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Chesterfield Canal


LadyG

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OK, so I elected  to go to the Chesterfield for a shake downcruise, it's a nightmare,I am travelling at approx 1mph, due to locks (most are  faulty in one way or another, ), and lack of depth of water, 

I am now stopped at Osberton Lock landing for well earned lunch rest, my speed over ground between 1.5 and 4mph. When 'charging along' I ran aground, so back to 2mph..

I'm short on fuel, diesel and coal, and logs, this in spite of stocking up two months ago, using the canalplan estimates, adding ten percent for webasto, and 25 percent for contingency, essentially I am only just starting the return journey. I am buying diesel from supermarkets, and stopping to collect firewood, need to get to Retford where I can accept deliveries, but I hope this canal is not typical of the whole inland waterway, please tell me it's not.

PS I am out of whisky, is there a shop close to the canal at Ranby?

 

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11 minutes ago, LadyG said:

OK, so I elected  to go to the Chesterfield for a shake downcruise, it's a nightmare,I am travelling at approx 1mph, due to locks (most are  faulty in one way or another, ), and lack of depth of water, 

I am now stopped at Osberton Lock landing for well earned lunch rest, my speed over ground between 1.5 and 4mph. When 'charging along' I ran aground, so back to 2mph..

I'm short on fuel, diesel and coal, and logs, this in spite of stocking up two months ago, using the canalplan estimates, adding ten percent for webasto, and 25 percent for contingency, essentially I am only just starting the return journey. I am buying diesel from supermarkets, and stopping to collect firewood, need to get to Retford where I can accept deliveries, but I hope this canal is not typical of the whole inland waterway, please tell me it's not.

PS I am out of whisky, is there a shop close to the canal at Ranby?

 

No, not typical. I don’t know the Chesterfield but it’s probably safe to say it’s one of the lesser used canals.

 

However if you do venture south and join the canals at the other end of the Trent/Soar don’t expect to be moving at anything more than 3mph on average and that’s without taking locks into account.

 

Also accept it’s an imperfect system. It has been since long before any of us on here were born and this year things appear to be worse as a result of a lack of day to day maintenance during lockdown. It’s part of the challenge and that’s why you find the experienced boaters are a bit dismissive of folks who find a lot of issues such as the Bingley five rise thing.

 

I believe you have a narrow boat? It’s natural home is further south and you’ll find the Midlands canals very different to anything you’ve experienced so far I suspect.

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17 minutes ago, Captain Pegg said:

No, not typical. I don’t know the Chesterfield but it’s probably safe to say it’s one of the lesser used canals.

 

However if you do venture south and join the canals at the other end of the Trent/Soar don’t expect to be moving at anything more than 3mph on average and that’s without taking locks into account.

 

Also accept it’s an imperfect system. It has been since long before any of us on here were born and this year things appear to be worse as a result of a lack of day to day maintenance during lockdown. It’s part of the challenge and that’s why you find the experienced boaters are a bit dismissive of folks who find a lot of issues such as the Bingley five rise thing.

 

I believe you have a narrow boat? It’s natural home is further south and you’ll find the Midlands canals very different to anything you’ve experienced so far I suspect.

Tx for your response, yes, I understand imperfect and decay, but things that cause most frustration are not related to that, but to lack of maintenance, sorry to say, I don't think this is due to lack of funding, but to lack of leadership, or expertise. 

Eg, the BW locks often need lubrication, I met pair of CRT guys doing a check, why don't they send the two guys out with a van and some small spares and oil? There are so many faults on this canal I can't believe no one actually goes out every day and sorts them in the standard manner used by industry.

These small things are not sorted, then boaters like me come along and use brute force or despair, eg, I spent a good twenty mins trying to replace a bizarre anti vandal lock, I gave up in the end, it was obviously not as originally designed. I hope someone else sorts it, 

Some of the lock walkways are rotten, this is dangerous, and very obvious, the Two locks I got stuck in yesterday (one I got out of by letting water through),, one needed a CRT callout, both locks have the same problem regularly, I was informed by another boater and by a gongoozler.

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With regard to diesel and coal...If they are still trading,try "Renaissance in Canal Carrying". Says on my flyer that n.b. "Halsall" covers that area.Tel.07491149149  Email www.fourcountiesfuels.co.uk    F.B. Fuel boat Halsall.

There is a pub at Ranby!.

The system is different across the country,some good some dreadful!!.

 

Good luck.

 

 

 

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Welcome to the forum, Leggers, and thanks for the useful information. Weren't you in a '70s kids' T.V. programme? Oh no, that was Cheggers.

