Cowley to Little Venice

[spacecactus]

Can some give an esimate on how long this might take???

 

Does this journy involve many locks?

 

Thanks for any help with this.

 

Regards

[Lady Muck]

No locks and about 6 hours ish

[spacecactus]

No locks and about 6 hours ish

 

 

Cheers lady muck, no locks, thats pretty good ) I was thinking about 5 hours so was pretty close.

 

Regards

[Chris J W]

There's a nice little 'break spot' at The Black Horse at Greenford. Perfect for a bite to a eat and a very decent pint, too.

[alan_fincher]

No locks and about 6 hours ish

Only if you travel very slowly.

 

We were only 4 hrs 50 mins from further up, at Uxbridge (General Elliott/Uxbridge Boat Centre) to LV, and that includes Cowley lock.

 

The lock free bit from Cowley to LV should be doable in around four and a half hours, I'd have thought.

[LoneWolf]

Only if you travel very slowly.

 

We were only 4 hrs 50 mins from further up, at Uxbridge (General Elliott/Uxbridge Boat Centre) to LV, and that includes Cowley lock.

 

The lock free bit from Cowley to LV should be doable in around four and a half hours, I'd have thought.

 

Maybe the spacecactus is a shanti type dude

 

 

 

Vroooom! ;-)

 

Actually, my log book has 4hrs from Bulls Bridge to Paddington which would agree with Alan's timing. Although mines only an estimated time cos it's from the 1st couple of weeks berfore i thought to record the hour-o-meter each evening.

 

 

Watch out for the coconuts

[Canalwatcher]

Only if you travel very slowly.

 

We were only 4 hrs 50 mins from further up, at Uxbridge (General Elliott/Uxbridge Boat Centre) to LV, and that includes Cowley lock.

 

The lock free bit from Cowley to LV should be doable in around four and a half hours, I'd have thought.

Cowley Lock to Little Venice is 17.1 miles so 3.8mph average to do this in 4.5hrs - quite a brisk average bearing in mind the 0.8 mile of moored boats between Cowley and Packet boat and the other stretches of moored boats on the way

 

Mick

[alan_fincher]

Cowley Lock to Little Venice is 17.1 miles so 3.8mph average to do this in 4.5hrs - quite a brisk average bearing in mind the 0.8 mile of moored boats between Cowley and Packet boat and the other stretches of moored boats on the way

 

Mick

Yes,

 

That's very fair comment.

 

I must admit that I wasn't obsessed with staying under a strict 4mph on the wide boat free bits of the arm, (the vast majority of the trip).

 

If you are determined at no point to edge over 4 mph it could probably take a little longer than I've said, I'll admit - 5 hours would guarantee staying fully within the rules, so is a better number.

 

Don't want to end up in court, after all!

 

Alan

[LoneWolf]

Yes,

 

That's very fair comment.

 

I must admit that I wasn't obsessed with staying under a strict 4mph on the wide boat free bits of the arm, (the vast majority of the trip).

 

If you are determined at no point to edge over 4 mph it could probably take a little longer than I've said, I'll admit - 5 hours would guarantee staying fully within the rules, so is a better number.

 

Don't want to end up in court, after all!

 

Alan

 

 

There's some awfully dull industrial bits to get though & if you aren't messing up the bank (which you wont be for a lot of it cos its wide, deep & concrete sided) then in my opinion you may as well go over 4mph on those bits.

 

I think keeping an eye on your wash & effect on other canal users is a better indicator of 'speed limit' than 4mph

But then I've no way of telling how fast i'm going in mph, and i believe most NBs dont either. Wonder how the law works n this case...

[eightpot]

Bridge 200, Hayes. I generally give it some beans there as the last two occasions through I've been on the receiving end of some fruit pastile throwing youths and a group of drunks who wanted to get on board as "it was Jim's birthday, go on, gie us a lift."

 

Welcome to the Coconut Zone.

[debbifiggy]

Bridge 200, Hayes. I generally give it some beans there as the last two occasions through I've been on the receiving end of some fruit pastile throwing youths and a group of drunks who wanted to get on board as "it was Jim's birthday, go on, gie us a lift."

