GRP mixing with narrowboats

[bramley]

Howdy Gents and lass's

 

 

just a quick one, we are away next week in our 23ft grp cruiser.

 

while at a pub today (canalside) i realised how busy the canals are at the moment.

 

at locks what do you narrowboaters do if a grp boat is already in the lock but there is space for a boat beside?

 

is it advised to mix with narrowboats for stay away from sharing locks?

 

just wondered as i dont want to cause a fuss or damage to our boat lol

 

Ross

[Smelly]

just wondered as i dont want to cause a fuss or damage to our boat lol

 

Ross

 

Our first jaunt up the Wigan flight was aboard a 60 ft Barry Hawkin's "you might as well put plenty of steel on it, it's the cheapest bit" Northwich that on launching had bent the axle he wheeled boats out on... With a little 20-30ft tupperware GRP boat alongside who had been told is was probably a bad idea but wanted to get up ASAP so thought they'd risk it.

 

Bagpuss's first big flight of locks, and her job was to hold the centre line so as to try and hold the monster off the little fragile thing, to paraphrase her... "there were some very alarming creaks" and believe me it wasn't the metal one creaking.

 

I reckon if the boat alongside can't get any leverage against the boat, i.e. if there are similar lengths, or 2 GRP boats in the lock to fender the big un it'd possibly be okay, but bear in mind "fender" is very deliberately used so I'd be cautious.

[magpie patrick]

Steel boat goes into lock first and leaves last. In a flight this is a pain but probably better than not sharing. Go slow with the paddles and use them as if the steel boat were the only boat in the lock so you pin the steel boat to the wall and the plastic boat to the steel boat. e.g in most locks lift the ground paddle on the side the steel boat is on.

 

GRP hitting steel is much better than the other way round!

 

Always be prepared to lower a paddle once you've raised it

[Naughty Cal]

We have taken our 25ft GRP cruiser through locks with steel boats. It tends to be them that worry more than us. We have found it is better to go in side by side if possible than behind them or in front. This isnt always possible with ours as it is 8'2" wide so some of the locks are not wide enough to do this.

 

The only slightly scary moment was when we went in behind a NB on our way up to Loughborough and the NB drifted back onto our boat pinning it against the bottom gates. Our only advice would be to weigh up the owners of the steel boat before going into a lock with them. If they look like they can handle their boat and look sensible chances are you will be OK. As has been said already steel in first, GRP out first.

[alan_fincher]

As has been said already steel in first, GRP out first.

Which, in our experience was not how Thames lock keepers chose to handle at least the "filling" of their locks.

 

90% of the time they encouraged the GRP in first, (presumably because they had gone hell for leather to beat the "steel" to the lock, but then loaded in the narrowboats behind).

 

Almost guaranteed to bring about large scale deployment of the "dangly testicles, and worried looks as the one approached the other!

 

 

One thing that has greatly surprised us on our journey up to the "Four Counties" and beyond, (Trent and Mersey, Shropshire Union, River Weaver, etc), is the very high proportion of boats up here that are GRP. In many places, and on many moorings, I estimate as much as 30% are GRP, rather than steel. Not only that, many of them are in active use, (although very surprisingly I have hardly seen one in a lock).

 

Down on the Southern Grand Union actively used GRP boats are now very rare indeed.

 

Whether the regional difference is to do with relative affluence in the two areas, or because the GRP is far less vulnerable in narrow locks, and "one way working" tunnels, I'm not sure. I'm tempted to think it's more a wealth thing, as we didn't see many on the Southern Oxford either.

 

Encouragingly there were two Dawncraft behind us in the first convoy of the day through Harecastle tunnel. Nice to see people enjoying themselves without needing to spend £120K.

[Naughty Cal]

The majority of craft where we are are GRP. Steel boats are the rarity (and its not a cost issue, most of them cost far more than your average NB). The lock keepers around here make sure the steel boats are in the locks first and then the GRP follow behind if comfortable with sharing with steel boats. They wont force you to share if you dont want to (although the locks are so large i dont see the issue). We have shared all of the tidal trent locks with steel boats, some of them fuller than others and have yet to come across a problem with them. The keepers are very careful not to throw the boats around by filling/emptying the locks too quickly.

 

Alan if you come to these parts be prepared for the 30% to be steel boats.

[ChrisPy]

what's the problem here? tupperware makes an excellent fender to save the paint on your narrowboat.

 

 

.............. damn, I wasn't wearing a coat today ............

[Naughty Cal]

what's the problem here? tupperware makes an excellent fender to save the paint on your narrowboat.

 

 

.............. damn, I wasn't wearing a coat today ............

 

Naughty boy

[Proper Job]

Back in the late 60's when our family first started boating we owned a 25' centre cockpit cruiser made from marine ply and powered by a trusty Stuart Turner twin.

 

Even a my tender young age, I remember going up Hatton flight and being offered the chance to share a lock with a single working boat. It was the first and last time that my father ever accepted such an offer. The sound of creaking and groaning from the boat as it was made a few inches thinner was frightening.

 

Despite the extra work, we went up behind them on our own for the rest of the flight.

[Naughty Cal]

Yes we had a nice cracking/creaking noise when the NB squashed us against the lock gate. No damage done it just doesnt sound nice.

