Anchor rope length for Nene

[Ssscrudddy]

On a river you should have an anchor. Well my boat already has one. I understand you are supposed to have 6 metres of chain as well, & although I haven't measured it yet there was some chain next to the anchor.

What I need to know though, is what length of rope do I need for the Nene, & what type of rope is best please?

I'm hoping to leave Northampton for 2 weeks starting on 3rd or 4th of June & see how far I get.

[FadeToScarlet]

On a river you should have an anchor. Well my boat already has one. I understand you are supposed to have 6 metres of chain as well, & although I haven't measured it yet there was some chain next to the anchor.

What I need to know though, is what length of rope do I need for the Nene, & what type of rope is best please?

I'm hoping to leave Northampton for 2 weeks starting on 3rd or 4th of June & see how far I get.

Assuming it's 5m deep in Peterborough then 25m would do. More chain is better.

 

That said, I'm not sure how useful an anchor would be on the Nene. If conditions were such that the boat was in danger if the engine failed, then I wouldn't be boating, I'd be happily moored.

 

I reckon you'd easily make Bedford and back, less than a week from Northampton, especially if you boat "enthusiastically"!

[Ssscrudddy]

Thanks. I think I'll be going a bit less 'enthusiastically' than I did last time, seeing as I have 2 weeks.

Presumably this is the type of rope I should get
http://www.trafalgarmarineservices.co.uk/detail/31/polysteel-titanium-rope-16mm/

[gazza]

I wouldn't get hung up on your anchor too much.

The Nene isn't very deep these days :-(

In all the years we have boated on the Nene an anchor has never been needed.

Your best bet is a mud weight if you run into problems.

I can't think of anywhere on the river where deploying an anchor in the event of an emergency would be necessary - I know pretty much every inch of it :-)

 

Should you be boating when the river is on or near SSA an anchor won't save you anyway.

 

As for your trip, 20 hours to Pyc from Northampton, 10 hours across the levels and you are on the Ouse.

We did salters to earith in 3 hours on the 100 foot. Cuts a good chunk off. Earith to Bedford is about another 12 hours.

 

I wouldn't go hell for leather for Bedford, there's plenty to take in on the way.

 

We did Pyc to Bedford and back in a week once - never again! :-)

[Troyboy]

I've been boating on the Nene for 28 years in my narrowboat and never had an anchor but then I don't go onto the tidal section . I think one would be useful if you intend crossing from Salters Lode to Denver Sluice but I'm sure most boats making that trip don't have one .

[gazza]

Its less than a mile between Salters and Denver.

Its mud/silt and in an emergency a mud weight will be enough to give you some control over the boat.

 

Clean fuel and filters and plenty of fuel are more important than an anchor on that bit.

I jinxed it last year, asked Paul if anyone had come to grief since our last visit. No came the reply.

On our return Paul informed is someone had ran out of fuel day after we left - oops!

 

Boats taking to the wash from wisbech or Lynn would be advised to carry an anchor though.

[Ssscrudddy]

Well I dont have anything suitable for a mud weight, & I'd rather not buy anything. I do already have anchor & chain, & either way I will still have to buy some rope. Plus it's in the rules that I should have an anchor & seeing as I have 1 I might as well set it up.
Yes it would only be for an emergency anyway.

With that said, if this rain carries on for much longer we might be seeing the red flags coming out. So I may have to get a canal licence instead! Whatever happens I AM GOING BOATING!

On another note, what on earth has happened to the EA website? It seems most of the info has now gone.

Edit. It seems (weather permitting) I can get a lot further than I originally thought. So what is Pyc please (guessing Peterborough Yacht Club)?
Also, any recommendations of where to actually go please. I wont be hammering it in an effort to get to Bedford. If the tidal bits require VHF radio & other stuff eg flares, I dont have these. & I dont have a licence for the river Cam

Edited May 27, 2014 by Ssscrudddy

[John V]

Well I dont have anything suitable for a mud weight, & I'd rather not buy anything. I do already have anchor & chain, & either way I will still have to buy some rope. Plus it's in the rules that I should have an anchor & seeing as I have 1 I might as well set it up.

Yes it would only be for an emergency anyway.

