On The Bottom

[FidoDido]

T+M has dropped about 8 inches over the weekend, now my stern is well and truly grounded.. Can't shift it. Don't like living with a 5 degree list, and need to go out to get some diesel and a pumpout before trip next week. Any tips?

[Paul C]

Which bit of the T&M are you on?

 

Can you get access to the offside (non towpath side) (I'm assuming you're moored on towpath side).

[cheshire~rose]

From what you say you have settled onto the bottom rather than having run aground?

 

How big is the pound you are on? is there any hope of letting a lockful of water down to help you float into the channel?

 

Usually best to try and reverse off as the bow is usually higher - if there is anything heavy on board you can shift about or move ashore to help it float, get a passing boat to tow you into the channel - it is worth remembering that if you are aground now then if you fill your fuel tank without the level of the canal improving the problem will be twice as bad when you get back

[deckhand]

0800 47 999 47 Tel number for Trent and Mersey Canal and River Trust - open between 8am and 6pm by way of one suggestion

[FidoDido]

Yes, levels gone down since I moored. When I get back ill just leave the stern a few feet out. The pound is about a mile long.

 

Will call CART tmw if it persists.. Suspect it's due to the Trent being v low, so no feed from alrewas, and lots of traffic at the weekend.

 

Bow is free at least. Need another 4 inches to float the stern I'd guess. Crosses fingers for an overnight thunderstorm..

[cheshire~rose]

Empty you water tank - less ballast and raise the canal at the same time

[furnessvale]

Bow is free at least. Need another 4 inches to float the stern I'd guess.

Not trying to teach granny to suck eggs etc. but if your bow is free, get your long shaft and push the bows right out, even to the far bank. The stern will normally be fast where the stern swim ends, and by pushing the bows across you obtain a good leverage acting at the swim ends. You may still end up rocking on the skeg but that is a much easier prospect for freeing.

 

George ex nb Alton retired

[Chris Pink]

And to what George says (no drivel there), rock it a good 'un and it will come off. My favourite trick (once the bow is over the other side your stern gunwale will be nearer the bank) is one foot on the gunwale one on the bank and push the handrail, there's very few boats won't come off that way. Just make sure you keep your weight on the gunwale.

 

If that doesn't work, get your gangplank on end and use it as a lever under the counter (obviously using the 8" width not the bendy way). Stick it into the bottom and push it outward against the counter bottom.

 

If neither of those work, you're not trying hard enough or you need a crane. I've never failed to shift a boat, much more than 4" out of the water with a combination of the last two posts.

[furnessvale]

And to what George says (no drivel there),

How am I going to earn greenies if you refuse to talk drivel:-)

 

George ex nb Alton retired

[FidoDido]

Will try the above tmw am.. No harm in teaching me how to suck eggs... After 18 months I'd still consider myself a novice! Doesn't budge at all with me pushing and rockin.. Doesn't rock even. And I'm a big bloke!

[blackrose]

We freed a friend's widebeam that had come down on a protruding part of the bank on the Thames after one of last winter's floods. I was pulling the bow with my boat while he stood in a pair of waders and levered it off with a scaffold pole. It didn't half go back in with a splash!

 

I think it was probably all the water my prop was washing under the grounded boat that did the trick rather than the power.

Edited July 16, 2013 by blackrose

[Graham Bowers]

T+M has dropped about 8 inches over the weekend, now my stern is well and truly grounded.. Can't shift it. Don't like living with a 5 degree list, and need to go out to get some diesel and a pumpout before trip next week. Any tips?

Get David to (gently) shove you off with his backhoe loader.

Graham

PS assuming you are at Crockers

Edited July 16, 2013 by Graham Bowers

[FidoDido]

Get David to (gently) shove you off with his backhoe loader.

Graham

PS assuming you are at Crockers

No more. Up at willowbrooke ltms.

[luctor et emergo]

Another oft overlooked fact is that with the prop in reverse, you are pushing extra water under the boat, helping it to float. With the prop in forward, you suck water away from under the boat, causing it to sit even faster.

[BlueStringPudding]

Empty you water tank - less ballast and raise the canal at the same time

and if it doesn't work, you're then grounded with no water in your tank.

[matty40s]

I would say fill yer water tank with a 70 footer, far more likely to get the back off the bottom

[FidoDido]

Woke up at an even more alarming list.. By a saucepan falling off the washboard. Mmm.

 

Will fill water tank, but its going to take some effort to get this off.. Tow from passing boat methinks.

[Doorman]

I would say fill yer water tank with a 70 footer, far more likely to get the back off the bottom

I would agree.

 

When our water tank is near empty the top of the rudder becomes submersed, whereas when we then refill the tank the rudder emerges from the water level by about 30mm (that's around an inch and a quarter in antique money).

 

The boat reacts like a seesaw with the respective higher end being dependant upon the weight placed at the opposite end.

[Tuscan]

If you standing on the bank with a pole under the back doesn't rock her at all then a tow backwards sounds like a plan

[luctor et emergo]

I'll just mention putting the box in reverse again.. You'd be surprised.

[cheshire~rose]

I'll just mention putting the box in reverse again.. You'd be surprised.

 

I will also endorse that - almost always more effective to reverse off a grounding

[Guest]

Last time I floated a boat (at Garrgrave on the L&L) that was grounded only at the stern I recruited a load of passing 'rotund' (me included) people to climb into the front cratch area and it ballasted the boat in a way that allowed the stern to float.

 

We did look a bit silly mind all huddled together pootling along 'till the skipper could get into the side to drop us all back off.

[FidoDido]

Bow and stern now well and truly stuck.. Have rung cart as there won't be any navigation soon... Can see the mud on the non towpath side.

 

http://twitter.com/robstockman/status/357415671749029888/photo/1

 

http://twitter.com/robstockman/status/357415671749029888/photo/1

 

http://twitter.com/robstockman/status/357415711129366528/photo/1

[matty40s]

Time for some waterline blacking.....

 

have you checked shardlow lock, perhaps the is a gate jammed open or paddles up.

Also, have you walked up towards the next lock to see if any farmers are taking water for their fields??

[FidoDido]

Vandals apparently.. Had opened Weston, Aston and Shardlow locks. Did first two Monday, then Shardlow last night. Took 6 hours to refill. Now there is a tree branch waiting to fall and close the cut..

 

http://twitter.com/robstockman/status/357513084878848002/photo/1

 

C&RT refused to close navigation, so spent the afternoon putting some signs up to warn people. Would kill if it fell on you. Contractors coming tomorrow to cut it down.

 

Happened 10 mins after I got back from Dobsons. Heard a huge crack, go outside, and am amazed it didn't go all the way. It's resting on a thin branch at the mo. next gust of wind and it will come down.