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70 foot winding holes

frahkn

By frahkn
in General Boating

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frahkn Experienced

frahknDonate to Canal World

Posted
Posted

With previous (57 foot) boats this was not an issue but I have found that with a 70' one, it is becoming a bit of a problem.

 

Recently we left the boat at Longport Wharf (nice people by the way) for a week and afterwards, decided to get water at Harecastle southern portal then turn and moor at Westport Lake for the weekend. We got the water but found the winding hole too short to get round, this was despite Nicholsons showing it as full length.

 

In the end we reversed back to Longport and wound/winded? there. This was not too bad - though a crew member walked alongside with a stern rope - but should have been unnecessary.

 

Does anyone know of an accurate list of winding hole lengths?

 

Thanks.

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dmr Veteran II

dmr

Posted
Posted

Surely this is all part of the fun of boating and the canals?

If you need consistent and predictable transport the the railways are generally pretty good.

 

A 70 foot boat is probably a bit deeper than many so this needs to be considered too, in fact lack of depth in a winding hole is often just a significant as lack of length.

Many many things can "shorten" a winding hole and I am not aware of any up to date list. The best you can do is make your own list based on personal experience. I am aware of a winding hole on the K&A where many 70 footers claim to turn but we can't get close.. Another one where we can just turn as long as the water tank is full. And up in the midlands we managed to turn in one that said 60 foot on the sign post!

 

.............Dave

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Keeping Up Veteran II

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Posted
Posted

I wonder if that full length winding hole that is signed as 60ft is the one which I had been using for years and then they put some piling opposite so someone moored permanently on it. When I couldn't turn there I eventually complained to BW and when they couldn't persuade him to move either they just put up a sign reducing the hole to 60ft so that they wouldn't get any more complaints.

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furnessvale Influencer

furnessvale

Posted
Posted

Why was it too short? Silted? I've winded 68' there along time ago and I would have thought a 72' would have done it.

Within the last 6 months I have winded a 71ft boat at this location. Admittedly, the hole is partially silted. Welcome to the real world of CART dredging standards:-)

 

George ex nb Alton retired

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RLWP Veteran II

RLWP

Posted
Posted

Welcome to the real world of CART dredging standards:-)

 

George ex nb Alton retired

 

Are you in conversation with the Trust about this, George? They do seem to be genuinely interested in finding out the real world state of dredging and how it is effecting boats

 

Richard

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furnessvale Influencer

furnessvale

Posted
Posted

 

Are you in conversation with the Trust about this, George? They do seem to be genuinely interested in finding out the real world state of dredging and how it is effecting boats

 

Richard

So far, I have kept my contacts with CART restricted to "impossible" cases. A "partially" silted hole falls into the category of "perhaps later after the big problems have been sorted"

 

George ex nb Alton retired

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RLWP Veteran II

RLWP

Posted
Posted

So far, I have kept my contacts with CART restricted to "impossible" cases. A "partially" silted hole falls into the category of "perhaps later after the big problems have been sorted"

 

George ex nb Alton retired

 

It might be better to get involved with them rather than just giving them 'I'm bloody stuck again'. They really do seem to want to know how the track is effecting boats and boaters. So, they would like to know what's going on, when it is good as well as and when it is bad.

 

Richard

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Athy Veteran II

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Posted
Posted

A boat permanently moors actually in the winding hole at Fenny on the Oxford. I have met the owner and he explains that his family owns the adjacent land so he is entitled to moor there. Luckily the winding hole is quite broad.

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David Mack Veteran II

David MackDonate to Canal World

Posted
Posted

A boat permanently moors actually in the winding hole at Fenny on the Oxford. I have met the owner and he explains that his family owns the adjacent land so he is entitled to moor there. Luckily the winding hole is quite broad.

 

Unless he owns the water area of the winding hole as well, then his 'entitlement' to moor there is subject to the agreement of CRT.

 

And presumably he doesn't mind his boat being regularly hit by those trying to wind.

