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colmac

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Hi, as per the title, after Liverpool in July we want to carry on North for a while. Does anyone have any experience on this canal and any advice on the usual stuff, moorings etc. Thank you.

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Fabulous canal and area do take time to stop off and enjoy the places .Lots of areas where used as locations in "Last of the Summer Wine " and Slaithwaite was "Skeldale in where the Heart is " Water levels will and can be a problem as it was not built for lots of boats .Try to keep 2 locks behind other boats will help.

 

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30 minutes ago, b0atman said:

Fabulous canal and area do take time to stop off and enjoy the places .Lots of areas where used as locations in "Last of the Summer Wine " and Slaithwaite was "Skeldale in where the Heart is " Water levels will and can be a problem as it was not built for lots of boats .Try to keep 2 locks behind other boats will help.

 

Well it’s was built for a lot of boats, but now i believe it doesn’t have as many reservoirs feeding it.

 

Note if you have straight cabin sides as many new narrowboxes do, then the tunnel will be “interesting”.

 

If mooring in Huddersfield, theirs mooring around the Uni rather than near the Marina.

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15 minutes ago, Robbo said:

 

 

If mooring in Huddersfield, theirs mooring around the Uni rather than near the Marina.

Not as of last summer. The offside vegetation has grow so thick and wild it's too narrow for mooring on those rings - shame really it was a nice mooring.

 

Never had that many problems finding a mooring - can be a bit shallow for deep drafted boats

Edited by Midnight
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Advice on the Hudds Narrow?

Leave the boat behind and visit on foot. 

It just isn’t fit for purpose. 

No water, nowhere to moor, can’t get onto lock landings, poxy hydraulic paddle gear with a variety of locking devices. 

The top bit is good but not worth the effort of getting there by boat. 

 

(I fully realise  other opinions are available)

 

ETA And try not to break THAT lock in Slaithwaite, like we did!

Edited by Victor Vectis
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8 minutes ago, Victor Vectis said:

Advice on the Hudds Narrow?

Leave the boat behind and visit on foot. 

It just isn’t fit for purpose. 

No water, nowhere to moor, can’t get onto lock landings, poxy hydraulic paddle gear with a variety of locking devices. 

The top bit is good but not worth the effort of getting there by boat. 

 

(I fully realise  other opinions are available)

 

ETA And try not to break THAT lock in Slaithwaite, like we did!

Nononono.

It's lovely.  Built on a shoestring with impossibly inadequate lock landings and really difficult for the single hander but well worth the effort.

If no boats cruise the HNC then the HNC will cease to be kept navigable and all the hard work done in restoring it will be wasted.

 

Nick

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DO GO THERE!!!

Don't be like post above, it's well worth all of the (very) hard work, and it certainly isn't easy.

It's always short of water, there are loads of locks and they are all as deep as bear pits, the lock gear can be a bit cranky, the moorings are always shallow, and the Standedge tunnel will scratch the paint on your boat - and the weather is often crap. So I'm not really selling it?

But  it's FANTASTIC!

You'll probably hardly see another boat, but use it or lose it - if boats don't use it the bean counters at CRT will allow it to slide into disrepair again

P7100102.JPG

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10 minutes ago, D. W. Walker said:

DO GO THERE!!!

Don't be like post above, it's well worth all of the (very) hard work, and it certainly isn't easy.

It's always short of water, there are loads of locks and they are all as deep as bear pits, the lock gear can be a bit cranky, the moorings are always shallow, and the Standedge tunnel will scratch the paint on your boat - and the weather is often crap. So I'm not really selling it?

But  it's FANTASTIC!

You'll probably hardly see another boat, but use it or lose it - if boats don't use it the bean counters at CRT will allow it to slide into disrepair again

P7100102.JPG

Mine was the post above but I supported the use of the HNC for the very reason stated in this excellent and much more beautiful post.

 

Go to the HNC everybody.  Use it lots.  Bring it to the top of the CRT maintenance skeddle.

 

N

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2 hours ago, colmac said:

Hi, as per the title, after Liverpool in July we want to carry on North for a while. Does anyone have any experience on this canal and any advice on the usual stuff, moorings etc. Thank you.

When you say "carry on North" do you mean East across to Manchester or up to Leeds? You could do the ring of Rochdale/Huddersfield or carry on the L&L and come back over the Pennines via either.

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Definitely do it. I went across last summer. Single handed, except for a dozen locks where I had a crew. The lock landings are almost all unusable, but I always found a way off and on to the boat. The bottom is too near the top, but the CaRT guys and gals will be over to let more down when you ask. Fantastic scenery, amazing tunnel, new scars on your paint work. Most of the lock gates have been replaced since its reopening and I found them easy to use. The horror stories from this canal come mostly from the first few years after it reopened. These days it is a much easier trip. Just hard work at over three locks per mile. Only beaten in lock density by the Wardle canal at over thirty locks per mile!

