Anyone up for some lock wheeling?

[RLWP]

Help!

 

Tawny Owl currently sits at the bottom of Hatton Locks. By Friday afternoon she needs to be at Stourbridge for the banter. Then she needs to return home so...

 

That's - Hatton flight, Knowle flight, Ashtead flight, Farmer's bridge then the Stourbridge 16 between Wednesday and Friday with a crew of two. Now, Bazza's pretty keen but.....

 

Then, between Sunday/Monday and Wednesday returning the same (ish) way

 

Does anyone fancy a bit of boating? It could be a few hours of lock wheeling. It could be a couple of days including accommodation. We also have two spare berths for Friday night at Stourbridge but Tawny is full on Saturday night

 

Anyone?

 

Help!!!

 

Richard

[Mrs Tawny Owl]

I'll make sure there's fruit cake on board by Wednesday morning. I make a mean fruit cake.

 

I can't join them till Friday night, and will have to leave Sunday night as work is getting in the way.

 

Sue

[nicknorman]

 

That's - Hatton flight, Knowle flight, Ashtead flight, Farmer's bridge then the Stourbridge 16 between Wednesday and Friday with a crew of two. Now, Bazza's pretty keen but.....

 

 

Didn't you miss out Camphill and Delph? You are just trying to make it sound like a pushover

Edited October 13, 2012 by nicknorman

[JDR]

I would be up for next Tuesday/Wednesday, only problem is I would need somewhere safe to stash the motorbike.Any use?

[gazza]

I would be up for next Tuesday/Wednesday, only problem is I would need somewhere safe to stash the motorbike.Any use?

 

 

Can you get a train? Hatton station is a pleasant walk along the tow path.

Edited October 14, 2012 by gazza

[nicknorman]

Can you get a train? Hatton station is a pleasant walk along the tow path.

Warwick Parkway station is immediately adjacent to Hatton bottom lock.

[gazza]

I thought it was, wasn't sure though its been a couple of years since we were out that way.

[arbutus]

Hi Richard. I live in Stourbridge and can be available for most of the time (except Thursday tea time / evening) that you will be moving the boat to and from Stourbridge. The idea of turning up and lock wheeling on various lock flights sounds interesting. For example I could drive over to Hatton early on Wednesday to help with that flight and The Delph / Stourbridge 16 on Friday. I’ll send you a PM.

[haggis]

I am a wee bit puzzled. Why not go up Lapworth instead of Hatton then you don't have to do the other flights as you are on the Birmingham level. I am probably missing something though!

 

haggis

[wrigglefingers]

Richard likes doing Farmer's Bridge. Plus, if you've just done Hatton, doing Lapworth less than two hours later is a big ask. Plus, there's two 90 deg turns ....

[haggis]

Richard likes doing Farmer's Bridge. Plus, if you've just done Hatton, doing Lapworth less than two hours later is a big ask. Plus, there's two 90 deg turns ....

 

I like Farmers Bridge too but I also like the challenge of Lapworth. I agree that it is a big task to do both Hatton and Lapworth in one day, although the two of us have done that a few times :-).

 

haggis

[RLWP]

I am a wee bit puzzled. Why not go up Lapworth instead of Hatton then you don't have to do the other flights as you are on the Birmingham level. I am probably missing something though!

 

haggis

 

We have to do Hatton as Tawny is at the bottom and needs to be at the top

 

And we have done Lapworth the last several times, I fancied a change by going via Camp Hill, Ashtead and Farmer's Bridge

 

Thanks everyone, I'll be in touch by PM

 

Richard

[nicknorman]

Hatton is 2hrs 30 or less, if you are well organised and no boat jams, so not really a day's hard boating! Plenty of time for Lapworth or Knowle in the afternoon!

[MtB]

Hatton is 2hrs 30 or less, if you are well organised and no boat jams, so not really a day's hard boating! Plenty of time for Lapworth or Knowle in the afternoon!

 

Hmmmm. Took me four hours last time I did it, not hurrying, but not lazing about either.

[saladdays]

Help!

 

Tawny Owl currently sits at the bottom of Hatton Locks. By Friday afternoon she needs to be at Stourbridge for the banter. Then she needs to return home so...

