looking for a tow - 3 miles lock-free section of T&M

[Helen B]

Hello,

Is anyone passing bridge no. 161 on the Trent and Mersey heading south and would be willing to give us a tow to Wheelock? We have got engine problems and we're not in the best location for mooring and doing repairs. The CRT have agreed we can extend our stay at Wheelock for a short period to get the work done, providing we can get there.

As mentioned, there are no locks on this section. It's a bit windy and narrow towards Wheelock, but otherwise a fairly straightforward stretch.

Here's hoping someone can help! 

Thanks for reading,

Helen and Chris

 

 

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

Unfortunately I’m not going your way, otherwise I’d help for sure.  
 

How desperate are you and how fit are you?

The towpath if I remember right is decent enough to bow haul. 
Usually when I’ve been bow hauling to somewhere someone has stopped and towed me. 

Or of course, get towed back to Kings Lock where you’ve access to the chandlery and their engineers should you need them. 
?🤷‍♀️

[Helen B]

Thank you, that's very kind. Ideally, we need to move in the next week. I did wonder about bow hauling, or just asking likely looking characters as they're passing!! So, it's an option..

 

Thanks again.

[Arthur Marshall]

4 minutes ago, Helen Bailey said:

Thank you, that's very kind. Ideally, we need to move in the next week. I did wonder about bow hauling, or just asking likely looking characters as they're passing!! So, it's an option..

 

Thanks again.

I'd just ask every passing boat. I've done that when broken down (as well as hauled a few) and they'll say no if they don't feel competent - though I think everyone's been helpful when I've done it. Ask hire boats too - we on here have a tendency to think they don't know nuffink, but if fact a fair few are more experienced than a lot of owners.

[Helen B]

That's great advice, Arthur - much appreciated. So, I was on the right lines of thinking it's okay to ask passers-by.. Also helpful to know you think we could ask hire boat crews. As you say, people can only say 'no'. I think that could work best as we're not living aboard, so would need to coordinate with someone. However, I want to put out a message in case anyone was in the vicinity - some time this week.

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

You could put a sign on top of boat:

’Tow Needed- to Wheelock’. 
 

Good luck 🤞 

 

 

[Mad Harold]

Bowhauling is not so hard.I once bowhauled my old narrowboat four miles and once moving it takes little effort to keep it moving.

The line should be about a third of the boat from the bow, otherwise you will keep pulling it into the bank.

A passing boat seeing you bowhauling will most likely offer a tow.

[Helen B]

*wanted

2 minutes ago, beerbeerbeerbeerbeer said:

You could put a sign on top of boat:

’Tow Needed- to Wheelock’. 
 

Good luck 🤞 

 

 

I was thinking of standing by the lock. A sign would be great - maybe by the lock or bridge would work! Thank you   

5 minutes ago, Mad Harold said:

Bowhauling is not so hard.I once bowhauled my old narrowboat four miles and once moving it takes little effort to keep it moving.

The line should be about a third of the boat from the bow, otherwise you will keep pulling it into the bank.

A passing boat seeing you bowhauling will most likely offer a tow.

Do you mean around 1/3 of the length of the boat? Thanks for the advice and it's good to know you think someone would take pity on us..!

[Mad Harold]

9 minutes ago, Helen Bailey said:

*wanted

I was thinking of standing by the lock. A sign would be great - maybe by the lock or bridge would work! Thank you   

Do you mean around 1/3 of the length of the boat? Thanks for the advice and it's good to know you think someone would take pity on us..!

Yes 1/3 of the boat length from the bow (60ft boat, 20ft in) 

Apart from the odd curmudgeon,boaters are a friendly gregarious lot, and will always help a fellow boater if they can.

[Captain Pegg]

Have to second what @Mad Harold says. Although finding something suitable to tie a line to in the best position for now hauling isn’t always possible.

 

The key thing is that if you look like you need assistance - and are trying to help yourself - then someone will offer it.

Edited October 23, 2023 by Captain Pegg

[Tony Brooks]

Personally, I would use a long stern line that reaches the bow and a short bow line. All pulling is done on the stern line, but that will throw the bow out, so you use the bow line to keep the boat parallel to the bank. It makes it easy for one person (no one steering), easy to let it drift out to pass moored boats, and easy to pull it back into the bank.

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

Bow hauling is good fun,

if the weather’s on your side,

it’s all an experience,

 

oh,

hopefully CRT haven’t let the towpath out your way over grow like they have elsewhere. 

 

[blackrose]

You could even go one step further and commandeer a passing boat at the lock Dad's Army style, telling them it's a matter of national interest that your boat gets to Wheelock as soon as possible. If they ask any questions just tell them all information is classified. 

Edited October 23, 2023 by blackrose

[Rob-M]

I would go with Tony's method, much easier to steer the boat by pulling on the stern line and just using the bow line to pull the boat straight.  I did a few miles with this method earlier in the year.

Bow hauling with a single line is fine on a butty with a large rudder.

