jddevel Posted April 29, 2015 Report Share Posted April 29, 2015 Excuse my ignorance new to the canal life and I see that a hand spike s required on the Calder. Where is the best place to get one- any chandlers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsmelly Posted April 29, 2015 Report Share Posted April 29, 2015 Excuse my ignorance new to the canal life and I see that a hand spike s required on the Calder. Where is the best place to get one- any chandlers? I have one that I have had for years. They are easy to make yourself. Tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave_P Posted April 29, 2015 Report Share Posted April 29, 2015 Any boatyard within a days cruise of the C&H should have them. In a pinch, a wooden broom handle would suffice. Or a biggish stick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tagulablue Posted April 29, 2015 Report Share Posted April 29, 2015 we bought one from Shire Cruisers but we never used it ,so you are welcome to it for the cost of postage(awful feeling it may cost more to post than to buy but when i get new bathroom scales tomorrow I can weigh and cost for you) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
denboy Posted April 29, 2015 Report Share Posted April 29, 2015 a bit of 3 x 2 timber will suffice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveP Posted April 29, 2015 Report Share Posted April 29, 2015 I've just come up from Wakey with a bit of 3"x2". Worked fine - if you're coming down from the Rochdale I can pass it over... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mac of Cygnet Posted April 30, 2015 Report Share Posted April 30, 2015 Any boatyard within a days cruise of the C&H should have them. In a pinch, a wooden broom handle would suffice. Or a biggish stick. No chance! It would snap like a matchstick at some of the locks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alan_fincher Posted April 30, 2015 Report Share Posted April 30, 2015 I'm sure a bit of 3 x 2 softwood would improvise for a single passage, but anything that is not a proper hardwood may be quite battered after not operating that many. The leverage actually creates pretty strong forces on the surfaces that engage with the mechanism, and even the proper item quickly looks quite worn, unless you are very careful how you use it each time. They are under £20, I think - I'd definitely recommend buying, even if only making one passage. That said, I'm wondering if I've just managed to sell mine along with a boat - I can't imagine where else it might be...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b0atman Posted April 30, 2015 Report Share Posted April 30, 2015 check out dimensions required 3" x 2" I believe and get a Axe ,Sledgehammer handle from Amazon < £10 delivered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnEW2912 Posted April 30, 2015 Report Share Posted April 30, 2015 A few years ago my son was on the boat with his mates in Leeds. For some reason he had to go to the BW office and I asked him to pick up a handspike as we were heading that way. He had no idea what it was and assumed it was some form of key. He was a bit taken aback when he was handed one and was more than a bit nervous taking it into a Leeds pub with him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maffi Posted April 30, 2015 Report Share Posted April 30, 2015 70 x 40 x 180 Sapele works a treat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Lewis Posted April 30, 2015 Report Share Posted April 30, 2015 70 x 40 x 180 Sapele works a treat. A bit short shurely! Tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Tee Posted April 30, 2015 Report Share Posted April 30, 2015 Longer rather than shorter - as the end gets splintered just cut a couple of inches off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jddevel Posted April 30, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 30, 2015 Looks like a good piece of oak will do the trick. Thanks for all the advice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DHutch Posted April 30, 2015 Report Share Posted April 30, 2015 I agree, we uses a piece of 2*2 softwood (drift wood from a few weeks earlier) and it did the locks up to Ledgard bridge and back fine, and I am sure you could get a week out of both ends of a 2*3 softwood. Should be doing it often, it would be worth getting a better solution. Daniel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Riley Posted April 30, 2015 Report Share Posted April 30, 2015 The hardwood ones are tapered to one end, makes them easier to use, also can be used to lever the pawl to lower the paddle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardH Posted April 30, 2015 Report Share Posted April 30, 2015 No chance! It would snap like a matchstick at some of the locks. Indeed. Shire Cruisers have great ones for about a tenner I think. A pick axe handle would also probably work I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray T Posted April 30, 2015 Report Share Posted April 30, 2015 (edited) "Some of the original paddle gear has been replaced with more standard gear but there are still several locks that cannot be operated without a hand-spike. Hand-spikes can be bought at boatyards in the area or you can make your own from a piece of 4" x 2" or 3" x 2" hardwood about 3' long, tapered to about 2¼" x 1¾". Hard wood is needed as soft wood will quickly become chewed up." http://www.penninewaterways.co.uk/calder/handspike.htm Edited April 30, 2015 by Ray T Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timleech Posted April 30, 2015 Report Share Posted April 30, 2015 Indeed. Shire Cruisers have great ones for about a tenner I think. A pick axe handle would also probably work I think. I think a friend said he paid fifteen quid there last year. I paid twenty at Stanley Ferry marina. I think a pickaxe handle would need the end shaved down, the handle for a rubber pavers' maul would be much closer. Some discussion a while ago on this very subject. Tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nebulae Posted April 30, 2015 Report Share Posted April 30, 2015 4 or 5 years ago,I went in to Stanley Ferry Boatyard and asked for a handspike. Nobody could be found who knew what a handspike was. I am glad they now know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Todd Posted May 1, 2015 Report Share Posted May 1, 2015 4 or 5 years ago,I went in to Stanley Ferry Boatyard and asked for a handspike. Nobody could be found who knew what a handspike was. I am glad they now know. ditto Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave_P Posted May 1, 2015 Report Share Posted May 1, 2015 No chance! It would snap like a matchstick at some of the locks. So you use the snapped off bit. Or get a stronger broom! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grannykins Posted May 1, 2015 Report Share Posted May 1, 2015 "Some of the original paddle gear has been replaced with more standard gear but there are still several locks that cannot be operated without a hand-spike. Hand-spikes can be bought at boatyards in the area or you can make your own from a piece of 4" x 2" or 3" x 2" hardwood about 3' long, tapered to about 2¼" x 1¾". Hard wood is needed as soft wood will quickly become chewed up." http://www.penninewaterways.co.uk/calder/handspike.htm How does one of these work then? I've never encountered one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray T Posted May 1, 2015 Report Share Posted May 1, 2015 How does one of these work then? I've never encountered one. Similar to a capstan except it is horizontal. Put the spike in a slot in the right hand drum and pull towards you. There is a ratchet to stop it falling. Repeat until paddle is raised. To let paddle down release ratchet and paddle falls. The ratchet is the white bent length of metal in the picture. Much easier to do than to describe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickF Posted May 1, 2015 Report Share Posted May 1, 2015 I spent £5 on a piece of hardwood from a timber yard, I shaped a handle onto it but you don't have to .. works fine. I was pleased I had taken it on a hire boat from Canal Cruises of Riley Green, because the one they gave me was too big and so didn't work! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Featured Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now