River Trent - Single Handing

[David Lorimer]

Haven't found it but there's another clip - also at Gainsborough I think - that briefly shows a narrowboat surging on its mooring ropes while a 5'+ bore passes.

 

From what I've picked up googling (from a position of total ignorance), the aegirs are classed on a scale of one to five stars, like hotels. More stars = more thrills. They are not a single large wave, more a rapid succession of swells, with the height between peak and trough varying between 2' and 8'. Also, from what I've read, you're not likely to be out there when the bore's likely to be high: lock keepers and other boaties would warn you. If you were, though, it could be more than interesting taking a few feet of water over the stern. I shudder to think what mischief two feet of water over our stern - and over the engine hatch covers - could do.

 

Having said that, I'd rather have a following sea breaking over the stern than have waves breaking over the bow.

[wreckferret]

For the record I wasn't thinking of having a go As said these things are predictable and the times and likely size are published.

Question was merely hypothetical after the post about being dissabled and not reaching safe haven.....

[Scholar Gypsy]

Haven't found it but there's another clip - also at Gainsborough I think - that briefly shows a narrowboat surging on its mooring ropes while a 5'+ bore passes.

 

From what I've picked up googling (from a position of total ignorance), the aegirs are classed on a scale of one to five stars, like hotels. More stars = more thrills. They are not a single large wave, more a rapid succession of swells, with the height between peak and trough varying between 2' and 8'. Also, from what I've read, you're not likely to be out there when the bore's likely to be high: lock keepers and other boaties would warn you. If you were, though, it could be more than interesting taking a few feet of water over the stern. I shudder to think what mischief two feet of water over our stern - and over the engine hatch covers - could do.

 

Having said that, I'd rather have a following sea breaking over the stern than have waves breaking over the bow.

 

The Richlow Guide to narrowboating on the Trent does indeed say that you should not need to encounter the Aegir (or Aegre), which occurs at the start of the flood; but that if you do you should meet it head on in the middle of the river (with front doors shut!).

 

There is supposed to be a timetable on the EA website but I can't find it (quite a lot of stuff has got lost with the move to gov.uk ....)

[Midnight]

For the record I wasn't thinking of having a go As said these things are predictable and the times and likely size are published.

Question was merely hypothetical after the post about being dissabled and not reaching safe haven.....

 

Yes but don't rely on the lockies at Keadby a friend of mine reckons he was in the lock waiting to go up to Cromwell, the gates were opening when the lock level suddenly rose several feet - and a red-faced lockie apologised for forgetting about it all.

[Mac of Cygnet]

 

Yes but don't rely on the lockies at Keadby a friend of mine reckons he was in the lock waiting to go up to Cromwell, the gates were opening when the lock level suddenly rose several feet - and a red-faced lockie apologised for forgetting about it all.

 

Yes, well..... I reserve judgement on that story. The Keadby lock is not usable at low water, which that would have been.

[Keeping Up]

Out of curiostiy (not knowing much about these 'ere Aegre's) surely to hit one head on you would have to be travelling against a flood tide wouldn't you? Personally I wouldn't intentionally try to do that in any narrow boat. The other alternative of having one come up behind you is even worse:unsure: . I think if I were told that there was a possibility of an Aegre I'd somehow remember and urgent appointment that I have elsewhere!! Similarly I have no wish to meet a Severn Bore under any circumstances.

AIUI any bore or aegre happens when the last of the ebb meets the first of the rapidly-incoming flow. Thus you will meet it head-on if you are heading towards the sea, so by definition you will have been travelling with the ebb current; it will catch you stern-on if you are travelling up against the last of the ebb. Having one sneak up on you from behind sounds pretty dangerous, although presumably not as dangerous as realising it and attempting (too late) to turn round.

Edited March 24, 2015 by Keeping Up

[Naughty Cal]

 

Yes, well..... I reserve judgement on that story. The Keadby lock is not usable at low water, which that would have been.

Indeed.

 

There were some impressive aegirs at the weekend given the size of the tides.

 

We missed them as we were still in bed at 6.30am when it passed West Stockwith. The earliest of our groups lock outs was 8am and they were slow steel boats.

[wreckferret]

Saw you come in on Saturday The last one in didn't get it quite right but no damage done......

Did the chap with the limping Sunseeker get his gearbox issue sorted ??

[Naughty Cal]

Saw you come in on Saturday The last one in didn't get it quite right but no damage done......

Did the chap with the limping Sunseeker get his gearbox issue sorted ??

The Sunseeker is out of the water being diagnosed as we speak. Best case scenario is it needs a new clutch cone but depending on the damage it has done when it has failed it could have chewed up the gear set, in which case it's a new drive job! Will know either way later today.

