The Shroppie Ledge

[Zayna]

Does anyone know exactly where the Shroppie Ledge runs between? And is it an utter pain in the behind, say if you wanted to moor there for a while?

[Paul C]

Simple answer - no, its not a pain. Its just something to be aware of.

[the grinch]

it is only a pain if you try to moor!

[Ange]

I know we found it a bit of a pain at times when we wanted to moor up. Not sure the extent of it though.

[Zayna]

Can it knacker you boat or do you just buy wheelbarrow tyres and bob's yer uncle? I don't mind a bit of messing about if the mooring is nice, and I know that the Shroppie has good and not so good reports but I quite like the look of it...??

[Ange]

Can it knacker you boat or do you just buy wheelbarrow tyres and bob's yer uncle? I don't mind a bit of messing about if the mooring is nice, and I know that the Shroppie has good and not so good reports but I quite like the look of it...??

 

It won't knacker your boat - it just means you've got a bit of a list which can be a bit of a pain if it means you'll roll out of bed during the night

 

Wheelbarrow tyres would be a good idea, just to stop you riding up on the ledge as other boats pass you.

 

How deep draughted is your boat?

[mrsmelly]

Can it knacker you boat or do you just buy wheelbarrow tyres and bob's yer uncle? I don't mind a bit of messing about if the mooring is nice, and I know that the Shroppie has good and not so good reports but I quite like the look of it...??

 

When we were narrowboaters we carried some fat blobby plastic type fenders just for the shroppie shelf. The kind used on tupperware boats. They did the trick but used a bit of space up in the ( Gas locker )

 

Tim

[Paul C]

It won't damage the boat any more than regular use of a canal boat damages it (eg contact with lock walls, objects in the water, shallow canal bottoms etc). Sometimes its possible for a shallow drafted boat to get eg the front (which is less draught) over the shelf with the back unable to be on it, and if it was driven forwards at speed, could 'wedge' onto it, but it wouldn't damage the boat, just tip it ever so slightly, just like any other grounding would. If you're going that fast 12" from the bank, you're doing something wrong though - we moor at very slow speed and leave a gap when passing other boats, rather than scraping along the bank side.

[Zayna]

 

 

How deep draughted is your boat?

 

24". I was just worrying that all the scraping and banging would do serious damage.

[Ange]

24". I was just worrying that all the scraping and banging would do serious damage.

 

We're 28" and it was a minor inconvenience. You definitely don't have to worry about serious, or even minor, damage.

[nb Innisfree]

We have car wheels and tyres which keep our 22 " draught NB far out enough to prevent bottoming but there is still the occasional annoying bump as the canal level varies.

[Chertsey]

There are fair stretches where it isn't a problem. Certainly where I am and most of the way from the aqueduct to Brewood seems to be ok. Dont't recall having any problems when we went up to the Port last year. But I too would be interested to know on what stretches it is an impediment.

[BlueStringPudding]

It won't damage the boat any more than regular use of a canal boat damages it (eg contact with lock walls, objects in the water, shallow canal bottoms etc). Sometimes its possible for a shallow drafted boat to get eg the front (which is less draught) over the shelf with the back unable to be on it, and if it was driven forwards at speed, could 'wedge' onto it, but it wouldn't damage the boat, just tip it ever so slightly, just like any other grounding would. If you're going that fast 12" from the bank, you're doing something wrong though - we moor at very slow speed and leave a gap when passing other boats, rather than scraping along the bank side.

 

That's where I had a couple of tricky moments on the Shroppie - when moving over to allow other boats passing in the opposite direction. It always seemed to happen in a narrow stretch or an overgrown area beside a bridge hole. I managed to keep off the shelf, just, but one or two of those passing on the non shelf side looked at me as if I had all the room in the world.

Edited August 19, 2012 by BlueStringPudding

[Paul C]

In certain areas, the bank has collapsed or otherwise deteriorated on the non-towpath side, and is notoriously shallow. We stay well clear of the non-towpath side in sections like this. Its a fairly wide canal relative to others, but the bits I'm thinking of are the Middlewich branch and the Nantwich - Chester section (which was built to broad dimensions). I don't know what its like further south, and I know its shallow/silted up/weedy above Chester (ie to E Port).

