Planning a big cruise

[Philip]

I'm thinking of doing a big 2 week cruise once we convert the windscreen on my cruiser into one which can fold down and therefore give it clearance for Harecastle Tunnel and other associated low bridges on my planned route. I'm going to list the planned itinerary and I'm just asking if it looks doable. I'm not planning on going in the dark but I don't mind long days and since hopefully it'll be fairly soon (hopefully within the next couple of months), they will be long days.

 

The plan:

 

Sat evening: Barbridge-Nantwich

Sun: Gnosall

Mon: Radford/Great Haywood

Tues: Stockton Brook bottom lock

Weds: Consall Forge (via Leek and Froghall)

Thurs: Red Bull

Fri: Bugsworth basin

Sat: Marple bottom

Sun: Ashton/Stalybridge

Mon: Castlefield

Tues: Boothstown

Weds: Anderton

Thurs: Rode Heath

Fri: Sandon

Sat: Brewood

Sun: Cheswardine/Market Drayton

Mon: Barbridge

 

Like I say I'm not averse to regular 12-13 hour days and the odd longer one here and there. Do they look like realistic estimates and could you point out any days which look unrealistic please?

 

Edited May 10, 2018 by Philip

[rgreg]

Use this to help you plan, but add some contingency time.

https://canalplan.eu/cgi-bin/canal.cgi

[rgreg]

Also keep an eye on the current Marple stoppage. 

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

37 minutes ago, Philip said:

I'm thinking of doing a big 2 week cruise once we convert the windscreen on my cruiser into one which can fold down and therefore give it clearance for Harecastle Tunnel and other associated low bridges on my planned route. I'm going to list the planned itinerary and I'm just asking if it looks doable. I'm not planning on going in the dark but I don't mind long days and since hopefully it'll be fairly soon (hopefully within the next couple of months), they will be long days.

 

The plan:

 

Sat evening: Barbridge-Nantwich

Sun: Gnosall

Mon: Radford/Great Haywood

Tues: Stockton Brook bottom lock

Weds: Consall Forge (via Leek and Froghall)

Thurs: Red Bull

Fri: Bugsworth basin

Sat: Marple bottom

Sun: Ashton/Stalybridge

Mon: Castlefield

Tues: Boothstown

Weds: Anderton

Thurs: Rode Heath

Fri: Sandon

Sat: Brewood

Sun: Cheswardine/Market Drayton

Mon: Barbridge

 

Like I say I'm not averse to regular 12-13 hour days and the odd longer one here and there. Do they look like realistic estimates and could you point out any days which look unrealistic please?

 

 

 

 I guess it’s all doable if you’ve got a willing crew - And the works shared out. 

 

 

 

[Señor Chris]

2 hours ago, Philip said:

Fri: Bugsworth basin

Sat: Marple bottom

That's only half a day.

 

[Richard T]

I think that you are being over ambitious. With a cruiser you need to factor in some delays because of weather - high winds will cause you problems. You also need time to chill out and enjoy a place or two. Being on a boat is not a race to cover as much ground as you can. I think that you have underestimated to time taken to get from Autherley to Great Haywood - it is at least 9hours boating plus the time spent in Penkridge buying the bread and cakes to die for from Jaspers bakery.

The main thing to do is relax and enjoy having a boat.

[Horace42]

We did the Shroppie Ring 30 years ago with a trip to Leek - crew of 4 adults and 2 children. Easy in two weeks. But it meant an early start and sometimes a late finish but without hurrying - but that was fine - we paid a lot of money to hire a boat and we wanted to cruise as far as we could to get our moneys worth. 

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

11 minutes ago, Richard T said:

I think that you are being over ambitious. With a cruiser you need to factor in some delays because of weather - high winds will cause you problems. You also need time to chill out and enjoy a place or two. Being on a boat is not a race to cover as much ground as you can. I think that you have underestimated to time taken to get from Autherley to Great Haywood - it is at least 9hours boating plus the time spent in Penkridge buying the bread and cakes to die for from Jaspers bakery.