 

Welcome to the Coconut Zone.

 

Yep, best avoided in the afternoon once the Special Brew's kicked in. But totally fine early morning to lunchtime as they are sleeping off their hangovers. I often walk along that bit, and many people cycle along there and walk their dogs. The drunks are mostly harmless.

 

BTW I did Paddington to Bulls Bridge in approx 3 hours the other day without speeding past moored boats or creating a breaking wash. Add another hour or so if you are going to Cowley.

 

D

Edited November 6, 2009 by debbifiggy

[Lady Muck]

We are clearly the worlds slowest boaters.

[debbifiggy]

We are clearly the worlds slowest boaters.

 

 

No not at all, I would have done it slower if I could have but ended up leaving 2.5 hours late after electric problems. Would have been much nicer to have a leisurely cruise.

 

D

[Lady Muck]

We had a really worn drive belt and no spare and we crept from Camden to Tottenham in 11 hours once! I could've slithered there on my stomach, with my hands tied behind my back, faster than that!

[alan_fincher]

BTW I did Paddington to Bulls Bridge in 3 hours the other day without speeding past moored boats or creating a breaking wash. Add another hour if you are going to Cowley.

That's averaging 4.5 mph, Debbi, so well over that in some bits if you are not speeding past the moorers.

 

Do you have special exemption from the bye-laws ?

[Naughty Cal]

That's averaging 4.5 mph, Debbi, so well over that in some bits if you are not speeding past the moorers.

 

Do you have special exemption from the bye-laws ?

 

And if you do, how did you get it, i could do with one

[fender]

That's averaging 4.5 mph, Debbi, so well over that in some bits if you are not speeding past the moorers.

 

Do you have special exemption from the bye-laws ?

 

 

I've her colleagues on camera doing far in excess of the speed limit PAST moored boats. Absolutely appalling.

[spacecactus]

Hw can you tell what MPH the boat is going????

 

Is it by rev's

[WotEver]

Hw can you tell what MPH the boat is going????

Hand held GPS

[WJM]

16 miles - 4 hours, easily

 

It is a broad, deep canal with lots of long unpopulated stretches. 5mph is easy, so passing moored boats will bring your average down to about 4 or 4.5mph

Edited November 11, 2009 by WJM

[Guest User]

Hw can you tell what MPH the boat is going????

 

Is it by rev's

 

Ask the motorbikes on the towpath to keep pace for a moment and tell you what their speedos are reading ?

[mike-h]

Bridge 200, Hayes. I generally give it some beans there as the last two occasions through I've been on the receiving end of some fruit pastile throwing youths and a group of drunks who wanted to get on board as "it was Jim's birthday, go on, gie us a lift."

Welcome to the Coconut Zone.

 

 

We did this trip a couple of times since the summer and assumed the coconuts must have been discarded after they'd been smoked or something! Anyone know why this stretch is so blessed?

[eightpot]

Demographics of the area. Hayes, Southall, Wembley, Hanwell, etc., have a large asian population. When a family member dies, offerings of food for the departed soul are thrown in the Ganges. Since that river is on the other side of the world, the GU is quite a good stand in.

 

You'll also see an abundance of lemons to go with the coconuts and if it was a recent offering you might see the food decorated with golden wrappings.

[nb Innisfree]

Hw can you tell what MPH the boat is going????

 

Is it by rev's

 

Time between, say, bridges at a set engine speed, then check distance later on Google Earth. Calculate from that.

 

Or measure distance first then time.

[bristol & argo]

Hw can you tell what MPH the boat is going????

 

Is it by rev's

 

Unless you have a Motor or a Pair, in which case (when the HB2 has reached maximum ear comfort level) your teminal speed is dictated by the depth of the canal, the distance between the bends, and how long a tow you let out.

 

I suspect we may have hit 6mph at times with no breaking wash, but the Paddington Arm isn't all deep and at times you actually feel the boat slow down as you hit a shallower bit.

 

ahhh, memories, back to w0rk now...

simon.