Canoes and the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct

[Chasbo]

Travelling back from Llangollen last Monday the aqueduct was as busy as I have ever seen it. I had to wait for seven boats before I could cross. When I reached the end of the aqueduct there were boats waiting for me to complete the crossing. There was also a man and a young child in an inflatable canoe who clearly could not control their craft. It was necessary for me to quickly engage reverse to avoid a collision with them.

 

I suggested to them that this was not a suitable place for their canoe and reminded them that my boat weighed 17 tons, had no brakes, had limited steering as I left the aqueduct, and that it was not possible to see what was immediately if front of the bow.

 

A woman on the towpath who I presume was the wife and mother of the pair in the canoe said to me that they had every right to be paddling there.

 

Was she correct?

 

I have looked on the CaRT website but can find no reference to canoes and aqueducts.

 

[magpie patrick]

There won't be one - I can't imagine an aqueduct is a particularly hazardous place for a canoe, although hanging about in the wrong place in a canoe is always unwise.

 

In one way (but probably not the way the woman intended) they have every right to be there if they had a licence or were members of the BCU: I suspect what she meant was that she viewed you as a fully paid up member of some arrogant, toffee nosed shiny boat brigade who will be the first with your back to the wall when the revolution comes.

[Guest]

Travelling back from Llangollen last Monday the aqueduct was as busy as I have ever seen it. I had to wait for seven boats before I could cross. When I reached the end of the aqueduct there were boats waiting for me to complete the crossing. There was also a man and a young child in an inflatable canoe who clearly could not control their craft. It was necessary for me to quickly engage reverse to avoid a collision with them.

 

I suggested to them that this was not a suitable place for their canoe and reminded them that my boat weighed 17 tons, had no brakes, had limited steering as I left the aqueduct, and that it was not possible to see what was immediately if front of the bow.

 

A woman on the towpath who I presume was the wife and mother of the pair in the canoe said to me that they had every right to be paddling there.

 

Was she correct?

 

I have looked on the CaRT website but can find no reference to canoes and aqueducts.

 

If your boat has limited steering it's hardly the boats fault.

 

Lighten up.......

[pophops]

I'd be far more concerned about canoes in tunnels. Apparently unpowered craft are now allowed to use some tunnels.

If so then it's only a matter of time before there's a fatality.

[jenlyn]

The latest trend from CRT is promoting the use of canoes on the canals.

Hopefully those using them will be a bit responsible, and recognise the importance of being wary of their surroundings. You can be sure as he'll CRT won't have thought it all through.

[MHS]

The latest trend from CRT is promoting the use of canoes on the canals.

Hopefully those using them will be a bit responsible, and recognise the importance of being wary of their surroundings. You can be sure as he'll CRT won't have thought it all through.

I have no problem with canoes on the canals.

 

That is assuming they display their CRT registration number on both sides. I also feel they should pay a licence fee. A 10ft canoe therefore pays 1/6 that of a 60ft narrowboat. i.e. £158 per year.

 

They should also not paddle with fenders down

[nicknorman]

Canoe on the Ponty sounds a bit scary to me, you'd only have to tip over at the wrong moment to end up falling into the Dee.

[Maffi]

If you think that's bad what about Paddle boards?

[NickF]

I have no problem with canoes on the canals.

That is assuming they display their CRT registration number on both sides. I also feel they should pay a licence fee. A 10ft canoe therefore pays 1/6 that of a 60ft narrowboat. i.e. £158 per year.

They should also not paddle with fenders down

 

 

 

 

I pay about £40 a year to Canoe England (formerly BCU) which allows me to use CaRT and EA waters. I am not required to display a licence but am required to carry my membership card at all times when on the water. I keep my card in the pocket of my life jacket but have never been asked to show it. In fact I am not really sure who would be entitled to ask.

 

As for aqueducts I have done Edstone but I wouldn't fancy the Ponty on a windy day and certainly not with a child on board.

 

With regards to manoeverability, I am much more manoeverable than any narrow boat so can easily keep out of their way, it does sound though as if the canoe mentioned by th OP wasn't entirely in control of their craft!

 

With regards to inflatable canoes they are much much more stable than a normal canoe and only marginally less manouverable. It is great to be able to just drive to the canal, pump it up and get onto the water. The other huge advantage is as the side of the boat is an inflated chamber fenders are not necessay so I don't have the stress of having to remember to raise the fenders before setting off!

[manxmike]

I wouldn't worry too much, if the canoeist is experienced and has their eyes open then no problem, otherwise Darwinism will kick in. Inflateable boats of any sort on the Ponty strike me as a prime candidate for Darwinism - natural selection at its most basic!

[Guest]

I would like to know how many people have actually perished falling from the aqueduct - does any one actually know?