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furnessvale Influencer

furnessvale

Posted
Posted (edited)

A boat permanently moors actually in the winding hole at Fenny on the Oxford. I have met the owner and he explains that his family owns the adjacent land so he is entitled to moor there. Luckily the winding hole is quite broad.

I trust he is well fendered!

 

George ex nb Alton retired

 

ps He may own the land but the water belongs to CART, unless the broad you refer to indicates erosion which has moved the boundary into the water.

 

G

Edited by furnessvale
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frahkn Experienced

frahknDonate to Canal World

Posted
  • Author
Posted (edited)

Within the last 6 months I have winded a 71ft boat at this location. Admittedly, the hole is partially silted. Welcome to the real world of CART dredging standards:-)

 

George ex nb Alton retired

 

George,

 

We really tried very hard to wind, attempted to pull the front (and then the rear) with ropes etc. Our draft is 34" and of course, we had just watered up so that probably didn't help.

 

The tunnel keeper later told us it was a 65' hole and while I doubt it was quite that short, I imagine you would have to push the front well into the reeds to get round. With only two of us, one (me) a bit limited in mobility, and a modern engine, I did not have the bottle to try that.

 

Dave,

 

I agree with you in principle but the reversing in the cold was a little too much "fun" for us!

 

Frank.

Edited by frahkn
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MtB Veteran II

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Posted
Posted

A boat permanently moors actually in the winding hole at Fenny on the Oxford. I have met the owner and he explains that his family owns the adjacent land so he is entitled to moor there. Luckily the winding hole is quite broad.

 

I think a better description of it would be a 'winding lake', as the 'hole' is actually about 100ft wide and roughly square rather than nominally triangular like most winding holes.

 

I've turned ALDEBARAN there easily with that boat moored in it. I believe the owner is a forum member.

 

 

MtB

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MtB Veteran II

MtBDonate to Canal World

Posted
Posted

 

It might be better to get involved with them rather than just giving them 'I'm bloody stuck again'. They really do seem to want to know how the track is effecting boats and boaters. So, they would like to know what's going on, when it is good as well as and when it is bad.

 

Richard

 

Agghhhhhh!!!! That's twice you've done it in this thread.

 

It's affecting, not effecting, innit.

 

http://dynamiceditor.wordpress.com/2012/02/22/affect-vs-effect/

 

:)

 

MtB

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RLWP Veteran II

RLWP

Posted
Posted (edited)

 

Agghhhhhh!!!! That's twice you've done it in this thread.

 

It's affecting, not effecting, innit.

 

http://dynamiceditor.wordpress.com/2012/02/22/affect-vs-effect/

 

smile.png

 

MtB

 

Apologies, I did wonder as I wrote it, but decided I couldn't be arsed to look it up

 

Richard

 

MORE: I'm going to use uffect in future

Edited by RLWP
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Athy Veteran II

AthyDonate to Canal World

Posted
Posted

 

I think a better description of it would be a 'winding lake', as the 'hole' is actually about 100ft wide and roughly square

MtB

Yes, winding lake is a fair description.

David and FV, apparently there is a law or statute, peculiar to the Oxford Canal, which allows riparians to moor. A local boater even told me what the law was called but alas I have forgotten!

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Athy Veteran II

AthyDonate to Canal World

Posted
Posted

Ah, that was YOU watching us, was it?

 

I generally turn the bow towards the towpath side when winding there, not sure if that's better or worse than turning into the hole/ lake. It's odds on that, just as I am halfway through an impeccable manoeuvre, one boat will come steaming under the two bridges and another will arrive from the other direction and park at the water point.

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David Mack Veteran II

David MackDonate to Canal World

Posted
Posted

 

I think a better description of it would be a 'winding lake', as the 'hole' is actually about 100ft wide and roughly square rather than nominally triangular like most winding holes.

 

I've turned ALDEBARAN there easily with that boat moored in it.

And in the even bigger winding lake which is Tixall Wide you can loop the loop.

 

I did it once while towing a boat (unfortunately not with a 70ft pair). It didn't half confuse the chap on the other boat!

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