narrowboat handling on a river

[jim and pat dalton]

As we get closer to this dream (mothballed all the firework mortars and firing equipment yesterday) In order to get from Stafford where he boat is to the middle fens where we are going to live for six months. We will have to negotiate the river Nene.

 

we have never done a handling course and have only ever been out on the GU. So I sat here wondering how to keep the boat under control on a lively river. especially when slowing down to enter a lock or stop without losing flow over the rudder (I assume thats what happens when going downstream) and therfore losing steering.

 

how much of a skill is it?

should I do a helms mans course on a river?

if so where is the best (as in worst flow) to do it.

If not what techniques do I need to be aware of to survive on a river trip esp down stream

 

 

all opinions appreciated

 

Cheers

[MoominPapa]

As we get closer to this dream (mothballed all the firework mortars and firing equipment yesterday) In order to get from Stafford where he boat is to the middle fens where we are going to live for six months. We will have to negotiate the river Nene.

 

we have never done a handling course and have only ever been out on the GU. So I sat here wondering how to keep the boat under control on a lively river. especially when slowing down to enter a lock or stop without losing flow over the rudder (I assume thats what happens when going downstream) and therfore losing steering.

 

how much of a skill is it?

should I do a helms mans course on a river?

if so where is the best (as in worst flow) to do it.

If not what techniques do I need to be aware of to survive on a river trip esp down stream

 

 

all opinions appreciated

 

Cheers

My first trip down the river Nene was during March, just after the river had been on strong stream. It's not in general that difficult. Almost all of the locks are in lock cuts, so you're out of the flow before you get to the landing. The river closes if the flows are too high, so currents don't in general run too fast. My advise would be to talk to the river inspectors and take their adivse about going, and just take it easy. If you do need to stop at the side going downstream in the current, get the stern in, and take a stern rope off first.

 

Where are you heading for the Middle Level?

 

MP.

[NBDensie]

If the Nene is so lively that you cant control a boat going down it, then I dont think you should be on the move. Under normal conditions, because of the frequent locks and weirs it is a set of linked po(u)nds with only a fairly slow flow down the waterway - the amount of water flowing through the weirs is small compared with the amount of water in the pound.

[The Bagdad Boatman (waits)]

Canoes move sideways in flowing water by using the force of the current on the side of the boat. you can do the same with a narrowboat. using reverse to hold the boat and a squirt of forward to maneuver.

[luctor et emergo]

Canoes move sideways in flowing water by using the force of the current on the side of the boat. you can do the same with a narrowboat. using reverse to hold the boat and a squirt of forward to maneuver.

 

Yes, but if you get it wrong, you're heading full speed towards the weir. At least the Nene weirs have booms. Perhaps the powers that be think the Avon boaters are a clever lot, as none of the Avon weirs have a boom. Indeed, some of the weirs are VERY close to the locks..

 

I love the Avon though.

[blackrose]

we have never done a handling course and have only ever been out on the GU. So I sat here wondering how to keep the boat under control on a lively river. especially when slowing down to enter a lock or stop without losing flow over the rudder (I assume thats what happens when going downstream) and therfore losing steering.

 

how much of a skill is it?

should I do a helms mans course on a river?

if so where is the best (as in worst flow) to do it.

If not what techniques do I need to be aware of to survive on a river trip esp down stream

 

 

all opinions appreciated

 

Cheers

 

Unless you are reasonably experienced or have other reasonably experienced boaters aboard who understand the limitations of an underpowered narrowboat on a river, then in my opinion you would be unwise to attempt to navigate a "lively" river. However, if the river is not in flood and the navigation authorities are not displaying red boards (or whatever the equivalent on the Nene), then you should be fine but still be aware of weirs.

