A Yankee Neo's Flog

[Alan de Enfield]

Just now, Mrs Bearwood Boster said:

I rather think you're missing the usual meaning of-asking for a friend...

 

 

Or assuming that you are not undertaking a deception and are in fact telling the truth.

[TheShipsCat]

I'm back.  We're cruising the Liverpool and Leeds from Skipton to Saltaire.  Moored up in Kildwick for the night.  Coffee and Crumbs has temporarily closed to our disappointment, but will reopen in time for us to stop on our way back for one of their delightful Scotch eggs. And a new little outdoor canal-side cafe (called, creatively, "The Canalside Cafe") has opened in Kildwick on a farm property with lovely views of the dales, local honey for sale, and young goats to pet.

 

Not exactly blogging this cruise (you're welcome), just ever so happy to be back on the cut and wanted to say hello to the community.

 

[TheShipsCat]

Has anyone ever seen a water tank gauge on a hire boat?  Experiencing water anxiety.

 

[cuthound]

35 minutes ago, TheShipsCat said:

Has anyone ever seen a water tank gauge on a hire boat?  Experiencing water anxiety.

 

 

No, but you could roughly gauge the level by poking a long thin bit of wood into the fill point.

[LadyG]

8 minutes ago, cuthound said:

 

No, but you could roughly gauge the level by poking a long thin bit of wood into the fill point.

And make sure it is longer than the depth of the tank DAMHIK.

Phone the hire base or ask a nearby boater, there are  water taps at Services,  which are little houses on canalplan ac. Or Nicholsons guides. Marinas have water taps.

[Lady M]

I seem to recall being told by hire companies to fill up every day.  If you do this, and are reasonably careful with water (ie do not wash hands or clean teeth under a running tap), you really should not have to worry about running out of water.

[TheShipsCat]

47 minutes ago, Lady M said:

I seem to recall being told by hire companies to fill up every day.  If you do this, and are reasonably careful with water (ie do not wash hands or clean teeth under a running tap), you really should not have to worry about running out of water.

Oh yes, so they tell you, and so we have till now.  Problem is the L&L between Skipton and Leeds is remarkably nekkid of water points.  Skipton, Bingley, that's it for CRT taps.   (We are in Silsden and we'll buy a fill from the yard tomorrow.)  Our plan was to go very slow and spend at least one night in every town/village/hamlet that has any amenities or charm, and several days in Saltaire, but we don't know what our water level is, and Jenny is anxious of running out, so we will chase around for fills.  How do live-aboards deal with this when staying a couple of weeks or so in one place without a nearby tap?

 

In truth, we are very parsimonious with our water use, and are probably worrying over a tank that is 3/4 full, but we just have no sense of how much we are using vs. tank capacity.  We fly in to the UK for boating. Where do you find a clean dipstick?  I've thought of bringing a hose-end flowmeter to gauge our use habits.  Level sensors are just not that expensive and I don't understand why hiring companies don't fit them.  Of course, every penny... but... grumble.  It's the little things that make a boat.

 

Sorry about the grousing.  Just making conversation on a rainy Sunday, really.  Plus, I need to keep up the curmudgeon requirements on my geezer's license.

 

We start using our share boat in May.  She has water and waste level indicators, and other nice things that hire boats don't.

 

And in truth, we are on the cut, and would be happy in a shell.   

 

Cheers,

Robin

 

 

[LadyG]

Saltaire itself has restricted mooring. But there is some mooring close at hand.

I used to run short occasionally ,  buy some bottled water for drinking, and wipe plates etc with kitchen roll so less water for washing up. I used to go to the swimming pools every few days.

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

Not with the washing up?

[ditchcrawler]

On 07/05/2024 at 08:13, TheShipsCat said:

We'll catch as catch can for groceries at the nearby convenience store to stock up before Harecastle Tunnel tomorrow morning. Better ideas for food stores along the way are welcome. Thinking of mooring up at Westport Lake for tonight.

I would go on to the tunnel mouth to moor for the night. Lidl and Tesco  a short way from the canal once you are through the tunnel

 

[hider]

20 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

I would go on to the tunnel mouth to moor for the night. Lidl and Tesco  a short way from the canal once you are through the tunnel

 

The tunnel end is quieter and cleaner, Westport is covered in cr*p from the geese, disgusting.  And they are damn noisy too.

[TheShipsCat]

37 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

I would go on to the tunnel mouth to moor for the night. Lidl and Tesco  a short way from the canal once you are through the tunnel

 

This is actually in response to something I posted back in May, but hey, I can't keep track of time anymore either. 

 

In fact, I never could.

1 hour ago, LadyG said:

Saltaire itself has restricted mooring. But there is some mooring close at hand.

I used to run short occasionally ,  buy some bottled water for drinking, and wipe plates etc with kitchen roll so less water for washing up. I used to go to the swimming pools every few days.

 

 

 

1 hour ago, beerbeerbeerbeerbeer said:

Not with the washing up?

Not a destination when your holding tank is full either, I hope?

