Entering the Selby from the Ouse...

[Guest]

Currently moored in Selby basin after a very nice run up the surprisingly pretty Selby canal.

 

Ringing the locky in the morning for best passage times onto the Ouse over the next couple of days. Just had a skeggy at Selby Lock and noticed there is no lock landing on the river side. No doubt the locky will advise also but how does coming back in from the river generally work.

 

It will be difficult to plan a precise time to be here I would guess so where do you wait if the lock is against you or there are boats already going up??

 

Or is it agreed you ring the locky when you are about 10-15 minutes off.

 

The thoughts of those with experience of what generally happens appreciated.

[steelaway]

Currently moored in Selby basin after a very nice run up the surprisingly pretty Selby canal.

 

Ringing the locky in the morning for best passage times onto the Ouse over the next couple of days. Just had a skeggy at Selby Lock and noticed there is no lock landing on the river side. No doubt the locky will advise also but how does coming back in from the river generally work.

 

It will be difficult to plan a precise time to be here I would guess so where do you wait if the lock is against you or there are boats already going up??

 

Or is it agreed you ring the locky when you are about 10-15 minutes off.

 

The thoughts of those with experience of what generally happens appreciated.

 

 

 

Hi

 

The locky will know when you might arrive BUT you may have to turn and wait for for the lock.

It seem a bit daunting but once you have turned you can sit facing upstream under control (by judicial use of the throttle) until the lock is ready.

You have to enter the lock upstream what ever the state of the lock.

 

Alex

 

Hi

 

The locky will know when you might arrive BUT you may have to turn and wait for for the lock.

It seem a bit daunting but once you have turned you can sit facing upstream under control (by judicial use of the throttle) until the lock is ready.

You have to enter the lock upstream what ever the state of the lock.

 

Alex

 

 

 

On the way up try to keep away from the trees on bends, the fast current runs around the outside of the river and can draw you into the trees.

Stay near the middle but avoid all the floating debris and there is lots of it - including a full size cow!!!

 

Alex

[pearley]

The lockie at Naburn will have let Selby know you are comeing but you then phone Selby when you are about 20 mins away - as you enter the long straight with the Abbey in front. When you get level with the block of flats just upstream of Selby Lock turn and facve upstream so you are about 30 feet from the river side. The water is a bit slacker there and you will drift back slowly. When you are level with the lock apply some power and enter the lock. It's easier if you are the first or only boat.

 

As has been said, approach the bends with caution. Too fast and you'll either go too close to the outside of the bend or you will lean over a bit too much for comfort.

[Minos]

Watch the lockie as you approach from Selby town centre. He stands on the near side of the lock, and he'll signal when to turn, whether to speed up or slow down, and where to put your boat.

 

The Lockies know better than anyone else how to do it. Follow their signals and it'll be a doddle.

[Circe]

We always let the lockie know by VHF when we're about 10 mins off and the lock has always been set for us. He knows roughly when you'll be there anyway as Naburn and Cawood will let him know your timings.

 

There's only room in Selby lock for 2 boats, so if you're 3rd it can be best to let a bit of a gap open between you and the two boats in front so you're not holding it by the lock for as long waiting for it to fill and empty.

[Guest]

OK - thanks for all the info. folks.

[mrsmelly]

Currently moored in Selby basin after a very nice run up the surprisingly pretty Selby canal.

 

Ringing the locky in the morning for best passage times onto the Ouse over the next couple of days. Just had a skeggy at Selby Lock and noticed there is no lock landing on the river side. No doubt the locky will advise also but how does coming back in from the river generally work.

 

It will be difficult to plan a precise time to be here I would guess so where do you wait if the lock is against you or there are boats already going up??

 

Or is it agreed you ring the locky when you are about 10-15 minutes off.

 

The thoughts of those with experience of what generally happens appreciated.

 

You will have a great trip. Coming back in at Selby is no probs on a sensible tide. we have done it on sensible and very high spring tides the only difference is the expression on my face on the big tides with the torpedo like trees bearing down............

[The Bagdad Boatman (waits)]

Keep a close watch on river levels due to rain. In the past the Ure has flooded so bad that the river came over the lock gates and flooded Rippon. You must make the effort to go up to Rippon I think it is one of the best cruises, Flooding in York has overtopped that big wall with the pub on top in the past. One narrowboat moored against the bridge in a flood, and when it receded was laid down on a long flight of steps.

[Guest]

Keep a close watch on river levels due to rain. In the past the Ure has flooded so bad that the river came over the lock gates and flooded Rippon. You must make the effort to go up to Rippon I think it is one of the best cruises, Flooding in York has overtopped that big wall with the pub on top in the past. One narrowboat moored against the bridge in a flood, and when it receded was laid down on a long flight of steps.

 

Cheers will do.

 

I take it though that at least some of the moorings in York are floating pontoon moorings.

