River Trent - Skipper Needed

[OllieBoat]

I’ve just bought a new boat and need to migrate it from Mercia Marina to Sheffield, which obviously entails the dreaded Trent, both non tidal and tidal.

 

I’m new and have had a few lessons, and want to do the first and last bits myself

 

However, the Trent worries me, not to mention the size of the locks involved and having watched the near handbrake turns into Keadby Lock… I’m looking for some help - hopefully fairly soon

 

I’ve spoken to a couple of places who can’t help due to other bookings, so asking if anyone knows who might be able to help. 
 

Plan is for assistance from Shardlow to just after Keadby Lock, ideally someone who will skipper the boat for me.

 

Shes 45ft with a BM38 engine

[Tony Brooks]

A BM38 is a new engine to me, and B38 is a turbocharged 3 cylinder BMW petrol engine. Anyone who may be able to help may well want to know exactly what engine that is before tackling the tidal Trent - I know I would.

 

I would also want to know that a second hand boat had had the fuel tank bottom siphoned to remove any water and bug, the liquid had been inspected for signs of bug, the fuel filter(s) and any water traps had been changed and cleaned. Plus, you would be carrying spare filters and the tools to change them if necessary.

 

With such precautions, having the engine stop because of contaminated fuel would be much reduced, but the last thing you and the skipper would want is to be swept down river on the ebbing tide with a dead engine.

 

They may also demand a suitable anchor, chain and warp is onboard, just in case. A marine VHF set is also a good idea, but the skipper may have their own.

[Jen-in-Wellies]

BM38 could be short for Beta Marine 38? If so, it is a pretty standard engine for a boat that size. The river Trent tends to find boats with marginal cooling set ups. Boats thst have been fine ditch crawling for years overheat with the sustained power for hours on end on the river. Would be good to go in company of another boat, as this one is new to the OP. 

[pearley]

You could ask on Try The Trent Facebook page.

[BoatingLifeUpNorth2]

When do you want it done?

and where are you going in Sheffield, Tinsley or Victoria Quays?

Edited September 22, 2025 by BoatingLifeUpNorth2

[LadyG]

I have anchor, chain and warp from my seafaring days but you probably would not want to pay the price!

I also have the booklets which cover the area. Best buy your own.

What I did was draw my own map with expected times, taking in to account tidal streams river flow etc.

You will get good advice from the Keadby Lock keeper. He will likely be standing up on the lock wall and maybe he expects you to point the bow at him! Hopefully this will be the only exciting bit.

This is assuming you have read the booklets and have good undertanding of how to turn and have talked it though with him previously when you booked.

If you have insufficient experience with the boat you may have to pay. This  is complex as the hiree needs insurance. I wonder if you could phone Shire cruisers and see if they can help.

@noddyboater is a helpfull and able person. Not been on the forum a lot recently if he or a n other do it for fun, you absolutely must agree to pay their out of pocket expenses. Once moored up.

In the meantime you need to get everything up and running.

Preparation

Clean diesel [ maybe remove the old and let it settle].  Get rid of sludge as the bottom of tank could get churned up on the river if its a bit choppy.

Open up the throttle when you get the opportunity, before the oil change and after. I think you want to make sure it can work harder than ususal without overheating.

If you are mechanical then its all very simple, rugged engine, gearbox, engine mountings, alternator, alternator belt. type/condition etc etc.

The River Trent could be pretty much in flood condition after a lot of rain. So you may need to proceed when good weather. 

 Best to have some sort of lighting. Good torches.

I assume you are aware of the ' rules of the road'

If to starboard Red appear, ' tis your duty to keep clear'

Make sure you have the mobile of tbe lock keeper.

VHF is, i think Ch74. 

Edited September 22, 2025 by LadyG

[BoatingLifeUpNorth2]

What people are forgetting, is that he would have already run from Mercia to Newark/Cromwell at the start of the tidal section. So any engine/fuel/over heating issues should have been detected and sorted. We don’t know if there is an anchor on board or anything about the boat. If a Beta 38hp he will have more than enough power on a 45ft boat to be able to do the trip.