[Ken X]

You can pick up water at Marinas. We topped up at Apperley Marina last time we were that way.

[Ronaldo47]

When a group of us used to hire boats in the 1970's, we normally used to keep a couple of 5 litre bottles of tap water in the kitchen as insurance from running out, as well as for use if anyone needed a drink at night or an early morning cuppa to avoid the noise of the water pump. As the water taps were always in the bows, we soon get to know when we were running low by how much the bows had risen when we were moored up. . 

Edited September 16 by Ronaldo47
typos

[Lady M]

My biggest problem with water on a hire boat was due to a problem with the alternator.  This resulted in flat batteries so the water pump did not work.  There were 8 of us onboard.   I still remember washing a saucepan under the tap which used to be adjacent to Fradley junction lock.  We also filled the kettle and all the saucepans with water to use until the hire company managed to replace the alternator on their second visit.

[TheShipsCat]

Well, we got a fill from Silsden Boats, and the fellow said that our water tank was well more than half full. That after three days of showers and washing up, so now we have a sense.  The message is to continue our consumption habits, top up when taps are available, and relax for Pete's sake.

 

It's been freaking glorious on the cut between Silsden and Riddlesden.  Two-ish hours of cruising a day at a tickover suits us just dandy.

 

Cheers!  

[Ken X]

Wonderful. As the man says, "kick back and relax". 🙂

[Stilllearning]

52 minutes ago, TheShipsCat said:

Well, we got a fill from Silsden Boats, and the fellow said that our water tank was well more than half full. That after three days of showers and washing up, so now we have a sense.  The message is to continue our consumption habits, top up when taps are available, and relax for Pete's sake.

 

It's been freaking glorious on the cut between Silsden and Riddlesden.  Two-ish hours of cruising a day at a tickover suits us just dandy.

 

Cheers!  

At only 2ish hours a day at tickover, do make sure the batteries are sufficiently charged.

Enjoy your trip! 

[jpcdriver]

Going down from Riddlesden, your next water points are:

Bingley - outside the cafe at the top of the locks

Dobson Locks - above locks at service block - the tap dribbles, so may be worth going down the locks to Apperley Bridge Marina who will charge £3 but there tap is reasonably fast.

If you intend going all the way to Leeds there is a tap on the offside just above Office Lock before dropping into Granary Wharf - but also very slow.

 

If you are intending going all the way to Leeds your 2 hours on tickover will not cut it between Rodley and Leeds, which normally is done in one day to avoid mooring in 'dodgy' areas, although there are moorings at Kirkstall which seem ok nowadays.

 

[Moke]

We’re at said moorings after a problem at kirkstall lock. It all seems quite nice so far, touch wood. 

[TheShipsCat]

14 hours ago, jpcdriver said:

If you are intending going all the way to Leeds your 2 hours on tickover will not cut it between Rodley and Leeds, which normally is done in one day to avoid mooring in 'dodgy' areas, although there are moorings at Kirkstall which seem ok nowadays.

Thanks for the tips.  We aren't going so far as Leeds, to avoid like said dodginess.  Instead we will take a day trip from Saltaire by train into York to get an urban hit.   Our plans would be to stay in Saltaire a few days, though due to mooring restrictions we may need to bounce between Saltaire and Shipley for a few days, which is as far as we plan to go.  Thoughts on this are welcome.

 

Cheers,

Robin

[MrsM]

Leave enough time to soak up the amazing David Hockney exhibition in Salts Mill - one of the best permanent exhibitions of his work (especially his Ipad art) in the UK. That was one of my favourite places to visit in the boat. We have a print of his townscape in our living room.

[TheShipsCat]

38 minutes ago, MrsM said:

Leave enough time to soak up the amazing David Hockney exhibition in Salts Mill - one of the best permanent exhibitions of his work (especially his Ipad art) in the UK. That was one of my favourite places to visit in the boat. We have a print of his townscape in our living room.

Thanks!  Been in Jenny's plans from day 1.  It's only open a few days of the week I believe, so we need to hit those days.

[Ken X]

2 hours ago, TheShipsCat said:

Thanks for the tips.  We aren't going so far as Leeds, to avoid like said dodginess.  Instead we will take a day trip from Saltaire by train into York to get an urban hit.   Our plans would be to stay in Saltaire a few days, though due to mooring restrictions we may need to bounce between Saltaire and Shipley for a few days, which is as far as we plan to go.  Thoughts on this are welcome.

 

Cheers,

Robin

There is a small mooring on bollards just to the west of Hirst Mill Swing bridge (207) and Hirst Lock (19).  Its about half a mile west of Saltaire.  Might be useful if free.

 

 

 

[Hudds Lad]

Having spent a night moored half under the bridge at Salts Mill (yes i know, very naughty, but it was late, it was coming down like stair rods and it was our first ever hire) i would not recommend. Noisy into the early hours with the local youth on pit bikes, few knocks on the roof etc. This was 9yrs ago so may or may not have got better. Possibility of mooring the other side of the ice cream boat i'd think.