Water Low, Slow Going, Not Going?

[BoatingLifeUpNorth2]

How’s it going for you today? Water levels a problem, slow moving, high levels of weed. Please let us know what problems you’ve had and what’s your thoughts for the next few days, so to help boaters thinking of heading that way. Obviously Canal, problem encountered, water levels, boat type.

 With an extreme heatwave forecast for the next few days water levels could be a problem so any up to date information could be helpful to those thinking of going the same route.

[lampini]

We are off up the freshly dredged Ashby this weekend, admittedly we are slightly shallower drafted than a lot... will report back! 😁

[Rob-M]

Not had any problems other than the pound being low between Aston lock and Star lock.  So far travelled from Great Haywood to Anderton.

[David Mack]

Came up Stoke Bruerne bottom five yesterday. Bottom pound was about 3 ft down. Had to run water down from the next two pounds to even get out of the bottom lock (which leaks like a sieve). Spent the night in the long pound. Woke up to find the boat aground and leaning as the level had gone down in the night. Saw another boat coming up so unstuck ourselves to join them in the top two locks. The vlockie  who helped us through said her colleagues were just walking down the flight to draw water from the long pound to fill the lower pounds. A good job we pushed off when we did, or the counter might have been a few more inches above water level!

[Francis Herne]

Up from Chester yesterday afternoon -- Beeston Iron Lock still leaking like a sieve after this week's emergency repairs and taking ages to fill. People said the repairs have helped compared to last week though. The pound above to Stone Lock was extremely low, a deeper boat got thoroughly stemmed up for a bit. Ran a bit of water down but the pound from Tilstone is down a little too.

 

There's also a small tree blocking about half the width of the cut north of the first narrow bridge hole above Christleton. I wasn't too impressed when a CRT workboat came out of the (blind) bridge hole, scraped their cabin paintwork through the tree, and then ignored it and carried on.

Edited June 19, 2025 by Francis Herne

[Arthur Marshall]

The Caldon is being shut for a day due to low water. There are a stack of boats each side of the Macclesfield breaches ready to charge up and down Bosley at the end of next week which will probably empty the Macc. T&M was already low in places last week and this could finish it off.

Could be an interesting season.

Edited June 19, 2025 by Arthur Marshall

[Rob-M]

We've come up the T&M from Great Haywood to Preston Brook over the last five days and the only low pound we have had was at Stone.

[Arthur Marshall]

1 hour ago, Rob-M said:

We've come up the T&M from Great Haywood to Preston Brook over the last five days and the only low pound we have had was at Stone.

I think the dodgy side is from Stoke to Middlewich. There seem to be more water sources going south, at least, I hope so as that's the way I'm going next week.

[Wanderer Vagabond]

We were down the Staffs and Worcs a couple of weeks back from Autherley Junction down to Kinver and there was plenty of water/depth.

[Nightwatch]

Erewash is having water level issues once again. 

[stagedamager]

28 minutes ago, Nightwatch said:

Erewash is having water level issues once again. 

which is weird, because there's plenty of water at the top....... a bit of gate and paddle maintenance is required..... heaven forbid you would want to try and run a business on there........

[BoatingLifeUpNorth2]

1 hour ago, stagedamager said:

which is weird, because there's plenty of water at the top....... a bit of gate and paddle maintenance is required..... heaven forbid you would want to try and run a business on there........

Yeh tried to get up there for diesel, even spoke to the lady and said I’ll be there in a couple of days, that was Monday☹️
 Also spoke to a guy that was taking his boat up for blackening, who was in a conundrum with the stoppage notice and funny thing met the guy who’s boat’s due out of the dock today after blacking, so stoppages do affect people and more importantly businesses. ☹️ 

Edited June 20, 2025 by BoatingLifeUpNorth2

[stagedamager]

1 minute ago, BoatingLifeUpNorth2 said:

Yeh tried to get up there for diesel, even spoke to the lady and said I’ll be there in a couple of days, that was Monday☹️
 Also spoke to a guy that was taking his boat up for blackening, who was in a conundrum with the stoppage notice and funny thing met the guy who’s boat’s due out of the dock today after blacking, so stoppages do affect people and more importantly businesses. ☹️ 

we battle on.......

Other yards have issues round the system so it's not just us, but most aren't at a dead end and inaccessible. I guess i could have a hammock week, or, crack on with Norway.....

[Ex Brummie]

13 hours ago, Wanderer Vagabond said:

We were down the Staffs and Worcs a couple of weeks back from Autherley Junction down to Kinver and there was plenty of water/depth.

The good people of Wolverhampton are very generous with their water deposits. Even the soapsuds will smarten up your dusty blacking as you use the Staffs and Worcs or the Shroppie.😀

[Francis Herne]

On 19/06/2025 at 15:18, Rob-M said:

We've come up the T&M from Great Haywood to Preston Brook over the last five days and the only low pound we have had was at Stone.

There's still plenty of water (and bridges) on the Bridgewater!

 

My cruise today was very slightly impeded by you going in the opposite direction.

 

Only minor complaints between Chester and Lymm besides the aforementioned trouble at Beeston Iron Lock.

A short queue at the middle lock on the Middlewich branch due to one bottom paddle being out, and the bottom gates on Middlewich Big Lock are still horribly balanced and a challenge to close.

 

A CRT chap was stood in the canal at Middlewich rebuilding the towpath wall, good bit of work.

Edited June 20, 2025 by Francis Herne

[Rob-M]

I had to keep moving out of the way of working boats.  We timed our trip to Lymm badly as didn't realise the transport festival was this weekend.

 

I followed a massive wide beam from Lymm but fortunately he eventually left me past after he had hit the bank a few times.  I think he may have then moored up.

[Francis Herne]

6 minutes ago, Rob-M said:

I followed a massive wide beam from Lymm but fortunately he eventually left me past after he had hit the bank a few times.  I think he may have then moored up.

Must have done as I didn't meet any oncoming widebeams. On the other hand I was overtaken (while passing moored boats approaching Lymm) by a wide yoghurt pot travelling at a furious pace.

Edited June 20, 2025 by Francis Herne