The main thing to do is relax and enjoy having a boat.

Good point. Enjoy having a boat and taking advantage of  mooring up to see stuff you wouldn’t normally see. 

 

But you know that. 

[Philip]

23 minutes ago, Señor Chris said:

That's only half a day.

 

Aye, but since I live in Manchester I thought it'd be a good time to ease off a bit and nip home for the night, likewise I've planned a similar thing between Castlefield and Boothstown.

 

Regarding Autherley to Great Haywood; I was just basing Gnosall to Haywood on the fact that we've done Norbury to Acton Trussell in a day a few times in the past and also Brewood to Sandon once. They were all long days and a long time ago though and I guess it depends how well you do with the locks?

[Señor Chris]

59 minutes ago, Philip said:

I guess it depends how well you do with the locks?

Coming down the Shroppie last summer - entered the last locks before Nantwich only to find 7-8 boats the other side waiting to come up. You're bound to hit traffic cruising all day at that time of year.

 

[Naughty Cal]

10 hours ago, Richard T said:

I think that you are being over ambitious. With a cruiser you need to factor in some delays because of weather - high winds will cause you problems. You also need time to chill out and enjoy a place or two. Being on a boat is not a race to cover as much ground as you can. I think that you have underestimated to time taken to get from Autherley to Great Haywood - it is at least 9hours boating plus the time spent in Penkridge buying the bread and cakes to die for from Jaspers bakery.

The main thing to do is relax and enjoy having a boat.

Usually in the form of narrowboaters going so slow that they are getting blown all over the place 

12 hours ago, Philip said:

I'm thinking of doing a big 2 week cruise once we convert the windscreen on my cruiser into one which can fold down and therefore give it clearance for Harecastle Tunnel and other associated low bridges on my planned route. I'm going to list the planned itinerary and I'm just asking if it looks doable. I'm not planning on going in the dark but I don't mind long days and since hopefully it'll be fairly soon (hopefully within the next couple of months), they will be long days.

 

The plan:

 

Sat evening: Barbridge-Nantwich

Sun: Gnosall

Mon: Radford/Great Haywood

Tues: Stockton Brook bottom lock

Weds: Consall Forge (via Leek and Froghall)

Thurs: Red Bull

Fri: Bugsworth basin

Sat: Marple bottom

Sun: Ashton/Stalybridge

Mon: Castlefield

Tues: Boothstown

Weds: Anderton

Thurs: Rode Heath

Fri: Sandon

Sat: Brewood

Sun: Cheswardine/Market Drayton

Mon: Barbridge

 

Like I say I'm not averse to regular 12-13 hour days and the odd longer one here and there. Do they look like realistic estimates and could you point out any days which look unrealistic please?

 

I wouldn't dismiss moving in the dark especially if you get some hot days. There is less traffic around and the cooler temperatures make working the locks that bit more pleasant.

[kawaton]

15 hours ago, Philip said:

I'm thinking of doing a big 2 week cruise once we convert the windscreen on my cruiser into one which can fold down and therefore give it clearance for Harecastle Tunnel and other associated low bridges on my planned route. I'm going to list the planned itinerary and I'm just asking if it looks doable. I'm not planning on going in the dark but I don't mind long days and since hopefully it'll be fairly soon (hopefully within the next couple of months), they will be long days.

 

The plan:

 

Sat evening: Barbridge-Nantwich

Sun: Gnosall

Mon: Radford/Great Haywood

 

 

Like I say I'm not averse to regular 12-13 hour days and the odd longer one here and there. Do they look like realistic estimates and could you point out any days which look unrealistic please?

 

I will only comment on this section, as I too am happy to be on the move for 12-13 hours at the start of my trips......and I have completed this route many times. 

 

Last time I left Barbridge at 3pm we stopped at the bottom of the Audlem flight just before nightfall (summer)  you can then get an early start up the flight. However appreciate you may not be able to achieve this.

