Is it possible to Cruise from Loughborough to llangollen Canal

[DandGNWales]

Hi All,

If we can scrounge rent or borrow some trade plates would it be possible to cruise a 57 foot Narrow boat from Loughborough (I think it's The Grand Union Canal) to the Llangollen canal and a rough idea of the time it would take

[alan_fincher]

Yes it is.

 

A minimum of about 6 times 8 hour days to get to the start of the Llangollen canal at Hurleston, or about 9 times 8 hour days to Llangollen itself,

 

Here is detail of the latter, thanks to CanalPlanAC

 

Totals

Total distance is 143.44 miles and 105 locks. There are at least 10 moveable bridges of which 1 is usually left open; 38 small aqueducts or underbridges; 4 tunnels (Harecastle Tunnel (2919 yards long) [see navigational note 1 below], Ellesmere Tunnel (87 yards long), Chirk Tunnel (459 yards long) and Whitehouses Tunnel (191 yards long)) and 2 major aqueducts (Chirk Aqueduct and Pontcysyllte Aqueduct).

This is made up of 114.39 miles of narrow canals; 17.81 miles of broad canals; 11.23 miles of small rivers; 90 narrow locks; 15 broad locks.

This will take 73 hours, 48 minutes which is 9 days, 1 hour and 48 minutes at 8 hours per day. For calculation purposes this is taken as 9 days.

Overnight stopping places

 

This is calculated based on 9 full days travelling starting at Loughborough Basin.

Each full day will be approximately 8 hours and 12 minutes travelling.

First day of trip On the Trent and Mersey Canal (Main Line - Derwent Mouth to Burton), at Massey's Bridge No 12 (nearly at Swarkestone Junction). This is 17.41 miles and 13 locks and will take 8 hours 12 minutes. Second day of trip On the Trent and Mersey Canal (Main Line - Burton to Fradley), at Pyford Brook Aqueduct (a third of the way between Bagnall Winding Hole and Fradley Junction). This is 19.04 miles and 9 locks and will take 8 hours 12 minutes. Third day of trip On the Trent and Mersey Canal (Main Line - Great Haywood to Etruria), at Brinepit Bridge No 79 (a third of the way between Great Haywood Junction and Newcastle Road Bridge No 95). This is 16.46 miles and 10 locks and will take 8 hours 12 minutes. Fourth day of trip On the Trent and Mersey Canal (Main Line - Great Haywood to Etruria), at Stoke Bottom Lock No 36 (half way between Stoke-on-Trent Bridge No 112 and Stoke Top Lock No 40). This is 15.67 miles and 12 locks and will take 8 hours 12 minutes. Fifth day of trip On the Trent and Mersey Canal (Main Line - Harding's Wood to Middlewich), at Hasall Green Bottom Lock No 58. This is 11.38 miles and 22 locks and will take 8 hours 12 minutes. Sixth day of trip On the Shropshire Union Canal (Middlewich Branch), at Vernon's Bridge Narrows No 9. This is 14.55 miles and 16 locks and will take 8 hours 12 minutes. Seventh day of trip On the Shropshire Union Canal (Llangollen Canal - Main Line), at Quoisley Lock No 11 (half way between Marbury Lock No 10 and Grindley Brook Bridge No 28). This is 14.52 miles and 12 locks and will take 8 hours 12 minutes. Eighth day of trip On the Shropshire Union Canal (Llangollen Canal - Main Line), at Ellesmere Tunnel (West end). This is 14.98 miles and 9 locks and will take 8 hours 12 minutes. Ninth day of trip On the Shropshire Union Canal (Llangollen Canal - Main Line), at Siambr Bridge No 45. This is 19.43 miles and 2 locks and will take 8 hours 12 minutes.

[NB Lola]

Or in short, yes, about 15 easy days

Edited September 20, 2013 by NB Lola

[alan_fincher]

Or in short, yes, about 15 easy days

That will be there and back, then!

[NB Lola]

That will be there and back, then!

Lol

[mrsmelly]

Its a doddle. Easy route. Should take you about six or 8 weeks if you have a life.

 

Tim

[Skye]

Its a doddle. Easy route. Should take you about six or 8 weeks if you have a life.

 

Tim

if you have a hoop and stick! - Remember them

The Llangollen canal is well worth the experience.