We have at least one member who is very active in the local canal society, and it would be interesting to read her replies to Jo's points.

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19 minutes ago, Leggers do it lying down said:

With regard to diesel and coal...If they are still trading,try "Renaissance in Canal Carrying". Says on my flyer that n.b. "Halsall" covers that area.Tel.07491149149  Email www.fourcountiesfuels.co.uk    F.B. Fuel boat Halsall.

There is a pub at Ranby!.

The system is different across the country,some good some dreadful!!.

 

Good luck.

 

 

 

Tx, I don't think there will be a fuel boat, fuel is at West Stockwith, but canal is closed at Misterton and it may be a major stopage. Once I get to ALDI Retford I can order coal, logs and gas, just in case I get stuck here all winter, preferably not at ALDI, but at least it has 24 hour cctv, is well lit,  and  good access to the rest of the UK by rail.

There is a proper Italian restuarant, and a proper pub , other than that, Retford looks like many other towns.

I bought a narrowboat because I wanted to travel Yorks, Lancashire canal, and Cambridgeshire, I think reality is sinking in, travelling the inland waterways is desperately slow, this would be acceptable if I was free to zip about by rail, but with the Covid problems, I am a bit wary of that ..   google 

Margaret Ferrier 

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16 minutes ago, Leggers do it lying down said:

With regard to diesel and coal...If they are still trading,try "Renaissance in Canal Carrying". Says on my flyer that n.b. "Halsall" covers that area.Tel.07491149149  Email www.fourcountiesfuels.co.uk    F.B. Fuel boat Halsall.

There is a pub at Ranby!.

The system is different across the country,some good some dreadful!!.

 

Good luck.

 

 

 

Halsall was tied up on the Middlewich branch last week, I think staff shortages are responsible. It does pass regularly but you are a long way away.

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If you are new to boating,get used to it.Its a boaters life!..You will think you are doing well and then find a fallen tree/broken lock/sunken boat/drained pound/?....I could go on...Or you could cruise all day without any problems..Not that I want to make it sound a bad lifestyle,you just have to get used to it and make do on occasions.?

2 minutes ago, Rob-M said:

I think Leggers may be confused as Halsall covers the four counties ring, certainly not up the Trent and the Chesterfield.  They may do a road delivery so could be worth calling.

My mistake,they cover chester,not the chesterfield!.

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37 minutes ago, Athy said:

Welcome to the forum, Leggers, and thanks for the useful information. Weren't you in a '70s kids' T.V. programme? Oh no, that was Cheggers.

We have at least one member who is very active in the local canal society, and it would be interesting to read her replies to Jo's points.

I have been known to play pop music tho!.

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51 minutes ago, LadyG said:

Tx for your response, yes, I understand imperfect and decay, but things that cause most frustration are not related to that, but to lack of maintenance, sorry to say, I don't think this is due to lack of funding, but to lack of leadership, or expertise. 

Eg, the BW locks often need lubrication, I met pair of CRT guys doing a check, why don't they send the two guys out with a van and some small spares and oil? There are so many faults on this canal I can't believe no one actually goes out every day and sorts them in the standard manner used by industry.

These small things are not sorted, then boaters like me come along and use brute force or despair, eg, I spent a good twenty mins trying to replace a bizarre anti vandal lock, I gave up in the end, it was obviously not as originally designed. I hope someone else sorts it, 

Some of the lock walkways are rotten, this is dangerous, and very obvious, the Two locks I got stuck in yesterday (one I got out of by letting water through),, one needed a CRT callout, both locks have the same problem regularly, I was informed by another boater and by a gongoozler.

You are doing it the hard way by learning on your own. I regularly boat with folk who have either done more boating than me or boat with different types of boat and I learn how to deal with situations from them all the time despite the fact I first went canal boating over 40 years ago. Anyone familiar with the vagaries of anti-vandal locks probably wouldn’t spend more than 20 seconds bothering with a recalcitrant mechanism and certainly not 20 minutes, particularly if it wasn’t locked on arrival. I wouldn’t class that as a defect from a boater’s perspective. Once you’ve learnt enough tricks you’ll find it much easier.