[Alan de Enfield]

I would like to know how many people have actually perished falling from the aqueduct - does any one actually know?

 

Several

 

We used to live close by and I personally know of one.

Sad story - went over to the pub on the 'other side' ,had a 'few', walked back, fell in and (according to the inquiry) got out the wrong side.

 

A Google search will reveal a number in the last few tears (average 1 per year ?)

 

2010 a young girl

2011 a Man

2011 a Teenage girl

2013 a Woman

 

How many do you want ?

Edited May 30, 2015 by Alan de Enfield

[Naughty Cal]

 

Several

 

We used to live close by and I personally know of one.

Sad story - went over to the pub on the 'other side' ,had a 'few', walked back, fell in and (according to the inquiry) got out the wrong side.

Sad story but what has that got to do with canoes?

[Alan de Enfield]

Sad story but what has that got to do with canoes?

 

Read post number 11

[cuthound]

I pay about £40 a year to Canoe England (formerly BCU) which allows me to use CaRT and EA waters. I am not required to display a licence but am required to carry my membership card at all times when on the water. I keep my card in the pocket of my life jacket but have never been asked to show it. In fact I am not really sure who would be entitled to ask.

As for aqueducts I have done Edstone but I wouldn't fancy the Ponty on a windy day and certainly not with a child on board.

With regards to manoeverability, I am much more manoeverable than any narrow boat so can easily keep out of their way, it does sound though as if the canoe mentioned by th OP wasn't entirely in control of their craft!

With regards to inflatable canoes they are much much more stable than a normal canoe and only marginally less manouverable. It is great to be able to just drive to the canal, pump it up and get onto the water. The other huge advantage is as the side of the boat is an inflated chamber fenders are not necessay so I don't have the stress of having to remember to raise the fenders before setting off!

But does membership of Canoe England allow you to canoe across the Pontycysllte Aqueduct which is in Wales?

 

My spill chucker changed the name of the aqueduct to "flinty cyclometer". I might call it that from now on as its easier to pronounce!

[Guest]

 

Several

 

We used to live close by and I personally know of one.

Sad story - went over to the pub on the 'other side' ,had a 'few', walked back, fell in and (according to the inquiry) got out the wrong side.

 

A Google search will reveal a number in the last few tears (average 1 per year ?)

 

2010 a young girl

2011 a Man

2011 a Teenage girl

2013 a Woman

 

How many do you want ?

 

I don't 'want' any. I was merely curious so that I had some idea of the context of the risk.

[nipper]

If you think that's bad what about Paddle boards?

 

Yes Maffi, i really think it's time that you put that board away now, especially at busy weekends!

[tree monkey]

 

I don't 'want' any. I was merely curious so that I had some idea of the context of the risk.

I am not sure how many of these fell or threw themselves off tbh

[Woodsy]

Approaching Chirk aquaduct last Friday we passed 3 canoes, the lead canoe had one occupant and the following 2 canoes with 2 ocupants each were lashed together catamaran style with aluminium poles and rope. All 3 canoes had pulled over to the side to let motorised traffic past, the most disturbing part was that a young child was in the "catamaran-ised" canoe in the centre of the canal with adults in the one closest to the bank. I would have taken a photograph but was too concerned for the consequences if I lost concentration while passing them.

[WJM]

I have paddled a kayak over that aqueduct - 125 foot drop under my elbow!

 

Has anyone every actually heard of a canoe being struck by a narrowboat? As a regular user of both craft, I think such a collision is unlikely.

[spadefoot]

I have paddled a kayak over that aqueduct - 125 foot drop under my elbow!

 

Has anyone every actually heard of a canoe being struck by a narrowboat? As a regular user of both craft, I think such a collision is unlikely.

No, they're annoyingly tricky to hit. Been clobbered by several canoes whilst moored up tho', doesn't quite seem fair.

[The Toad in the Hole]

I have paddled a kayak over that aqueduct - 125 foot drop under my elbow!

 

Has anyone every actually heard of a canoe being struck by a narrowboat? As a regular user of both craft, I think such a collision is unlikely.

Not to my knowledge (as in a serious collision), and I'd probably hear about it if it happened round there.

 

I lost a post to the great outage of '15, but essentially what I said was that I regularly cross the aqueduct and find canoeists preferable to many of the other "proper" boaters I encounter there. I probably wouldn't canoe this stretch, but that's more down to over familiarity (I've canoed bits of the Dee round there and other rivers where I can't take a steel boat). As Llangollen grows as a "gateway" town for adventure activities, we are likely to see more of these boats, and for the wider community, this is a Good Thing - The World Heritage designation, the towpath improvements are all helping to raise the profile of this corner of Wales.

[pquinn]

Whats a "flinty cyclometer"? And where can i purchase one?