Tidal Trent

[Rod a mod from Tod]

Due to work commitments our Easter trip to Wakefield has been kyboshed so am now planning well ahead for the big summer jaunt. We will be heading for Wakey then onwards to the Trent, and beyond, hopefully.

 

Looking on Canalplan it gives the tidal bit as just over 9hrs but spreads this over 2 days, is this presumably to fit in with the tide. Is it possible to get to the start of the Chesterfield in one hit or is this only doable over 2 days from Cromwell lock. Again it looks as if its 2 days, not that time is of the essence but we do like to cruise for up to 8hrs a day if poss.

 

Never ever done a tidal river so is it done with the flow, and, what extra safety equipment is needed. Life jackets, anchor and chain, radios, life ring, plenty of bog roll????

 

Ta.

[mrsmelly]

Due to work commitments our Easter trip to Wakefield has been kyboshed so am now planning well ahead for the big summer jaunt. We will be heading for Wakey then onwards to the Trent, and beyond, hopefully.

 

Looking on Canalplan it gives the tidal bit as just over 9hrs but spreads this over 2 days, is this presumably to fit in with the tide. Is it possible to get to the start of the Chesterfield in one hit or is this only doable over 2 days from Cromwell lock. Again it looks as if its 2 days, not that time is of the essence but we do like to cruise for up to 8hrs a day if poss.

 

Never ever done a tidal river so is it done with the flow, and, what extra safety equipment is needed. Life jackets, anchor and chain, radios, life ring, plenty of bog roll????

 

Ta.

 

Cromwell to Keadby is about 8 hours ish. I usualy do it in two easy hits of 5 hours to Torksey and 3/4 from Torksey to Keadby. You can do West stockwith in one hit easily on the right tide from Cromwell. I am nipping down from Keadby to Nottingham this weekend going out at about 7.30 Sat morning and beers at the bottom of the fossditch sat nite then down thro Cromwell Sunday, should be a nice trip.

The Trent is fab you will love it. You need all the equipment you state and Vhf radio is very very usefull to have.

Edited March 4, 2012 by mrsmelly

[ditchcrawler]

Cromwell to Keadby is about 8 hours ish. I usualy do it in two easy hits of 5 hours to Torksey and 3/4 from Torksey to Keadby. You can do West stockwith in one hit easily on the right tide from Cromwell. I am nipping down from Keadby to Nottingham this weekend going out at about 7.30 Sat morning and beers at the bottom of the fossditch sat nite then down thro Cromwell Sunday, should be a nice trip.

The Trent is fab you will love it. You need all the equipment you state and Vhf radio is very very usefull to have.

And you can work out how fast you are going by timing the posts as you go passed them.

[mrsmelly]

And you can work out how fast you are going by timing the posts as you go passed them.

 

Yeah what is it with the bloody posts they just stop being there after a while, cant remember exactly where off the top of my head

[Keeping Up]

With the tide behind you, you will be travelling a lot faster than the defaults of Canalplan. Our record (timed against the km posts) was to pass through Gainsborough at 11 mph on a boat whose top speed was 6mph.

[Mac of Cygnet]

With the tide behind you, you will be travelling a lot faster than the defaults of Canalplan. Our record (timed against the km posts) was to pass through Gainsborough at 11 mph on a boat whose top speed was 6mph.

 

Yeah, the faster you go through Gainsborough the better. But you gotta stop at West Stockwith and visit the White Hart - it has its own brewery, making Idle this and Idle that (it's right next to the mouth of the River Idle).

[Chertsey]

Yeah, the faster you go through Gainsborough the better. But you gotta stop at West Stockwith and visit the White Hart - it has its own brewery, making Idle this and Idle that (it's right next to the mouth of the River Idle).

[musicman]

Last summer, we did Keadby to West Stockwith in a couple of hours. Had a great holiday on the Chesterfield Canal. For me, the most tedious stretch is the canal from Thorne to Keadby - talk about hard work!! Loads of very stiff manual swing bridges, which when you are single handed, is a real test.

