Rochdale 9

[boatyboy]

Cor blimey !!! Just had the hardest afternoons work i've had for a long time.Done em before going down.But this time it was going up.I know its unusual to moan about too much water,but today there was.Every lock had a torrent about 4" high coming over both top and bottom gates.I just could not get them open on my own.Di had to keep tying up and giving me a hand.

The lock second from the top took me the wife and 3 passers by to get it open.

And every one of the locks stunk of piss:angry: All of them are worn out,and only a few of the locking things actually locked the paddles.I remember thinking these locks we shite a couple of years ago.And they are even worse now.

Is BW ever going to sort them out?(email on the way) Or are they too scared to go through the Gay area that runs along side the canal at

c(anal)street.

Anyway tomorrow we are going up the Ashton flight starting off at 5am. No doubt that will be fun too.With even more shite in the canal.Over the last 3 years we have traveled nearly 4 thousand miles.And the Rochdale locks are the shityest one in the country.

Rant over.Time for a beer

[Capt Ahab]

Carry on up the Rochdale to Failsworth and you will see some real thick shite! The 9 are just a warm up act.

[journeyperson]

Rochdale Nine? Childs play...

 

[Capt Ahab]

Rochdale Nine? Childs play...

 

Is that Alwyn Ogborne's Itchy Feet in the lock?

[journeyperson]

Is that Alwyn Ogborne's Itchy Feet in the lock?

 

Yes it is. I helped him in an abortive attempt to get up the Rochdale last spring but it was too deep draughted. I then helped him bring it back down to Castlefield, which was fun because the air draught meant we had to lower some pounds.

 

.

[muddywaters]

That prob with to much water on the Rochdale.

The same thing happened to us on the other side of the summit at Toddy.

As for the state of the locks, we where told by someone from Shire Cruisers that BW don't maintain the locks on the Rochdale because not many boats use that canal

[Capt Ahab]

Yes it is. I helped him in an abortive attempt to get up the Rochdale last spring but it was too deep draughted. I then helped him bring it back down to Castlefield, which was fun because the air draught meant we had to lower some pounds.

 

.

I saw him building it on the bank of the Huddersfield Narrow two years ago - a wide beam dutch barge took me back a bit! Saw him again last easter at Castlefields. How far did he get up the Rochdale?

[Scooby]

That prob with to much water on the Rochdale.

The same thing happened to us on the other side of the summit at Toddy.

As for the state of the locks, we where told by someone from Shire Cruisers that BW don't maintain the locks on the Rochdale because not many boats use that canal

 

Cos its a shit hole...simples...

[Janet S]

Cos its a shit hole...simples...

 

No it isn't!

 

We've done the Rochdale on several trips...certainly it has grot spots, as do most urban canals.

 

Ignore the bad and then look at the rest of it...it's one of the finest canals on our network.

 

Janet

[TimD]

I thought the Rochdale 9 was a group of Irish guys fitted up but the police in the 70's, or was that the Temperence 7?

[Madmark62]

No it isn't!

 

We've done the Rochdale on several trips...certainly it has grot spots, as do most urban canals.

 

Ignore the bad and then look at the rest of it...it's one of the finest canals on our network.

 

Janet

 

When everything is working, the Rochdale is a fantastic canal. Very beautiful and tranquil, then you leave YORKSHIRE AND GO ACROSS TO THE DARKSIDE!!! ;)

[the grinch]

so they are hard work, why blame BW? they aren't responsible for the 9 locks as far as i knew?

[Cheshire cat]

The Rochdale nine are challenging. The Ashton flight by comparison is not. If you are heading towards Yorks you get an assist from BW. The original posters comments are valid. Subsequent posts are over stating the difficulties in my opinion.

 

BW are responsible. The locks were handed over in the nineties.

[Matthew Dowson]

Going up the ashton a few years ago and one of the short pounds was very full and to get under a low steel bridge I had to take the tiller pin out so it didn't get bent by one bridge beam. Now thats low.

[magpie patrick]

so they are hard work, why blame BW? they aren't responsible for the 9 locks as far as i knew?

 

 

The Rochdale Canal is leased to the Waterways Trust, who have given BW a contract to maintain it. Thus it doesn't really fit into the remainder/cruiseway thing. This arrangement means it isn't a BW asset, and was intended in part to stop the government meddling with the canal asset.

 

It's not really fair to blame BW though, the canal was built over 200 years ago and operated by men who were much stronger than most of us office workers today are. The problems of the gates being heavy are a result of that, and the water problem in the nine is due to a lack of bywashes.

[landroversforever]

Had the same trouble last summer. most of the gates took a 3 of us at least

[Jim Riley]

the levels on the 9 are sometimes raised by rubbish in the by wash - I had a problem last time I came up, there's one at canal street with iron bars on the edge of the culvert that traps placcy bags to form a dam, otherwise theres a simple solution to a high pound - let some water out.

 

Once you have put in a day of hard graft from piccadilly to rose of lancaster or slattocks then it's just beautiful for the rest of the way. It's also the quickest way across the pennines.

 

and who said if you are going to yorks you get a bw man to "help"? :lol: :lol: chocolate teapot maybe! imhe they just unlock the padlocks and lock up after, tho they have lifted paddles so I've arrived at an empty lock. Or then you get the temps who put padlocks on where they are not meant to be...the man unlocking doesn't know it's there and so you come to a locked gate - had to sit outside newton heath lock for 2 hours waiting / chatting nicely on phone with the duty manager in the end (3pm) I told him I was cutting the chain, had to go! so cut the last link in chain and left chain and padlock in pub.

