The Rochdale Curse

[Midnight]

It was with some dissappointment (over Wigan) and much, much trepidation that we left Lymm this morning heading back to base over the Rochdale Canal. I'm not sure whether it's old age or paranoia, but the Rochdale gives me the heebee jeebees. Four club members' boats, including us, arranged to meet at Castlefield at 1pm. Although I've done three faultless east- west crossings, the twice going back to base we have encountered lots of problems causing mucho stresso leaving me wondering if someone has put a curse on me leaving the North West for God's own country. Two years ago we had four stoppages in five days and then had to plead with the Summit lockie to let us over minutes before a three week closure. After we dropped down Longlees he padlocked the gates. In 2006 despite being escorted up Failsworth flight by a team of BW lockies we were told by a man in a van (actually a roving lady BW official) that the canal was in fact shut. It certainly was when we reached Littleborough - no water all the way to Summit. Thank the Lord for Ray the (then) Summit Lockie who having just returned from holiday to find the relief had let the water drain away, saved the (very long) day. The following day we reached the outskirts of Tod to be met by another BW lockie who said the cill on the guillotine lock had blown. Amazingly (take note C&RT) the BW boys managed to replace it within 5 hours so we made it to Hebden albeit in the dark.

 

Anyway back to today's effort. It all went wrong within 500 yards of leaving when one of our fellow boater's wiring loom shorted causing the electrics to fail completely. RCR managed to fix it within 4 hours but a long delay a late afternoon ascent up the dreaded nine lay ahead. I really was wondering if this was the 'curse' at play again. Going up the nine was it's usual tough and dirty ascent. Not helped by the smooth paving now around the locks. In the rain they took on the character a skating rink - only a couple of not too heavy falls by various team members. Slight issues with some awkward paddles and one of the team broke his windlass on one stiffy at lock 86. That was the offside paddle and the towpath (?) side was leaking badly. (Note the report it to C&RT in the morning). Locking the last boat through 87 the towpath bottom gate refused to shut. A suspected foreign object under the gate was flushed through and with help from two keen students we got through that one.  Nothing else untoward other than one trip down the weedhatch and the usual water pouring over the gates after rain thingy. Rain is good when heading over the Rochdale. Sat wondering if C&RT will let all four boats through Summit pound on Wednesday's booking (two slots only). They can't really claim "no water" this week. As a contingency two are booked for Friday but will ring and grovel tomorrow. Having said that we have yet to reach Summit so maybe counting horses before the stable door falls off.
Third time lucky maybe? 🙏🙏🙏

Edited October 1, 2023 by Midnight

[Kendorr]

Stay positive you two, after such an epic trip, the Rochdale will be a breeze 🙂 Hope you have a good week.

 

[dmr]

4 boats over the summit will be no problem.

The Littleborough flight is giving up a bit of trouble of late (unless CRT have fixed it) as water is getting lost somewhere.

The Manchester 18 will be the hardest bit and I assume you are doing that right now.

Water can be a bit low and letting water down just stores up trouble for the next bit, this might be extra troublesome as you are taking 4 boats up.

Do leave a little gap between the two pairs of boats or at least make sure that you don't take two lockfulls out of any pounds 😀

[Midnight]

Rochdale Curse - Day 2 -then there were three!

 

Four boats left Ducie Street at 8am this morning,

NB Ebony
NB Nancy David

NB Harry
NB Midnight

Well Harry didn't leave until 8.30 that's 30minutes down the weedhatch just turning around. 

The first four or five locks were a breeze - "we're on a roll" someone said. Then the fun started, gates that wouldn't shut, gates that wouldn't open. Fourteen visits down the weedhatch between the four of us. 

Midnight 5

Harry 4 + big 1
Ebony 3

Nancy David 1 plus a bonus point for the hessian bag entangled in the contents of a Newton Heath wheelie bin which lost us another hour.  

