Jump to content

Lancaster Canal Pea Soup...needs volunteers say CRTy


matty40s

Featured Posts

So those with raw water cooled engines up there may as well not pay a licence fee if it carries on. I was up in Garstang a month ago and the canal was VERY green then.

https://www.lep.co.uk/news/people/lancaster-canal-boaters-demand-action-during-heated-towpath-meeting-as-floating-duck-weed-continues-to-pose-risk-to-boat-engines-3302090

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would take anything in the lancashire evening post with a very big pinch of salt.... reliable journalism it ain't....

 

£18m to reline the lune aqueduct think it could have been rebuilt for less....

Thats not to say there isn't a problem though 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 hours ago, jonathanA said:

£18m to reline the lune aqueduct think it could have been rebuilt for less....

£18m wasn't just for relining the aqueduct,  a very long section of canal around Bolton Le Sands had significant repairs too.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This weed problem seems to crop up from time to time - I'm sure I remember a similar situation on the North Oxford some years ago.

The bit about mistaking the weed for terra firma is not an exaggeration: two years ago a chap from the hire boat moored next to ours on the Canal Latéral a la Loire mistook floating vegetation for solid ground and almost drowned as he was dragged down by the current into a lock. Luckily two friends and a passer-by pulled him out.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Happens on other waterways too. This is the S&SY between Thorne and Keadby in 2013. The flow concentrates the duck weed downstream. The Keadby lock keepers would try and flush some out in to the Trent when the tides were right. In addition to the problem with raw water cooling, it makes longer narrowboats difficult to steer, resisting any turning motion. Hard work with the many movable bridges on this section of canal.

Jen

duckweed.JPG.a950beba194ec740b45307c3959e2cc0.JPG

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...
On 17/07/2021 at 22:59, matty40s said:

So those with raw water cooled engines up there may as well not pay a licence fee if it carries on. I was up in Garstang a month ago and the canal was VERY green then.

https://www.lep.co.uk/news/people/lancaster-canal-boaters-demand-action-during-heated-towpath-meeting-as-floating-duck-weed-continues-to-pose-risk-to-boat-engines-3302090

Do many canal boats have the raw water intake close enough to the surface to suck in floating weed? I'd have thought they'd be positioned nearer the baseplate to avoid exactly this problem...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, IanD said:

Do many canal boats have the raw water intake close enough to the surface to suck in floating weed? I'd have thought they'd be positioned nearer the baseplate to avoid exactly this problem...

 

and with duckweed it needs for you to go very steady so the weed is not drawn down to the intake.

 

Tam

Edited by Tam & Di
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, IanD said:

Do many canal boats have the raw water intake close enough to the surface to suck in floating weed? I'd have thought they'd be positioned nearer the baseplate to avoid exactly this problem...

 

Actually no, if you have RW cooling you need to inlet near the surface so avoid sucking in mud and silt, should you ever encounter a slightly shallow bit in the canal.... 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Its gone on for many years and long before CART were ever even thought of. I remember vividly going downt weed atch every 200 yards on the western end of the K and A in the early nineties to clear the bloomin prop. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

33 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

Actually no, if you have RW cooling you need to inlet near the surface so avoid sucking in mud and silt, should you ever encounter a slightly shallow bit in the canal.... 

 

I once had a boat that drew raw water from underneath the hull, a constant worry and it did get blocked a few times.  I'm not entirely sure it would have made a lot of difference if the inlet had been higher though, there's so much stuff floating around at all levels in canals that could block a raw water intake.   

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, Neil2 said:

 

I once had a boat that drew raw water from underneath the hull, a constant worry and it did get blocked a few times.  I'm not entirely sure it would have made a lot of difference if the inlet had been higher though, there's so much stuff floating around at all levels in canals that could block a raw water intake.   

 

In my experience having had RW cooling on one of my vintage lumps, and with the inlet near the base when I first got the boat, the inlet hole itself often clogged with mud, decomposing leaves and general crud and was quite awkward to get at to clean. On first docking the yard fabricator strongly advised moving the inlet up to just below the waterline which I agreed to. A big improvement, with it still blocking from time to time but being visible, far easier to clean. Plus the debris tended to be whole leaves not decomposed, rather than sludge or plastic bags sucked off the bottom.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

24 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

In my experience having had RW cooling on one of my vintage lumps, and with the inlet near the base when I first got the boat, the inlet hole itself often clogged with mud, decomposing leaves and general crud and was quite awkward to get at to clean. On first docking the yard fabricator strongly advised moving the inlet up to just below the waterline which I agreed to. A big improvement, with it still blocking from time to time but being visible, far easier to clean. Plus the debris tended to be whole leaves not decomposed, rather than sludge or plastic bags sucked off the bottom.  

 

Yes, rotting leaves were the main problem, crisp packets as well I seem to recall.  I used to keep a length of stout wire on hand to rod through the inlet hose - fortunately it was a straight run - but it would have been a lot easier had the inlet been just below the water line.  Have to say it put me off raw water cooling for life - on canals anyway.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just now, Neil2 said:

 

Yes, rotting leaves were the main problem, crisp packets as well I seem to recall.  I used to keep a length of stout wire on hand to rod through the inlet hose - fortunately it was a straight run - but it would have been a lot easier had the inlet been just below the water line.  Have to say it put me off raw water cooling for life - on canals anyway.

 

Me too. I had skin tanks fitted.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, MtB said:

 

Actually no, if you have RW cooling you need to inlet near the surface so avoid sucking in mud and silt, should you ever encounter a slightly shallow bit in the canal.... 

The Grand Union boats had two water inlets, one near the bottom of the hull side for use when running empty and one half way up for when running loaded.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The water inlet on Loddon is a series of holes arranged in a 250mm circle midway up the swim about 1.5m forward of the prop, never get weed in there and only sometimes get some silt. I wouldn't consider changing to skin tanks as that would mean a noisy dry exhaust and a much hotter engine bay. It works well for us even on the weedy fens.

2015-04-12 16.17.25.jpg

Edited by Loddon
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.