Kyme Eau/Sleaford Navigation

[MrsM]

Met some other boaters who were thinking of taking the Sleaford Navigation. There are nice moorings at Kyme which aren't in my Nicholsons (and a couple of potential winding holes along the route). The water level is just about ok in the centre of the channel but it is extremely weedy. Lots and lots of trips down the weedhatch. Very pretty if you are not in a rush.

[MrsM]

And an EXTREMELY low bridge at Heckington - probably too low for an average top box!

[Jen-in-Wellies]

I did it in 2013, when winding wasn't possible between Lower Kyme Lock and Cobblers Lock. Involved reversing a 57' narrowboat 6 miles! Then ran aground on mud below Lower Kyme Lock. I know this was dredged not long afterwards, but don't know if the winding hole a Cobblers Lock (current head of navigation) has been dredged.

I've heard of it being done with two narrowboats tied side to side as a push me - pull you. This saves the hassle of having to wind. Very friendly people waving as we went through South Kyme. Later found out it was because they hadn't seen a boat for a long time! Lots of weed. Little water depth after South Kyme. My boat was on tickover for the last stretch (2' draft).

Difficulty depends on water levels and if it is possible to wind, so you need more recent information than I can provide. Worth doing. Adventure boating and you can actually see over the flat countryside, as you are level with it, rather than low down and confined between high flood banks, like on the Witham.

[MrsM]

1 minute ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

I did it in 2013, when winding wasn't possible between Lower Kyme Lock and Cobblers Lock. Involved reversing a 57' narrowboat 6 miles! Then ran aground on mud below Lower Kyme Lock. I know this was dredged not long afterwards, but don't know if the winding hole a Cobblers Lock (current head of navigation) has been dredged.

I've heard of it being done with two narrowboats tied side to side as a push me - pull you. This saves the hassle of having to wind. Very friendly people waving as we went through South Kyme. Later found out it was because they hadn't seen a boat for a long time! Lots of weed. Little water depth after South Kyme. My boat was on tickover for the last stretch (2' draft).

Difficulty depends on water levels and if it is possible to wind, so you need more recent information than I can provide. Worth doing. Adventure boating and you can actually see over the flat countryside, as you are level with it, rather than low down and confined between high flood banks, like on the Witham.

It's very pretty and, yes, it does feel like quite an adventure! Had a decent pint in the very friendly local last night and woke up to someone sat on the bank painting the scene. Interesting walk around the village to the church and old tower. Chatting to villagers they are definitely keen to see more boats coming through. About a mile from the end now (Cobblers) so will report back on the state of the winding hole. We are 58'.

[Jen-in-Wellies]

Just now, MrsM said:

It's very pretty and, yes, it does feel like quite an adventure! Had a decent pint in the very friendly local last night and woke up to someone sat on the bank painting the scene. Interesting walk around the village to the church and old tower. Chatting to villagers they are definitely keen to see more boats coming through. About a mile from the end now (Cobblers) so will report back on the state of the winding hole. We are 58'.

Good luck!

[pearley]

23 minutes ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

I did it in 2013, when winding wasn't possible between Lower Kyme Lock and Cobblers Lock. Involved reversing a 57' narrowboat 6 miles! Then ran aground on mud below Lower Kyme Lock. I know this was dredged not long afterwards, but don't know if the winding hole a Cobblers Lock (current head of navigation) has been dredged.

I've heard of it being done with two narrowboats tied side to side as a push me - pull you. This saves the hassle of having to wind. Very friendly people waving as we went through South Kyme. Later found out it was because they hadn't seen a boat for a long time! Lots of weed. Little water depth after South Kyme. My boat was on tickover for the last stretch (2' draft).

Difficulty depends on water levels and if it is possible to wind, so you need more recent information than I can provide. Worth doing. Adventure boating and you can actually see over the flat countryside, as you are level with it, rather than low down and confined between high flood banks, like on the Witham.

We went as far as South Kyme on a hire boat in 1998. Very similar to you with people coming out to wave and say hello. And the pub was good then too. 

We were concerned about water levels,  high rather than low, and took advice from the owner of a narrowboat moored at the bottom of the garden. So a long reverse back, taking the top off the TV aerial in the process. Fortunately only had to reverse a couple of miles before we found s place to wind. The boat was only 50ft.

Had the same trouble in the drains, having to reverse long distance.

[MrsM]

Mission accomplished. The winding hole is extremely silted. Managed to turn by reversing into the hole so the stern was pretty much sat on the bottom, then using the pole and the flow to bring the bow around anticlockwise. Reversing back to Cobblers lock now to see how close we can get. Wouldn't have like to attempt this in a much longer boat. Worth the trip though.

D'oh reversing back we can see the proper winding hole is on the left as you approach Cobblers. We winded in a steam/drain confluence on the right. The winding point proper is much larger but equally silted.

[MrsM]

[MrsM]

Second thoughts - it is too shallow to get any further back than we did in the above photo so the only place to wind is on the right as you approach Cobblers.

3 minutes ago, MrsM said:

Second thoughts - it is too shallow to get any further back than we did in the above photo so the only place to wind is on the right as you approach Cobblers.

(This picture is after we winded, with Cobblers lock behind us.)

[MrsM]

Low bridge!

[MrsM]

[Tacet]

5 hours ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

I did it in 2013, when winding wasn't possible between Lower Kyme Lock and Cobblers Lock. Involved reversing a 57' narrowboat 6 miles! Then ran aground on mud below Lower Kyme Lock. I know this was dredged not long afterwards, but don't know if the winding hole a Cobblers Lock (current head of navigation) has been dredged.

