Unofficial Winding Holes

[FirstRateFirstMate]

Does anyone know of any unofficial winding holes anywhere on the canal network?

 

We have found a space between bridge 13 and 13a in Ansty where we can turn our 42 footer, I suspect you could turn a 45ft boat there too

 

Thanks all

[Peter-Bullfinch]

Slipway pub, Leeds and Liverpool near Burscough. You can turn 57' here. Saves going through the busy swing bridge, number 32.

[Athy]

An unofficial winding hole is surely anywhere that you can turn your boat round, which will depend on its length. I'm sure that the owner of, say, a 26-foot Springer will find hundreds of them!

That said, I know of two in our mooring area. Between the Slipway boatyard and the lock just North of Cropredy you can apparently turn a boat of up to 48 feet in length - the Slipway's owner has told me this. In Banbury town centre you can JUST turn a 45-footer above the lift bridge if you find the right spot - we have done this two or three times and there is not much margin for error.

[Boat&Bikes]

There's one near Yelvertoft and of course Yelvertoft marina itself plus many other marinas...

 

Ian.

[Arthur Marshall]

There's been one on the Macc just south of Astbury which I noticed last week had sprouted an official sign.

[b0atman]

Marina entrances ?

[Paul C]

I'm not sure how you'd delineate between unofficial and official. There's plenty of places where a shorter boat can turn in the canal, the shorter the boat the more places there are. My favourites for a 45 footer are just above Christleton lock (on the shroppie) under the bridge, I know there's a winding hole about 1/2 mile away but this allows you to use the water point then turn and return to mooring outside the Cheshire Cat. Also, I have turned the boat by nudging the nose onto the slipway opposite Cheshire Cat, but it relies upon there being no boats moored there, which is unlikely.

 

There is an "unofficial" winding hole just below the Bunbury staircase, beyond the hire base and railway bridge, this allows use of the services there then a return if needs be.

[Sir Nibble]

Bradford on Avon upper wharf opposite the water point.

[zenataomm]

I've discovered one where I can turn my 35 footer, it's the canal just about anywhere.

Very handy.

[gaggle]

Slipway pub, Leeds and Liverpool near Burscough. You can turn 57' here. Saves going through the busy swing bridge, number 32.

also 57 ft about 100 yards west of spencers swing bridge "overflow just opposite the cottages ".

[Chalky]

We used to turn our 40' boat at Hospital bend on the Ashby. We can turn just about anywhere on the Grand Union.

[Athy]

We used to turn our 40' boat at Hospital bend on the Ashby. We can turn just about anywhere on the Grand Union.

I'm reasonably familiar with the Ashby Canal, but where is Hospital Bend? I would guess Hinckley.

[Smelly]

At the entrance to Dimmingsdale Wharf there is a "no winding" sign. I have winded there; presumably unofficially, on numerous occasions.

[Peter X]

A lot of marinas seem to have "no winding" signs at their entrances, presumably because it gets in the way of their customers coming and going, and as any boat winding there will probably be partly on their land I would imagine such a notice would have legal force (the common law tort of trespass). In practice if there's no traffic there to be obstructed I don't suppose the owners much care. Has anyone ever been prosecuted for it? If so I'd be surprised.

[bastion]

A lot of marinas seem to have "no winding" signs at their entrances, presumably because it gets in the way of their customers coming and going, and as any boat winding there will probably be partly on their land I would imagine such a notice would have legal force (the common law tort of trespass). In practice if there's no traffic there to be obstructed I don't suppose the owners much care. Has anyone ever been prosecuted for it? If so I'd be surprised.

Just go in, ask how much is their diesel, say no thanks, reverse out and go back the way you came. Simple!!

[Rob-M]

A lot of marinas seem to have "no winding" signs at their entrances, presumably because it gets in the way of their customers coming and going, and as any boat winding there will probably be partly on their land I would imagine such a notice would have legal force (the common law tort of trespass). In practice if there's no traffic there to be obstructed I don't suppose the owners much care. Has anyone ever been prosecuted for it? If so I'd be surprised.

