BW Facilities With Showers

[alan_fincher]

We are seriously considering a reasonably long trip out with "Sickle" to escape the clutches of South East water shortages whilst still possible.

 

Without facilities on board, we may wish to choose routes with known serviceable showers at BW facilities blocks.

 

I've been trying to extract a list of these from downloadable Waterscape Boater's Guides.

 

I would very much appreciate any feedback about any of these facilities, (good or bad), and, in particular any that I have missed, or, which actually no longer exist.

 

I couldn't find any on the Oxford or Coventry canals, these are what I could find anywhere near canals we could possibly visit....

 

BCN MAIN LINE

 

Cambrian House

 

Hockley Port (Soho Loop)

 

Engine Arm

 

Wolverhampton Top Lock

 

 

DUDLEY NO 1

 

Black Country Museum (Believed to exist, but not listed in the guide).

 

 

GRAND UNION

 

Camp Hill

 

 

SHROPSHIRE UNION

 

Norbury Junction

 

Nantwich Services

 

 

STRATFORD ON AVON

 

Lapworth Locks No. 22

 

 

TAME VALLEY

 

Perry Barr Top Lock

 

 

TITFORD

 

Titford Pumphouse

 

 

TRENT & MERSEY

 

Fradley Service Station

 

Etruria visitor moorings (Caldon Branch)

 

Harecastle (North) services

 

Red Bull Services

 

Wheelock Services

 

 

WALSALL

 

Ocker Hill

 

 

WORCESTER & BIRMINGHAM

 

Holliday Street Wharf

 

 

WYRLEY & ESSINGTON

 

Sneyd Wharf

[bizzard]

We are seriously considering a reasonably long trip out with "Sickle" to escape the clutches of South East water shortages whilst still possible.

 

Without facilities on board, we may wish to choose routes with known serviceable showers at BW facilities blocks.

 

I've been trying to extract a list of these from downloadable Waterscape Boater's Guides.

 

I would very much appreciate any feedback about any of these facilities, (good or bad), and, in particular any that I have missed, or, which actually no longer exist.

 

I couldn't find any on the Oxford or Coventry canals, these are what I could find anywhere near canals we could possibly visit....

 

BCN MAIN LINE

 

Cambrian House

 

Hockley Port (Soho Loop)

 

Engine Arm

 

Wolverhampton Top Lock

 

 

DUDLEY NO 1

 

Black Country Museum (Believed to exist, but not listed in the guide).

 

 

GRAND UNION

 

Camp Hill

 

 

SHROPSHIRE UNION

 

Norbury Junction

 

Nantwich Services

 

 

STRATFORD ON AVON

 

Lapworth Locks No. 22

 

 

TAME VALLEY

 

Perry Barr Top Lock

 

 

TITFORD

 

Titford Pumphouse

 

 

TRENT & MERSEY

 

Fradley Service Station

 

Etruria visitor moorings (Caldon Branch)

 

Harecastle (North) services

 

Red Bull Services

 

Wheelock Services

 

 

WALSALL

 

Ocker Hill

 

 

WORCESTER & BIRMINGHAM

 

Holliday Street Wharf

 

 

WYRLEY & ESSINGTON

 

Sneyd Wharf

If i had that boat Alan i'd install a nice bath under that foredeck .

[pearley]

I've never used it but I'm told that if someone uses the outside tap at Cambrian Wharf, the shower will go very hot or cold due to low water pressure!

[alan_fincher]

If i had that boat Alan i'd install a nice bath under that foredeck .

It would be self-filling then - albeit slowly, and depending how much it was raining!

 

Might take a while to heat enough hot water on either an Epping range or an Origo meths stove, as well!

[Speedwheel]

It would be self-filling then - albeit slowly, and depending how much it was raining!

 

Might take a while to heat enough hot water on either an Epping range or an Origo meths stove, as well!