 

With that said, if this rain carries on for much longer we might be seeing the red flags coming out. So I may have to get a canal licence instead! Whatever happens I AM GOING BOATING!

 

On another note, what on earth has happened to the EA website? It seems most of the info has now gone.

[FadeToScarlet]

Well I dont have anything suitable for a mud weight, & I'd rather not buy anything. I do already have anchor & chain, & either way I will still have to buy some rope. Plus it's in the rules that I should have an anchor & seeing as I have 1 I might as well set it up.

Yes it would only be for an emergency anyway.

With that said, if this rain carries on for much longer we might be seeing the red flags coming out. So I may have to get a canal licence instead! Whatever happens I AM GOING BOATING!

On another note, what on earth has happened to the EA website? It seems most of the info has now gone.

Edit. It seems (weather permitting) I can get a lot further than I originally thought. So what is Pyc please (guessing Peterborough Yacht Club)?

Also, any recommendations of where to actually go please. I wont be hammering it in an effort to get to Bedford. If the tidal bits require VHF radio & other stuff eg flares, I dont have these. & I dont have a licence for the river Cam

Nope, no flares or VHF or anything for the tidal bit, you don't even have to have an anchor, but you'd be silly not to have one! A mudweight is handy to have, but we've only used ours once. The only things you have to do is give Tina at Stanground Spuice in Peterborough 24 hours notice of when you'd like to come through, and whether you're deeper than 2'6" at the stern. You'd also need to ring Paul at Salter's Lode if you're crossing over, but he is a fantastic bloke who is a pleasure to talk to.

 

We reckon on the Nene being about 20-24 hours boating, which you can split up into however many days you like. We normally do two days on the Nene and the Northampton flight to get onto the canals, but then we normally have a very limited time available to us and would rather spend most of it on the canals. On the day you headed down with us, we got to the Middle Nene sailing club at dinner time, and could've gone further but we stopped for fish and chips! Alan who runs the fuel boat Bletchley (recommended for diesel) out of Oundle reckons a long day from there to Northampton Marina, and I'd agree- not quite done that lengths myself, but it'd be possible.

 

It's certainly worth reading the No Problem blog for where it's OK to moor Unofficially, we tend to only stop in a couple of the official places, and there's some where we had bad experiences which are OK now, such as Wellingborough.

 

I reckon you could do something like Northampton- Irthlingborough (plenty of moorings) as a first day, then onto Fotheringhay, and then- with a stop in Peterborough for a coffee and a wander- onto the Middle Level to Whittlesea or similar. You could go even slower with two weeks available.

[gazza]

Go with what fade to scarlet has posted.

 

Main thing is to relax and enjoy it.

 

No need yo stress over the short tidal hop, you could go in a tin bath with a mobile and some jam sandwiches if you wished :-) no need to prepare for a circumnavigation!

 

Also beware of dragons as you enter the levels (its ace but the scare stories help to keep it quiet)

 

Download the Ea map for the Ouse or get an imray guide. Stops of note are prickwillow, Ely, st Ives, The hemmingfords, st neots, gt barford, priory marina is not bad either.

 

I'm a local lad, I come from Rushden which is about 14 miles from Bedford, I am not actually very keen on Bedford Riverside, I don't think they make very good use of what they have for boaters. We went up through the town and out towards kempston mill last year. A journey I won't repeat for a good while. We had a couple of nights in priory marina and walked into town.

 

There is so much cruising to be had on the Ouse and its tributaries, the best piece of advice is grab a map and go where the fancy takes you.

Added

 

Just so you don't get mixed up, Alan Buckle is based at hills and hollow just above upper barnewll lock - not Oundle marina.

 

A Google will fetch his mobile number up. Diesel is also available at willy watt and Oundle marina. Not sure if billing sells fuel, we have boycotted the place for the last few years - another story :-)

[Ssscrudddy]

Thanks everyone. Virtual greenie for FadetoScarlet (serves you right for being a mod ), real 1 for Gazza.
I think I'll try for Irthlingborough starting from Northampton Washlands for day 2. Day 1 will be leave Northampton when the GF finishes work Tuesday night & stop at the Washlands, Wellingborough is less than 6 hours from Northampton marina & that's as far as I've been so far.