 Ignore the advice about pointing your bow at the lock keeper at Keadby, most run past, u turn against the current and come in that way, if you point your bow at the lock keeper standing by the tower you’d probably smash your boat up as you could be running with the tide too fast and straight into a piled concrete lock wall.

 You won’t need torches as you’ll be running in daylight, don’t read into all this too much as you can psych yourself out into a worrying wreck. Once you do it you will probably ask what was the fuss about. But it has to be respected without causing total fear.

Edited September 22, 2025 by BoatingLifeUpNorth2

[Tony Brooks]

1 minute ago, BoatingLifeUpNorth2 said:

What people are forgetting, is that he would have already run from Mercia to Newark/Cromwell at the start of the tidal section. So any engine/fuel/over heating issues should have been detected and sorted.

 

I agree any overheating should be sorted as long as the OP does a river section at close to flat out. I do not agree that a fuel problem would necessarily be sorted. As I found out, the idiot ribs and cruisers on the tidal Trent do not seem to observe any speed limit, and they do throw narrowboats about, far more than on the non-tidal section. It is the pitching and rolling that stirs up and water and much in the tank so it can be drawn into the filter(s)

[BoatingLifeUpNorth2]

12 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

 

I agree any overheating should be sorted as long as the OP does a river section at close to flat out. I do not agree that a fuel problem would necessarily be sorted. As I found out, the idiot ribs and cruisers on the tidal Trent do not seem to observe any speed limit, and they do throw narrowboats about, far more than on the non-tidal section. It is the pitching and rolling that stirs up and water and much in the tank so it can be drawn into the filter(s)

Never seen any speeding RIB’s or had any issues with speeding Cruisers on the tidal section from Cromwell, these are usually encountered from Hazelford to Newark out from Newark and Farndon Marinas.
 I’m sure there’s loads of complete novices that do it every year without any issues on all sorts of boats, as I said it needs respect, but nothing to cause shaking fear.

[Momac]

 

Do not to go single handed and use  ropes bow and stern in locks.

Do buy the charts for the tidal river and follow your progress  to avoid risk of grounding.

You should not need a professional  skipper as the great majority of the journey is in some respects easier than a canal .

As for alleged speeding boats you should be aware the speed restrictions are not the same as the canals and you may need to deal with waves from passing boats.

If you are being overtaken by a GRP cruiser if you keep right when it is safe to do so  and slack off the throttle a bit the majority will pass you  as gently as they can. 

 

 

[BoatingLifeUpNorth2]

22 minutes ago, Momac said:

 

Do not to go single handed and use  ropes bow and stern in locks.

Do buy the charts for the tidal river and follow your progress  to avoid risk of grounding.

 I don’t use bow and stern ropes in the locks, this is something I see more on the larger GRP as they do not have a centre line and it’s not something the lock keepers insist on. Far easier with just the centre line, especially on a smaller 45ft Narrowboat. 
 Hopefully there will be more water on the river this time of year, even with charts boaters were getting caught out in the summer when levels were low and there was a bit of gravel movement. The entrance into Cromwell caught people out as did Hazelford and Gunthorpe. 
 Also the non-tidal stretch from Cranfleet. But hopefully all those spots have now been dredged by CaRT.

[Momac]

5 minutes ago, BoatingLifeUpNorth2 said:

 I don’t use bow and stern ropes in the locks,

That's your choice but my advice and the best procedure is bow and stern ropes.

 

 

36 minutes ago, BoatingLifeUpNorth2 said:

But hopefully all those spots have now been dredged by CaRT.

Not as far as I know

[AJLElectronics]

59 minutes ago, Momac said:

That's your choice but my advice and the best procedure is bow and stern ropes.

 

The requirement for them is placarded at every lock I have used so far.  It suggests that there is a good reason for it and I certainly got an insight when I tried it with just a centre line.

[BoatingLifeUpNorth2]

59 minutes ago, Momac said:

That's your choice but my advice and the best procedure is bow and stern ropes.

 Different boats, number of crew, all dictate how things are done, can’t really use two lines if single handed or if you have a totally enclosed front end as I said the lock keepers don’t have an issue with centre lines only.

