbour master notices for the Thames, so had seen that. Culham should not be an issue on the way down, just leave Abingdon at 7am and will be through Culham lock well before 9am. On the way back, they should have finished by then.

 

Dont mind working the locks ourselves, not many were manned in Sept two years ago, the only issue is other boaters, some of who don’t deal with self service well!

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19 hours ago, cuthound said:

 or north onto the Coventry and up towards Fradley.

 

 

 

 

I went down the Atherstone flight on Saturday morning. I'm not sure of the time exactly but it was around 8am. There was no one there when I arrived (including volunteers).

I used the services and whilst waiting for my water to fill, the volunteers turned up, closely followed by three boats. My tank filled just as the third boat was going into the lock.

When I was in the second lock another boat could be seen in the first.

 

At lock nine there were 3 boats queuing to go up.

 

I think through the whole flight I only had to wait at one lock for a couple of minutes while those in front went down.

 

I only did 2 locks alone as there were a lot of boats coming up and they all offered assistance (which was nice).

 

I'd say about 10 boats have passed this morning and now it's very quiet (seems like this every day).

Edited by eid
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16 hours ago, matty40s said:

This is causing major problems and queues at Braunston bottom lock, especially on UCC changover days(Saturday).

I would try to do the Braunston locks on Friday evening, at least the first 2(admiral nelson pound), or hit it very early on Saturday.

The Watford flight has been manned from around 8am the last 4 times I have been through in the last 2 months.....Foxton still seems to be 10am.

Not at the moment. Because boats are being deep cleaned between hirings, changeover days are being staggered. We have a boat booked with UCC in a few weeks time, and we are setting off on a Monday.

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