Bringing her home

[Longfleet]

Hello to everyone, this is our first post a brief introduction.

We have given up our 40' flybridge motor cruiser and elected to try a Narrowboat to that end we purchased Gratuity and finally with some trepidation, our first experience with a NB, went up to Church Minshall to collect her and bring her home to Essex.

So this 'epic' journey started on 28th April and finally ended berthed in Roydon Essex on 16th May, 19 days which didn't appear to shabby.

An interesting experience all told, including a pleasant afternoon visit from RCR and the loss of two Windlasses, one I foolishly left behind at the previous lock on one of the lock flights a lucky find for someone. The other at City road lock on the Regents canal when the ratchet slipped just as I finished lifting the paddle and I watched it spin round and fly off into the lock tail, fished around with a sea searcher but couldn't find it.

So I need two new windlasses :-(

 

Wishing you all safe and enjoyable cruising, please wave and say hello if you see us.

 

Tony & Marguerite

[Athy]

Welcome. Yes, quite an epic - and you are lucky to be in possession of a full set of face, that windlass could have gone in any direction.

[magnetman]

That's a nice trip - glad you had a good time and safely reached your mooring in Roydon

[David Mack]

The other at City road lock on the Regents canal when the ratchet slipped just as I finished lifting the paddle and I watched it spin round and fly off into the lock tail,

 

And a lesson learned that when you have raised a paddle, you gently let it move back onto the ratchet, while still holding the windlass firmly until you know it has held, and then remove the windlass from the spindle.

[Longfleet]

Athy, when I saw it start to spin I did step back smartly out of the way and just watched and waved it goodbye. :-)

[patty-ann]

Welcome...at least you are uninjured....a windlass can be replaced...enjoy your time on the boat...

[The Bearwood Boster]

What a journey! After that ...you are ready for anything. Enjoy your boat ?

[Phil Ambrose]

Nice feeling isn't it, when you can sit back, breath a sigh of relief and say " well we've done it"

Welcome and I shall look forward to reading your further posts.

Phil

[Sea Dog]

Nice feeling isn't it, when you can sit back, breath a sigh of relief and say " well we've done it"

 

Often it is, but after our 7 week 'delivery voyage' across the country in Jan-Mar (not the most straightforward of journeys avoiding winter stoppages!) I was also quite sad it was over. It's still my best boating memory amongst many good ones. We're fortunate in being able to do similar long trips, but I do envy proper CCers for their not having to face that sinking feeling (no pun intended) when the mooring lines go on for the last time. Buy another couple of windlasses and get back out there Longfleet!

[peterboat]

That first trip on the boat is the one I will remember for ever I think

[Peter X]

You could always have another go at fishing for you windlass at City Road Lock, you might do better without the pressure of needing to move the boat on.

Maybe go for the really relaxed approach, dangle your Sea Searcher from a stick and sit there in a camping chair wearing fisherman's gear and string at the water.

 

There are some locks around the system where the pawl doesn't always engage the ratchet automatically, and I had some wrist pain for a day or two last year after one slipped on the Erewash, so then I developed the habit after raising a paddle of continuing to hold the windlass firm while checking that the pawl's engaged before relaxing and taking the windlass off. I do dislike those mechanisms where there's a bar to force the pawl to be left on while raising the paddle, thus preventing it being left off when lowering the paddle and forcing me to use one hand to hold the pawl up leaving only one hand on the windlass. As far as I'm aware CRT have recognised the design problem and aren't installing those bars anymore?

[Jim Riley]

OTOH you'll probably find a few windlasses on your journeys. Currently using a found Ali one and the other day found a large long handled net left on a lock beam, full of bits fished out of the lock, have talked to local bankside staff but they don't know owt.

[Longfleet]

Thank you all for your thoughts.

After fixing a couple of issues that arose during our journey and replacing a bit of gunwale paint we lost somewhere, mostly early in the journey when learning to enter locks on the SU with strong bywashes, we will be out again for a more leisurly pleasure cruise July-September.

[system 4-50]

Windlasses enjoy the non-fixed positional attributes of sub-atomic particles, so it is not necessary for you to fish for your windlass at the lock where you dropped it, you can do so at any lock with an equal probability of finding it.