River Trent - Skipper Needed

[OllieBoat]

Thank you, I’m a complete novice and this one is perhaps not one for my first trip out.  I’m a fairly quick study but I’d be single crewed and completely green.

 

I think I have found the person I need, just firming up plans and getting an engine service arranged before it departs.

 

Thanks to all for welcoming me, and I hope to see people out on the waters sometime

[BoatingLifeUpNorth2]

15 minutes ago, OllieBoat said:

Thank you, I’m a complete novice and this one is perhaps not one for my first trip out.  I’m a fairly quick study but I’d be single crewed and completely green.

 

I think I have found the person I need, just firming up plans and getting an engine service arranged before it departs.

 

Thanks to all for welcoming me, and I hope to see people out on the waters sometime

Where have you got moorings at Sheffield and are they confirmed?

[GUMPY]

42 minutes ago, matty40s said:

Get the bloomin charts ...

Indeed but people still cut the corners even with charts.

[tinkertaylor]

Navionics is free for a two week trial on an Android phone, it has all the charts for UK waters.

 

Safety first, Always wear a life jacket and keep an anchor ready to deploy, with a solid length of chain attached.  
Timing matters: Aim to be out during slack tide, when currents are weakest—not during a spring tide, and avoid heading out in strong winds.  
Peace and quiet tip: If you want to dodge the buzz of speeding motorboats, go when it’s raining. Fair-weather boaters tend to stay home.

[NB Thistle]

5 hours ago, AJLElectronics said:

 

Upper Avon.

Also the Lower Avon.

[OllieBoat]

1 hour ago, BoatingLifeUpNorth2 said:

Where have you got moorings at Sheffield and are they confirmed?

not fully sorted yet as it'll be out the water for a short period, potentially will cruise if I can't find a mooring - regardless I need the boat up here

[BoatingLifeUpNorth2]

59 minutes ago, tinkertaylor said:

Timing matters: Aim to be out during slack tide, when currents are weakest—not during a spring tide, and avoid heading out in strong winds.  
Peace and quiet tip: If you want to dodge the buzz of speeding motorboats, go when it’s raining. Fair-weather boaters tend to stay home.

You can’t just go out on the tidal Trent when you want. The lock keepers will tell you when to leave, so you run with the tide and get to your incoming lock hopefully at slack water. You also need to book at least 24/48hrs in advance as the locks onto and off the tidal Trent are manned only when required and impassable out of manned hours.

Edited September 23, 2025 by BoatingLifeUpNorth2

[Momac]

13 minutes ago, BoatingLifeUpNorth2 said:

The lock keepers will tell you when to leave

Or you can work it out for yourself and request a time.

1 hour ago, GUMPY said:

Indeed but people still cut the corners even with charts.

There is one bend where cutting the corner is required as going around the outside of the bend may not succeed in practice.

Therefore the need or the charts.

[LadyG]

2 hours ago, matty40s said:

Get the bloomin charts ...

He may not be able to read charts, 

I found the booklets very useful for shoreside characteristics and artefacts.

Looking at that photo, I wonder if there are sightng poles and he's ignored them. 

It's not Naughty Cal is it, lol...

 

Edited September 23, 2025 by LadyG

[Momac]

8 minutes ago, LadyG said:

 

Looking at that photo, I wonder if there are sightng poles and he's ignored them. 

One white sighting pole is very visible in the foreground.  The other white pole can be seen if you look carefully. 

The channel is a line between the poles.

 

[David Mack]

9 hours ago, BoatingLifeUpNorth2 said:

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, 

It's not that its a centreline that's the problem, it's that it is attached at roof level rather than gunwale level. So if the flow from the emptying lock forces the boat away from the bank the tension in the rope pulls the top of the cabin sideways I.e. the boat heels.

[Jon57]

18 hours 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. 

Had a similar experience. They are a lot of scenarios which can happen when being locked up the locks on the Trent. 

1 experienced lockie

2 which side and position you're

   tied to. 

3 which sluice is working 

   correctly. And how the lockie

   controls it. 

4 positioning of the boats in the 

   the locks.

So if in any doubt best to use bow and stern ropes for your first trip. Only then you can decide which method you choose to use.

   

[BoatingLifeUpNorth2]

10 hours ago, OllieBoat said:

not fully sorted yet as it'll be out the water for a short period, potentially will cruise if I can't find a mooring - regardless I need the boat up here

 Not many if any at Victoria Quays, You’ll need to ring them. I know there’s boats waiting for moorings, you can’t CC on that stretch as it’s not long enough. There were moorings available at Tinsley, have a look on the link below. You’re best staying at Eastwood if you can’t get any yet. there’s a few boats there. Here’s the link to available moorings at Tinsley:

https://www.watersidemooring.com/Search?Location=Sheffield%2C South Yorkshire%2C England%2C United Kingdom&DistanceMiles=30&Coordinates=53.380663%2C-1.470228&tab=list&Availability=Available Now&Availability=Available Soon

9 hours ago, Momac said:

Or you can work it out for yourself and request a time..

 

Yes if your boats got the power to run against the tides like the large powerful GRP’s.  But we’re talking flat bottom Narrowboats here that’ll struggle pushing against a tide, not 250hp plus planing hull boats.

Edited September 24, 2025 by BoatingLifeUpNorth2

[Momac]

12 minutes ago, BoatingLifeUpNorth2 said:

 

Yes if you’re boats got the power to run against the tides like the large powerful GRP. But we’re talking flat bottom Narrowboats here that’ll struggle pushing against a tide, not 250hp plus planing hull boats.

