How far have you cruised astern?

[NB Alnwick]

Being under the mistaken impression that the repairs to Hardwick Lock (just north of Banbury) had been completed and that the lock would be open this weekend, we set off from Cropredy on Saturday to do some shopping in Banbury. On arriving at Hardwick Lock we found the navigation still closed - so, with nowhere to wind our 62 feet, we came all the way back, this morning, in reverse. The 2.75 miles and two locks took us almost three hours! The lock is only about a mile from the town centre so we had been able to walk the last bit into town for our provisions.

 

We weren't the only ones to arrive at Hardwick Lock expecting it to be open but, so far, the other boats have not backed up all the way to Cropredy . . .

[fuzzyduck]

a couple of hundred yards for a laugh.

[Supermalc]

Well.......with an outboard or leg it's quite dangerous, because in forward the leg will lift over any obstruction. In reverse it will tear itself out of the transom, or break the transom, dropping the outboard into the river.

 

Even with my boat it will damage the rudder, or the prop. So to reverse more than a few yards is foolhardy in the extreme. Always turn around.

 

(What you can't, your boat is too long.........didums )

[Keeping Up]

Not quite as far, but this summer we went up to the Dog and Doublet on the Curdworth flight for a meal with the family, but the next morning we really couldn't be bothered to go all the way up to the top of the flight to turn round. Instead we chose to reverse down 3 locks and back to the winding point, a distance of 1 mile 1 furlong according to CanalPlan. It took us just 45 minutes and confused the hell out of several other boats especially the one coming down the flight who saw our bows in the lock, waited for us to come out towards him but watched us go down instead!

 

Allan

[bargiepat]

The 2.75 miles and two locks took us almost three hours!

 

Hi, Did you have a bow thruster ? That always helps.

The furthest I have reversed is only about 1/2 mile, Denham deep lock back to the river Colne near Uxbridge.

Regards Patrick

[Supermalc]

Allan - you're so good at it you don't count

 

You must have the only double ender NB

[NB Alnwick]

Well.......with an outboard or leg it's quite dangerous, because in forward the leg will lift over any obstruction. In reverse it will tear itself out of the transom, or break the transom, dropping the outboard into the river.Even with my boat it will damage the rudder, or the prop. So to reverse more than a few yards is foolhardy in the extreme.

Although a conventional NB doesn't have quite the same problem - travelling astern is still a risky business because there is less protection for the prop and if you go aground astern it is exceedingly difficult to get off the mud by going forward. Also steering a NB astern is rather less predictable especially with the fresh breeze that we had today! That is why we were going so slowly . . .

Hi, Did you have a bow thruster ? That always helps.

I was standing on the front with the long shaft - does that count? Edited November 25, 2007 by NB Alnwick

[tidal]

Just over 6 nm

 

Do sea boats count?

 

Anyone who was around the Humber in 1981 should remember the MY that stove part of its bow in on a part submerged container.

We got in all the papers

[SteveE]

All the way back up the arm into the city on the south Oxford in a 59' hireboat (winding hole at the end is limited to 35'). Reversing complicated by loads of moored boats and lots of crap in the channel (had to stop twice to clear the prop). Worth it tho' - nice meal and lots of reversing practice!

SteveE

[Keeping Up]

Allan - you're so good at it you don't count

Thanks Malc

 

You must have the only double ender NB

If only!

 

The greatest compliment I've had, has been from people who have watched me reversing and then said "I wish I had a bowthruster so I could do that". That's when I point out that my bowthruster is sitting in the cabin having a cup of coffee.

[DHutch]

We've done about a mile backwards under the power of ropes. And quater of mile between moored boats with the pole.

- But thats really harder than forwards, and we've done several miles of that in the past if she's needed moving somewhere.

 

In steam we've proberbly done no more than 200yrds!

 

There was breifly a plan hitched up to bow haul her to wincham from anderton this winter, but thats been shelved for now atleast.

 

 

 

 

Daniel

[Hairy-Neil]

A friend used to own a centre cockpit narrow beam cruiser, about 35 feet (Creighton?) with an Enfield Z drive. It broke the gear selector as these are prone to do and jammed in reverse. He was somewhere near Rotherham on the South Yorkshire Navigation and decided to reverse back to the boatyard at Thorne........

 

He didn't make it. Not designed for prolonged reversing, especially at the speed he was going, the wave pushed along by the transom was lapping over an engine bay vent and she took on water. Quite drastically in the finish. Didn't sink but was close run thing as he only spotted it by chance.