[Naughty Cal]

Cromwell to Keadby is about 8 hours ish. I usualy do it in two easy hits of 5 hours to Torksey and 3/4 from Torksey to Keadby. You can do West stockwith in one hit easily on the right tide from Cromwell. I am nipping down from Keadby to Nottingham this weekend going out at about 7.30 Sat morning and beers at the bottom of the fossditch sat nite then down thro Cromwell Sunday, should be a nice trip.

The Trent is fab you will love it. You need all the equipment you state and Vhf radio is very very usefull to have.

 

You must dawdle

 

The tidal Trent is a great stretch of river. Personally I dont see what all the fuss is about. With the right kit, the right preperation and the correct planning it is great place to cruise. Watch out for the ski clubs...

 

If you stop at Torksey, The White Swan do a cracking steak pie and there is always a friendly welcome in there. The pontoons in the cut are a pleasant enough place to spend the evening.

 

If you head into West Stockwith the White Hart is the better of the two pubs and serves good home cooked meals at reasonable prices. The entry to the lock can be interesting on a decent tide.

 

Below Gainsborough the river is no longer managed by BW but by ABP. There is no speed limit (you must watch your wash however)so be aware of fast approaching boats in the area. If approaching a blind bend listen out on the radio for traffic coming the other way, potentially at speed and announce you are there if neccesary.

 

Beyond Gainsborough there is no where to stop should you experience difficulties so make sure your anchor is secured and that you know how to use it, the tide often runs at around the 6 knot mark so can carry you some distance very quickly if your engine bails out. Making sure it is running well before you set off is a must. Carry spare fuel filters and know how to change them as the bumpy ride can stir crap up from the bottom for your tank and block the filters.

 

Once you reach Keadby look out for the two coasters berthed either side of the lock entrance. They provide some shelter to the lock entry and as such Keadby isnt as difficult as Stockwith the get into. There is precious little to see or do at Keadby. The pub burnt down last year so unless one of the others has reopened then it is a fair old walk to the next pub. There is a decent chippy in the village.

 

Beyond Keadby the river opens up and becomes vast. Most narrowboaters see Keadby as the end of the Trent but in doing so miss the best bits. About an hours more cruising brings you to Trent Falls/Trent End the meeting of the Ouse and Trent to form the Humber. A vast expanse of water teeming with wildlife.

 

Last summer, we did Keadby to West Stockwith in a couple of hours. Had a great holiday on the Chesterfield Canal. For me, the most tedious stretch is the canal from Thorne to Keadby - talk about hard work!! Loads of very stiff manual swing bridges, which when you are single handed, is a real test.

 

I know what you mean. We had to get from Naburn to Keadby in 24 hours to be in with any chance of getting NC home in time for us to get to work. We did it but that last stretch is hard work, especially in the wind. Even with two of us we struggled a bit.

[The Bagdad Boatman (waits)]

buy a copy of the Ripon motor boat club guide it is brilliant. When entering a lock from the river turn into to tide flow before the lock and then allow the boat to drift sideways into the lock just like the canoes do. otherwise you get bounced off the lock wall. It is easier to travel on a neap tide rather than a spring tide which can be very big and fast. do not get too near the bank on the outside of the bends unless you want to collect firewood from the trees.

[Grebe]

It's a long flog on the tiller from Keadby to Cromwell. Follow your own thought and mrsmelly's advice and break the trip at Torksy or if you want a secluded spot the pontoon just above Dunham Bridge.

 

The kilometre posts are on the BW controlled section above Gainsbrough Bridge.

 

John Lower's book 'Narrowboat on the Trent' details all you need to know Lower. The only bit he doesn't cover is Keadby to Trent Falls - because he's not done it in a narrowboat.

[Mac of Cygnet]

Last summer, we did Keadby to West Stockwith in a couple of hours. Had a great holiday on the Chesterfield Canal. For me, the most tedious stretch is the canal from Thorne to Keadby - talk about hard work!! Loads of very stiff manual swing bridges, which when you are single handed, is a real test.

 

It's amazing how perceptions differ. I like this stretch - the wide horizons, the trains running alongside which usually give you a toot and a wave, the Vazon Sliding Rail Bridge. Since the pub(s) at Keadby disappeared I usually moor at Medge Hall, where there is not only a proper signal box but a level crossing operated manually by the keeper. And only once have I had any difficulty operating the bridges singlehanded - it has now been fixed. The fancy powered footbridge in Thorne, however, is a pain, always fiddly and difficult to get working.