 

We know how badly York can flood from our caravanning days. The Caravan Club site is by the river and it is the only caravan site we ever stayed on where the reception and toilet block was on 'stilts' about 5 feet high and the mains hook ups for the pitches were on poles five feet from the ground.

[Circe]

We ended up booking into York Marina to get the boat on a floating pontoon last time the river levels went up. Didn't have much choice though as we were at work and weren't immediately on hand if things really did go pear-shaped.

 

In retrospect, we probably could have got away with mooring at King's Staith with the river levels being at the height they were - but it was a bit risky with us not being on board.

 

I don't know of any public moorings on floating pontoons in York itself. Most are mooring rings, with a few 'wires down the wall' on high walls at King's Staith. We tend not to moor there as it's difficult to get on and off a narrowboat with a disabled child when the ground level is above roof height!

[Guest]

We ended up booking into York Marina to get the boat on a floating pontoon last time the river levels went up. Didn't have much choice though as we were at work and weren't immediately on hand if things really did go pear-shaped.

 

In retrospect, we probably could have got away with mooring at King's Staith with the river levels being at the height they were - but it was a bit risky with us not being on board.

 

I don't know of any public moorings on floating pontoons in York itself. Most are mooring rings, with a few 'wires down the wall' on high walls at King's Staith. We tend not to moor there as it's difficult to get on and off a narrowboat with a disabled child when the ground level is above roof height!

 

Noted - thanks for this - what a pity they don't make it easier (and safer) to moor in the centre of York. Even Beale on the River Aire where we moored last night has a floating pontoon that would cope with a pretty severe rise in the level of the river.

[Mat B]

Like this:

 

 

 

m@

[Guest]

Thank's Matt

[PeterScott]

Like this:

Yes Like very much. Mine's not as good, but as I've not seen other animated gif's on here, let's give it a go anyway:

 

I walked around to the basin to speak with crew of nbAfton and it was their first time at the manoeuvre after buying the boat in Ripon. They had been advised to turn between the bridges and the lock, which they did OK and were relaxed about doing it again. Possible problems are doing the turn too far out in the river to give the tide too much chance to sweep the bows past the lock before getting in properly.

 

Anyone any experience of some debris bunging up the prop an an inconvenient moment?

 

The byelaws here say 14. (b ) ... no master of a vessel shall pass Selby Toll Bridge except (i) at slack water or against the stream or (ii) going astern with the stream so that seems to say you need to turn on upstream side of the bridges and come through astern with the engine controlling the speed over the ground; narrowboats seem to ignore this, though. Earlier discussion here has same pictures and similar points are made.

[Naughty Cal]

Just dont do what we did last time and rattle the lock gate. We were the last of four cruisers in so didnt have much room left. We were so busy making sure we didnt hit the adjacent boat that we hit the bloody gate instead. Luckily as it is wooden we didnt sustain any damage but it could have been much worse. In hind sight waiting for the next locking would have been a wise move

 

ETA: There are floating pontoon moorings at Naburn (very short stretch for the water point), naburn marina (possibly quite pricey for a narrowboat), The Dawnay Arms (again very short full with 2 cruisers) and Linton Lock. So plenty of places to ride out any rising river levels. There are also rise and fall moorings (wires in the wall) at Kings and Queens Staithe, so plenty of safe moorings.

Edited October 24, 2011 by Phylis

[Guest]

Bummer -

 

just spoken to the locky and the earliest he can get us onto the Ouse is 7.30am Friday due to the tide and daylight hour combinations. We have to be home by Sunday/Monday so doesn't leave enough time especially if we can't get back off the Ouse at the weekend.

 

So we are staying here one more night so we can head into Selby on foot or possibly York by train instead and head back tomorrow.

 

I've book marked this topic for reference for when we come back - probably next spring now.

 

Thanks again everybody.

[Big John]

how does coming back in from the river generally work.

The thoughts of those with experience of what generally happens appreciated.

Is a quick plug for the Richlow guide on the North Yorkshire Waterways in order? "Written by people who go there" - and updated on-line when necessary.

[Minos]

Yes - the Richlow guide is excellent.

 

Regarding those by-laws: I would not like to turn before the bridges and navigate them backwards.

 

There is plenty of room to turn between the bridge and the lock entrance.

 

Personally, I like to finish the turn with the bow parallel to the lock entrance and then spend a couple of seconds holding station before entering the lock. It's purely a personal preference, but having watched someone attempt to enter the lock by turning in while moving astern with the flow and run aground, get spun by the flow, and then hit the downstream lock wall sideways with an almighty wallop, that method strikes me personally as being too risky.

[Guest]

Is a quick plug for the Richlow guide on the North Yorkshire Waterways in order? "Written by people who go there" - and updated on-line when necessary.

 

Cheers for that - copy ordered.

[RichardH]

Not seen those before - will add a link to our site for potential guests to purchase

[Minos]

Richard, let Christine at Richlow know. She would be delighted!