[bramley]

well by the way the replys have gone and the fact we are on holiday and in no rush i think we will try and avoid any uneeded damage and try and go through on our own, unless its a small nb.

 

im sure this will annoy a few behind if there is a q, but balls to them lol.

[Naughty Cal]

well by the way the replys have gone and the fact we are on holiday and in no rush i think we will try and avoid any uneeded damage and try and go through on our own, unless its a small nb.

 

im sure this will annoy a few behind if there is a q, but balls to them lol.

 

Dont worry about it we upset many on our last trip up to Loughborough. The locks after Nottingham are not big enough for our boat and a NB to get in side by side and we didnt fancy going in diaganol across the back again so went in on our own for the rest of the way. Most people understand but you do get the odd one or two who have a grumble. Just ask them what they would do if it were their boat. That soon shuts them up.

[mayalld]

Dont worry about it we upset many on our last trip up to Loughborough. The locks after Nottingham are not big enough for our boat and a NB to get in side by side and we didnt fancy going in diaganol across the back again so went in on our own for the rest of the way. Most people understand but you do get the odd one or two who have a grumble. Just ask them what they would do if it were their boat. That soon shuts them up.

 

Well, the obvious answer is "sell it and buy a narrowboat"

[Naughty Cal]

Well, the obvious answer is "sell it and buy a narrowboat"

 

Its not an answer we have got yet.

[NB Alnwick]

Don't understand the problem. We are always happy to share a lock with anyone or anything.

We did get a bit nervous approaching Bristol sea lock once when we heard that there was a Royal Navy Minesweeper in the lock - fortunately it was coming towards us and came out of the lock just as we got to it . . .

 

On the other hand, we have known more than one shiny narrowboat to refuse to share a lock with us

[Naughty Cal]

Dont have a problem with sharing locks, you just have to be in ones big enough to share

[ChrisPy]

 

you all won't remember the days when ships were built of oak and built to last.....................

 

I spent a week on the training ship Foudroyant in Gosport harbour (just off from HMS Vernon) as a lad.

She was captured by Nelson's navy and used as a prison ship, (EDITED: wrong - that was the original ship of that name, not TS Foudroyant) but they did explain that it was no longer used for that purpose - you could have fooled me !

I watched the water boat (small tanker/workboat) come alongside one day to fill our tanks (barrels?).

She had a huge spherical rope fender. It embedded itself in the rotten oak planking, leaving a large dimple in the 200 year old vessel. Made a nice creaky sound.

Edited August 12, 2009 by ChrisPy

[mrsmelly]

 

you all won't remember the days when ships were built of oak and built to last.....................

 

I spent a week on the training ship Foudroyant in Gosport harbour (just off from HMS Vernon) as a lad.

She was captured by Nelson's navy and used as a prison ship, but they did explain that it was no longer used for that purpose - you could have fooled me !

I watched the water boat (small tanker/workboat) come alongside one day to fill our tanks (barrels?).

She had a huge spherical rope fender. It embedded itself in the rotten oak planking, leaving a large dimple in the 200 year old vessel. Made a nice creaky sound.

 

Sadly HMS Vernon is no longer, it has gone the way of many good training bases...........

[RLWP]

well by the way the replys have gone and the fact we are on holiday and in no rush i think we will try and avoid any uneeded damage and try and go through on our own, unless its a small nb.

 

im sure this will annoy a few behind if there is a q, but balls to them lol.

 

 

You really won't have a problem. If you are worried ask the narrowboat to hold to the lockside with a rope and bollard, but I can't see it will be necessary.

 

Richard

 

If you are causing a queue, let the faster boats through ahead of you.

[haggis]

Some interesting craft we shared locks with on the Caledonian canal in June this year.

Caledoniain

 

Haggis

[carlt]

 

you all won't remember the days when ships were built of oak and built to last.....................

 

I spent a week on the training ship Foudroyant in Gosport harbour (just off from HMS Vernon) as a lad.

 

Now in Hartlepool as a museum ship.

[stewey]

Now in Hartlepool as a museum ship.

And now back under its original name of HMS Trincomalee.

 

Great ship to visit - in fact the whole complex at Hartlepool most interesting.

 

Stewey

[ChrisPy]

hmm, not sure if that is the same ship - there were at least two by that name.

 

this is the one I stayed on and I don't think it was ever called Trincomalee:

http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/grahamst/foudroyant2.htm

 

one source says:

1897 - May

Trincomalee was sold to Reed's of Portsmouth for breaking. However, at roughly the same time TS Foudroyant, once Nelson's flagship and then a private training ship owned by Mr Wheatly Cobb, was wrecked in a storm off Blackpool. Cobb instantly snapped up Trincomalee to replace his lost vessel.

 

I guess you are right, 'tis one and the same vessel.

Edited August 12, 2009 by ChrisPy

[RLWP]

hmm, not sure if that is the same ship - there were at least two by that name.

 

this is the one I stayed on and I don't think it was ever called Trincomalee:

http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/grahamst/foudroyant2.htm

 

Royal Naval history here: Click

 

Same ship apparently, unless you are about 150 years old...

 

Richard

[stewey]

Royal Naval history here: Click

 

Same ship apparently, unless you are about 150 years old...

 

Richard

Also detailed here:

 

http://www.hms-trincomalee.co.uk/historic/...ng/training.htm

 

Stewey