Edited March 5, 2012 by Mac of Cygnet

[tillergirl]

Haven't boated that bit of the Trent but I can give you you the latest heads up on what's on offer at Keadby. Nothing. The Auld South Yorkshire is fast becoming a ruin since the fire and The Barge is now steel shuttered and fenced off as it became a place for ne'er do wells to hang about around.

 

The Fish shop is a good eat and well worth a walk to it to check out the opening times. And I dare say you might even get signed into the WMC next door if you smile nicely enough at the steward. If you walk further down the road there is now a community shop open that sells local grown fruit, veg, fresh bread, free range eggs which seems to be doing very well. We regularly stop and buy when we walk the dogs in that area to support it rather than buy these items from the supermarket now. 30 free range for £3 can't be bad can it?

 

Apart from that there's a PO and another newsagent further up the road and that's about it. really. One thing we did notice last year though that there would be a boater or two who were overnighting at Vazon Bridge rather than Keadby Lock. Yes the rail is busy there but I guess some people probably feel much safer there than the mooring at Keadby Lock.

[Naughty Cal]

Haven't boated that bit of the Trent but I can give you you the latest heads up on what's on offer at Keadby. Nothing. The Auld South Yorkshire is fast becoming a ruin since the fire and The Barge is now steel shuttered and fenced off as it became a place for ne'er do wells to hang about around.

 

The Fish shop is a good eat and well worth a walk to it to check out the opening times. And I dare say you might even get signed into the WMC next door if you smile nicely enough at the steward. If you walk further down the road there is now a community shop open that sells local grown fruit, veg, fresh bread, free range eggs which seems to be doing very well. We regularly stop and buy when we walk the dogs in that area to support it rather than buy these items from the supermarket now. 30 free range for £3 can't be bad can it?

 

Apart from that there's a PO and another newsagent further up the road and that's about it. really. One thing we did notice last year though that there would be a boater or two who were overnighting at Vazon Bridge rather than Keadby Lock. Yes the rail is busy there but I guess some people probably feel much safer there than the mooring at Keadby Lock.

 

Every time we have moored over night at Keadby we have been warned by the local boaters on the moorings opposite to chain our boat up. We never have and we have not experienced any trouble. There are usually a few youths knocking around in the adjacent car park but they have never been any trouble whilst we have been there and have always been polite yet inquisitive about the boats.

 

Will give the community shop a try next time we are in the area, sounds like a good shop

[Rod a mod from Tod]

Thanks all. Will try and make it to West Stockwith and the White Hart, just love a brew pub and that is one i hadn't heard of.

[ditchcrawler]

With the tide behind you, you will be travelling a lot faster than the defaults of Canalplan. Our record (timed against the km posts) was to pass through Gainsborough at 11 mph on a boat whose top speed was 6mph.

I don't know what speed we came back upstream as I lost my watch on one of the many trips down the weed hatch on the Chesterfield canal

[Nick (CanalPlanAC)]

Due to work commitments our Easter trip to Wakefield has been kyboshed so am now planning well ahead for the big summer jaunt. We will be heading for Wakey then onwards to the Trent, and beyond, hopefully.

 

Looking on Canalplan it gives the tidal bit as just over 9hrs but spreads this over 2 days, is this presumably to fit in with the tide. Is it possible to get to the start of the Chesterfield in one hit or is this only doable over 2 days from Cromwell lock. Again it looks as if its 2 days, not that time is of the essence but we do like to cruise for up to 8hrs a day if poss.

 

Never ever done a tidal river so is it done with the flow, and, what extra safety equipment is needed. Life jackets, anchor and chain, radios, life ring, plenty of bog roll????

 

Ta.

 

CanalPlan doesn't work things out for tides. It could but I'm not that keen as I'd really rather people did the research and made the decisions themself rather than relied on the program (we've seen what people following satnavs can do). It therefore doesn't use anything like a reasonable speed for tidal waterways to sort of make up for the likely waiting time (and because it doesn't use different speeds for up and down stream).

