Harecastle jobsworths.

[TheBiscuits]

5 minutes ago, alan_fincher said:

Froghall is ridiculously tight...

 

... though I have no idea why we decided to attempt it, despite the height gauge indicating we were several inches too tall.

 

If you let some water down the lock into the basin you become lower

 

5 hours ago, Ange said:

It was the only place we had to take the tiller pin off to fit under.

 

I had to pull mine for Froghall.  I attempted it, then removed all the stuff off the roof - including the solar panels which nearly removed themselves on the first go.  On the second attempt I had to reverse a few inches and remove the tillerpin too!

[David Mack]

11 minutes ago, alan_fincher said:

Froghall is ridiculously tight...

 

... though I have no idea why we decided to attempt it, despite the height gauge indicating we were several inches too tall.

 

Link to our blog.

We has a similar experience on a Bidford Boats hire boat at Easter 1993 (gosh - 30 years ago!). We were on an extended 3 week hire that saw us reach Llangollen, Middlewich, Froghall and Leek, Fradley, Coventry Basin and Braunston, and for the last 2 1/2 weeks of the trip I had a broken ankle in plaster.

At Froghall we failed the gauge on the last lock but were able to just inch through the tunnel. Back then the first lock of the Uttoxeter Canal had not yet been reopened, so we had to turn beyond the tunnel. Bidford Boats weren't bothered about the paint damage to the handrails - I think they were pleased to have scored a 'first' for one of their hire boats.

[Richard T]

12 minutes ago, Captain Pegg said:

 

Walk out of Gosty Hill, is there something important you haven't told us?

 

It was about 5.30pm and getting dark. There was no hope of another boat coming through to help us and the family could not face the prospect of being stuck overnight in the tunnel. So the only way of getting help was to walk out hoping that the water wasn't very deep and that there were not too many nasties on the canal bed and ring the emergency services and BW.

[Captain Pegg]

For all the talk of Gosty Hill and Droitwich being tight what boats don't fit through them?

 

I think at least at Froghall it is a genuine consideration.

[Higgs]

49 minutes ago, Richard T said:

It was about 5.30pm and getting dark. There was no hope of another boat coming through to help us and the family could not face the prospect of being stuck overnight in the tunnel. So the only way of getting help was to walk out hoping that the water wasn't very deep and that there were not too many nasties on the canal bed and ring the emergency services and BW.

 

 

 

 

[Rob-M]

35 minutes ago, Captain Pegg said:

For all the talk of Gosty Hill and Droitwich being tight what boats don't fit through them?

 

I think at least at Froghall it is a genuine consideration.

I've taken ours through Droitwich and whilst low there was plenty of clearance, I looked at Froghall but decided not to risk it.  Not been through Gosty Hill on our boat yet but I don't expect it to be a problem.  There are a lot of different boat shapes in Hawne Basin.

[Richard T]

From memory the bridge into Hawne Basin is a little lower than Gosty Hill tunnel. The best way of entering the basin with a long boat is to put the noe into the winding hole opposite the bridge and then reverse in.

[Wanderer Vagabond]

1 hour ago, Richard T said:

It was about 5.30pm and getting dark. There was no hope of another boat coming through to help us and the family could not face the prospect of being stuck overnight in the tunnel. So the only way of getting help was to walk out hoping that the water wasn't very deep and that there were not too many nasties on the canal bed and ring the emergency services and BW.

There shouldn't be too many nasties on the canal bed, I usually hoover them up around my prop whenever I go out (I have to go through Gorsty Tunnel every time I go out, so kind of get used to it). Judging by the slow pace through the tunnel, I wouldn't think it's that deep either, proportionately it takes me longer to get through Gorsty (557 yards and 25 minutes) than it take me to go through Netherton (3027 yards and 35 minutes).

 

You wouldn't have been the first to spend the night in the tunnel though....

..... we passed thought it at about the same sort of time (without getting properly stuck). The back story was that CRT had been doing some tree cutting on the canal bank and left a whole pile of logs there. You wouldn't believe the shock and amazement we had when the local yoblets threw them into the canal. I did manage to wedge one of the logs between the prop and skeg which brought the engine to a very sudden stop, but I was only just entering the tunnel at the time, so pushed the boat back and went down the weed hatch with a mallet and mooring pin to 'solve' the problem. Surprisingly no damage done.

[Machpoint005]

On 09/04/2023 at 18:33, ditchcrawler said:

Well after reading this thread I thought maybe I should test my horn, first press on the button nothing, tried again and a soft of dull whirring noise, several squirts or WD40 in the compressor I now have a muffled honk, I will exercise it a little more tomorrow

 

Spiders are very good at silencing boat horns over the winter.

 

DAMHIK

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 11, 2023 by Machpoint005
Auto correct .. you know the rest

[Pluto]

Re clearance, to get under one of the bridges on the Hamm Canal, Günther had to remove the wheel as well as putting the power on to get the back down. He also kept a pair of binoculars handy to check that the bow cabin would fit first. This was one of the 'higher' bridges.    

[StephenA]

We need have no fear - CRT assure me that although they assess headlight brightness and horn volume against a completely unknown and unpublished set of criteria (or is it just their experience)  their "fully trained" tunnel staff know what they're doing. So what could possibly go wrong? What happens if all their air horns are at the other end? Are you denied passage?

 

Edited April 11, 2023 by StephenA

[ditchcrawler]

8 hours ago, Rob-M said:

That would be going under the M5 on the Droitwich which is quite low.

And the down stream gauging board is about 12mm to high, this was the anemometer before the M5 culvert

 

and this was afterafter the M5 culvert 

 

2 hours ago, Machpoint005 said:

 

Spiders are very good at silencing boat horns over the winter.