 

I was thinking more along the lines of an LPG heated Hot Tub

 

That's a good list BTW - I'm going to nick that

Edited March 16, 2012 by Speedwheel

[alan_fincher]

I've never used it but I'm told that if someone uses the outside tap at Cambrian Wharf, the shower will go very hot or cold due to low water pressure!

I can only assume then that the only time we tried to use that tap, someone was having a bad time in the shower.

 

At the time had to be the slowest I have ever tried.

 

And their (then) brand new Elsan facilities hadn't exactly been though through by anybody who has done much cassette emptying either!

[classicstove]

Lapworth Locks Shower Facility

 

You would have enjoyed a visit to this when first opened (specially built) as you could have done your washing and had it tumble dryed before taking away. Also, the shower room was of the luxury variety with much space to pamper yourself afterwards.

 

There was always the question of why clothes washing facilities were added in the first place as the moorings in the lower reservoir are for pleasure and do not include any planning permission for people to stay on their boats for any extended period

 

The washing facilty was vandalised and has now been removed and the shower block has today a notice saying shower closed - there is no knowledge locally that it will reopen at any time

[bizzard]

It would be self-filling then - albeit slowly, and depending how much it was raining!

 

Might take a while to heat enough hot water on either an Epping range or an Origo meths stove, as well!

You mean all that underdeck space is wasted ? what a waste of about 20' of license money.Waterproof the deck.

Wind a copper heat exchanging coil around round the engines exhaust including around the manifold and then to a calorifier.

[alan_fincher]

You mean all that underdeck space is wasted ?

Wasted ?

 

The deck is for is for sitting out on on sunny days.

 

OK, I realise you mean the bit underneath. Well it is actually part loaded, we are carrying about 2 tons of water, (in suitable containers!).

[stuart]

Black Country museum has toilets, elsan, pump out and showers

[bizzard]

He's thinking about it folks,i can tell.

[FadeToScarlet]

I wonder if you could get a kitcar onto Sickle's patio... and how much it would roll!

[pearley]

 

And their (then) brand new Elsan facilities hadn't exactly been though through by anybody who has done much cassette emptying either!

 

I am surprised how many variations of Elsan emptying facilities there are. The new sanitary station at Burscough which is probably the newest on the system is a terrible design. In fact thge whole S/Stn is pretty poor.

 

Regards

Pete

[jelunga]

I am sure that there is a shower at Hawkesbury Junct of Coventry and Oxford. But not used it. Fradley junct Coventry and T and M near the cafe and where the info shop was is a nice looking shower. Again not used. I just wait till it rains and dance naked on the towpath. But then you are down south so not much rain eh?

Edited March 16, 2012 by jelunga

[OldGoat]

Black Country museum has toilets, elsan, pump out and showers

 

 

The Black Country Museum facilities are very nice - well they were when we last visited them and surprisingly quiet considering the main road thundering overhead.

 

 

What about Camp Hill - if desperate (needs a detour). Last year the washing machines had been stolen - 'cos nobody shuts the door behind them, but the rest of the site looked clean.

 

Engine arm - always in too much of a hurry to take the two sharp RH turns to visit.Just did a google and the BW mooring (for let) listed all that you require and because the site is mainly residential I'd expect the facilities to be in good order??

 

Holiday Street wharf - I opened the door to the shower(s) last year or was it the sluice room. Seemed cramped but adequate. If overnighting, tie your lines with a good not and take the remainder back on the boat. The locals take delight in casting you off - which they don't seem to bother up in the NIA area.

Edited March 16, 2012 by OldGoat

[system 4-50]

Tried 3 BW showers so far. The following is typical.

You enter the shower and get undressed. Not too bad so far. You have done this before.

You then push a button on a switched box which gives you shower power for a fixed unknown number of minutes.

You then experiment with the heat control until the water temperature is just right.

You will know when this point is reached because at this precise moment somebody nearby will flush a toilet and the water pressure will drop to zero.

