Rochdale 9

[Ruth Seneviratne]

Hi everyone.

 

Wondering if there's anyone who has been through the Rochdale 9 recently (as in 2012), or more specifically, anyone who makes the journey regularly.

 

I know they have a bit of a reputation, and wasn't sure whether this is because

1. Lack of water

2. Crap paddle gear

3. Gates that are difficult to open/close

4. General rubbish blocking paddles and gates

5. Antisocial behaviour (although I know the area of the city well, and know the specific problems around lock 84).

 

If anyone can shine any light on this I would be grateful.

 

Ruth

[ClaymoorePaul]

Having done those locks twice at the end of 2012, I would say for us it was because of no.1 no. 2 and no. 3 but I think I mostly felt that way because it was the end of a long week both times. I've been up them a few times in the morning and got through them easily.

 

Having said that, it is easier to do it with one or two boats rather than 5.

 

 

[Tonka]

In 2011 it was too much water with difficult to open gates

[John Holden]

Hi everyone.

 

Wondering if there's anyone who has been through the Rochdale 9 recently (as in 2012), or more specifically, anyone who makes the journey regularly.

 

I know they have a bit of a reputation, and wasn't sure whether this is because

1. Lack of water or too much water

2. Crap paddle gear

3. Gates that are difficult to open/close

4. General rubbish blocking paddles and gates

5. Antisocial behaviour (although I know the area of the city well, and know the specific problems around lock 84).

If anyone can shine any light on this I would be grateful.

 

Ruth

[David Mack]

Came through in August. No real problems apart from the fact it was raining. And there was plenty of water.

[DeanS]

There's nothing to worry about.

They are a little stiff..

No problem with locals.

 

Just take it nice and slow, and you'll probably enjoy it. Done them a few times, and love em.

[Ruth Seneviratne]

Thanks everyone for your quick responses. We are thinking of making it a regular trip, so just trying to work out if that's feasible. Seems like I don't need anymore of a contingency plan than for any other locks.

 

Will check it out ourselves in March hopefully.

Ruth

[John Holden]

Thanks everyone for your quick responses. We are thinking of making it a regular trip, so just trying to work out if that's feasible. Seems like I don't need anymore of a contingency plan than for any other locks.

 

Will check it out ourselves in March hopefully.

Ruth

 

Totally feasible, you'll enjoy them. The locals aren't nasty, they might talk to you but no problems, they'll even help with gates!

[lewisericeric]

There's nothing to worry about.

They are a little stiff..

No problem with locals.

 

Just take it nice and slow, and you'll probably enjoy it. Done them a few times, and love em.

Agree with this they are a bit tough as far as locks go but done them 5 or 6 times in the last year and never had a problem with lack of water or vandals no way. The worst part is being in canal street and having an audience! But everyone is generally good natured and even offer to help!

 

Maybe a bit of rubbish in the locks yes, but nothing that will stop the gates opening or get wrapped round your prop. It's mostly empty bottles/plastic glasses from all the Pubs and bars!

Edited January 17, 2013 by lewisericeric

[nebulae]

I used to enjoy working through the 9.Two locks had stones in the wall to climb up to street level.(cant remember the numbers)Some genius has put a glass safety screen on top of the wall.There is a gate in the screen but it is locked.I have climbed over it,but it is dammed dificult for an old age pensioner.Otherwise,the boat has to wait at the pontoon.Dont like the lack of handrails either.When there is a lot of water coming down,the gates are hard work.Still enjoy the flight though.

[John Holden]

I used to enjoy working through the 9.Two locks had stones in the wall to climb up to street level.(cant remember the numbers)Some genius has put a glass safety screen on top of the wall.There is a gate in the screen but it is locked.I have climbed over it,but it is dammed dificult for an old age pensioner.Otherwise,the boat has to wait at the pontoon.Dont like the lack of handrails either.When there is a lot of water coming down,the gates are hard work.Still enjoy the flight though.

 

The genius put the glass screen on top of the wall at lock 86 as a very effective method of stopping drunken revellers falling into the cut and drowning. There are signs at 85 and 87 warning that there is no land access to lock 86 so no real need to climb anything.

[Richard Fairhurst]

From our experience last summer, only 3; when it's been raining, there's so much water coming over the top gates that it's difficult to get the bottom gates open at Duke's Lock and Tib Lock. Otherwise fine. The new arrangements with landing stages seem like a genuine improvement over the old steps to me, albeit less historic.

[NB Lola]

2,3 and 4 but done once going down we are now ok, try pairing up first time and if going down one or two can take a wee while to empty enough to do gates

[The Bagdad Boatman (waits)]

Take your time ans stay overnight in Castlefield or at the top of the nine and take in a Theater plus a meal at Chinatown

[alan_fincher]

Our experiences as normally "wussie" Southerners of working into Manchester via the Rochdale 9 are included in our blog post here.

