HuddersfieldNarrow

[ditchcrawler]

8 minutes ago, jpcdriver said:

I thought that until I started going up there in the last 3 years. The lower end near Leeds is probably better now with all the new apartments and home which has brought much greater towpath traffic.

 

However the staircases at Forge and Newlay continue to be vandalised along with the Lockkeepers' container/shelter. Including trying to set lock beams alight!

 

The kids who have also been swimming in and messing around at Dobsons 2 above Apperley have this year moved up to the Field 3 (in the middle of nowhere) because CRT have got CCTV on at Dobsons now. In May we tried to moor above the Field 3 but had to call out CRT because a group of 8 youngsters came and started messing about with the locks. Unfortunately someone had left some of the locks off. CRT then advised us to move down to Dobsons because of course they knew we had called CRT out and we were starting to receive some verbal. Fortunately, it was good weather so a 7pm twilight cruise was quite pleasant. The CRT manager who came out said he was going to organise some better and more locks on the paddle gear the following day.

 

So as much as it hurts me (being a proud Yorkshireman) to say this there are definitely some areas up the L&L I do not moor, and certainly Leeds to Rodley I always do in 1 day.

 

 

What about the bit by Kirkstall Brewery bridge 222, that looks to be covered by CCTV and is a 24hr mooring ?

[jpcdriver]

9 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

What about the bit by Kirkstall Brewery bridge 222, that looks to be covered by CCTV and is a 24hr mooring ?

Yes, if I had to stop between Leeds and Rodley that is one place I might risk.

[Midnight]

We just came up to Skipton from Leeds over the Bank Holiday. All very quiet no kids anywhere. Hardly any boats moving until we reached hireboat country. I wouldn't stop between Rodley and Leeds but it's only a 3 or 4 hour cruise. On the A&C Allerton Bywater is now a nice mooring and there's a shop within walking distance.

Edited May 30, 2018 by Midnight

[jpcdriver]

Midnight, you must travel with a large crew or you engaged warp speed at some point ?, I've never done it in less than 5 and a half hours. Glad to hear everything was quiet though quite surprised given what it was like earlier in the month.

 

I'd put a caveat on the Allerton Bywater moorings - on many boats you would need to climb on the roof to get off if the river is down (like on Monday). Otherwise very nice.

[Midnight]

3 hours ago, jpcdriver said:

Midnight, you must travel with a large crew or you engaged warp speed at some point ?, I've never done it in less than 5 and a half hours. 

Try it with the engine running ??

[WotEver]

13 minutes ago, Midnight said:

Try it with the engine running ??

Sounds like the Irish lumberjack who wasn’t cutting down his quota of trees. The foreman said he’d check out his chainsaw. Paddy jumped up startled and exclaimed “What’s that noise?”

[MtB]

Is doing the HNC single handed feasible and practical?? 

[TheBiscuits]

2 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

Is doing the HNC single handed feasible and practical?? 

Yes. 

 

Hard work, but worth it. 

 

You need to be able to walk the gunwales and get off at the front of the boat, so cratch covers need removing.  See all previous comments about nosing into locks and not using landings. 

[MtB]

Just now, TheBiscuits said:

Yes. 

 

Hard work, but worth it. 

 

You need to be able to walk the gunwales and get off at the front of the boat, so cratch covers need removing.  See all previous comments about nosing into locks and not using landings. 

 

Ok fanx. Sounds like the tug deck on my bote is made for this canal!! 

 

Oh what about width? 6ft 12in...

[Midnight]

26 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

Is doing the HNC single handed feasible and practical?? 

Yes I've done it but at my age probably not such a good idea. One of the younger members of our club has done it several times. It is very hard work but to be honest I don't recall it being difficult to get on and off the boat. The locks are so close together I think I mostly set the next lock before exiting the current one. I've done it several times with a crew, SWMBO steering me locking. Much easier relatively speaking.

[luggsy]

49 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

Oh what about width? 6ft 12in.

I think you might struggle mike we are on the Huddersfield at the moment and a couple of locks today I was touching lock  portside bow and lock starboard stern , if you had fenders down I think you might have fresh air under your boat

[Neil2]

9 hours ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

Is doing the HNC single handed feasible and practical?? 

The last time we did it went through Standedge with a single hander (and no spring chicken either) who said he did it every year, though he was a little apprehensive after he found out the lockies no longer assist passage down the first few locks from the summit.  He was a lot slower than us but as a liveaboard he was in no hurry.  

 

The beam is an interesting one, there are certainly a few locks where there isn't much daylight - I'd say if you can get through those narrow ones on the Cheshire locks you would manage the HNC. Draught might be also be a consideration. 

[billh]

9 hours ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

Ok fanx. Sounds like the tug deck on my bote is made for this canal!! 

 

Oh what about width? 6ft 12in...

Full Length Historics at 7ft or slightly over will come to a stop at Wade Lock in Uppermill. Probably ok with a shorter boat given  a bit of wiggling. It's a fair old reverse for  winding  from there to Wellyhole to turn back. Wade Lock was rebuilt during the canal's restoration but made too narrow(!), with the approval of the "Authorities"

[Mac of Cygnet]

10 hours ago, Midnight said:

Yes I've done it but at my age probably not such a good idea. One of the younger members of our club has done it several times. It is very hard work but to be honest I don't recall it being difficult to get on and off the boat. The locks are so close together I think I mostly set the next lock before exiting the current one. I've done it several times with a crew, SWMBO steering me locking. Much easier relatively speaking.

