Downstrean with a Butty

[GSer]

Well after a Summer of experiencing a steep learning curve regarding handling the Butty, today was the day to tackle the one bit that has played on my mind from the start, downstrean through Woolhampton.

 

The pair of boats are too long to fit through the brigehole breasted, going upstream they hit the 'pub' bank with 15' of boat still in the brigehole. So the chances of me getting it right going downstrean was very slim.

 

My original thoughts were to follow advice from here to walk the butty through first, but looking at the flow and the potential for disaster should i not manage to keep hold of the lines i decided to try on cross straps, but there were only two of us and i'd need a steerer on the butty.

 

Big problem being stopping the other side of the bridge to pick up the crew (which we didn't have!) without jacknifeing

 

After a few hours waiting, a hire boat came upstream and i managed to convince them that they could help.

 

Oh great its now or never, i dropped the pair through the lock and set the butty on the cross straps, the bridge opened and we were off!

 

Well it was over and done with very quickly, the canal enters the river kennet on a bend with the rivers flow pushing into the side of the boat from starboard, great with the motor a bit of throttle and a wiggle of the stick kept the motor straight, then the butty took the full force of the flow this forced the rig to start to jacknife, a lot more throttle started to straighten it all up, great!

 

Now i'm travelling down to the brige at quite a speed, mrs gser was wrestling the elum to try and straighten the butty, this some how totally removed any chance of me making the bridgehole without hitting hard, so i gave her a shout to leave it be, the lined the motor up to the fenders on the right side of the bridge, i gave it a bit of reverse, that allowed the butty to push apaches stern, lining up the bridgehole nicely, a slight brush of the bridge fenders by the motor and the butty sailed through dead centre. We were shifting by then!

 

Phew! I thought we had done it Ok and all would be plain sailing, i had planned to do the first couple of bends, then breast up in a deeper bit of river, i tried to shrug off a little speed but that proved to only destablise the the rig. So i kept it 'lit'.

 

I could see a few boats below but knew they soon ran out around the bend because its quite shallow there and very narrow nobody moors there, well not untill today that is, i just managed to avoid the vessel but the lack of space sent the butty through the tree.

 

Blimey i was in need of a break by then. So i decided to breast up, nope she was having none of it, the remaining stretch of river was spent trying to scrub speed anytime the boats were in line, it worked eventually and it was with some rellief we entered the canal again.

 

 

After all that i'm still not too sure how i'll do it next time, perhaps the same again but with a little more experience.

 

Sorry for the ramble!

 

Paul

[John Holden]

I read that through with a puzzled head and then realised you hadn't said Wolverhampton

[GSer]

I read that through with a puzzled head and then realised you hadn't said Wolverhampton

 

 

Ha! The railway station at Woolhampton had its name changed to Midgham, due to the high level of sranded passengers looking for 'wolvo' and getting 'wooley'

[John Holden]

Ha! The railway station at Woolhampton had its name changed to Midgham, due to the high level of sranded passengers looking for 'wolvo' and getting 'wooley'

 

Phew, I don't feel so bad now

[ditchcrawler]

Well after a Summer of experiencing a steep learning curve regarding handling the Butty, today was the day to tackle the one bit that has played on my mind from the start, downstrean through Woolhampton.

 

The pair of boats are too long to fit through the brigehole breasted, going upstream they hit the 'pub' bank with 15' of boat still in the brigehole. So the chances of me getting it right going downstrean was very slim.

 

My original thoughts were to follow advice from here to walk the butty through first, but looking at the flow and the potential for disaster should i not manage to keep hold of the lines i decided to try on cross straps, but there were only two of us and i'd need a steerer on the butty.

 

Big problem being stopping the other side of the bridge to pick up the crew (which we didn't have!) without jacknifeing

 

After a few hours waiting, a hire boat came upstream and i managed to convince them that they could help.

 

Oh great its now or never, i dropped the pair through the lock and set the butty on the cross straps, the bridge opened and we were off!