 

The "excess water" thing is probably what more than anything else can make them hard work, (or at least on our sampling them just once!).

 

(The day included coming in through the 18 locks on the Ashton flight, which the blog post starts with - you can skip over that if only interested in the Rochdale locks).

[Ruth Seneviratne]

Alan thanks for linking to your blog. Your experience of the Ashton matches ours, and I think definitely the bad reputation of the locals is old news now. A lot of the worst people have been moved away apparently. In your comment about the Nicholsons guide still advising caution on the flight, I wouldn't read too much into that. I have the latest Nicholsons for the Manchester area, replacing an old one from the nineties, and found that not much had been changed apart from the new waterways being opened. In my view, each edition does not seem to be researched very well.

 

Anyway, that is not relevant to this topic. It's interesting that everyone says the problem is too much water rather than lack of, although I do remember seeing water cascade over the lock gates, but it hadn't clicked that it would cause a problem.

 

I assumed there wouldn't be much of a problem with anti social behaviour as it is not a rough part of the city. In fact, for anyone else heading that way, there is no need to have a long day doing to Rochdale 9 and the Ashton flight. Piccadilly basin a the end of the Ashton is a lovely place to moor up, close to the city's Northern Quarter so full of bars and restaurants. The area is surrounded by CCTV from the car parks around there, and it is well lit at night. A lovely place to moor for a day or 2. (That's not to say that Castlefield isn't also a nice area, although I have never moored there, I am from Manchester so know it well).

[Barry]

Piccadilly basin a the end of the Ashton is a lovely place to moor up, close to the city's Northern Quarter so full of bars and restaurants. The area is surrounded by CCTV from the car parks around there, and it is well lit at night. A lovely place to moor for a day or 2. (That's not to say that Castlefield isn't also a nice area, although I have never moored there, I am from Manchester so know it well).

 

A small word of caution though. One of Claymoore Paul's boats was set adrift in the middle of the night in Picadilly basin in November 2012. If you are going to moor there I would suggest a padlocked chain or something

[Jim Riley]

Last time I went thru I had trouble with too much water at the lock with the pontoon. The bywash has metal bars across, these had collected a variety of placcy bags, raising the water level by three or four inches. Cleared the bags and life was fine and dandy!

[alan_fincher]

Last time I went thru I had trouble with too much water at the lock with the pontoon. The bywash has metal bars across, these had collected a variety of placcy bags, raising the water level by three or four inches. Cleared the bags and life was fine and dandy!

Now I'm getting confused, because I thought one of the reasons these locks are as they are is because there is quoted as being no by-washes?

[Jim Riley]

Now I'm getting confused, because I thought one of the reasons these locks are as they are is because there is quoted as being no by-washes?

 

One of them certainly has. On the canal street side, a tunnel maybe 2ft dia with vertical steel bars at the mouth. Water was cascading over lock gates till I cleared it.

[nebulae]

There is a gate in the glass safety screen.It might be a good idea to fit a lock opened with a B.W. key.I dont dispute the need for the glass safety screen to prevent the foolish from propelling themselves over the wall.I cant believe that it is necessary to prevent access to street level.That system worked well enough for the last 200 years

[Mac of Cygnet]

A small word of caution though. One of Claymoore Paul's boats was set adrift in the middle of the night in Picadilly basin in November 2012. If you are going to moor there I would suggest a padlocked chain or something

 

Conversely, you may be able to save the locals from themselves. Once when moored there opposite the narrowboat 'Holly' (a familiar name to some members here!), the hirers saved a drunk from drowning in the basin. (No it wasn't me - I was out at the pub!

[John Holden]

Now I'm getting confused, because I thought one of the reasons these locks are as they are is because there is quoted as being no by-washes?

 

I'm pushed to think of one of the Nine that doesn't have a by-wash. Possibly 84 & 86 are without but I think all the rest have them.

[alan_fincher]

I'm pushed to think of one of the Nine that doesn't have a by-wash. Possibly 84 & 86 are without but I think all the rest have them.

Fair enough - I took advice before we tackled them, and that is what I thought I was told at the time.

 

Sounds like I'm either remembering wrong or misunderstood.

 

If they do have, they are certainly not as effective as would be ideal!

[Mick and Maggie]

Wondering if there's anyone who has been through the Rochdale 9 recently (as in 2012), or more specifically, anyone who makes the journey regularly.

 

Our issues back in 2011 were too much water and I had to "put off the boat" someone who was under the influence.

 

Read about our experience of the "9" Here.