You can still work out  the time to go according to the tide times  to suit your boat  instead of asking the lock keeper.

Then when you phone to book its a double check to see that the lock keeper agrees its okay to go.

 

[Naughty Cal]

9 hours ago, LadyG said:

He may not be able to read charts, 

I found the booklets very useful for shoreside characteristics and artefacts.

Looking at that photo, I wonder if there are sightng poles and he's ignored them. 

It's not Naughty Cal is it, lol...

 

Definitely not us.

 

That boats about 3 times bigger than NC 

[Victor Vectis]

17 hours ago, PaulJ said:

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 😀

I was thinking 'Mmmm, that sounds like Nether Lock' and then read your second papagraph.

[noddyboater]

9 minutes ago, Victor Vectis said:

I was thinking 'Mmmm, that sounds like Nether Lock' and then read your second papagraph.

I think Captain Clipboard has finally been retired now and sent to the home for "ex forces types with too much time on their hands"

[Momac]

3 minutes ago, noddyboater said:

I think Captain Clipboard has finally been retired now and sent to the home for "ex forces types with too much time on their hands"

There was one particularly unhelpful volunteer and yes he is long gone.

[BoatingLifeUpNorth2]

45 minutes ago, Momac said:

You can still work out  the time to go according to the tide times  to suit your boat  instead of asking the lock keeper.

Then when you phone to book its a double check to see that the lock keeper agrees its okay to go.

 

How many Narrowboaters do this? They ring up get a time to go out and seek the lock keepers advice on timings, it’s not a double check for them as they don’t need to check tides and charts, the lock keeper does this for them..  It’s a bit different if you’re going down the Trent out into the Humber and on for a bit of a trip to Whitby in your 500hp planing GRP.

[PaulJ]

33 minutes ago, BoatingLifeUpNorth2 said:

How many Narrowboaters do this? They ring up get a time to go out and seek the lock keepers advice on timings, it’s not a double check for them as they don’t need to check tides and charts, the lock keeper does this for them..  It’s a bit different if you’re going down the Trent out into the Humber and on for a bit of a trip to Whitby in your 500hp planing GRP.

I would think quite alot.

I know I always do anyhow- this has allowed me to make transits on several occasions (not always the Trent) when Ive phoned to book a day to be told its not possible when it was. And I did..

 

[Momac]

39 minutes ago, BoatingLifeUpNorth2 said:

How many Narrowboaters do this? 

I doubt there is any data on the number of boaters who are interested in working out for themselves the appropriate time to travel on the tidal river according to the tides.

I would say most likely the more frequent users of the tidal Trent take the greatest interest while the once in a lifetime users probably not.

Narrowboaters should really  take the greatest interest  as they are less able to change their speed and less able to punch the tide  compared to a higher powered cruiser. Therefore getting it just right is all the more important for them.

 

 

 

 

[BoatingLifeUpNorth2]

2 hours ago, Momac said:

I doubt there is any data on the number of boaters who are interested in working out for themselves the appropriate time to travel on the tidal river according to the tides.

I would say most likely the more frequent users of the tidal Trent take the greatest interest while the once in a lifetime users probably not.

Narrowboaters should really  take the greatest interest  as they are less able to change their speed and less able to punch the tide  compared to a higher powered cruiser. Therefore getting it just right is all the more important for them.

 

 

 

 

Totally agree that Narrowboaters should get the timings right, but non regular users tend to take advise from the lock keepers and the hardest part I find is when running with a fast tide Narrowboaters tend to enjoy the faster speed and turn up too early at Keadby or West Stockwith making it more difficult for themselves. Instead of just holding back and getting into the lock easier.

Edited September 24, 2025 by BoatingLifeUpNorth2

[matty40s]

2 hours ago, PaulJ said:

I would think quite alot.

I know I always do anyhow- this has allowed me to make transits on several occasions (not always the Trent) when Ive phoned to book a day to be told its not possible when it was. And I did..

 

I do that too, I was told to stop at Torksey on one trip as I wouldnt make Cromwell....I disagreed, and stopped that evening at the Bromley at Fiskerton!

[OllieBoat]

6 hours ago, BoatingLifeUpNorth2 said:

 Not many if any at Victoria Quays, You’ll need to ring them. I know there’s boats waiting for moorings, you can’t CC on that stretch as it’s not long enough. There were moorings available at Tinsley, have a look on the link below. You’re best staying at Eastwood if you can’t get any yet. there’s a few boats there. Here’s the link to available moorings at Tinsley:

https://www.watersidemooring.com/Search?Location=Sheffield%2C South Yorkshire%2C England%2C United Kingdom&DistanceMiles=30&Coordinates=53.380663%2C-1.470228&tab=list&Availability=Available Now&Availability=Available Soon

Yes if your boats got the power to run against the tides like the large powerful GRP’s.  But we’re talking flat bottom Narrowboats here that’ll struggle pushing against a tide, not 250hp plus planing hull boats.

Thank you

[PaulJ]

3 hours ago, matty40s said:

I do that too, I was told to stop at Torksey on one trip as I wouldnt make Cromwell....I disagreed, and stopped that evening at the Bromley at Fiskerton!

Last time I did that I missed the lockie by ten minutes and spent the night below Cromwell Lock - which was actually pretty good as Ive never moored there for the night before- always been above the lock 😀