Edited December 2, 2012 by blackrose

[the grinch]

The Nene has 2 places in my mind that need a bit of extra care - South Street Bridge and Ditchford lock when heading downstream

 

South Street bridge is immediately after you leave the bottom lock of Rothersthorpe DO NOT attempt it if the river is flowing heavily as headroom and manouverability will be impaired, as soon as you leave the lock cut straighten up immediately for the bridge this is a right hand turn use plenty of power to get the back end round.

 

Ditchford Radial Lock has very a short landing stage approach with care and be ready with a STERN rope make sure this is tied off as swiftly as possible then deal with the fore end

 

safe moorings in flood conditions are far and few apart but the lower landing stages can be used if needs be but stay on the end as far from the lock as possible.

 

enjoy the trip and don't be to worried so long as you stay "within the rules" the trip is a superb one 2 days (longish) or 3 days to enjoy will see you from northampton to peterborough. Don't be tempted to leave the boat unattended on Peterborough embankment as it floods frequently!

[JDR]

Past Higham lock going downstream you will see a modern bridge (A6?) just past this is a very old bridge (Irthlingborough I think).The approach requires staying to the right then making a tightish left turn close to the bridge to line up.Very obvious and straightforward if river isn't flowing but I personally wouldn't want to try it if there was a flow on.Don't be put off though the Nene is beautiful and worth doing and can be very benign when there hasn't been any rain.You also have the advantage of leaving downstream guillotine gates open when you leave locks.

[jim and pat dalton]

Thanks for the advice much appreciated. we will approach the Nene with caution but as we will be based at Floods Ferry and the magical fen landscape

for a while we will need to build some experience as the Nene is the way back to the system

[ditchcrawler]

Past Higham lock going downstream you will see a modern bridge (A6?) just past this is a very old bridge (Irthlingborough I think).The approach requires staying to the right then making a tightish left turn close to the bridge to line up.Very obvious and straightforward if river isn't flowing but I personally wouldn't want to try it if there was a flow on.Don't be put off though the Nene is beautiful and worth doing and can be very benign when there hasn't been any rain.You also have the advantage of leaving downstream guillotine gates open when you leave locks.

I went through with quite a flow on and kissed the left hand parapet as I slid through, so did the other 4 boats including a cruiser that came down a little later. But I had no problem lining up to enter it.

[JDR]

I went through with quite a flow on and kissed the left hand parapet as I slid through, so did the other 4 boats including a cruiser that came down a little later. But I had no problem lining up to enter it.

How much space did you have to make the left turn when the stern was clear?Did you go through straight or did you try to get the bow moving to the left while you were still going through?

[mykaskin]

 

we have never done a handling course and have only ever been out on the GU. So I sat here wondering how to keep the boat under control on a lively river. especially when slowing down to enter a lock or stop without losing flow over the rudder (I assume thats what happens when going downstream) and therfore losing steering.

 

how much of a skill is it?

should I do a helms mans course on a river?

if so where is the best (as in worst flow) to do it.

If not what techniques do I need to be aware of to survive on a river trip esp down stream

 

 

Normal water conditions on the Nene, and most rivers shouldn't really cause you a problem. However for lively or tidal rivers, understand the following:

 

You can hold your boat in position on the water at very slow speeds, but the water will take your boat where it's going. If thats not where you want to be you need speed through the water. The speed of the moving water adds to your speed, and so obviously it can become a high speed danger. However, the faster you move through the water the less the rivers effect is in controlling your direction.

 

Going around corner, remember to turn early (even well before the corner when travelling dead-slow) otherwise the water may throw you into the bank. The Ouse tends to be an exception to this, where there is a heavy flow back into the center on the outside corners.

 

Don't cut corners on rivers, they are deepest on the outside of bends mostly. Watch where the flow of water goes, thats the deepest bit.

 

Understand ferry gliding, not only possible upstream, but used downstream you can then place your boat anywhere on the river. Obviously on a high flow rate, or tidal river, you would have to be reversing at a good pace so practice this on still water first.