[DHutch]

Its not a big deal, very few things are.

 

If your there a while and it straightish I find a pair of the solid rubber tubes sink and work nicely to stop the noise and scraping, which as they are the only fenders we have anyway works for me.

 

But generally im of the opinion that the rubbing strakes (and lip of the baseplate in this instance) are there for a reason and even with fairly heavy use for four years its amazing how little paint you actually do remove anyway.

 

 

Daniel

[dor]

I have had over 20 years experience of the Shroppie Shelf. Yes it is a pain.

 

Firstly, it is not even and regular. It ranges from water level to about 15 inches in depth and from a couple of inches to over 18 inches in extent. It is not a ledge as such but a shelf that varies in thickness from an inch or so thick to several.

 

I have wheelbarrow tyres but there are many places where they are not enough to hold you out beyond it. I have tried using gocart tyres as sinking fenders which sometimes works but usually they finish up riding above the shelf.

 

Having had several hulls out of the water I can say quite conclusively that it does damage the shell. If it was an even shelf it wouldn't be so bad, but its edge is irregular so you often finish up with one or two near-point contacts grinding away at your hull, not helped these days by the lack of consideration by most boaters in not slowing down. This is one reason why 2 pack blacking is of more limited benefit on the Shroppie as the physical damage caused by sharp point contacts soon breaks through the blacking.

 

So, to minimise damage chose your mooring carefully, Tie up tightly so you are not grinding back and forth over a sharp spot. Wheelbarrow tyres are good but there are places where they will not suffice. Some people resort to carrying car wheels and tyres (12 - 14 inch rims); many who moor on the Shroppie use similar on their permanent moorings.

[cheshire~rose]

It can be a pain and it can make for a noisy night while moored up if your hull is scraping away on the shelf. There are numerous places where you can more quite easily without it being a problem. Those that know the canal know where they are and also know the places to not even bother trying to get along side at. If you are planning a trip along it and you are concerned then ask on here for the locals to tell you the places to try

[Zayna]

So if we decided on a permanent online mooring and made enough provision there with plenty of fenders / tyres or whatever, all would be ticketyboo? And carried a couple of wheelbarrow tyres for when we have a few days away?

[cheshire~rose]

So if we decided on a permanent online mooring and made enough provision there with plenty of fenders / tyres or whatever, all would be ticketyboo? And carried a couple of wheelbarrow tyres for when we have a few days away?

 

If you have a permanent mooring then you will know how wide and deep the shelf is at that point and make provision to deal with it. Although we are not on The Shroppie the piling by our mooring have a jagged edge that just out so there is a tire tied permanently at that point.

 

You will also get to know your favourite moorings within the usual range and how to deal with any potential problem there. Just go well prepared to start with

[Chris Pink]

Is it a concrete shelf?

 

And can you get around the problem by pulling the bow in tight (with a spring) and having the stern stuck out?

[Midnight Rider]

I think that if it's your permanent mooring, then no problem. You will soon find the best way to keep the boat away from the shelf.

 

Passing through, I have always found that the Shroppie Canal Soc moorings are the best for some reason.

[johnmck]

I think that if it's your permanent mooring, then no problem. You will soon find the best way to keep the boat away from the shelf.

 

Passing through, I have always found that the Shroppie Canal Soc moorings are the best for some reason.

 

 

Seconded.

[dor]

Passing through, I have always found that the Shroppie Canal Soc moorings are the best for some reason.

 

Most definitely. And well worth a tenner a year to be a member of SUCS!

[LoneWolf]

I think that if it's your permanent mooring, then no problem. You will soon find the best way to keep the boat away from the shelf.

 

Passing through, I have always found that the Shroppie Canal Soc moorings are the best for some reason.

 

I found they vary. eg The ones at Adderley top are very shelfy ie it sticks out a long way & i dont ever moor there. At Hurlston Junct it varies along the mooring & careful positioning is needed.

 

Piling is always a good sign

[johnmck]

I found they vary. eg The ones at Adderley top are very shelfy ie it sticks out a long way & i dont ever moor there. At Hurlston Junct it varies along the mooring & careful positioning is needed.

 

Piling is always a good sign

 

 

I am always careful of my piles, especially when passing through!