 

DAMHIK

 

 

 

 

 

No the compressor is stuffed

4 hours ago, TheBiscuits said:

 .  On the second attempt I had to reverse a few inches and remove the tillerpin too!

The only place I have done that is the Middle Level on the Twenty Foot River. The local farmer stopped on his tractor to see if I made it

 

 

[Alan de Enfield]

15 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

And the down stream gauging board is about 12mm to high, this was the anemometer before the M5 culvert

 

and this was afterafter the M5 culvert 

 

 

 

 

So not only did you lose your windy-meter - everything else changed colour

[ditchcrawler]

On 10/04/2023 at 10:20, BEngo said:

Harecastle apart, I cannot see that any horn would be of much benefit in a tunnel.

 

 No other tunnel is manned IIRC, so your horn is not going to summon a CRT volley type to call the emergency services.  Nor is it likely to produce assistance from a boater.  Many (and especially new hire)  boaters like to have a tootle on their horn in tunnels, so sounding one is not likely  to be recognised as a distress signal.  

 

N

CRT on horns

[Captain Pegg]

9 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

CRT on horns

 

CRTs tunnel signs are utter rubbish.

 

At least this one doesn't have the usual mathemathical idiocy of "Average time at 2mph" but I wouldn't be surprised if nobody has ever taken 56 minutes to transit the tunnel. It takes about 35 minutes.

 

The tunnels on the Worcester & Birmingham have boards that show the width as 16'+ yet Netherton is stated as 6' 11" despite the channel being easily 16' wide and that two boats of 7' can pass. The headroom is clearly wrong too unless it refers to pedestrians.

 

Edited April 13, 2023 by Captain Pegg

[TheBiscuits]

1 minute ago, Captain Pegg said:

I wouldn't be surprised if nobody has ever taken 56 minutes to transit the tunnel. At takes about 35 minutes.

 

It just feels like an hour because it's so boring!

[ditchcrawler]

On 08/04/2023 at 18:43, Arthur Marshall said:

Jobsworth at the Harecastle being a pain in the backside, telling half the boats (including me) their horns weren't loud enough, insisting on handing out toy airhorns. I quote: "if my boss were here, he'd make you buy one". I thought, no he wouldn't, unless he promised he'd sack every tunnel bod who has let me through for the last ten years and showed me where a decibel level is quoted.

Up to a couple of years ago there was one who insisted the rules said that your stove had to be out or you couldn't go through. Was no use pointing out that the rules say "no naked flame" and an enclosed stove wasn't one, or that pilot lights were allowed. I assume he got sacked after a quantity of complaints over one winter.I think the job attracts certain types.

Was it one of these?

[Wanderer Vagabond]

20 hours ago, TheBiscuits said:

 

It just feels like an hour because it's so boring!

How can you say it's boring? I always count the ventilation shafts (there are 7), it's really exciting when you get to the next one (is it going to be the one to pour water down your neck?). And then of course there is the 'surprise' pipe between two of the air shafts to pour water all over you (since you can hear it but can't see it until you have reached it)

[TheBiscuits]

Just now, Wanderer Vagabond said:

How can you say it's boring?

 

Easily, I've been through it quite a few times.  If you want a good moan about it ask @tree monkey for his opinion.

[ditchcrawler]

2 minutes ago, Wanderer Vagabond said:

How can you say it's boring? I always count the ventilation shafts (there are 7), it's really exciting when you get to the next one (is it going to be the one to pour water down your neck?). And then of course there is the 'surprise' pipe between two of the air shafts to pour water all over you (since you can hear it but can't see it until you have reached it)

 

2 minutes ago, Wanderer Vagabond said:

How can you say it's boring? I always count the ventilation shafts (there are 7), it's really exciting when you get to the next one (is it going to be the one to pour water down your neck?). And then of course there is the 'surprise' pipe between two of the air shafts to pour water all over you (since you can hear it but can't see it until you have reached it)

I have never seen the water pipe

[TheBiscuits]

 

Although the midnight run through was different - no light at the end of the tunnel, so a sudden pleasant surprise when the tunnel walls become trees.

[Wanderer Vagabond]

6 minutes ago, TheBiscuits said:

 

Easily, I've been through it quite a few times.  If you want a good moan about it ask @tree monkey for his opinion.

Yup, me too. Pretty much every time I go out I have to go through Gorsty and Netherton. After Gorsty, Netherton is a real pleasure

[MtB]

25 minutes ago, Wanderer Vagabond said:

Yup, me too. Pretty much every time I go out I have to go through Gorsty and Netherton. After Gorsty, Netherton is a real pleasure

 

I usually see it written/spelled "Gosty". Is Gorsty also considered correct? 

 

 

[Captain Pegg]

6 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

I usually see it written/spelled "Gosty". Is Gorsty also considered correct? 

 

 

 

Not unless it's been transported to Bristol since I last went through. To be honest it's not a name I've really heard pronounced by the locals. It doesn't seem like a Midlands way of pronouncing anything though. Maybe Gorsty has been localised to Gosty.

 

What I do know though is that Costy is (or perhaps was) a legitimate alternative and you might find some old references to such.

 

 

Can we stop the Netherton chat please? I might just have a question relating to it for the Challenge.

Edited April 14, 2023 by Captain Pegg

[tree monkey]

1 hour ago, TheBiscuits said:

 

Easily, I've been through it quite a few times.  If you want a good moan about it ask @tree monkey for his opinion.

Are we talking about Netherton, that wonderful fun packed 8 hrs of boating with all those fascinating bits of wire to look at plus amazing brickwork and of course the world class vents in the roof.

 

8hrs has never gone so fast, truly I almost cried last time we went through, the sheer joy of seeing that portal of unimaginable excitement and the almost depressive feeling on exiting