I was once told it was because a boat winding pushes silt in to the marina entrance which the marina owner then has responsibility to remove.

 

We often wind full length boats at the top of farmer's bridge by the CRT office, you have to put the bows in a gap in the brick work and you can just get round.

[Chalky]

I'm reasonably familiar with the Ashby Canal, but where is Hospital Bend? I would guess Hinckley.

 

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.5015572,-1.4053379,121m/data=!3m1!1e3

 

52.501460, -1.405652

[rasputin]

The whole canal is a winding hole for me.

[Cloudinspector]

also 57 ft about 100 yards west of spencers swing bridge "overflow just opposite the cottages ".

Also just east of Spencer's lane swing bridge where the sunken boat is. We turn our 62ft there with room to spare.

And at Sollom on the Rufford branch immediately past the disused lock. Again we turn our 62ft there.

Edited April 5, 2016 by Cloudinspector

[Guest]

Slipway pub, Leeds and Liverpool near Burscough. You can turn 57' here. Saves going through the busy swing bridge, number 32.

We saw the Pride of Sefton wind there. Couldn't believe my eyes.

Also just east of Spencer's lane swing bridge where the sunken boat is. We turn our 62ft there with room to spare.

And at Sollom on the Rufford branch immediately past the disused lock. Again we turn our 62ft there.

When I was a kid that was a winding hole. There used to be a wooden boat in it too, possibly an ex lifeboat. Long since rotted i would think. We very often wind there, as does the Rose of Parbold.

Edited April 5, 2016 by Guest

[Guest]

also 57 ft about 100 yards west of spencers swing bridge "overflow just opposite the cottages ".

Nice one Gaggle never tried to wind there

[Graham and Jo]

There is one just before the water point above Calcutt top lock. We turn our 61 ft boat there with ease, I seem to remember someone saying you can turn a 70ft boat there. Cheers Graham

[Horace42]

A lot of marinas seem to have "no winding" signs at their entrances, presumably because it gets in the way of their customers coming and going, and as any boat winding there will probably be partly on their land I would imagine such a notice would have legal force (the common law tort of trespass). In practice if there's no traffic there to be obstructed I don't suppose the owners much care. Has anyone ever been prosecuted for it? If so I'd be surprised.

Peter and FirstRateFirstMate.

 

There are no unofficial winding holes. All winding holes, those designated as such (and obviously no mooring), and anywhere you can wind your boat are official.

 

I say this on the basis that your license permits you to use all CRT water. So providing there is room, and it is safe, then you can turn anywhere. This includes 'private' waters such as marinas, boat yards and boat clubs, that you can use, but out of courtesy, with permission,

 

Without permission it could be trespass but not much the owner can do about it. Except if they do not want you to trespass they must mark the boundary, where sometimes a rope or chain is put across. But if there is still room then you can turn there.

Sometimes a sign will say No Turning or No Winding. You can ignore these for the purpose of turning because they have no authority.

 

There are times though when such a sign should be obeyed of course, and that would be where it is an official sign put there by CRT, and embodying a CRT logo. eg, Danger Weir - No Winding - C&RT.

 

However, the point of my comment here is to say a sign that says 'No Turning' has no authority. You can ignore it. What the sign should say is something like; Private Property, or No Entry, or No Landing, or Keep Out. That's fine by me, then if you ignore the boundary markers, the owners can sue for trespass if they want to. They would be perfectly within their rights to do so.

 

But they have no authority to say No Winding.

[Scholar Gypsy]

The stream on the right about 1/2 mile from Braunston Turn, on the North Oxford.

[Ssscrudddy]

The slipway in March on the Old River Nene right by the bridge between the 2 visitor moorings... oh wait, that's a river, not a canal. Still managed to turn a 57ft boat there.