 

I’m interested as to what I find in the way of maintenance on the way back to my home mooring this autumn. When I left in July I didn’t find note anything untoward heading up the Staffs & Worcs but the further north and then east I went - to Langley Mill and then down to Leicester - the more defective paddles and leaky gates I encountered. The anti-vandal locks on the Erewash are a horrible design and mostly pointless due to their ineffectiveness, I suspect the Chesterfield’s may be the same. I routinely do the 50 locks between Droitwich and the Birmingham level over one or two days with very few issues beyond a few stiff ground paddles, top gates that don’t stay closed and one of the two remaining sets of hydraulic paddle gear that won’t stay in the raised position. Empty pounds aren’t uncommon first thing in the morning but CRT attend at 0800 every morning to resolve.

 

Yes it is slow but if you live on the boat why is that a problem? The rail network is open, it’s only places in local lockdown you can’t go.
 

In all seriousness head for the Midlands once you escape the Chesterfield. If you can’t get on with the canals there it isn’t for you.

 

JP

Edited by Captain Pegg
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16 minutes ago, Leggers do it lying down said:

If you are new to boating,get used to it.Its a boaters life!..You will think you are doing well and then find a fallen tree/broken lock/sunken boat/drained pound/?....I could go on...Or you could cruise all day without any problems..Not that I want to make it sound a bad lifestyle,you just have to get used to it and make do on occasions.?

My mistake,they cover chester,not the chesterfield!.

I am OK dealing with random problems, but I am fed up with those which are caused by neglect, minor things which could easily be sorted.

Firefightibg problems just means callout after callout and must be expensive, and certainly inefficient use of resources,

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1 minute ago, LadyG said:

I am OK dealing with random problems, but I am fed up with those which are caused by neglect, things which could easily be sorted, firefightibg problems just means call I out after callout and must be expensive

I have reported numerous things to CRT but only once do I recall having to call CRT when faced with the prospect of being stuck in a lock all night. We fixed it before they arrived, and I’m not sure they were going to until the next day anyway.
 

These things happen but very few are insurmountable with a bit of knowledge of how to deal with it.

 

Single handing is hard work, particularly on broad canals, but it isn’t as hard as you seem to be finding it.

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Sad to say,but the system has been neglected for YEARS!..CRT have inherited it in a poor state.The blue shirts do their best,but many a boater question their leadership.

Most of the system is just repaired here and there when needed.

Life on a boat can be slow and difficult,it can also be slow and wonderful!.

Fuel boat Alton covers Macclesfield and Peak Forest area  07791345004 maybe close to you?.

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30 minutes ago, LadyG said:

I am OK dealing with random problems, but I am fed up with those which are caused by neglect, minor things which could easily be sorted.

Firefightibg problems just means callout after callout and must be expensive, and certainly inefficient use of resources,

I would be heading south by now as more Marina’s and boat related services and planning my Winter, If your struggling now wait till Jan/Feb. You don’t want to be stuck in the middle of nowhere then.

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Confused of South Yorkshire here.

 

If you are at Osberton you have already passed through Retford on your way up the canal.  Was that the two months ago?  If so more that double up on your next orders if you use that much in the summer time.

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5 hours ago, Captain Pegg said:

I have reported numerous things to CRT but only once do I recall having to call CRT when faced with the prospect of being stuck in a lock all night. We fixed it before they arrived, and I’m not sure they were going to until the next day anyway.
 

These things happen but very few are insurmountable with a bit of knowledge of how to deal with it.

 

Single handing is hard work, particularly on broad canals, but it isn’t as hard as you seem to be finding it.

To get me out of the lock two men wound both paddles, to raise level by a foot, normal opening had rocked boat, but it took a power shower type of flow to work, obviously I had made things worse by my own efforts, I did let a bit of water through, without success.

I had no probs on broad canals, it was all push button stuff, and lots of folks to help.

5 hours ago, Leggers do it lying down said:

Sad to say,but the system has been neglected for YEARS!..CRT have inherited it in a poor state.The blue shirts do their best,but many a boater question their leadership.

Most of the system is just repaired here and there when needed.

Life on a boat can be slow and difficult,it can also be slow and wonderful!.

Fuel boat Alton covers Macclesfield and Peak Forest area  07791345004 maybe close to you?.

Im on the Chesterfield canal, it's not where you think it is :)

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4 minutes ago, LadyG said:

To get me out of the lock two men wound both paddles, to raise level by a foot, normal opening had rocked boat, but it took a power shower type of flow to work, obviously I had made things worse by my own efforts, I did let a bit of water through, without success.

I had no probs on broad canals, it was all push button stuff, and lots of folks to help.

Im on the Chesterfield canal, it's not where you think it is :)

Aha, so that’s on the narrow section of the Chesterfield. Push button locks aren’t the norm away from river navigations. I don’t follow what the problem was from the above. I’m assuming your boat is genuinely no more than 7’ wide?

