Rochdale 9

[grunders]

Since this has expanded to a thread about the Rochdale in general, just thought I would add a link to a previous thread:

 

http://www.canalworl...showtopic=29888

 

Also, on the draught issue, Beatty draws 2' 10" and we did have a bit of trouble with depth at times but we made it.

 

From my trip report, I quote the following:

 

This from the first locks after the Nine:

 

"Our experience at the second lock was a taster of what was to come - there was some rubbish on the sill preventing the gates fully closing. We raked the sill with the keb in order to get the gates closed properly. Throughout the ascent of these first 18 locks, Beatty was hitting lumps in the canal especially in bridgeholes - mainly this seemed to be stuff that had been thrown in although a couple of pounds were very shallow to start with. There was also, of course, plenty of stuff behind the gates in the locks (both visible and hidden under the water) which meant there was often at least 1 gate that wouldn't open properly. Getting out of these problems mainly involved just reversing off and trying a different position in the canal but the shafts saw a lot of use and, on one occasion, we were glad of a tow from Molly's Drum, the boat acompanying us, to pull us off of a particularly nasty lump."

 

This bit about Rochdale itself:

 

"Through the town we were again rolling over lumps in the cut until we reached bridge 57 at 1200.Here, we stopped dead in the bridgehole having ridden on to something quite big. We reversed and had another try but to no avail and we also managed to jam the prop with a pushchair. The propeller was luckily freed using a block of wood and sledge hammer and our attention then returned to getting the boat through the bridge. Raking the bottom with the keb revealed the pushchair but also a shopping trolley, and then finally a motorbike! This last item was a devil to remove but we eventually managed with three ropes and a bit of help from the locals."

 

And these snippets on having too much water:

 

"We crossed the summit again with no problems and water to spare. When we got to locks 40 - 43, the main problem was too much water. This was a section which was visibly short of water on the way up but now we were causing localised flooding by raising paddles. This was despite only 1 paddle being available at the bottom of each lock owing to 'flood prevention measures'. Lock 40 has short balance beams and with the amount of water coming over the top gates, it was impossible to open the gates conventionally. We eventually got one open by tying a rope to the heel-post of one gate, tying the other end to a bollard and pulling on the rope in between these points."

 

Coming down the Nine:

 

"There was still a lot of water (I suppose this isn't a surprise) which made opening bottom gates quite difficult but we managed."

 

Despite the problems, I'd love to do it again.

[magpie patrick]

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

 

 

They almost certainly were, I've severely bent one long throw and slightly bent a short throw, both on the Huddersfield Canal. I have two historic K and A windlasses, which now only fit the top paddles of Hanham lock because spindle sizes have been altered, they are so strong I think even a machine would struggle to bend them

 

Bazza can confirm, but I've a feeling his boat is a bit wide in the beam so unless yours is shorter, but like I say he'll confirm. Mind you, while it would be slow, even if simply stick together and help each other whilst working every lock twice it would be easier

[journeyperson]

Bazza can confirm, but I've a feeling his boat is a bit wide in the beam so unless yours is shorter, but like I say he'll confirm. Mind you, while it would be slow, even if simply stick together and help each other whilst working every lock twice it would be easier

 

 

Ah, yes, 9' 10" beam, but I'm only 40' long and according to Jim Shead max boat length is 74' so there would be room to spare one behind the other - should the occasion arise.

[Barry]

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).

 

Crikey! Early July is an exciting thought. My boat is out of the water having a load of work done and I'm not quite sure when it will be back in. Early July might be a bit early for me.

 

 

 

Bazza can confirm, but I've a feeling his boat is a bit wide in the beam so unless yours is shorter, but like I say he'll confirm. Mind you, while it would be slow, even if simply stick together and help each other whilst working every lock twice it would be easier

 

 

Ah, yes, 9' 10" beam, but I'm only 40' long and according to Jim Shead max boat length is 74' so there would be room to spare one behind the other - should the occasion arise.

 

with your 40ft and my 32 that fills a lock lengthways with no fenders or my swimming platform

 

PM on it's way

[journeyperson]

Crikey! Early July is an exciting thought. My boat is out of the water having a load of work done and I'm not quite sure when it will be back in. Early July might be a bit early for me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

with your 40ft and my 32 that fills a lock lengthways with no fenders or my swimming platform

 

PM on it's way

 

I think you can unhitch the bathing platform until we get well clear of Manchester - further replies by pm.

[Josher]

Interesting ...

 

Canal could get a £1m upgrade to draw more visitors

 

Published on Saturday 28 May 2011 10:22 Halifax Courier

 

ABOUT £1 million could be spent making the Rochdale Canal more useful and attractive to visitors. The council has been asked to support a bid for lottery funding by Pennine Prospects and the Waterways Trust, which owns the canal. The money could help pay for upgrading displays at the canal visitor centre in Hebden Bridge, improving access, putting up new signs and interpretation boards and expanding educational and promotional work. If the bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund for £780,000 is successful, it will be matched with money from the South Pennine Leader programme. It has been a long- standing aim to turn the canal and surrounding land into a “Linear Park”.

 

The Leader Action Group has set aside money towards the project and a team representing communities from Sowerby Bridge to Todmorden, with local history and ecological expertise, is working on the scheme. Calderdale Council’s economy and environment spokesman Barry Collins said the improvements would help more people enjoy the canal and find out more about the area’s rich industrial heritage. “The canal and visitor centre in Hebden Bridge are assets that have remained largely unchanged since the centre opened in 2004. “We could make big improvements to the centre and improve the information along the canal bank, making it easier for people to get to it in the first place.”

 

Councillor Collins (Lab, Illingworth and Mixenden) said communities, organisations and schools must play a bigger role in developing interpretation and learning activities around the canal. “This is a really exciting opportunity to get people involved in understanding the canal and its heritage,” he said. The Rochdale Canal runs for 33 miles between Manchester and Sowerby Bridge where it connects to the Calder and Hebble Navigation. It was re-opened along its entire length in July 2002 and forms part of the South Pennine Ring.

[magpie patrick]

 

with your 40ft and my 32 that fills a lock lengthways with no fenders or my swimming platform

 

PM on it's way

 

You can overlap, we do it with Juno, because most boats that are not narrow boats (as opposed to narrow beam boats) have hips we ha place Juno's front end next to a wide beam. How much depends on how wide

[Lady Muck]

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.

 

I can beat that - we managed an even bigger lake than you when we turned that lock! <Goes to look for photo>

[journeyperson]

I can beat that - we managed an even bigger lake than you when we turned that lock! <Goes to look for photo>

 

Well that assuages my guilt a bit.

 

P.S. I only did this reply so I could use the word "assuages" for the first time ever.

[Greg & Jax]

Hi all ,

Just read all these posts as our new mooring is in urban splash marina we will be there back end of august , only ever got to castlefield never got up the locks , should be interesting getting there .

Greg Jax .

[Jim Riley]

A useful bit of kit, whether solo or not, is a wire cable engine hoist from a car supermarket and some rope or nylon slings to winch the hard gates/ swing bridges open. Not had to use it often.

 

I live near Summit and my boat is moored on Warland Pound, the first pound down from summit level on the yorkshire side, so may be able to help with the trip up from Littleborough.

 

Oh and on our last but one trip up from Manchester we came thru lock 9 into Piccadilly basin, in the morning it was cordoned off with blue police tape and guarded by a constable - they found a body in the lock overnight!

have fun!