 

I winded a 57' boat below Cobblers Lock in May 2011, as I didn't fancy the long reverse.

 

It required much use of the long shaft -and maybe we were more fortunate with water levels than you.

[Jen-in-Wellies]

50 minutes ago, Tacet said:

I winded a 57' boat below Cobblers Lock in May 2011, as I didn't fancy the long reverse.

 

It required much use of the long shaft -and maybe we were more fortunate with water levels than you.

Sounds like you were. Long shaft, even hauling from ropes to the bank couldn't get my boat turned there.

[MrsM]

Getting onto the bank wasn't possible today - we'd have liked a proper look at Cobblers lock - but it would have meant wading through silt up to the thighs, given how much the barge pole sunk!

[Jen-in-Wellies]

17 hours ago, MrsM said:

Getting onto the bank wasn't possible today - we'd have liked a proper look at Cobblers lock - but it would have meant wading through silt up to the thighs, given how much the barge pole sunk!

Guess how I got to the bank to try using ropes to wind the boat! The silt isn't actually thigh high to wade through.

[MrsM]

2 hours ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

Guess how I got to the bank to try using ropes to wind the boat! The silt isn't actually thigh high to wade through.

You are much braver than me!

[Jen-in-Wellies]

8 minutes ago, MrsM said:

You are much braver than me!

I really didn't want to reverse six miles!

[Quaffer]

Thanks for the post about your voyage to Cobblers Lock Mrs M ,the photos and your advice on water depth.That was some very useful information.

 

I'm heading down there at the end of June in a 40ft narrowboat with a 1'10'' draft in an attempt to tick some more Silver Propeller locations ,so after the Sleaford Navigation  heading to Maud Foster and Black Sluice Navigation (AKA South Forty Foot Drain) 

 

Then across The Wash to Wisbech to tick some Middle Level locations.

Edited May 29, 2022 by Quaffer

[MrsM]

12 minutes ago, Quaffer said:

Thanks for the post about your voyage to Cobblers Lock Mrs M ,the photos and your advice on water depth.That was some very useful information.

 

I'm heading down there at the end of June in a 40ft narrowboat with a 1'10'' draft in an attempt to tick some more Silver Propeller locations ,so after the Sleaford Navigation  heading to Maud Foster and Black Sluice Navigation (AKA South Forty Foot Drain) 

 

Then across The Wash to Wisbech to tick some Middle Level locations.

Have a great trip. You should have no difficulty with your length or draft. Ferry bridge is very low so make sure you have nothing tall on your roof after leaving South Kyme. There is also a winding point just beyond the Bailey bridge (on the right heading towards Cobblers) that isn't in my guide book. Weed will be your enemy, but as long as you aren't in a rush ... 

Edited May 29, 2022 by MrsM

[Quaffer]

On 29/05/2022 at 19:09, MrsM said:

Have a great trip. You should have no difficulty with your length or draft. Ferry bridge is very low so make sure you have nothing tall on your roof after leaving South Kyme. There is also a winding point just beyond the Bailey bridge (on the right heading towards Cobblers) that isn't in my guide book. Weed will be your enemy, but as long as you aren't in a rush ... 

How right you were.After a warm spell with little rain that long stringey weed had infested even the centre of the Sleaford Navigation and after 3 trips down the weed hatch in the first 200 yards ,we beat a retreat.Maybe trying to navigate down to South Kyme at the end of June was a stupid idea in the first place.Next attempt will be one April after a cold and wet winter.

[MrsM]

Oh dear! It certainly isnt for the fainthearted and it sounds like weed monster was undefeatable when you went. Better luck next time and thanks for the update.

[Wanderer Vagabond]

I'm currently moored at Dogdyke and was half planning to head up Kyme Eau tomorrow (the boat is a 60 footer) having read the above I'm now not so sure. We have been through some pretty dense weed in the past (Slough Arm, Chesterfield Canal, Bradley Workshops Arm) but this, and the lack of depth, doesn't sound too promising.

[MrsM]

We enjoyed the trip but we were down the weed hatch multiple times. The worst bit was definitely from the floodgate off the Witham for about a mile. From South Kyme the water quality improved. We would recommend winding past the Bailey bridge as winding at Cobblers wasn't easy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Wanderer Vagabond]

6 minutes ago, MrsM said:

We enjoyed the trip but we were down the weed hatch multiple times. The worst bit was definitely from the floodgate off the Witham for about a mile. From South Kyme the water quality improved. We would recommend winding past the Bailey bridge as winding at Cobblers wasn't easy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes, my main concern is the lack of depth, we have gone the full length of the Llangollen and that claims to be 2' draught from Trevor to Llangollen, but we got through OK. I suppose it also depends what the weed is, if it is matweed that tends tobring the boat to a stop, but if it is like reeds we have been able to push through in the past (with a lot of forward and reverse of the engine).

[MrsM]

1 hour ago, Wanderer Vagabond said:

Yes, my main concern is the lack of depth, we have gone the full length of the Llangollen and that claims to be 2' draught from Trevor to Llangollen, but we got through OK. I suppose it also depends what the weed is, if it is matweed that tends tobring the boat to a stop, but if it is like reeds we have been able to push through in the past (with a lot of forward and reverse of the engine).

Weeds were more of an issue for us and brought us to a stop many times. But you may have more experience of these conditions - give it a go!