 

That's - Hatton flight, Knowle flight, Ashtead flight, Farmer's bridge then the Stourbridge 16 between Wednesday and Friday with a crew of two. Now, Bazza's pretty keen but.....

 

Then, between Sunday/Monday and Wednesday returning the same (ish) way

 

Does anyone fancy a bit of boating? It could be a few hours of lock wheeling. It could be a couple of days including accommodation. We also have two spare berths for Friday night at Stourbridge but Tawny is full on Saturday night

 

Anyone?

 

Help!!!

 

Richard

I could help next(not the 28th as its our shared boat NB Isis AGM) Sunday up the Stourbridge 16 and the Delph 8 as I live in Stourbridge.Phone me on 07711 682342 and I will be available for the day. Dave Sheppard.

[alan_fincher]

Hatton is 2hrs 30 or less, if you are well organised and no boat jams, so not really a day's hard boating! Plenty of time for Lapworth or Knowle in the afternoon!

IMO, it really does depend not just on the size and efficiency of your crew though, but on everybody else, and on the efficiency of theirs.

 

With the best will in the world, you are often heavily slowed by others. We seldom do it when not fairly busy, and as a result, I'm not convinced we have gone much below about 3 hours since coming back to boat ownership - 30 or 40 years ago faster times were much easier, because you generally had few other boats about.

[David Schweizer]

We have to do Hatton as Tawny is at the bottom and needs to be at the top

 

And we have done Lapworth the last several times, I fancied a change by going via Camp Hill, Ashtead and Farmer's Bridge

 

Thanks everyone, I'll be in touch by PM

 

Richard

Presumably beacuase it so much more attractive than Lapworth!! :lol: :lol:

Edited October 14, 2012 by David Schweizer

[alan_fincher]

Presumably beacuase it so much more attractive than Lapworth!! :lol: :lol:

Having tried dredging (at least) the railway bridges on the W&B from Brum to Kings Norton, Kings Norton stop lock, and just about every other bridge on the Northern Stratford earlier this year, I have to say the Knowle / Catherine de Barnes / Farmers Bridge route into Brum has taken on a whole new appeal to me.

 

Not relevant to Tawny Owl, perhaps, but we found the Lapworth route out of Brum some of the hardest going we have so far had with "Sickle".

 

More recently several working boats have reported Kings Norton stop lock silted to the point passage through it is very very slow.

[nicknorman]

IMO, it really does depend not just on the size and efficiency of your crew though, but on everybody else, and on the efficiency of theirs.

 

With the best will in the world, you are often heavily slowed by others. We seldom do it when not fairly busy, and as a result, I'm not convinced we have gone much below about 3 hours since coming back to boat ownership - 30 or 40 years ago faster times were much easier, because you generally had few other boats about.

Can be true in summer, but we went up in March, 2:25 with just 2 of us (one a marathon runner however!) despite some slight slowing for other boats. The locks are very fast to fill and empty so the theoretical minimum time is low, traffic permitting. I would have thought that at this time of year, sub 2:30 would be easy.

 

Having tried dredging (at least) the railway bridges on the W&B from Brum to Kings Norton, Kings Norton stop lock, and just about every other bridge on the Northern Stratford earlier this year, I have to say the Knowle / Catherine de Barnes / Farmers Bridge route into Brum has taken on a whole new appeal to me.

 

Yea, but it's even slower and shallower than the NS / W&B and less picturesque!

[David Schweizer]

Having tried dredging (at least) the railway bridges on the W&B from Brum to Kings Norton, Kings Norton stop lock, and just about every other bridge on the Northern Stratford earlier this year, I have to say the Knowle / Catherine de Barnes / Farmers Bridge route into Brum has taken on a whole new appeal to me.

 

Not relevant to Tawny Owl, perhaps, but we found the Lapworth route out of Brum some of the hardest going we have so far had with "Sickle".

 

More recently several working boats have reported Kings Norton stop lock silted to the point passage through it is very very slow.

Yes, it is pretty shallow in some parts, but if that causes a problem, then the Dudley and Stourbridge canals will be a nightmare.