[DandGNWales]

Wow Alan, What a great reply, I will take a look at that site for future use and thanks for taking the time and trouble for sorting the route for us, just better get some trade plates now ready for our longest ever trip, the first and only experience we have had is renting a hire boat and going back and to on the Llangollen to avoid any locks as we never had the bottle to try them, so after doing 105 I think your post said in that journey think I will lose my fear especially single handing of locks full stop lol

[PhilR]

Hi All,

If we can scrounge rent or borrow some trade plates would it be possible to cruise a 57 foot Narrow boat from Loughborough (I think it's The Grand Union Canal) to the Llangollen canal and a rough idea of the time it would take

 

 

Wow Alan, What a great reply, I will take a look at that site for future use and thanks for taking the time and trouble for sorting the route for us, just better get some trade plates now ready for our longest ever trip, the first and only experience we have had is renting a hire boat and going back and to on the Llangollen to avoid any locks as we never had the bottle to try them, so after doing 105 I think your post said in that journey think I will lose my fear especially single handing of locks full stop lol

 

Apologies for deviating (no pun intended) from your topic, but I am intrigued by your mention of trade plates. Are you moving a boat that isn't licensed or insured and maybe without a BSC? Are there provisions within the CART regs similar to those which apply to automotive traders who can use trade plates for business purposes?

 

[DandGNWales]

The boat requires welding to pass the safety test, so I emailed the Licensing people and they told me I could only move it under trade plates that can be loaned from a boat yard, I suspect they would only loan you the plates if you was having the work done at their yard, I never knew they done this system the same as my understanding of the road garage plates.

 

The boat is insured, but I assume only for 3rd party until the BSC is sorted so if the licensing people have got it wrong, it means either a very expensive road trip or try and get it repaired locally but my welder drinks in our pub and used to build narrow boats so he will do me mates rates

[alan_fincher]

Kind of intrigued, because unless the welding involves something like sealing up leaks in a gas locker, I can't think of many things tested as part of a Boat Safety Scheme certificate where welding would be required to sort it out.

 

Basic hull integrity is not part of the BSS, so even if you have a wafer thin base plate (for example) that is not relevant to getting a BSS pass.

 

So what needs welding that makes it sensible to move it all the way from Loughborough to the Llangollen to actually do it?

 

Just curious, that's all!

[PhilR]

The boat requires welding to pass the safety test, so I emailed the Licensing people and they told me I could only move it under trade plates that can be loaned from a boat yard, I suspect they would only loan you the plates if you was having the work done at their yard, I never knew they done this system the same as my understanding of the road garage plates.

 

The boat is insured, but I assume only for 3rd party until the BSC is sorted so if the licensing people have got it wrong, it means either a very expensive road trip or try and get it repaired locally but my welder drinks in our pub and used to build narrow boats so he will do me mates rates

 

Thanks for that. I never knew trade plates existed for waterways use.

 

So the boat is in Loughborough and you and your drinking mate/welder are on the Llangollen. I can understand now why you want to make the journey.

[DandGNWales]

Hi Alan,

I do not understand as a newbie what gets inspected in a Boat safety Scheme test, I thought it had failed because of the stern welding, but after looking at the boat it looks they have run it on very little money, it looks like it has not been blacked for ages, so thin k they have run it into the ground, it would make things a lot easier if we could get a BSC pass, then pay the license insurance etc, please don't think for a moment we are trying to cruise for nothing, we want to be 100% legal and pay all our dues.

 

Update while I was typing this response, I have an email now that says it has no BSC Cert as there is no inspector at that merina, so if we could get it tested at another marina and get a pass that would make our lives so much easier.

 

So No 1 question now is what gets inspected in a BSC test ?

[dor]

 

So No 1 question now is what gets inspected in a BSC test ?

 

This will tell you what needs to be checked. http://www.boatsafetyscheme.org/media/180428/bss%20guide%202005%20complete%20web.pdf

 

Main items are fuel and gas related. Many items are advisory for private boats.

 

Most BSS examiners are mobile and will come to your boat so it doesn't matter that there isn't one based at the marina. If the marina are sniffy about it, move the boat out to the towpath and have the exam. done there. The test should cost you about £150 if the examiner is reasonably local. Cheaper than moving a boat to Llangollen and back!

 

You may need to get a surveyor to check the hull. Your insurance may be invalid if there is no BSC and something happens that can be put down to the state of the boat.

[junior]

So No 1 question now is what gets inspected in a BSC test ?

 

You should beable to find that outwith a quick Google search as I believe the BSS has it's own websitE.

[DandGNWales]

Thanks for the Link DOR, I will have a read, I think our best option is to get her tested and licensed then enjoy the cruise home to Chirk Marina were we could get the hull sorted and tidy the old girl up, as in the words of the A Team " I love it when a plan comes together "

 

Thanks all for your input, what a great and friendly forum

Cheers

Denise & Geoff