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5 hours ago, Grebe said:

Confused of South Yorkshire here.

 

If you are at Osberton you have already passed through Retford on your way up the canal.  Was that the two months ago?  If so more that double up on your next orders if you use that much in the summer time.

I never intended to stay at Shireoaks for four weeks, but there was closure for two weeks, and I did not imagine that my rate of progress would be about two miles per day, I was thinking an hour of travel would be three miles, and one litre. The only fuel  is at West stockwith, and it is effectively closed to navigation at the moment, could be a long job.....

 It is impossible to do five or six miles per two to three hour day. 

PS I have just remembered that I have a full winter week's supply of coal and logs etc in the anchor locker, but plenty of dry wood hereabouts.

I can't be sure of the exact amount of deisel in tank, but It is low enough that I will add white dissel

 

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29 minutes ago, Captain Pegg said:

Aha, so that’s on the narrow section of the Chesterfield. Push button locks aren’t the norm away from river navigations. I don’t follow what the problem was from the above. I’m assuming your boat is genuinely no more than 7’ wide?

Boat is standard width, locks very narrow (fenders off) but what happened, to me and another on same day was that poly bottles crammed behind the gate, forcing it back in to lock, I assumed there was not enough water so opened throttle, jammed!

The CRT knew the problem as they rocked up with an outsize grappling fork, but could not clear it.

Worksop Town lock and bridge is totaly a No Go place after dark, drink drugs and robbery.

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The Chesterfield is shallow. It took me two goes to get to the current connected limit, the first being stopped by weed.

On the diesel front, do you have a way of measuring fuel level? A dip stick is the most used for narrowboats. Next time you add fuel try measuring either depth, from the bottom, or distance from the top of the surface to work out how many litres to an inch your tank is. Then you can make a dip stick. Mine is set up to measure the quantity needed to fill it. Lower the dip stick in till you see the ripples as it just touches the surface, read the level off. I know that 225l to fill will cause the engine to stop, after accidentally doing just that. The pick up on most tanks is a short distance from the bottom, so water and gunge is less likely to be drawn in to the engine, so the engine can stop even with diesel still in the tank. Sorry about the mixed units. You can calculate imperial gallons per inch, or litres per centimetre, or firkins per furlong, or any other unit you like.

 

3 minutes ago, LadyG said:

Boat is standard width, locks very narrow (fenders off) but what happened, to me and another on same day was that poly bottles crammed behind the gate, forcing it back in to lock, I assumed there was not enough water so opened throttle, jammed!

The locks from Worksop up are unusually narrow for narrow locks. Jams are more likely with anything else getting in there. The replica cuckoo wooden boat was even built at 6'10" just to reduce the risk of problems on these.

Jen

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6 hours ago, Captain Pegg said:

I have reported numerous things to CRT but only once do I recall having to call CRT when faced with the prospect of being stuck in a lock all night. We fixed it before they arrived, and I’m not sure they were going to until the next day anyway.
 

These things happen but very few are insurmountable with a bit of knowledge of how to deal with it.

 

Single handing is hard work, particularly on broad canals, but it isn’t as hard as you seem to be finding it.

I've sailed offshore for forty years and never asked for official assistance, but it was urgent in this instance, yes it would be ideal to go along with another boater on this canal, but they are used to all the idividual locks, so don't need to waste time, while each one is a challenge to me! I don't think I have ever met another boat head to head, one went past today, it's kinda strange!

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13 minutes ago, LadyG said:

Boat is standard width, locks very narrow (fenders off) but what happened, to me and another on same day was that poly bottles crammed behind the gate, forcing it back in to lock, I assumed there was not enough water so opened throttle, jammed!

The CRT knew the problem as they rocked up with an outsize grappling fork, but could not clear it.

Worksop Town lock and bridge is totaly a No Go place after dark, drink drugs and robbery.

That’s something you now know to look out for. I’ll bet you don’t call CRT out again for something like that which in fairness is not a defect. It’s useful to have a means of shifting things from behind bottom lock gates from up above. And the only times I’ve been stuck in a lock also involved trying to drive though when I knew the gates were not fully open. There’s a lesson there!

 

As a narrow boater on mostly narrow canals I never put fenders on let alone have to take them off.

 

Persevere, it will get easier.

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If a gate is prevented from fully opening by something floating - like poly bottles,  they can often be persuaded to move out  from behind the gate by  partly shutting the gate and opening it again..  This doesn't work with something like a brick but is a good ploy for floating things.

 

haggis

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