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Cruising the Chesterfield Canal


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Hi everyone. My first post but I wanted to pass on some very recent experiences on the Chesterfield.

We have just spent a week on the Chesterfield having come off the tidal Trent. With the royal wedding intervening, and at a relaxed pace, we reached Charlie’s lock between Retford and Worksop. We started with good intentions and certainly intended to cruise to the end. Unfortunately the combination of warm sunny weather, a wonderfully open waterway and very little traffic movement has contributed to very extensive weed growth. Frankly we were defeated. We had never come across “blanket weed” but it is abundant and reaches out like tentacles to catch the unwary. When combined with tougher reed cuttings it creates a serious impediment! We passed two Canal Trust weed boats but they were silent and unused during our stay. I suspect that this is a problem associated with this time of year and I really don’t want to put anyone off making the journey. It’s a beautiful canal and is worthy of our wholesome support. It can be navigated safely and it has some special rewards. Just be prepared for a little extra effort and a more gentle pace.

 

 

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Thanks for taking the time  to visit and the patience to get through.  When we had our first narrowboat on the canal in the early 1980s we found that minimal power and minimal people stood at the stern gave the best results with our hull.  The 'more power on' type of boater just dragged their sterns further down and made little progress.

 

C&RT reported yesterday, on Twitter that the contracors had just started the summer campaign of weed cutting on the Chesterfield.  It will be on-going all summer.

 

There have been reports of weed since C19th, but the old girl keeps going.  Various solutions have been tried, filter beds at Cinderhill, Grass carp at Forrest Locks, but in the end it comes down to cutting.  In the end the best cure is boat traffic.

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What amazes me is the weed cutting boats are far more active in winter months on the Chesterfield. Doesn’t make sense at all. Unfortunately it’s catch 22 with boats being put off visiting by horror tales of blanket weed. 80% of it also desperately needs dredging. Apart from that it’s lovely!

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We were on the canal two years ago and at this time of year. The weed was a slight problem but only required a couple of visits down the weed hatch a day. Usually a reverse thrust of the prop cleared it.

 

However we were lucky because the weed clearance boats had already started working on it, and there hadn't been the long dry sunny spell previously that there's been this year. Also our boat only draws 2ft which probably helped.

 

I think its a case of you being unlucky with your timing.

 

It's a lovely canal and such a shame the weed lets it down.

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Many thanks for your responses. I agree that the canal has many highlights and certainly deserves a visit. Wide vistas, peaceful moorings, and a good range of canal side pubs. May I also mention an excellent butcher and useful Coop at Misterton and the very friendly welcome we received from the Retford and Worksop Boat Club at Clayworth. Perfect moorings there for a royal wedding weekend! 

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  • 1 year later...

The weed has unfortunately had a free run of things in the last couple of weeks with good weather and virtually no traffic. It has however been cleared over the long weekend by increased boat movements,  at least our way, below Retford. 

It's always worth battling on, the best parts of the Chesterfield are undoubtedly above Shireoakes. 

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