 

When we arrived within 30 feet of Lock 65 there was a huge sigh of relief - for three of us!  Big trouble for NB Harry who found wrapped around his prop, the Rochdale Mattress - the one I mentioned in the Wigan thread. Despite an hour trying to remove it Harry's steerer finally gave up and called RCR. They will be out tomorrow at 11am so that's put Harry's Summit crossing on Wednesday in real doubt. 50 bonus points for Harry for mattress and an overnight in the cultural centre of fabulous Failsworth.

 

So 10 hours exactly after leaving our Sunday night moorings, three of us arrived at the Rose of Lancaster. According to Canalplanac it's a 6 hour journey but we did manage an incredible two locks per hour on average.

Rochdale Curse or the filthiest most rubbish strewn stretch of canal in the country apart from Rochdale town itself and we have that pleasure to come tomorrow.
Ho Hum

 

 

Edited October 2, 2023 by Midnight

[David Mack]

If you have 4 boats travelling in pairs, why didn't NB Harry get a tow from the companion boat?

[Midnight]

It was getting late and initially we thought RCR were coming tonight. There's also a road within a few metres from lock 65. 

[IanD]

None of this gives me a good feeling for coming the other way next week... 😞

[Jon57]

2 minutes ago, IanD said:

None of this gives me a good feeling for coming the other way next week... 😞

Don't worry we are giving it a good clean for your. 😁

[Midnight]

31 minutes ago, IanD said:

None of this gives me a good feeling for coming the other way next week... 😞

Up here we have not had a good feeling for years. The Rochdale is difficult, it always has been. For three years running we have been unable to get back to base over the Leeds and Liverpool. Once we turn left at Fradley we're more or less committed to a Pennine crossing, none of which have been reliable for a few years. I would suggest you go via the Trent, but maybe if you come this way you will see why I rant about C&RT wasting money on non-essentials. Richard Parry thinks he's running a leisure complex, but we need a navigation authority. Essentials first, nice to do stuff when affordable. Good luck I really hope you get across, but it's not the Shroppie.

[Mac of Cygnet]

During my 14 years with Cygnet, I travelled between my home mooring in Sowerby Bridge and 'darn sarf' 23 times.  The routes I took were:

 

HNC - 12 times

L&L  -  4 times

Trent - 6 times

Rochdale - once  

 

Says it all, really.

[Jon57]

Well survived the night in Failsworth. No real problems as the rain helped. Had a couple of young lads playing at fishing asking if they could fish from the deck. I showed him a picture of a young lad catching a large pike on the canal further down. (didn't tell him it was the Aire and calder😁) they soon went. 

[IanD]

6 hours ago, Mac of Cygnet said:

During my 14 years with Cygnet, I travelled between my home mooring in Sowerby Bridge and 'darn sarf' 23 times.  The routes I took were:

 

HNC - 12 times

L&L  -  4 times

Trent - 6 times

Rochdale - once  

 

Says it all, really.

I know, but needs must -- might have another look at the HNC to see if Standedge opening works...

[Jon57]

6 minutes ago, IanD said:

I know, but needs must -- might have another look at the HNC to see if Standedge opening works...

Put it on a low loader. Save the stress. Enjoy the boat at it’s mooring. You know it makes sense. 👍

[David Mack]

7 hours ago, Mac of Cygnet said:

During my 14 years with Cygnet, I travelled between my home mooring in Sowerby Bridge and 'darn sarf' 23 times.  The routes I took were:

 

HNC - 12 times

L&L  -  4 times

Trent - 6 times

Rochdale - once  

 

Says it all, really.

Well, in 2019 we took Belfast (71'6" long and 3' draught) over the Rochdale 3 times and once in 2020. The first return trip was for the HNBC Hebden Bridge gathering, and the second was to take a winter mooring at Sowerby Bridge. The first return trip was done in convoy with much mutual self-help, and we (and a couple of others) did have to be towed over some rubble between Failsworth and the M60 - life got a bit easier in that respect after I removed some excess ballast from the back end. And I'm glad I didn't know at the time what a subsequent survey found with the state of the bottom!