 

Not sure how Thousand Rivers got it quite so wrong, but never mind, he didn't hit anything so no damage done!

[Naughty Cal]

Not great news for Sole Mate, the Sunseeker.

 

New or reconditioned stern drive required.

 

This will leave the boat out of action for the Easter break at least and probably a bit longer still whilst a new one is sourced and fitted.

[wreckferret]

Sounds expensive Any idea what caused it ??

[Naughty Cal]

Sounds expensive Any idea what caused it ??

It isn't getting cheaper. The damage is becoming more expensive the deeper they dig.

 

One of the hubs on one of the props is badly damaged. Looks like it could have been impact damage.

 

In all likelihood the drive will be written off and a new one needed.

[David Lorimer]

Ok, found the clip I was referring to: a 2 Star aegir at Gainsborough catching a moored narrowboat. https://youtu.be/OtINC5S7U-U Not fun.

[Scholar Gypsy]

Ok, found the clip I was referring to: a 2 Star aegir at Gainsborough catching a moored narrowboat. https://youtu.be/OtINC5S7U-U Not

fun

 

Er, thank you.

 

I can see why some books I have read do not recommend mooring at Gainsborough except in emergency.

[Naughty Cal]

 

Er, thank you.

 

I can see why some books I have read do not recommend mooring at Gainsborough except in emergency.

It's not a bad mooring when there are no aegir on the river.

 

Easy access into town yet surprisingly quiet by night.

[Derek Porteous]

It's not a bad mooring when there are no aegir on the river.

 

Easy access into town yet surprisingly quiet by night.

I have often considered using the floating pontoon when passing, but the river flow always seems to at its maximum by the time we get a narrowboat up river from Keadby, and I have never fancied turning in that width of river with that strength of flow. As a matter of interest, who owns the moorings. From memory there doesn't appear to be any signs. It looks like there is a lockable gate at the top. Does a standard BW (oops CaRT) key fit it?

[Naughty Cal]

Yes it's a standard crt key.

[Tony Dunkley]

I have often considered using the floating pontoon when passing, but the river flow always seems to at its maximum by the time we get a narrowboat up river from Keadby, and I have never fancied turning in that width of river with that strength of flow. As a matter of interest, who owns the moorings. From memory there doesn't appear to be any signs. It looks like there is a lockable gate at the top. Does a standard BW (oops CaRT) key fit it?

 

That pontoon is roughly where Furley's Wharf used to be. The wharf was used by not only the company's barges, but also coasters. All the vessels from the Humber using that wharf, including the coasters, would arrive in Gainsborough on the flood, swing, and drop stern first onto the wharf.

[Derek Porteous]

That pontoon is roughly where Furley's Wharf used to be. The wharf was used by not only the company's barges, but also coasters. All the vessels from the Humber using that wharf, including the coasters, would arrive in Gainsborough on the flood, swing, and drop stern first onto the wharf.

 

Interesting, Tony. How big were the coasters that we are taking about? I guess BIG! Whenever we get to Gainborough on the flood from Keadby, a combination of the flood being at full strength and a narrowing of the channel there always seemed a little daunting to me, especially in an underpowered narrowboat. I would have loved to these the bigger boats swing round.

[Mac of Cygnet]

 

Er, thank you.

 

I can see why some books I have read do not recommend mooring at Gainsborough except in emergency.

 

It's not a very attractive town, despite being synonymous with a famous artist. There's an interesting old hall (whose name escapes me) quite near the moorings. I've stopped there once when I was too early for West Stockwith, but wouldn't want to overnight there.

[denboy]

Aegir does not happen on every tide only at certain times think its new moon i have been on floating jetty at gainsborough a few times when they do come,,, EA predictions for this year seem to have disappeared,,they do publish times as a rule ,,here`s last years predictions ,

http://www.owston-ferry.co.uk/2014_Trent_Aegir_Predictions.pdf

[Naughty Cal]

Aegir does not happen on every tide only at certain times think its new moon i have been on floating jetty at gainsborough a few times when they do come,,, EA predictions for this year seem to have disappeared,,they do publish times as a rule ,,here`s last years predictions ,

http://www.owston-ferry.co.uk/2014_Trent_Aegir_Predictions.pdf

Since the EA website has changed the aegir times are not published anymore.

[Tony Dunkley]

Interesting, Tony. How big were the coasters that we are taking about? I guess BIG! Whenever we get to Gainborough on the flood from Keadby, a combination of the flood being at full strength and a narrowing of the channel there always seemed a little daunting to me, especially in an underpowered narrowboat. I would have loved to these the bigger boats swing round.

 

I can only make an estimate of the size of the coasters by comparison with the barges that were also there. Furleys had a lot of Sheffield size boats, and I would say the coasters were around twice the length of one of those, so somewhere in the region of 120'.