 

Well it was over and done with very quickly, the canal enters the river kennet on a bend with the rivers flow pushing into the side of the boat from starboard, great with the motor a bit of throttle and a wiggle of the stick kept the motor straight, then the butty took the full force of the flow this forced the rig to start to jacknife, a lot more throttle started to straighten it all up, great!

 

Now i'm travelling down to the brige at quite a speed, mrs gser was wrestling the elum to try and straighten the butty, this some how totally removed any chance of me making the bridgehole without hitting hard, so i gave her a shout to leave it be, the lined the motor up to the fenders on the right side of the bridge, i gave it a bit of reverse, that allowed the butty to push apaches stern, lining up the bridgehole nicely, a slight brush of the bridge fenders by the motor and the butty sailed through dead centre. We were shifting by then!

 

Phew! I thought we had done it Ok and all would be plain sailing, i had planned to do the first couple of bends, then breast up in a deeper bit of river, i tried to shrug off a little speed but that proved to only destablise the the rig. So i kept it 'lit'.

 

I could see a few boats below but knew they soon ran out around the bend because its quite shallow there and very narrow nobody moors there, well not untill today that is, i just managed to avoid the vessel but the lack of space sent the butty through the tree.

 

Blimey i was in need of a break by then. So i decided to breast up, nope she was having none of it, the remaining stretch of river was spent trying to scrub speed anytime the boats were in line, it worked eventually and it was with some rellief we entered the canal again.

 

 

After all that i'm still not too sure how i'll do it next time, perhaps the same again but with a little more experience.

 

Sorry for the ramble!

 

Paul

Well done, I remember taking our shared ownership 60 footer through there many years ago. I felt triumphant I took that through without touching let alone two.

[Smelly]

I'd love to hear how that stretch could be managed with a butty without brown trousers.

[the grinch]

I'd love to hear how that stretch could be managed with a butty without brown trousers.

 

 

don't wear any trousers?

[billS]

don't wear any trousers?

Exactly - that's what kilts are for - and the disruptive pattern of the tartan disguises any splashback stains.

[mykaskin]

You could drag a weight behind the butty to keep it from going to fast. Or you could put the butty first, or you could go down backwards if the current is particularly strong.

 

Mike

[GSer]

You could drag a weight behind the butty to keep it from going to fast. Or you could put the butty first, or you could go down backwards if the current is particularly strong.

 

Mike

 

 

Don't really fancy doing any of those either, as the river there has a few sunken trees and a few serious bends, backwards might work, but i'd need some serious convincing to leave the lock backwards with the butty behind me, when 150yrds below there is a skewed road bridge with significant flow

 

But if anytime you want to show me how its done (on your own boats of course) i'll happily work the bridge for you

 

 

Paul

[hughc]

Well done, there are times when you just have to go for it. Ask stagedamager about towing out of Barrow Deep and through the bridge with a bit of fresh on the Soar. Regards, HughC.

[Steilsteven]

That section can only be done singled out due to a pinch point below the lock, although with Apache being 6'10'' you might get through.

Never attempted the bridge breasted for this reason, so it was interesting to read of your experience.

 

It's never easy, taking a pair through there ( or a Dutch barge for that matter!)and if there's no one around to operate the bridge the best you could do is to make sure your cross straps have the butty stem pulled up tight to your motors fenders, put tiller strings on the butty's ellum to keep the rudder straight,have your other half open the bridge and then take a long line from the butty's stern T stud and walk down with it until you're through, when she can pull the butty in and tie to a bollard. You'll then be able to breast the boats up while she closes the bridge and apologises to the irate motorists for holding them up.

 

Otherwise,the way you did it was the only way it can be done and I think you did very well.

 

Keith

Edited October 25, 2012 by Steilsteven

[GSer]

No noticable pinch point below woolhampton lock.

 

but there is one below midgham lock, a point in the concrete combined with a piece of wood nailed to protect the bridgehole made sure we needed a little help to leave the lock, i just took out the spreaders and wound the chains in a bit, just gave us enough room to get back into the lock.