Yorkshire to Birmingham single handed in a rush!

[Dave_P]

Day one done. Castleford to Thorne along the Aire & Calder, New Junction Canal and Stainforth & Keadby Canal. Very blowy all day along the flat landscapes of the eastern side of Yorkshire. No starting issues thankfully. Only one, very heavily laden gravel barge passing the other way and overall, almost eerily empty of boats. I've never cruised along waterways like this. I can't decide whether I like having the canal to myself or whether I miss the banter at the locks.

 

Easy cruise to Keadby tomorrow. Hopefully.

 

Stay tuned for futher adventures...

[Matthew Dowson]

Enjoy the trip, I envy you. Its many years since with friends (all 17-18) we used to go up and down the Trent on my older brothers boat Hesperus (Sextans), and never gave its size and tidal nature a second thought, being based in Lincoln we always had to use it to get anywhere. We just followed the advice of the Lockies.

[LoneWolf]

Sounds like a brilliant trip, have fun

 

 

_...

_{Worryingly, an old starting issue has returned where occassionally I turn the key to start and all I get is a click. A few goes and it then starts. When it happened before i assumed it was a problem with the starter motor so I had that refurbed and it made no difference. Then after a regular annual service it went away. I suspect it's a poor electrical connection somewhere - but I'm usually wrong in my suspicions. If it keeps doing it I may have to resort to my usual brute force and ignorance approaches (hit the starter motor with a hammer or spray everything with WD40). Unless anyone has a better idea}

 

I would disconnect the starter cables from the battery & then reconnect them first before reaching for the hammer & can. But i know nothing

[by'eck]

FWIW just single handed from Reedley marina north of Burnley to Tamworth via Leeds & Liverpool, Bridgewater, Rochdale, Ashton, Peak Forest, Macclesfield, Trent & Mersea and Coventry.

 

14 days, 118 locks including 45 wide ones and 154 miles. Many thanks to those that helped me with the locks.

 

Low points - grinding through/over rubbish and submerged objects (one of which lifted boat up and threw it onto its side) on the Ashton, very slow going in places on Macclesfield and crabbing in 50mph cross wind gusts on the Coventry.

 

High points - passing under Manchester on the Rochdale, doing the Harecastle tunnel and enjoying passing through Stoke and Stone.

[Grace and Favour]

Day one done. Castleford to Thorne along the Aire & Calder, New Junction Canal and Stainforth & Keadby Canal. Very blowy all day along the flat landscapes of the eastern side of Yorkshire. No starting issues thankfully. Only one, very heavily laden gravel barge passing the other way and overall, almost eerily empty of boats. I've never cruised along waterways like this. I can't decide whether I like having the canal to myself or whether I miss the banter at the locks.

 

Easy cruise to Keadby tomorrow. Hopefully.

 

Stay tuned for futher adventures...

Have a great cruise, Dave.

 

Aim to leave Keadby as soon as the Lockie will let you, (and get a spurt-on through the gates onto the Trent simply to keep good control in a fast flow)

 

You should make good time - but DO watch out for all the wrack and crap floating about on the Trent, there's a fair amount of it, some quite chunky!

[Dave_P]

Yesterday was a bit of a disaster. I made it to Keadby, but not without the scars to prove it. I've never cruised in wind like it. Local weather last night said it had been gusting to 78mph and I believe it! I was being lifted off my feet at times and waves from the canal were reaching my back counter! White water narrowboating! I was stupid to move at all really but I was meeting a friend in Keadby to help with the Trent section and was worried about reaching Keadby for my lock booking.

 

I made slow and hard progress through all the lift and swing bridges, the main problem was getting away again due to being pinned against the side by the wind but managed to rope in the help of a couple of nearby signalmen to give me a hard push off and get going again. I didn't see any other boats moving all day. I finally got to the last swing bridge before Keadby and again found a helpful fisherman to push my nose out having opened the swing bridge. I was on full revs to try and turn out into clear water and clear the end of the bridge which was sticking out towards me when a truly massive gust of wind took me sideways into the bridge. I now have a rather large scrape and dent down the side of my hull, a broken window and a bent window frame I've spoken to my insurance company and I should be able to claim for it. Last night I was very pissed off but I'm a little more philosophical now. After all, we all have many days in our lives which we have no memory of a few months later, while yesterday gave me memories I'll take to the grave!

 

I also lost my trusty old woolly hat which was blown off my head and away into the distance

 

Looking forward - I'm heading onto the Trent today! Hopefully it will be just a memorable, but for better reasons!

[Darren72]

What sort of ignition barrel do you have? Sorry about the bump! Keep going matey, nearly there

[Dave_P]

What sort of ignition barrel do you have? Sorry about the bump! Keep going matey, nearly there

Not sure. Starting seems fine right now though.

 

UPDATE:

 

The last 2 days have been fabulous. Thanks to Richard Fairhurst for convincing me to go via the Trent. Keadby to Torksey was a bit overcast but wow - what a river! Huge! So different to what I'm used to. Anyone who hasn't done it I recommend it thoroughly.

 

However, the journey upstream from Torksey was something else again! Could be that the sun was shining all day, but what a beautiful river. So much wildlife too. Kingfishers, Herons, hundreds of Sand Martins, Cormorants, Oystercatchers, things I didn't recognise! If you like birdwatching, it's a must. Got a bit stuck on the shoal below Cromwell, but managed to get myself off and carried on down to Gunthorpe though Newark which is lovely and on past the greenest meadows with countless waving picnicers. One of the best days boating I've ever had. The only downside was constantly having to explain to people what had happened to my window.

 

Heading on through Nottingham today...

[Hoose]

Oi! Dave p, were you wearing a red bandana as you came through Kirk Bramwith and Thorne area on south Yorkshire canals?

[Dave_P]

Oi! Dave p, were you wearing a red bandana as you came through Kirk Bramwith and Thorne area on south Yorkshire canals?

Not guilty!

[Jackster]

How did the rest of the trip go mate, take it you got there in one piece? Hope repair costs were not too severe!