 

Jen

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11 hours ago, Robbo said:

Well it’s was built for a lot of boats, but now i believe it doesn’t have as many reservoirs feeding it.

 

Note if you have straight cabin sides as many new narrowboxes do, then the tunnel will be “interesting”.

 

If mooring in Huddersfield, theirs mooring around the Uni rather than near the Marina.

Literally I lost our boat in Huddersfield!  Outside a Uni building, at Lock #3E, I lost track of our boat. I’d heard the Lock-keeper tell my Husband to make for Coal Wharf Lock #2, and to stay there until he arrived, as he was going 'back' to send more water ‘down’. This was where the ‘fun’ started; I set off to walk to the next lock, except there isn’t a towpath after Lock #3, and I was directed (by a sign) to cross a busy road, and round a block of several buildings, to pick up the towpath. Eventually I came to the towpath, and descended down what looked like a flight of 20 ‘fire escape’ steps to get to the towpath. I could see the water in the canal was very low, with lots of rubbish visible.

 

In front of me was Lock #1, but I couldn’t get back to Lock #2 as there was no towpath.  I climbed back up the ‘fire escape’ steps, and retraced my steps in case I missed a signpost. I did manage to see Lock #2 from the top of a bridge, and could just about see the top of my Husband’s head in lock 2, and I saw the C&RT Lock-keeper busy with his windlass, but I couldn’t see any towpath. It appeared the Lock-keeper had unlocked a small gate to get to the lock, a gate that I had somehow missed.  Point being: keep your crew close!

 

Some of the locks were pretty tight for our 58 ft boat, we learnt in the end when going down a lock to keep the bow tucked in the corner of one of the double gates to avoid the cill, when the lock's empty, my husband opened the opposite gate, then pushed the boat with the pole out of the corner so he could open the 2nd gate (there was no room at all to 'steer' the boat in the lock).

 

The C&RT crew were brilliant, they were ready to be on hand and were very experienced, they helped enormously. 

 

Would we do it again? No! If we ever did, think me and the dog would walk over the tunnel and meet the boat when it came out the other end. Dogs have to be kept inside the boat, I stayed with our dog inside the boat, but he was quite traumatised by the banging/crashing on the sides of the boat.

 

Were we glad we did it? 100% definitely! For the scenery alone it's well worth the experience.

 

Take your time, and enjoy the wealth of experience you'll pick up.

Edited by Jennifer McM
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Go and do it. I went from West to East a couple of years ago, did the trip single handed and, apart from through the tunnel, I only saw 1 moving boat, and that was at lock 3 in Huddersfield. A good story there, the boat owner asked me how far the tunnel was. I told him only 7 miles, but that will take a good 2 days. He pointed out that his Nicholson Guide showed it was just around the corner! When I looked, they were using a 1999 version, which was before the 'narrows' re-opened!! I advised that he should ring the tunnel number and tell them that he wouldn't be getting there the next day and re-book for later in the week!

The moral here is to make sure your navigation notes are up to date.

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1 hour ago, Jennifer McM said:

Literally I lost our boat in Huddersfield!  Outside a Uni building, at Lock #3E, I lost track of our boat. I’d heard the Lock-keeper tell my Husband to make for Coal Wharf Lock #2, and to stay there until he arrived, as he was going 'back' to send more water ‘down’. This was where the ‘fun’ started; I set off to walk to the next lock, except there isn’t a towpath after Lock #3, and I was directed (by a sign) to cross a busy road, and round a block of several buildings, to pick up the towpath. Eventually I came to the towpath, and descended down what looked like a flight of 20 ‘fire escape’ steps to get to the towpath. I could see the water in the canal was very low, with lots of rubbish visible.

 

In front of me was Lock #1, but I couldn’t get back to Lock #2 as there was no towpath.  I climbed back up the ‘fire escape’ steps, and retraced my steps in case I missed a signpost. I did manage to see Lock #2 from the top of a bridge, and could just about see the top of my Husband’s head in lock 2, and I saw the C&RT Lock-keeper busy with his windlass, but I couldn’t see any towpath. It appeared the Lock-keeper had unlocked a small gate to get to the lock, a gate that I had somehow missed.  Point being: keep your crew close!

This bit is very confusing. Also had to ask the lock keepers help when my boat grounded out between locks 1 and 2 due to a leak that they hadn't tracked down yet. The tow path disappears in between and there is no general access to the next lock.

