The canal / narrowboat thread

[classicaholic]

Not going to be much happening on the Leeds Liverpool as CART have shut the whole canal between Wigan and Bingley to save water, we have had the wettest spring for years but they have decided to do some planned work on the reservoirs in the summer, trouble is they only gave 1 days notice that the canal was shutting which is pretty poor if it was planned maintenance as stated. I hope the rest of you manage to get some cruising in if they change the lock down rule.

[towser44]

classicaholic said:

Not going to be much happening on the Leeds Liverpool as CART have shut the whole canal between Wigan and Bingley to save water, we have had the wettest spring for years but they have decided to do some planned work on the reservoirs in the summer, trouble is they only gave 1 days notice that the canal was shutting which is pretty poor if it was planned maintenance as stated. I hope the rest of you manage to get some cruising in if they change the lock down rule.

Ran along the Trent and Mersey yesterday between Middlewich and Rudheath so approx 5 miles. Fair few boats moored up and of course stuck and have been for 5 weeks now. Also, a huge tree blocking the entire waterway by Whatcroft Hall, so the first boat to come along will be in for a shock (it's been like that for weeks now).

[Simpo Two]

towser44 said:

Ran along the Trent and Mersey yesterday between Middlewich and Rudheath so approx 5 miles. Fair few boats moored up and of course stuck and have been for 5 weeks now. Also, a huge tree blocking the entire waterway by Whatcroft Hall, so the first boat to come along will be in for a shock (it's been like that for weeks now).

Ah well as we still have to pay the EA the full fee it means the river will be in sooper-shiny immaculate condition when we get back (weak laughter). And not dredging must save a fortune that they can spend on getting rid of weed. Not.

[SimonTheSailor]

classicaholic said:

.......we have had the wettest spring for years but they have decided to do some planned work on the reservoirs in the summer,

Eh ?! It's been the third driest April on record !!

[john2443]

SimonTheSailor said:

classicaholic said:

.......we have had the wettest spring for years but they have decided to do some planned work on the reservoirs in the summer,

Eh ?! It's been the third driest April on record !!

April was dry but Jan to March were very wet.

[PurpleTurtle]

An oldie but goodie, The Daily Mash republished this yesterday, made me chuckle and think of this thread!

https://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/lifestyle/idyl...

[SimonTheSailor]

That's great !! They should have expanded that story a lot more, many more things to include !

[SimonTheSailor]

Who's off to check their boats then ? Looks like it is now OK to travel to inspect your boat, still not OK to spend the night on it if it's a second home type thing.

[Bonefish Blues]

Day trips are OK, if I read things correctly? (I was reading in the context of canoeing regs)

[dhutch]

Day trips, no locks, currently allowed I understand from the various posts on the Canal World forums.

We're holding fire a bit longer, filled in the CRT survey a week or so back, including asking for them to draft advice as to reducing inter-boat transmission risk at locks and services, which I see as the main risk.

Daniel

[Simpo Two]

SimonTheSailor said:

Who's off to check their boats then ? Looks like it is now OK to travel to inspect your boat, still not OK to spend the night on it if it's a second home type thing.

It may be OK to travel to the boat now but my marina is staying shut until Monday and the EA still has the river closed. Just my bad luck that the two last links in my boating chain are the slowest and most officious.

[dhutch]

We are so close to an R value of 1 (it only got as 'good as 0.95 and has now risen again) that any growth in transmission rate will see the infection rate increase again rather than decrease. Anyone who has significantly changed their daily routine in the last week is naive at best, currently within reason, we all need to continue staying put quite simply.

I understand our area (merseyside) is worse than most, and never really got below 1 in the first place, but equally I don't know anyone who doesnt know someone who's died of this virus. One of my partners colleagues husband, one of the neighbours daughters, one of my colleagues neighbours.

Daniel

[woodypup59]

This weekend would have pobabaly been the 2020 Rickmansworth Festival (15 miles NW of London).

Cancelled of course.

So heres a boaty flavour of the 2017 event. Theres lots of music and other events in the adjacent park.

https://youtu.be/wUBVR3eUzIQ

Roll on next year.

[geeks]

dhutch said:

We are so close to an R value of 1 (it only got as 'good as 0.95 and has now risen again) that any growth in transmission rate will see the infection rate increase again rather than decrease. Anyone who has significantly changed their daily routine in the last week is naive at best, currently within reason, we all need to continue staying put quite simply.

I understand our area (merseyside) is worse than most, and never really got below 1 in the first place, but equally I don't know anyone who doesnt know someone who's died of this virus. One of my partners colleagues husband, one of the neighbours daughters, one of my colleagues neighbours.

Daniel

Worth noting the R number is generally 2 weeks behind any action we take due to the incubation period of the virus, the increase isn't related to the removal of some of the restrictions, at least this week it isn't, next week on the other hand......

[FiF]

Has anyone watched that Cruising the Cut series on Amazon Prime.

https://watch.amazon.co.uk/detail?gti=amzn1.dv.gti...

I started watching the first one and fell asleep while he was blacking the hull. Is it worth persevering?

[MartG]

FiF said:

Has anyone watched that Cruising the Cut series on Amazon Prime.

https://watch.amazon.co.uk/detail?gti=amzn1.dv.gti...

I started watching the first one and fell asleep while he was blacking the hull. Is it worth persevering?

Depends on your personal taste - I enjoy them. All available free on Youtube BTW

[Bacon Is Proof]

Actually saw the EA out on the river yesterday for the first time.
Not sure why, I know the Cambs lot have been checking licences recently and the local FB page was full of frothy discussion about some naughty anglers, but they were doing some strimming of the bank today so may have just been on a recce, or all of the above.

Loads of paddle boarders wobbling their way up the river who I haven't seen before. Curious passtime, and very detrimental to my privacy!

[SimonTheSailor]

FiF said:

Has anyone watched that Cruising the Cut series on Amazon Prime.

https://watch.amazon.co.uk/detail?gti=amzn1.dv.gti...

He's done a couple of hundred vlogs on YouTube and has probably the biggest subscribers.

It's all very informative and well researched - depends what you like really.

[Simpo Two]

SimonTheSailor said:

FiF said:

Has anyone watched that Cruising the Cut series on Amazon Prime.

https://watch.amazon.co.uk/detail?gti=amzn1.dv.gti...

He's done a couple of hundred vlogs on YouTube and has probably the biggest subscribers.

It's all very informative and well researched - depends what you like really.

I thought the first few episodes were very good, but then I rather lost interest; it became clear he was just trying to make as many episodes as possible. But it's certainly the other end of the spectrum from the Celeb ones where they always call narrow boats 'barges' and collide with things...

[towser44]

FiF said:

Has anyone watched that Cruising the Cut series on Amazon Prime.

https://watch.amazon.co.uk/detail?gti=amzn1.dv.gti...

I started watching the first one and fell asleep while he was blacking the hull. Is it worth persevering?

There's another one on there with a guy called Kevin and his boat is Aslan called Travels by Narrowboat. He went from Warwickshire to Chester in the 1st series, then did the Llangollen and then the Bridgewater, over to Leeds across to the tidal Trent and back to where he started. He was very good to watch.