[haggis]

We had an "interesting" trip down Hatton a couple of years ago. We met up with a boat with a lady on her own on the approach to the top lock and we came down with three people on two boats. It worked like a dream, I worked ahead and the two skippers closed up. We made excellent progress till we came up behind two private boats each with a chap on the tiller and a lady (not in the fisrt flush of youth) doing the locks. No working ahead and in fact, the chaps didn't get off their boats to close the top gates behind them or open a paddle and at times the ladies were struggling. As we watched progress at the lock below us, both men stepped off their boats and walked along the lock side to the bows. Great, they are going to help their wives wind a paddle we thought. But no, they both stood and looked at something on the front of one of their boats then turned and walked back and stepped on board!! Had Iain done that to me I think there would have been a mutiny! Fortunately, they pulled in on one of the longer pounds and we were able to get into the swing of things again.

 

haggis

[Albion]

Help!

 

Tawny Owl currently sits at the bottom of Hatton Locks. By Friday afternoon she needs to be at Stourbridge for the banter. Then she needs to return home so...

 

That's - Hatton flight, Knowle flight, Ashtead flight, Farmer's bridge then the Stourbridge 16 between Wednesday and Friday with a crew of two. Now, Bazza's pretty keen but.....

 

Then, between Sunday/Monday and Wednesday returning the same (ish) way

 

Does anyone fancy a bit of boating? It could be a few hours of lock wheeling. It could be a couple of days including accommodation. We also have two spare berths for Friday night at Stourbridge but Tawny is full on Saturday night

 

Anyone?

 

Help!!!

 

Richard

 

Ashted tunnel, steeply arched and an efficient remover of handrail paint IIRC from our trip through many moons ago with our first boat and that was even with trying to lead the boat through on ropes from the towpath side (tallish cabin with little tumblehome problem)

Roger

[Joshua]

Having tried dredging (at least) the railway bridges on the W&B from Brum to Kings Norton, Kings Norton stop lock, and just about every other bridge on the Northern Stratford earlier this year, I have to say the Knowle / Catherine de Barnes / Farmers Bridge route into Brum has taken on a whole new appeal to me.

 

Not relevant to Tawny Owl, perhaps, but we found the Lapworth route out of Brum some of the hardest going we have so far had with "Sickle".

 

More recently several working boats have reported Kings Norton stop lock silted to the point passage through it is very very slow.

 

Alan, I am curious why you ‘waypoint’ Catherine de Barnes? Following the normal convention of waypointing places with an outstanding feature, I looked in vain at my guide but can find nothing unique about C De B.

 

Whilst on the subject, we are currently moored at Kidderminster on the S&W en route Derby via Great Haywood Junction. We need to clear the stoppages between Fradley and Burton that begin on the 5^th Nov.

 

We have halted our journey with a view to visiting the banter at Stourbridge on Friday and rather than then turn around and back onto the S&W it looks as if a more interesting journey can be made by continuing on via the Netherton tunnel and Farmers bridge flight. Is there any good reason why we shouldn’t do this? I can’t see any winter stoppages to hinder us.

 

Does this route present any more potential for unexpected delays over our original plan bearing in mind our inexperience?

 

Could we equally go via the Dudley tunnel? I can’t find any information on the Dudley Canal Trust web site other than for organised boat trips (I’ll give them a ring anyway tomorrow) our guide talks of needing to book an electric boat tow and the possibility of legging it?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Joshua

 

 

[john6767]

Alan, I am curious why you 'waypoint' Catherine de Barnes? Following the normal convention of waypointing places with an outstanding feature, I looked in vain at my guide but can find nothing unique about C De B.

 

C de B is significant, as for most people it is the last stopping point when heading into Birmingham by the GU route. Nothing wrong with C De B either, good moorings, a pub and a shop, what more do you want!

 

 

 

[RLWP]

Ashted tunnel, steeply arched and an efficient remover of handrail paint IIRC from our trip through many moons ago with our first boat and that was even with trying to lead the boat through on ropes from the towpath side (tallish cabin with little tumblehome problem)

Roger

 

Yep, that's the one in every detail

 

Richadr