1 hour ago, Jennifer McM said:

 

Some of the locks were pretty tight for our 58 ft boat, we learnt in the end when going down a lock to keep the bow tucked in the corner of one of the double gates to avoid the cill, when the lock's empty, my husband opened the opposite gate, then pushed the boat with the pole out of the corner so he could open the 2nd gate (there was no room at all to 'steer' the boat in the lock).

To be fair, this is on the Huddersfield Broad canal and the Calder and Hebble, not the Narrow. Any narrowboat longer than 57' or so has to go in to the locks katey-cornered.

1 hour ago, Jennifer McM said:

 

The C&RT crew were brilliant, they were ready to be on hand and were very experienced, they helped enormously. 

I concur.

1 hour ago, Jennifer McM said:

 

Would we do it again? No! If we ever did, think me and the dog would walk over the tunnel and meet the boat when it came out the other end. Dogs have to be kept inside the boat, I stayed with our dog inside the boat, but he was quite traumatised by the banging/crashing on the sides of the boat.

While I had a cat on board I avoided doing this canal for the same reason. Dogs in particular would be much happier being walked over the top. There is also a bus service, which my tunnel crew used as the weather that day was appalling.

1 hour ago, Jennifer McM said:

 

Were we glad we did it? 100% definitely! For the scenery alone it's well worth the experience.

 

Take your time, and enjoy the wealth of experience you'll pick up.

Definitly.

 

Jen

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Oh dear, so many conflicting views ! Want to do the tunnel so think we will just go for it, whats the worst that can happen ? No, don't answer that. Thanks anyway.Will let you know how we get on.

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39 minutes ago, colmac said:

Oh dear, so many conflicting views ! Want to do the tunnel so think we will just go for it, whats the worst that can happen ? No, don't answer that. Thanks anyway.Will let you know how we get on.

 

Yes, go for it.  Don't listen to these people who moan at challenges.  2 things - make sure your boat will fit through the tunnel - dimensions here and that it it less than 58ft long (for the Huddersfield Broad and C&H, not the narrow). 

The HNC is far better than it was even 10 years ago - not quite like a normal canal, but easier now.   Don't use lock landings - just nose into the lock whether going up or down.

I've singlehanded the HNC 12 times now, and of course deveoped a range of methods to make the experience easier, but any competent boater should find it a rewarding experience.

Don't miss the Riverhead Tap at Marsden - one of my favourite pubs.

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Yep, do it.  Only advice I can offer is to forget about lock landings, moor in the lock entries and step off at the front.  Anyone with a boat approaching anything like a deep draught, try? to keep boat in line with the channel (coming down) as filling the lock will ground you.

Singlehanded and would do it again.......

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1 hour ago, 8 Hairy Feet said:

Just done it...h*ecking hard work but

deffo worth the effort.I very much liked 

Uppermill.

The no water situation.

photo.JPG

It's not usually this bad.This was when the pound was drained to clear the silt in lock 26E.

Don't use the lock landings,but go straight to the lock gates as advised in other posts on this subject.

You will collect some scratches going through Standedge,so you will need to remove roof clutter and possibly the cratch cover,and nav lights too if they stick out too far.

If the water level is low,then ring CRT,they usually turn the tap on fairly quickly.

I have been stuck recently coming out of a lock right in the middle of the canal.I proddled around the boat with the pole and found plenty of depth,so there must have been some obstruction underneath.I intended to send another lockfull down,but I was too far from the side to disembark. As I was deciding weather to ring CRT or wade ashore,five strapping Yorkshire lasses in spray on jogging suits [oggle oggle] appeared and stopped to look. "Is tha' stuck lad" one asked. "Ay lass, 'appen I am" I answered. "Chuck us 'rope an we'll give yer a pull"said one. Five strong girls heaving on the bowline managed to pull the bow close enough for me to jump off and send a lockful down to refloat,but not before five mobile phones appeared to photograph the event.I suppose me and my boat are going to appear on Facebook or Twitter with the caption, "some silly old git stuck on the cut".I am grateful to these girls.

The HNC is a challenging canal but well worth the effort because of the wonderful scenery,the excellent pubs,and the friendliness of the people.I agree with other contributors that the more it is used,the better it might be maintained. 

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It was when they were trying to re-water it after

26e had been sorted...there seemed to be a leak

round about 29/30 so all the water disappeared!

The lads from Land and Water gleefully told me

"OO you won't be going anywhere".

Overnight it sealed itself up somehow and rewatered,

but I did see C&RT arriving with sandbags and clay to deal

with the issue but i'd moved by then.

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5 hours ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

To be fair, this is on the Huddersfield Broad canal and the Calder and Hebble, not the Narrow. Any narrowboat longer than 57' or so has to go in to the locks katey-cornered.

You're absolutely correct Jen, which canal we were on, when, and how did we get there, is starting to become 'fluid' in a big 'melting pot'

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