 

You don't say how old you are!  I've singlehanded the HNC many times in my 60s and early 70s.  Only prevented last year by the Marple locks closure.  As I get older I find more ways of doing locks with less effort.  A few years ago I did 2 C&H locks, the 9 Huddersfield Broad, and the first 15 of the HNC in one day, but I wouldn't even consider that now. I could hardly stagger up the hill to the Sair Inn at Linthwaite!

[Victor Vectis]

6 hours ago, Mac of Cygnet said:

I could hardly stagger up the hill to the Sair Inn at Linthwaite

I'm not surprised.

You would be wet through having moored mid cut and plodged to the bank as there is nowhere to moor your boat on the HNC.

 

To answer Mtb's question in post 82.

Yes, probably, as long as you like a challenge. (Challenge as in bashing one's head against a brick wall as a 'challenge')

 

Again I realise I'm in a minority of one here but I still contend that the HNC might be a nice muddy ditch which may, or may not, support boats (with an interesting tunnel, nice scenery, yabba, yabba, yabba) but it is not fit for navigation.

[Hudds Lad]

26 minutes ago, Victor Vectis said:

You would be wet through having moored mid cut and plodged to the bank as there is nowhere to moor your boat on the HNC.

 

really? lots seem to manage between Lock 17 & 18 after Titanic Mill, or the wide pound between Lock 21 & 22 at Slaithwaite

 

@Mac of Cygnet you'd certainly stagger back from The Sair, some of their beers are lethal  

[ditchcrawler]

23 hours ago, jpcdriver said:

Midnight, you must travel with a large crew or you engaged warp speed at some point ?, I've never done it in less than 5 and a half hours. Glad to hear everything was quiet though quite surprised given what it was like earlier in the month.

 

I'd put a caveat on the Allerton Bywater moorings - on many boats you would need to climb on the roof to get off if the river is down (like on Monday). Otherwise very nice.

It took us just under 4 and a half going down to Leeds and that includes mooring up in the basin, 12 locks and just under 7 miles. Coming back up we started from the moorings on the river and took 5 and three quarter hours but that was 14 locks and over 7 and a half miles.

[dogless]

We came out of Leeds on Wednesday morning.

From the water point above Office lock at 6.55am we were at the top of the Newlay staircase at 10.30am.

The C&RT chap mentioned that three and a half hours was a good time. We weren't aware as it's 12 years since we last did up here.

Only my wife locking, but she does walk between, which reduces time wasted picking up/dropping off.

Also met midnight in Granary wharf, and what a jolly good laugh and gentleman.

Rog

[ditchcrawler]

8 minutes ago, dogless said:

We came out of Leeds on Wednesday morning.

From the water point above Office lock at 6.55am we were at the top of the Newlay staircase at 10.30am.

The C&RT chap mentioned that three and a half hours was a good time. We weren't aware as it's 12 years since we last did up here.

Only my wife locking, but she does walk between, which reduces time wasted picking up/dropping off.

Also met midnight in Granary wharf, and what a jolly good laugh and gentleman.

Rog

You met us as well in passing. I think I shared some locks with your boat when it was brand new

 

[dogless]

Careful.....you're showing your age as it's 24 years old

We've only had it since 2004.

We have crossed, last occasion as you were mooring on the offside at Shipley heading away from Leeds, as we travelled in.

Rog

[Señor Chris]

2 hours ago, Victor Vectis said:

Challenge as in bashing one's head against a brick wall

It is a challenge but unlike banging your head against a wall, you are well rewarded for your efforts.

 

2 hours ago, Victor Vectis said:

it is not fit for navigation

Many seem to manage it but it's not for the faint-hearted.

 

Edited May 31, 2018 by Señor Chris

[Mac of Cygnet]

8 hours ago, Victor Vectis said:

I'm not surprised.

You would be wet through having moored mid cut and plodged to the bank as there is nowhere to moor your boat on the HNC.

 

 

Nonsense.  I've moored overnight in at least ten different places on each side of the HNC over the years, including above Lock 15E on the occasion in question.

I think you're just 'aving a larf now, but please don't persist in trying to put people off.

Edited June 1, 2018 by Mac of Cygnet

[MtB]

8 hours ago, Victor Vectis said:

To answer Mtb's question in post 82.

Yes, probably, as long as you like a challenge. (Challenge as in bashing one's head against a brick wall as a 'challenge')

 

 

As a K&A stalwart and accustomed to boating in waters that other boaters moan about monumentally, happy with 'wild mooring' to trees on rivers and climbing the odd lock gate when necessary, I'm wondering if I might find it less of a challenge than to some of them 'other boaters'....

[Neil2]

6 hours ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

 

As a K&A stalwart and accustomed to boating in waters that other boaters moan about monumentally, happy with 'wild mooring' to trees on rivers and climbing the odd lock gate when necessary, I'm wondering if I might find it less of a challenge than to some of them 'other boaters'....

I've done both the K&A and the HNC several times and though they are very different navigations I'd agree if you are used to the challenges of the K&A the HNC won't faze you at all.  Actually I would say it's easier to find overnight stops on the HNC than the K&A if only because the HNC isn't stuffed with liveaboards.

[cuthound]

13 hours ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

 

As a K&A stalwart and accustomed to boating in waters that other boaters moan about monumentally, happy with 'wild mooring' to trees on rivers and climbing the odd lock gate when necessary, I'm wondering if I might find it less of a challenge than to some of them 'other boaters'....

 

I think you would find the lack of moored boats physcologically challenging ?