[David Mack]

6 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

Personally, I would use a long stern line that reaches the bow and a short bow line. All pulling is done on the stern line, but that will throw the bow out, so you use the bow line to keep the boat parallel to the bank. It makes it easy for one person (no one steering), easy to let it drift out to pass moored boats, and easy to pull it back into the bank.

I have bowhauled by tieing the bow and stern lines together (with an additional length of rope in between if they are not long enough), then putting the resultant loop of rope around my waist and hauling away. With an endless line from bow to stern it is easy to adjust your position in the loop to get the right balance of pull on the bow and stern, and adjusting as you go to steer on straight and curvy sections.

Biggest problem is passing boats moored against the towpath. And the odd oncoming boater who fails to realise that passing on your offside is best, even if that means passing to the left!

[Helen B]

9 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

Personally, I would use a long stern line that reaches the bow and a short bow line. All pulling is done on the stern line, but that will throw the bow out, so you use the bow line to keep the boat parallel to the bank. It makes it easy for one person (no one steering), easy to let it drift out to pass moored boats, and easy to pull it back into the bank.

I think I've got what you mean - so you're not always pulling the boat into the bank. Presumably two people could do this? So, no one on board or steering, but you'd use the two ropes. 

 

[Rob-M]

Just now, Helen Bailey said:

I think I've got what you mean - so you're not always pulling the boat into the bank. Presumably two people could do this? So, no one on board or steering, but you'd use the two ropes. 

 

Yes, have one person pulling the boat forwards with the stern line and the other adjusting the bow position by pulling on the bow line.

[Helen B]

9 minutes ago, blackrose said:

You could even go one step further and commandeer a passing boat at the lock Dad's Army style, telling them it's a matter of national interest that your boat gets to Wheelock as soon as possible. If they ask any questions just tell them all information is classified. 

yes, it's all sounding good..

19 minutes ago, Captain Pegg said:

Have to second what @Mad Harold says. Although finding something suitable to tie a line to in the best position for now hauling isn’t always possible.

 

The key thing is that if you look like you need assistance - and are trying to help yourself - then someone will offer it.

 

That's very reassuring.. I know canal people are very helpful, but not needed to ask for help before, so it's good to know we could safely ask a passing boat

Thanks everyone for your helpful and detailed advice, especially about the method of bow-hauling. It doesn't sound like an impossible task now..! I'm sure we'd be able to find some willing help, or at least get part or all of the way bow-hauling. As you say, it's all an experience:)

 

[Slim]

55 minutes ago, Helen Bailey said:

I was thinking of standing by the lock. A sign would be great - maybe by the lock or bridge would work! Thank you   

55 minutes ago, Mad Harold said:

The only time I ever needed a tow this is what I did. (no sign). The first person I approached happily helped out.  

[Helen B]

11 minutes ago, Slim said:

The only time I ever needed a tow this is what I did. (no sign). The first person I approached happily helped out.  

 

Good to hear - that's brilliant! 

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

I think the longer you can make the hauling/pulling line the better. 
 

At worst you’ve 3 miles to work it out. 😃
 

I’ve seen people bombing along using poles. 

 

 

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Arthur Marshall said:

Ask hire boats too - we on here have a tendency to think they don't know nuffink, but if fact a fair few are more experienced than a lot of owners.

 

Hire boats are normally not allowed to tow other boats, its dictated by the hire co's t&c's.

 

We have been asked in the past and had to politely decline. 

 

(Of course whoever is asked may not know this or may not care if they do).

[Helen B]

24 minutes ago, beerbeerbeerbeerbeer said:

I think the longer you can make the hauling/pulling line the better. 
 

At worst you’ve 3 miles to work it out. 😃
 

I’ve seen people bombing along using poles. 

 

 

Thanks, we'll try adjusting the length..👍 

Just now, Helen Bailey said:

Thanks, we'll try adjusting the length..👍 

p.s. do you mean as in punting??!

18 minutes ago, M_JG said:

 

Hire boats are normally not allowed to tow other boats, its dictated by the hire co's t&c's.

 

We have been asked in the past and had to politely decline. 

 

(Of course whoever is asked may not know this or may not care if they do).

 

So, maybe not hire boaters. But, it sounds like there are plenty of helpful people out there even without asking a hire boat

[Guest]

6 minutes ago, Helen Bailey said:

Thanks, we'll try adjusting the length..👍 

p.s. do you mean as in punting??!

 

So, maybe not hire boaters. But, it sounds like there are plenty of helpful people out there even without asking a hire boat

 

Im sure you will find someone but I just mentioned it so as you understand why a hire boater might decline.

 

We were gutted when we once declined on the Soar because just as the couple did their final bit of bow hauling to get the boat to safety the lady slipped and broke her wrist as she fell.

 

We did keep an eye on the boat while she went to a&e though, the least we could do really but we still felt a bit cr@p...

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

no, I meant pulling,

😃

You’ll make sense of it when you get going. 
 

 in some ways it’s probably easier to bow haul than be towed over a short distance.