Much of the second trip eastbound we did alone, pairing up for the west side descent on the return trip. We had a few problems with water levels (both too little and too much at different times) and twice had to get CRT out to deal with gates that wouldn't close due to obstructions on the cill - once at Castleton and once half way down the Nine, but otherwise fairly trouble free passages.

[PaulJ]

3 hours ago, Jon57 said:

Well survived the night in Failsworth. No real problems as the rain helped. Had a couple of young lads playing at fishing asking if they could fish from the deck. I showed him a picture of a young lad catching a large pike on the canal further down. (didn't tell him it was the Aire and calder😁) they soon went. 

 

I moored there one night right outside the Taxi office.

Locals were fine and I had no hassle at all - just the bludy taxis kept waking me up all night with their comings and goings 😀

[IanD]

2 hours ago, Jon57 said:

Put it on a low loader. Save the stress. Enjoy the boat at it’s mooring. You know it makes sense. 👍

If I wanted to put in on a low loader instead of cruising I wouldn't have had it built... 😉

 

My idea of a good boating time is not sitting in the boat for long periods (more than a couple of days, depending on location of course...) at a mooring, though I'm sure others love it... 🙂

 

Anyway the HNC now looks feasible, I've got passage bookings for both this (preferred) and the Rochdale. Going through Standedge should fix the shiny new boat problem and make it look like it's been used... 😉

Edited October 3, 2023 by IanD

[Jon57]

41 minutes ago, IanD said:

If I wanted to put in on a low loader instead of cruising I wouldn't have had it built... 😉

 

My idea of a good boating time is not sitting in the boat for long periods (more than a couple of days, depending on location of course...) at a mooring, though I'm sure others love it... 🙂

 

Anyway the HNC now looks feasible, I've got passage bookings for both this (preferred) and the Rochdale. Going through Standedge should fix the shiny new boat problem and make it look like it's been used... 😉

You could be sitting on your boat on the Rochdale or Huddersfield not boating. At least if the boat is at it's mooring you can still take it out and go boating.😉

RCR been at it for nearly 3 hrs. Just started on the wirework. 😭

[IanD]

20 minutes ago, Jon57 said:

You could be sitting on your boat on the Rochdale or Huddersfield not boating. At least if the boat is at it's mooring you can still take it out and go boating.😉

RCR been at it for nearly 3 hrs. Just started on the wirework. 😭

Is this the fabled Greater-Spotted Mattress?

[Hudds Lad]

1 hour ago, IanD said:

Is this the fabled Greater-Spotted Mattress?

Looks like the entire bedroom!

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

2 hours ago, Hudds Lad said:

Looks like the entire bedroom!

looks awful

are you on your way again?

[Midnight]

On 03/10/2023 at 08:15, IanD said:

I know, but needs must -- might have another look at the HNC to see if Standedge opening works...

Not recommended with a new boat unless it has a very low air draft. I've been through 6 times and never got through unscathed.

The Rochdale is only really bad (dirty) in Manchester and it's only the usual rubbish and the odd mattress.

 

Rochdale Curse - Day 3 - pleasantly surprised

The day started with a couple of minor issues. Lock 63 towpath side, top paddle not working and offside gate jammed solid. Not really an issue.

Slattocks was a breeze albeit with two boats following I emptied every lock twice and once up at the top walked back down to do another three. Started 8am, ten locks in three hours - my average is going up!

 

Arrived at the M62 and another trip down the weedhatch but this time real weed only - oh the joy!

 

Rochdale was a real surprise. Well done Steven John Parker and the Rochdale Clean-up Gang, not a sari or anorak is sight. For the first time in history zero visits down the weedhatch and apart from a few overhanging branches and a very reluctant cranked gate at lock 50, a rather pleasant visit. The swing bridge is an oddity though. Why replace the old one with a nice shiny new one for the posh houses but don't put any landing stages for boaters? You need all the skills of an Olympic gymnast for that bridge. 