 

And I see we have an uppity yorkshire man on the post - all confused by dark and light sides, well you can always tell a yorkshire man but you can't tell him much. I have one of those litter picking devices for sale, great for helping short arms reach to bottom of pockets.

[journeyperson]

I saw him building it on the bank of the Huddersfield Narrow two years ago - a wide beam dutch barge took me back a bit! Saw him again last easter at Castlefields. How far did he get up the Rochdale?

 

Just a few locks the other side of Newton Heath when it grounded on the lock cill going in. BW were with us and were very helpful. They had to let a lot of precious water through to float the boat and then we had to come down backwards Parts of Newton Heath resembled a lake when we got down there! Fortunately it was early in the year and I don't think it caused much disruption.

 

[muddywaters]

No it isn't!

 

We've done the Rochdale on several trips...certainly it has grot spots, as do most urban canals.

 

Ignore the bad and then look at the rest of it...it's one of the finest canals on our network.

 

Janet

Agree 100% one of the best canals we have been on.

Although the locks where not so well maintained last time we went on the Rochdale and where hard to work at times they are well worth the effort.

Beautiful scenery on the Yorkshire side anyway (not been on the Lancashire end.

Would highly recommend the Rochdale to anyone who has not been on it and if hiring can't do any better than Shire Cruisers.

As for the comment about it being nice until you enter Lancashire, well the urban areas it goes through on that side where why it was built in the first place.

I like a mixture of urban and country and you will get both if you do the full length of the Rochdale.

[Barry]

I see the Rochdale is a broad canal - is it possible to do it single handed or are the locks so tough that you need to go at mob handed or with a minimum of two people?

[muddywaters]

I see the Rochdale is a broad canal - is it possible to do it single handed or are the locks so tough that you need to go at mob handed or with a minimum of two people?

Never single handed but did pass someone coming out of the big lock at Sowerby Bridge going onto the Rochdale single handed so obviously it has been done.

Although with 2 of us we have had to enlist passing cyclists or walkers to help with gates

[journeyperson]

It's not really fair to blame BW though, the canal was built over 200 years ago and operated by men who were much stronger than most of us office workers today are.

 

Perhaps windlasses were stronger too, I bent one trying to open a bottom gate on lock 92.

 

I see the Rochdale is a broad canal - is it possible to do it single handed or are the locks so tough that you need to go at mob handed or with a minimum of two people?

 

I am planning to cross the Pennines this summer and I will be single handed most of the time. I have decided that The Rochdale is probably the least hardest option. I'll have help up the first nine though and until I get beyond Chadderton I will be able to summons help if needed.

 

ETA with them being wide locks I am hopeful of finding other boats to share the load through the locks.

Edited May 27, 2011 by journeyperson

[Odana]

Rochdale is a fab canal. Even the rough bits were interesting - and the journey through this narrow sliver of Manchester's city centre underbelly was one of my favourite days (other than the effort)

 

The BW guy who helped us down was really helpful and stuck with us all the way. Three is a good sized crew for the nine (thanks journeyperson, crewmember #3)as they are Very Hard Work Indeed - we have a bent windlass too. But up towards the hills, and especially over the Yorkshire side, is amazing. Difficult to choose between the Rochdale and the Huddersfield Narrow, but I think Todmorden swung it for me - Rochdale is officially my favourite canal so far.

[Barry]

Never single handed but did pass someone coming out of the big lock at Sowerby Bridge going onto the Rochdale single handed so obviously it has been done.

Although with 2 of us we have had to enlist passing cyclists or walkers to help with gates

 

 

Perhaps windlasses were stronger too, I bent one trying to open a bottom gate on lock 92.

 

 

 

I am planning to cross the Pennines this summer and I will be single handed most of the time. I have decided that The Rochdale is probably the least hardest option. I'll have help up the first nine though and until I get beyond Chadderton I will be able to summons help if needed.

 

ETA with them being wide locks I am hopeful of finding other boats to share the load through the locks.

 

I'm wondering if I can get my Princess 32 cruiser up the Rochdale. I'm contemplating an adventure trip in the summer - Trent; Sheffield and South Yorkshire Navigation; Aire and Calder; Leeds and Liverpool; Manchester Ship canal; Bridgewater; Rochdale; Calder and Hebble and back to Lincoln. I'll be single handed all the way. Guess I'd better check out air draughts too although my Princess is rare in that it has a soft top and I can fold the screens down too. My draught is 2ft 10 with the leg down but I can, in a pinch, lift the leg and bow haul or pole it through the very shallow bits

[journeyperson]

I'm wondering if I can get my Princess 32 cruiser up the Rochdale. I'm contemplating an adventure trip in the summer - Trent; Sheffield and South Yorkshire Navigation; Aire and Calder; Leeds and Liverpool; Manchester Ship canal; Bridgewater; Rochdale; Calder and Hebble and back to Lincoln. I'll be single handed all the way. Guess I'd better check out air draughts too although my Princess is rare in that it has a soft top and I can fold the screens down too. My draught is 2ft 10 with the leg down but I can, in a pinch, lift the leg and bow haul or pole it through the very shallow bits

 

If you are going up the Rochdale in early July you might be the other boat I'm hoping to find - if you would risk sharing locks with a steel boat . Regarding draught, I would think that 2' 10" would be ok. I seem to remember that Itchy Feet has a draught approaching 4'. (it was a very speculative attempt to get up there).