[moggyjo]

Being under the mistaken impression that the repairs to Hardwick Lock (just north of Banbury) had been completed and that the lock would be open this weekend, we set off from Cropredy on Saturday to do some shopping in Banbury. On arriving at Hardwick Lock we found the navigation still closed - so, with nowhere to wind our 62 feet, we came all the way back, this morning, in reverse. The 2.75 miles and two locks took us almost three hours! The lock is only about a mile from the town centre so we had been able to walk the last bit into town for our provisions.

 

We weren't the only ones to arrive at Hardwick Lock expecting it to be open but, so far, the other boats have not backed up all the way to Cropredy . . .

Do you know what has happened to Reenies lock cottage at Little Bourghton since she died?

[Chris J W]

I've got it on very good authority that my boat goes very well in reverse, having (like BargiePat, above) been taken backwards from Denham to the Colne.

 

Personally - I think I've got about 20 yards max with out cocking it up!

Edited November 26, 2007 by Chris J W

[bridgit]

About two mile, in December in the dark, freezing cold. Thought the work on the dove aquaduct had finished. How wrong we were.

[Travis]

With our last boat we moored at Hebden Bridge on the Rochdale for few years. On a Friday evening I could not be bothered doing two locks down and back up to the town centre, so I used to reverse (about 400yds)

 

One evening a Shire hire boat was moored up and the hirer couldn't wait to jump up on deck to bo*ock me for going too fast... his face was a picture when he saw I was in reverse.

 

Andy.

Edited November 26, 2007 by Travis

[Bones]

the very first thing I did on a narrowboat (apart from dump my riucksack on the bed) was reverse it half a mile. I must say, going forwards was far easier, but I certainly learnt how to get on going backwards quite quickly!

Edited November 26, 2007 by Bones

[Speedwell]

We did a couple of miles from Perry Barr locks back to Rushall junction, using the pole as a bow thruster. Lost control a couple of times when the pole slipped though ! Reversing is not my favourite activity - the wind always seems to get hold of the bow.

Arthur

[Bullfrog]

I seem to remember that someone has done the whole of the Aylesbury Arm as a fund raiser for their Trust - have a look at their site:-

 

http://www.aylesburycanal.org.uk/sitechapter.cfm?chapter=1

[magpie patrick]

14 day moorings above Shade House (? the second one up from Fradley) to Fradley Junction: 2 locks and half a mile or so backwards due to a change in plan. I'm fortunate Ripple will go backwards dead straight and minor adjustments simply involve putting the rudder hard one way or the other. If you've got the nerve (I have) she'll go dead straight backwards on full throttle! It took us about twenty minutes including working the locks.

 

I once tok a hire boat backwards on the Chesterfield: we were mooring below Morse lock for a couple of days and needed water: it was one mile and one lock backwards or up Morse, turn, down to waterpoint, down two more locks to a winding hole then back: 8 locks and five miles in total. The odd thing was on both occassions how many gongoozlers watched and didn't notice we were going backwards through the locks...

[Keeping Up]

I seem to remember that someone has done the whole of the Aylesbury Arm as a fund raiser for their Trust - have a look at their site:-

 

http://www.aylesburycanal.org.uk/sitechapter.cfm?chapter=1

Yes that was Bryan Barnes the Society's Chairman, on his boat Kalamaki.

 

Apparently it went so well that he reversed up the Marsworth flight as well.

 

Allan

[Mr Baites]

a nevr go furwads coz a confuws em dunt pay fer em ta no wots wot ya see

[Guest]

In 1972 we reversed a Loftus Bennet cruiser, in the dark, from Worsley to Dover lock on the Bridgewater. It had lost forward gear when we were forced to make a retreat from Worsley, as there were a load of skinheads fighting and trashing boats. Tell me about the modern problem of bandits. No idea how many miles, but it took all night. We feared the Chrysler outboard would suffer from overheating but it was OK.

[NB Alnwick]

Do you know what has happened to Reenies lock cottage at Little Bourghton since she died?

 

No - we stopped and had a good look - a few broken widows and completely empty. The 'garden' on the other side of the lock is now very overgrown.

 

Presumably it still belongs to BW?

 

There was a notice posted on one of the out-houses about flood protection works - it seems as if the surrounding area is to be seasonally flooded to prevent the Cherwell from overflowing in Banbury.