 

After that a rather pleasant cruise apart from the constant rain showers which started exactly at 8.01am finished 1 minute after we tied up in the old dock at Bent House Lock.

 

It's getting better we are nearly in Yorkshire. A short day tomorrow to let @Jon57 catch up. I persauded that nice lady Alison at C&RT to switch our Summit crossing to Thursday, so Summit pub here we come!

 

 

 

 

Edited October 4, 2023 by Midnight

[Jon57]

6 hours ago, IanD said:

Is this the fabled Greater-Spotted Mattress?

No. The mattress was still on the prop. This is the blanket, pillows and bedroom curtains. More pictures to follow. The guy from RCR. Said on a scale of one to ten it was an eleven.🥴

Well a good day today. Left lock 65 at about 1.30pm moored up at slattocks top lock just after 6pm. No dramas today 😁 It's getting better as we get nearer God's own country. I must say apart from all the crap in the canal and vegition on lock landings and lock sides and the odd paddle not working it's been a good trip, hard but not a ball breaker. The locks on the Calder and hebble are in a worse state than the locks I've encountered so far. Whoops there I go putting the curse on the Rochdale 😁😁 

Pictures of mattress couldn't lift it out so tied it to lock landing bollard and wrapped all the crap up and rang crt. They said they would pick it up? When is anyone's guess. 

[Midnight]

C&RT's idea of a lock mooring on the Rochdale Canal

[IanD]

15 hours ago, Midnight said:

Not recommended with a new boat unless it has a very low air draft. I've been through 6 times and never got through unscathed.

The Rochdale is only really bad (dirty) in Manchester and it's only the usual rubbish and the odd mattress.

 

Rochdale Curse - Day 3 - pleasantly surprised

The day started with a couple of minor issues. Lock 63 towpath side, top paddle not working and offside gate jammed solid. Not really an issue.

Slattocks was a breeze albeit with two boats following I emptied every lock twice and once up at the top walked back down to do another three. Started 8am, ten locks in three hours - my average is going up!

 

Arrived at the M62 and another trip down the weedhatch but this time real weed only - oh the joy!

 

Rochdale was a real surprise. Well done Steven John Parker and the Rochdale Clean-up Gang, not a sari or anorak is sight. For the first time in history zero visits down the weedhatch and apart from a few overhanging branches and a very reluctant cranked gate at lock 50, a rather pleasant visit. The swing bridge is an oddity though. Why replace the old one with a nice shiny new one for the posh houses but don't put any landing stages for boaters? You need all the skills of an Olympic gymnast for that bridge. 

 

After that a rather pleasant cruise apart from the constant rain showers which started exactly at 8.01am finished 1 minute after we tied up in the old dock at Bent House Lock.

 

It's getting better we are nearly in Yorkshire. A short day tomorrow to let @Jon57 catch up. I persauded that nice lady Alison at C&RT to switch our Summit crossing to Thursday, so Summit pub here we come!

 

 

My view is that boats are there to be used, and unless I'm never going to go through it ever again there's no point worrying about scratching a new boat in Standedge any more than worrying about scratching an old one... 😉

 

(which is why I'll have some small tins of paint in all the RAL colours it was painted in -- admittedly single-pack, but two-pack isn't practical)

 

I've still got both Rochdale and HNC passages booked, so don't have to make a decision until I get to Cooper Bridge, in case there are further stoppages. Speaking of which, I see that there's another lock failure at Greenwood Lock #19, it's only open for narrowboats 12-2pm but luckily that's when we should be there anyway -- hopefully... 😉

[Mad Harold]

Scratching your new boat is a bit like finding out your wife has been unfaithful.

It only really hurts the first time.

😜