Edited May 27, 2014 by Ssscrudddy

[gazza]

You will have a great time!

 

Do be aware of the rain we have had recently. The river has been fairly high since the end of last week, we have avoided SSA though.

If you are not sure give one of the river inspectors a call, they will have good up to date info on whether the river is likely to go on SSA.

[matty40s]

After yesterday's, overnights and today's stalled rain front, I would say later on today will be SSA time.

[Scholar Gypsy]

i amused myself making a mudweight for the Fens at the weekend (concrete poured into a mould, with plastic waste pipes to enable the chain to be threaded through). V cheap.

 

I think I may have got a bit carried away, so am now designing a pulley system so I can get the thing up as well as down.

 

[gazza]

After yesterday's, overnights and today's stalled rain front, I would say later on today will be SSA time.

Very possibly.

 

It had dropped a few inches at titchmarsh yesterday. It normally takes 36 odd hours for the water from the upper reaches to get to the middle Nene. I too would be expecting it to rise again over the next day or two.

 

A call to the river inspectors will let you know what they are planning.

i amused myself making a mudweight for the Fens at the weekend (concrete poured into a mould, with plastic waste pipes to enable the chain to be threaded through). V cheap.

 

I think I may have got a bit carried away, so am now designing a pulley system so I can get the thing up as well as down.

 

Wow! That's a lump and a half! 56lb Avery weights make good mud weights.

[craftycarper]

I think there is a little to much oh you won't need one type attitude here, it's all good saying oh I have never needed one but it's a bit like waiting to be burgled before fitting an alarm ,I think you need one but hope to not use it and at least if you do ever get in trouble it's there ,I have mine in a tub next to me every time in go out on the river and sometimes it's just nice to anchor up away from the main hotspots

[tagulablue]

We are (hopefully) going on the tidal to Wisbech and then the wash.... We were advised min. 6m chain / 10max approx 20m rope ... Can you remember the poor boater who needed to deploy anchor.... problem was he forget to fasten to boat....

[gazza]

I think there is a little to much oh you won't need one type attitude here, it's all good saying oh I have never needed one but it's a bit like waiting to be burgled before fitting an alarm ,I think you need one but hope to not use it and at least if you do ever get in trouble it's there ,I have mine in a tub next to me every time in go out on the river and sometimes it's just nice to anchor up away from the main hotspots

How many times have you done the Nene-Ouse trip?

[Ssscrudddy]

If we get SSA I'll be getting a canal visitor licence or maybe 30 day explorer instead, & go onto the GU, at least I know my way around there between Great Linford, Braunston, & Crick. Still got a week left though for the weather to improve. It's actually stopped raining here in Northampton now.

[gazza]

You've sent it over to Wellingborough :-)

[Ssscrudddy]

Ah well I've dragged it back now

[PaulJ]

If you are planning on being on the Ouse for a bit it is worth joining GOBA - http://www.goba.org.uk/ -worth a look at the site,they do have some nice moorings you can use as a member.

[gazza]

It has been crap these last few days :-(

PaulJ has a good point about goba. You do get access to some lovely moorings as a member. Priory marina were also offering one night free for goba members, an offer we were glad for last year.

 

We are spending several months on the Ouse this year, so hope to get good value out of our goba membership

[Traveller]

We are now on the Ouse system and from what I am hearing it sounds a nice cruising area. We already know the Middle Level having moored at Fox's in March many years ago and the Nene from having moored at Oundle but we never quite made the Ouse.

Edited May 27, 2014 by Traveller

[gazza]

Have fun Traveller.

 

I bang on about it to anyone that will listen - the pumping museum at prickwillow on the Lark is very good.

 

http://www.prickwillow-engine-museum.co.uk/page19.htmlhtml

 

The Ely Ouse and tributaries give plenty of mostly lock free cruising.

Don't over look the relief Chanel at Denver, downham market is a pleasant little town, there is also some good moorings at stowbridge & wiggenhall, both with pubs and water points. The relief channel is not all that interesting cruising wise but it is normally very quiet and is a nice retreat from the main river.