Edited March 8, 2012 by Nick (CanalPlanAC)

[Theo]

CanalPlan doesn't work things out for tides. It could but I'm not that keen as I'd really rather people did the research and made the decisions themself rather than relied on the program (we've seen what people following satnavs can do). It therefore doesn't use anything like a reasonable speed for tidal waterways to sort of make up for the likely waiting time (and because it doesn't use different speeds for up and down stream).

 

 

Good to see you on here, Nick!

 

Nick

[sheriff]

Hi

When I arrived onto the chesterfield canal..i spent more time down the weed hatch than above it on the section up to the first lock,some times crawled along,there are some splendid places to moor,there is a good section of armco(steel crash barrier stuff)to tie up to before hayton low bridge 66,if you have the nicholson guide about 100 yrds before the windy hole,great sunsets in the evening,there is a mooring for the pub at hayton low bridge if you like.

 

i prefer to moor on my own in the country,for photos..my first night i used visitor mooring at drakeholes,and of course the pub,big super market in retford where the locks become narrowboat width,pass retford i used my plank,good shower room at top lock 55,the chesterfield is a nice relaxing canal,good for walking,not many people,

 

I found the club moorings good as I was invited to use the ones that had members out on a cruise for a while.i enjoyed three weeks on that canal.

[Circe]

Can I just say a quick thanks for the info on this thread too. We're planning the Trent for the first time over the Easter break, so it's been very helpful.

[mrsmelly]

Can I just say a quick thanks for the info on this thread too. We're planning the Trent for the first time over the Easter break, so it's been very helpful.

 

Just a quick update as to help you with timings. I came out at Keadby 2 weeks ago on a big spring tide and made Cromwell in one hit. I ran the engine at my normal canal speed the whole time and made it in precisely 7 hours, I checked because of this thread among others. A big tide is what you want or it does become tedious.

[Keeping Up]

Just a quick update as to help you with timings. I came out at Keadby 2 weeks ago on a big spring tide and made Cromwell in one hit. I ran the engine at my normal canal speed the whole time and made it in precisely 7 hours, I checked because of this thread among others. A big tide is what you want or it does become tedious.

 

Useful information.

 

For anyone that is considering the trip, I don't believe it's possible to do the reverse trip (Cromwell to Keadby) on one tide in a narrowboat - although I'm prepared to be corrected if that's wrong.

[Naughty Cal]

Can I just say a quick thanks for the info on this thread too. We're planning the Trent for the first time over the Easter break, so it's been very helpful.

 

We will keep an eye out for you. We are heading the other way for Leeds over Easter

 

Useful information.

 

For anyone that is considering the trip, I don't believe it's possible to do the reverse trip (Cromwell to Keadby) on one tide in a narrowboat - although I'm prepared to be corrected if that's wrong.

 

Not unless you fancy spending the night moored alongside one of the coasters.

 

A narrowboat would head down on the tide and I suspect that by the time they arrived at Keadby there wouldnt be enough water left to get into the lock.

[mrsmelly]

 

 

 

 

Not unless you fancy spending the night moored alongside one of the coasters.

 

A narrowboat would head down on the tide and I suspect that by the time they arrived at Keadby there wouldnt be enough water left to get into the lock.

 

Agreed. Going Cromwell to Keadby is deffo different to coming the other way. The timing is more critical as Phylis says due to water levels needed at Keadby lock entrance. The usual thing to do is to come off the floating pontoons at Torksey and punch the incoming tide for about an hour ( ish ) then there is sufficient water at Keadby at the state of the tide as you get there to get in. Of course this is less relevant on a boat shaped boat with more power than such as narrowboats/fat narrowboats.

[Naughty Cal]

Agreed. Going Cromwell to Keadby is deffo different to coming the other way. The timing is more critical as Phylis says due to water levels needed at Keadby lock entrance. The usual thing to do is to come off the floating pontoons at Torksey and punch the incoming tide for about an hour ( ish ) then there is sufficient water at Keadby at the state of the tide as you get there to get in. Of course this is less relevant on a boat shaped boat with more power than such as narrowboats/fat narrowboats.

 

As you say much less critical for us, although we do still punch the tide for the first hour or so leaving Torksey so that we have time for any little mishaps along the way to be rectified and still give us enough time to get into Keadby.