Novice river users

[Darren72]

After 7+ years of the cut we wanna start chugging on rivers after failing to use the Avon while at Stratford this month:-(. We have done the tiny bits like at Alrewas but they dont count. We are on the Ashby so we arent that close to any rivers. Where can we start and what do we need? Licence, anchor etc. not to bothered about tidal rivers. At the moment.

[Guest]

After 7+ years of the cut we wanna start chugging on rivers after failing to use the Avon while at Stratford this month:-(. We have done the tiny bits like at Alrewas but they dont count. We are on the Ashby so we arent that close to any rivers. Where can we start and what do we need? Licence, anchor etc. not to bothered about tidal rivers. At the moment.

Head to the none tidal Trent.

 

Good introduction to river cruising.

 

No additional licence required, anchor advised.

 

Alternatively the Soar navigation.

Edited August 26, 2015 by MJG

[ditchcrawler]

For the Avon its £50 a week or £60 a fortnight, you buy the licence in Stratford basin.

[Darren72]

Which river is nearest to us.

[Guest]

Which river is nearest to us.

Avon?

[Darren72]

But wheres neaerst place to get on it. Stratford?

[Guest]

But wheres neaerst place to get on it. Stratford?

Well just looking at a map I would say yes.

 

Have you got a Collins waterways map, I found one to be invaluable for waterways I wasn't familiar with.

[Darren72]

Martin I shall check the book drawer next time on board. Cheers!

[cotswoldsman]

For the Avon its £50 a week or £60 a fortnight, you buy the licence in Stratford basin.

£70 for 30 days I have been on for 14 days now and love it. Very quite loads of moorings

[junior]

Get yourself up to the River Weaver.

[cotswoldsman]

Get yourself up to the River Weaver.

Yes a nice river

[Tony Dunkley]

After 7+ years of the cut we wanna start chugging on rivers after failing to use the Avon while at Stratford this month:-(. We have done the tiny bits like at Alrewas but they dont count. We are on the Ashby so we arent that close to any rivers. Where can we start and what do we need? Licence, anchor etc. not to bothered about tidal rivers. At the moment.

 

The Trent and the Soar would be easiest, in terms of days of boating to do, from where you are. Down to Bedworth, turn right, 13 locks down Atherstone and Glascote, on to Fazeley Turn and turn right again to Fradley, turn right yet again, then 11 single locks to Burton and 6 double locks to the Trent, . . . . 2 easy days run.

Your existing Licence is valid for the Trent and Soar, and other rivers under C&RT control. The most important piece of equipment to have on rivers is a 100% reliable engine and boat.

[ditchcrawler]

Yes a nice river

Agree

[Alan de Enfield]

Get yourself up to the River Weaver.

Is it a river ?

 

I thought it was just a wide canal.

 

The Trent IS a river

[haggis]

Is it a river ?

 

I thought it was just a wide canal.

 

The Trent IS a river

having seen a huge tree being washed downstream on the Weaver after heavy rain, I think I can safely say it is a river! That was in 2000 when we attended the Broken Cross Boat Club Rally via the Manchester Ship Canal (the Anderton lift was still in bits at the time). BW closed the river and we all stayed put and hoped that our ropes would hold. We were moored 3 abreast just below the lift. I love the weaver and have often been back and hope to be there in a couple of weeks time.

 

haggis

[system 4-50]

Is there a speed limit on the Weaver?

[Paul C]

Is there a speed limit on the Weaver?

 

Yes, 6mph

[John V]

Agree the Weaver is nice, spent a short (too short) visit 4 years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it.

[blackrose]

The most important piece of equipment to have on rivers is a 100% reliable engine and boat.

In my experience there is no such thing and even a reliable boat can have its prop fouled by something. So it's also wise to carry an anchor and warp and have it set up and ready do drop. You don't want to be doing that while you're drifting towards a weir.

[Alan de Enfield]

In my experience there is no such thing and even a reliable boat can have its prop fouled by something. So it's also wise to carry a SUITABLE SIZED & DESIGNED anchor and warp and have it set up and ready do drop. You don't want to be doing that while you're drifting towards a weir.

 

Added a few words.

 

The number of boats I have seen with a "grapnel" anchor that looks nice and is easy to store, but :-

1) Is of a very poor design and will offer virtually zero holding unless you are lucky & hook it into something solid (underwater cable maybe ?)

2) Is of a size that would better fit into an SAS ruc-sac and used for scaling walls.

[bizzard]

A long heaving line kept neatly coiled ready for action is most useful.

[Tony Dunkley]

In my experience there is no such thing and even a reliable boat can have its prop fouled by something. So it's also wise to carry an anchor and warp and have it set up and ready do drop. You don't want to be doing that while you're drifting towards a weir.

 

As he had mentioned carrying an anchor in his OP, Darren72 was already aware of the need.

I stand by what I said about boat and engine reliability which was ~ " The most important piece of equipment to have on rivers is a 100% reliable engine and boat.".

The most common reason for sudden total loss of power or engine breakdown is fuel starvation due to dirty tanks or contaminated fuel, and blocked filters.

Well designed and maintained fuel systems with dual filters, capable of being instantly changed over in service, can eliminate that as a cause of breakdown, and go a long way towards achieving total reliability, and therefore do come top of the list of priorities.

Edited September 6, 2015 by Tony Dunkley

[GUMPY]

I would think that the percentage of narrowboats fitted with dual filters and a change over system is very low, possibly less than 1%. Does this make them all unsuitable for use on rivers?

ETA my JP3M had a dual filter with C/O, I use the word filter advisedly it was a spiral of cloth in a pot.

Edited September 6, 2015 by Loddon

[Tony Dunkley]

I would think that the percentage of narrowboats fitted with dual filters and a change over system is very low, possibly less than 1%. Does this make them all unsuitable for use on rivers?

ETA my JP3M had a dual filter with C/O, I use the word filter advisedly it was a spiral of cloth in a pot.

 

Well, it certainly makes them less reliable than vessels with well designed fuel systems, but of course the vast majority of today's pleasure craft are badly designed and badly engineered in many ways, and most of them are unsuitable for river use for many other reasons too.

All JP series marine engines came with dual changeover fuel filters as standard, and the wick type filter element you describe proved perfectly satisfactory in service for over half a century.

Edited September 6, 2015 by Tony Dunkley

[Neil2]

From where you are you could do a circuit taking in the Soar either clockwise or anti, I'd do it anti clockwise go with the current down through Leicester then when you get to the Trent you will have a short experience of pushing a big river with a bit of current which is possibly the experience you're after to see how the boat fares.