 

In larger faster flowing rivers like the tidal Ouse through Selby, if negotiating a bridge or narrows, then it may be prudent to stem the flow (turn the boat into the flow), and then go slower than the flow to continue your journey. Use ferry gliding skills to position the boat. When turning the boat, remember that you will need a lot of space because at times you will be going sidewards along the river. Where it's safe to do so, you can use the bank to hold the fore-end in place when turning against the flow, and where really safe it's posible to turn the boat to go with the stream again by putting the stern aground - only to be done in known conditions otherwise you could get stuck.

 

When going between water moving at different rates realise that your speed through the water can be a dramatic change, especially if the lock is close to the moving water, and you could be going faster than you realise. Different bits of boat in different speed flows can only turn or roll the boat. Ensure all items are stowed away properly (at all times, even on the canal).

 

I've probably forgotten many things, but gives you some idea.

 

Cheers,

 

Mike

[ditchcrawler]

How much space did you have to make the left turn when the stern was clear?Did you go through straight or did you try to get the bow moving to the left while you were still going through?

I approached the bridge as slow as possible just going slightly faster than the flow, I was dead centre of the arch as the bows went in and then went bodily sideways and rubbed the left parapet midships. I then pushed the tiller to the right and put the welly down turning right almost against the right hand bank then off to Dimond's to wait 2 days for the flow to drop off. I had already been stuck at Ditchford but luckily extracted my self and didn't end up like the later boat did.

[MoominPapa]

Don't worry about the left turn once you're through the bridge, there's acres of room. The interesting bit about this is that you approach from the right, and the navigation arch is the second from the right. But there are a whole load more arches off to the left. If there's a lot of flow on, most of the flow through those arches is passing right->left across of the front of the navigation arch. To cope with this, you need to take the navigation arch as close to the right as you can: by the time you're half way through, you'll be using a lot of tiller to stop the stern being taken into the left side of the arch by the cross-current. The first time I did it, I pivoted around the left-side pier of the navigation arch like a pole vaulter round the pole, with inches to spare. Forewarned, or in normal flow, it's no problem.

 

 

MP.

 

Google map showing the problem:

 

Google maps link.

 

ETA: crossed post with Ditchcrawler, who describes exactly the same effect.

Edited December 2, 2012 by MoominPapa

[the grinch]

think its the third arch from the right!! if you click the link above and then Street view off the new bridge you can see clearly the navigable arch. personally I have never had any issues here with my own 70ft boat in either direction

[MoominPapa]

think its the third arch from the right!! if you click the link above and then Street view off the new bridge you can see clearly the navigable arch. personally I have never had any issues here with my own 70ft boat in either direction

I think it is the third. I was just looking at the overhead view and miscounted. It's the slightly wider arch in line with the small stream with the footbridge over.

 

MP.

[Keeping Up]

There's a lot of good advice on this thread but I'll add a bit extra from my own experiences. You need a lot of throttle to make a narrowboat turn a corner, especially when travelling downstream, but you need only a reasonable speed through the water. Think, after all, if you were on a canal and wanted to make a very sharp turn you would slow down and then apply a lot of throttle to make the turn. The same applies on a river; as you travel along a relatively straight stretch, throttle back until you are only travelling through the water fast enough to maintain enough steerage for the stretch of river that you are on; then as you approach the corner start to make your turn early and only then apply lots and lots of power to push the boat around the corner and on to its new course.

 

In most cases as your bows reach the end of the corner the backwash of water off the bank will help to bring them into the middle of the river while the current is still pushing the stern to help the boat turn, but it's best not to rely on this unless you know the river because you can't always tell what strange directions the current will take.

[keble]

One of the hard things to do is come to a stop, such as when you want to moor for the night.

Ideally you would turn round so as to face the flow and have water flowing past your rudder.

If this isn't possible be prepared for action! You will need to reverse with lots of power and have someone leap ashore with stern rope.

I've done this on the fast flowing Avon just after floods. Not easy but if you know what to expect then its much easier