[haggis]

Having had a nasty experience in Cromwell lock where I could hardly hold the bow rope ( which was round the T piece) if the boat had been held on a centre rope it would have been pushed out and across the lock hitting the boat on the other side of the lock. 

[Naughty Cal]

9 minutes ago, haggis said:

Having had a nasty experience in Cromwell lock where I could hardly hold the bow rope ( which was round the T piece) if the boat had been held on a centre rope it would have been pushed out and across the lock hitting the boat on the other side of the lock. 

We followed a narrowboat up the Trent who insisted on mooring below each lock with just a centre line.

 

The boat heeled over at an alarming angle at each lock the owners looking on aghast "it's never done that before" 

 

They did the same for the few locks we witnessed before we got fed up of waiting for them to sort themselves out at each lock. Not sure how many more they did in the same fashion!

[BoatingLifeUpNorth2]

1 hour ago, AJLElectronics said:

 

The requirement for them is placarded at every lock I have used so far.  It suggests that there is a good reason for it and I certainly got an insight when I tried it with just a centre line.

On which waterway? certainly not on the waterway we’re talking about and I have not seen locks placarded with you must use bow & stern line in the lock signs even with manned locks.

 

32 minutes ago, Naughty Cal said:

We followed a narrowboat up the Trent who insisted on mooring below each lock with just a centre line.

 

The boat heeled over at an alarming angle at each lock the owners looking on aghast "it's never done that before" 

 

They did the same for the few locks we witnessed before we got fed up of waiting for them to sort themselves out at each lock. Not sure how many more they did in the same fashion!

I don’t see how it would heel over at an alarming angle, as the lock landings aren’t that close to the gates and there’s  not a massive rise in water due to the size of the river, 

[matty40s]

1 hour ago, BoatingLifeUpNorth2 said:

 Different boats, number of crew, all dictate how things are done, can’t really use two lines if single handed or if you have a totally enclosed front end as I said the lock keepers don’t have an issue with centre lines only.

You have to use front and rear on the Thames if the lockies are on duty....I extend front and rear ropes just for the Thames, I find it easy to manage so long as I take a hook with me.

[PaulJ]

1 hour ago, BoatingLifeUpNorth2 said:

 Different boats, number of crew, all dictate how things are done, can’t really use two lines if single handed or if you have a totally enclosed front end as I said the lock keepers don’t have an issue with centre lines only.

I had one on the Trent who had a real hissy fit because I tried to use a centre and stern line. Point blank refused to operate the lock until I removed the centre line and then told me I had to hold the stern line and use the gears to hold the boat which I refused as I thought this was far more dangerous.

Would have stood my ground and continued shouting at each other but the other boats sharing the lock with me were also booked for Cromwell for about an hours time and were getting stressed 😀

[AJLElectronics]

1 hour ago, BoatingLifeUpNorth2 said:

On which waterway? certainly not on the waterway we’re talking about and I have not seen locks placarded with you must use bow & stern line in the lock signs even with manned locks.

 

Upper Avon.

[Tony Brooks]

10 minutes ago, AJLElectronics said:

 

Upper Avon.

 

I have a feeling that some on the Wey Navigation do as well, because they seem to have weaker gates than CaRT and are worried about damage

[Lady M]

Also mainly gate paddles on the Wey Navigation, I think, make it more turbulent when filling the lock.

[matty40s]

3 hours ago, Lady M said:

Also mainly gate paddles on the Wey Navigation, I think, make it more turbulent when filling the lock.

The Wey havnt fitted stupid weed and coal bag filters on their gate paddles.

[GUMPY]

One thought on the tidal Trent is 

Don't cut the corners 

Tempting as it may be, on a falling tide if you get it wrong then you will be stuck there for 10 hours. 

 

[matty40s]

4 minutes ago, GUMPY said:

One thought on the tidal Trent is 

Don't cut the corners 

Tempting as it may be, on a falling tide if you get it wrong then you will be stuck there for 10 hours. 

 

Get the bloomin charts ...