The temperature of the remaining water rises rapidly and you quickly spin the control to reduce it but you are too late. The overheat preventer cuts in and cuts off power to the shower.

You now stand, wet and cold for several minutes until the cutout thinks you have suffered enough. Then it warms up again.

You get in again and get soapy - and another toilet is flushed.

While you wait for the cycle to repeat, this time cold, wet and soapy, the lights go out.

There are no windows. It is pitch black. You hold a towel around you and creep out of the shower and push the lights button again.

And so it goes on...

When you emerge you are not very clean, very cold, and ready to kill somebody.

 

There is NO point in building any facilty that is not "owned" and managed by a local body. Unmanned facilities are in no-mans land and will NOT work (for very long).

 

My experience is that it is unrewarding to depend on BW showers. But this is based on a small sample and I may have been unlucky.

[Laurie Booth]

I've never used it but I'm told that if someone uses the outside tap at Cambrian Wharf, the shower will go very hot or cold due to low water pressure!

100% correct

[Catrin]

I notice that the Waterscape details say that the Swan at Fradley has launderette facilities available.

 

Does anyone know if these are still available/working?

 

Also, has anyone tried the BW showers that are there?

Cheers

Cath

[bizzard]

They say that if you go for more than 2 weeks without washing,bodily smells cease due to natural oils and grime blocking up the skins pores,so as long as you put clean clothes on at this point all your BO problems would be solved.

[blackrose]

Doesn't your other boat Chalice have a shower? If so, wouldn't you'd be better off taking Chalice rather than being dependent on BW showers which may or may not be open, working or just be too busy (or dirty!) when you get there?

 

Or you could follow Bizzard's advice and just do a Bear Grylls!

Edited March 17, 2012 by blackrose

[carlt]

Tarp it up, temporarily, and sit a solar shower bag on your top plank?

[bizzard]

Tarp it up, temporarily, and sit a solar shower bag on your top plank?

Or a medieval see-saw ducking chair rigged up on the fore deck.

[blackrose]

Tarp it up, temporarily, and sit a solar shower bag on your top plank?

 

That's not a bad idea as a back up - just in case the BW showers aren't accessible for any reason. I once used one of those pump-up pressurised garden sprayer bottles that takes about 10 litres of hot water, under the tarp of a boat in France and it wasn't bad.

[carlt]

Doesn't your other boat Chalice have a shower? If so, wouldn't you'd be better off taking Chalice rather than being dependent on BW showers which may or may not be open, working or just be too busy (or dirty!) when you get there?

 

During the October hurricane in 1987 I was "sleeping" in a little igloo tent in a Brixham camp (blown flat with one of the poles tapping my head all night).

 

My ex was across the bay, in a 4 Star hotel double bedroom (she was attending her firm's annual conference and then we were off to walk the SW Coast Path).

 

Her colleagues thought I was mad, for not joining them for the evening then sharing her room.

 

I was on a camping holiday and would not have missed the experience of being in a tent, during a hurricane, for anything.

 

I once used one of those pump-up pressurised garden sprayer bottles that takes about 10 litres of hot water, under the tarp of a boat in France and it wasn't bad.

That was my shower for ages. They work great though would cost more in meths than a solar shower.

[blackrose]

During the October hurricane in 1987 I was "sleeping" in a little igloo tent in a Brixham camp (blown flat with one of the poles tapping my head all night).

 

My ex was across the bay, in a 4 Star hotel double bedroom (she was attending her firm's annual conference and then we were off to walk the SW Coast Path).

 

Her colleagues thought I was mad, for not joining them for the evening then sharing her room.

 

I was on a camping holiday and would not have missed the experience of being in a tent, during a hurricane, for anything.

 

So you're saying Alan & Catrin should take a tent instead of Sickle? I guess so, why even bother with a boat? Or perhaps if they really want the full experience they should dispense with the tent and just sleep rough in the bushes by the towpath.