 

We then tend to go from Audlem to Gnosall leaving at 0630 and arriving around 18.00.  That's assuming a relatively smooth trip through the Audlem, Adderley and Tyrley flights, along with Woodseaves cutting where delays can/will be incurred.  Nantwich to Gnosall in my opinion is pushing it....(more like 14-15 hours)

The following day we have in the past planned to complete Gnosall-Gt Haywood, but more often than not we fall short and stay around Acton Trussell. That in itself is a long day, 11-12 hours, and if pushing on further you may not find moorings between Tixall and Gt Haywood late in the day during Summer. (don't tend to like the mooring options around Radford.

 

Edit to add - Sandon to Brewood also looks overly ambitious....again 15 hours. (With it being the end of such a big trip i'd be knackered and want shorter days by then)

I would suggest sandon to Calf Heath and then Calf heath to MD the next day. (evens it out a bit)

Edited May 11, 2018 by kawaton

[Horace42]

13 hours ago, Señor Chris said:

Coming down the Shroppie last summer - entered the last locks before Nantwich only to find 7-8 boats the other side waiting to come up. You're bound to hit traffic cruising all day at that time of year.

 

Sorry if I misread you but I get the impression you were held at locks by boats coming the other way. I tend to find it speeds things up or at least make it easy. The big delay comes at locks when at the end of a queue of boats going the same way. 

By pure fluke, we once went down all 5 locks of the Tyrley flight in about 20 minutes. Boats coming up just happened to clear each lock leaving it ready for us to go straight in as we arrived without waiting, with plenty of help to open/close gates and paddles for us. Perfect timing.

[kawaton]

3 hours ago, kawaton said:

I will only comment on this section, as I too am happy to be on the move for 12-13 hours at the start of my trips......and I have completed this route many times. 

 

Last time I left Barbridge at 3pm we stopped at the bottom of the Audlem flight just before nightfall (summer)  you can then get an early start up the flight. However appreciate you may not be able to achieve this.

 

We then tend to go from Audlem to Gnosall leaving at 0630 and arriving around 18.00.  That's assuming a relatively smooth trip through the Audlem, Adderley and Tyrley flights, along with Woodseaves cutting where delays can/will be incurred.  Nantwich to Gnosall in my opinion is pushing it....(more like 14-15 hours)

The following day we have in the past planned to complete Gnosall-Gt Haywood, but more often than not we fall short and stay around Acton Trussell. That in itself is a long day, 11-12 hours, and if pushing on further you may not find moorings between Tixall and Gt Haywood late in the day during Summer. (don't tend to like the mooring options around Radford.

 

Edit to add - Sandon to Brewood also looks overly ambitious....again 15 hours. (With it being the end of such a big trip i'd be knackered and want shorter days by then)

I would suggest sandon to Calf Heath and then Calf heath to MD the next day. (evens it out a bit)

Red bull to Bugsworth in a day aswell seems too ambitious

 

[Philip]

Thanks for the replies! On the subject of the wind causing problems for cruisers...with my Norman it really hasn't been a big issue in the 6 years I've had it and I've had plenty of windy days while out and about on it. The biggest problem has occurred when I've pulled in and then trying to shove it off again, when the wind has been blowing against it. But it would be harder with a narrowboat in that instance. Perhaps some cruisers are better in the wind than others but this Norman model really isn't bad at all.

[Naughty Cal]

12 hours ago, Philip said:

Thanks for the replies! On the subject of the wind causing problems for cruisers...with my Norman it really hasn't been a big issue in the 6 years I've had it and I've had plenty of windy days while out and about on it. The biggest problem has occurred when I've pulled in and then trying to shove it off again, when the wind has been blowing against it. But it would be harder with a narrowboat in that instance. Perhaps some cruisers are better in the wind than others but this Norman model really isn't bad at all.

If the wind is blowing us back on the bank we shove the R Send out first and reverse into the wind. For our boat at least this works much better then trying to get the bow out first.

 

Ours isn't the best in the wind at slow speeds as it has bugger all draft at the bow and isn't designed for slow speeds but it is manageable and in the last ten years we have been out in some very windy conditions and got back safe again. We don't aim to go out if it is very windy but sometimes needs must.