Combining canals & sailing. The Newry Ship Canal.

[Bristolfashion]

At the head of Carlingford Lough, the Newry Ship Canal links the the Lough & the Newry River with the Albert Dock at Newry,but it used to go much further ...

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newry_Canal

 

Anyway, thanks to the incredibly welcoming & helpful council & tourist information, we were able to experience this wonderful little canal - and actually SAIL up it to Newry.

 

They charge £30 odd quid for lock access and a week in the canal - a bargain.

 

Sadly, the planners have decided on a non opening bridge over this section, which would close it to many vessels - but protests are afoot.

 

Hopefully, the links to this splendid trip work.

 

https://photos.app.goo.gl/mKRRxWE3HNmd6JYA8

https://photos.app.goo.gl/ys54YGWLpEgnWU159

https://photos.app.goo.gl/9FVyhddonLXBM5ZT8

https://photos.app.goo.gl/SpHquDbgrsazFwHT8

https://photos.app.goo.gl/PqmmsSxoJSKofCfd6

 

 

 

[John Brightley]

Excellent video about a canal I didn't know anything about so I've learnt a lot and would encourage you to put it on YouTube so that more people can enjoy it. Thanks.

[Chris Lowe]

This is what the current basin used to look like, it was the original entrance to the Newry canal, the old lock is the original sea lock.

 

[John Brightley]

These are the proposals for the non-opening bridge:

https://www.infrastructure-ni.gov.uk/news/non-opening-fixed-bridge-proposed-newry-ship-canal

[Bristolfashion]

1 hour ago, buccaneer66 said:

This is what the current basin used to look like, it was the original entrance to the Newry canal, the old lock is the original sea lock.

 

It still smells a bit like a distillery around there - I wonder if there is a fine ale brewed in Newry?

In my excitement, I forgot to video the ENORMOUS lock - I rectified that on the way out .....

 

https://photos.app.goo.gl/ptzgnaBB1NUDNm1C7

 

https://photos.app.goo.gl/k3oiesZtciK5VKbc9

 

 

[John Brightley]

37 minutes ago, Bristolfashion said:

It still smells a bit like a distillery around there - I wonder if there is a fine ale brewed in Newry?

In my excitement, I forgot to video the ENORMOUS lock - I rectified that on the way out .....

 

https://photos.app.goo.gl/ptzgnaBB1NUDNm1C7

 

https://photos.app.goo.gl/k3oiesZtciK5VKbc9

 

 

Great!

They say the proposed fixed bridge will have a clearance of 12 metres. As a comparison, what's the height of your mast ? Many boats masts fold down anyway, so I'm wondering how many boats it will exclude. 

 

Edit: for comparison, the air draft of the Crinan and Caledonian Canals is about 28 metres.

 

Edit 2: the cruise ship "Lord of the Highlands" (which operates on the Caledonian Canal) is 42m by 9m so could fit through the Newry Ship Canal lock, but I can't find it's air draft online unfortunately.

Edited June 6, 2023 by John Brightley

[Bristolfashion]

10 minutes ago, John Brightley said:

Great!

They say the proposed fixed bridge will have a clearance of 12 metres. As a comparison, what's the height of your mast ? Many boats masts fold down anyway, so I'm wondering how many boats it will exclude. 

 

Edit: for comparison, the air draft of the Crinan and Caledonian Canals is about 28 metres.

We're a pretty small cruising yacht at 28'6" and our air draft (including instruments etc at the top) is 14m. Only very small yachts & trailer sailors tend to have easily dropping masts. Yachties do tend to be a little conservative & don't like scraping under - you haven't even got low tides to help in a canal. I doubt that many yachts capable of making the coastal passage would be happy with 12 clearance. The very common Bavaria 42 has an air draft of 18m and even the older westerly 33 is about 12m plus aerials & instruments.

[magpie patrick]

There are seven boats moored in Albert Basin on Google Earth, and even more on Streetview (which is not necessarily taken at the same time). Of those on Streetview, only one would fit under a 12m bridge. 

 

I'm a member of IWAI Newry Branch, and it's very annoying that this bridge is proposed in the way it is, the height appears to be dictated by crossing the adjacent road

 

Flythrough video here

 

[Bristolfashion]

4 hours ago, magpie patrick said:

There are seven boats moored in Albert Basin on Google Earth, and even more on Streetview (which is not necessarily taken at the same time). Of those on Streetview, only one would fit under a 12m bridge. 

 

I'm a member of IWAI Newry Branch, and it's very annoying that this bridge is proposed in the way it is, the height appears to be dictated by crossing the adjacent road

 

Flythrough video here

 

We wrote to the Director of whatever at the Council praising both the staff & experience - hope it helps a little.

[John Brightley]

12 minutes ago, Bristolfashion said:

We wrote to the Director of whatever at the Council praising both the staff & experience - hope it helps a little.

I've looked at the consultants report and it says the local council demanded full navigational headroom of at least 30 metres, because they want to continue having tall ships events at Newry in the future. One of the consultants options provided this with a higher fixed bridge, but this was much more expensive than the option chosen by the central government highways department, who have just gone with the cheapest option. 

Patrick - you have the experience and knowledge to provide the council with the information to help them prove the addition of a lifting bridge to the 'cheap' option will be financially worthwhile. I hope you can work with them to achieve it.

Edited June 6, 2023 by John Brightley

[magpie patrick]

On 06/06/2023 at 16:32, Bristolfashion said:

We're a pretty small cruising yacht at 28'6" and our air draft (including instruments etc at the top) is 14m. Only very small yachts & trailer sailors tend to have easily dropping masts. Yachties do tend to be a little conservative & don't like scraping under - you haven't even got low tides to help in a canal. I doubt that many yachts capable of making the coastal passage would be happy with 12 clearance. The very common Bavaria 42 has an air draft of 18m and even the older westerly 33 is about 12m plus aerials & instruments.

 I'm now starting some research on this and other locations, but will admit I am not familiar with the operation of sailing vessels especially the bit about dropping masts. From what you say the bigger masts can't be dropped anyway, is that right? And I'm guessing even smaller ones will (1) be over 12m high and (2) will be a faff to drop. I note that the Exeter Canal has a crane at Turf Lock to assist in lowering the mast of any vessel going beyond the M5 viaduct (headroom about 10 metres)