Tardebigge to York

[Heavyhead]

We are about to undertake this journey, I can see the route will take us up the Trent, is there any info or advice I should be reading or listening to?

I'm not very experienced(2 canal holidays and two weeks bringing boat from Aylesbury) but got common sense, and I'm not a risk taker!

The boat is in good order, and am confident of its condition( will I regret saying that) !

Any comments will be most welcome

Thx

[Scholar Gypsy]

You may want to get these charts, for the Trent (tidal from Cromwell near Newark to Keadby, most people do this in two or even three hops) and the Ouse (tidal from Selby towards York).

 

Both are quite tricky rivers, in parts. But with planning, an understanding of tide times, and a clean fuel tank - most important - manageable in a NB. I am also a fan of marine VHF radio, and of lifejackets.

 

There's the start of a checklist here, of things you need to think about and then take appropriate action (eg buy more chain for your anchor).

[The Bagdad Boatman (waits)]

Clean the bottom of your fuel tank by using a vacuum pump to remove any water and sludge which will block your filters if disturbed by excess movement. I used a wet vacuum and a thin pipe into a bottle to see what you remove. Wait for a neap tide (small) to exit Selby. Turn before the lock and stem the tide to make entering both Kedby and Selby.

[Tony Dunkley]

You should try to avoid the big tides on the lower Trent and the Ouse above Selby for the seven days from Friday 16 to Thursday 22 September, and as you don't know whether or not the boat is up to prolonged periods of running at or near full power, you should also take every opportunity to run at full power between locks on the upper reaches of the river from Derwent Mouth to Cromwell.

 

If any problems do show up, then either get them fixed before going any further or get a train from Newark for a day out in York.

[Heavyhead]

Hi and thx for your responses, tank was sorted after we broke down 3 hrs after picking our boat up!!

Your comments about the tides have me a bit worried though!

Is there a web site that shows and explains more about the tides on these rivers?

[Tony Dunkley]

Your comments about the tides have me a bit worried though!

Is there a web site that shows and explains more about the tides on these rivers?

 

There probably is, but I'm not able to direct you to it.

Simon, who replied to you in post #2, will be far more useful to you than me as regards that, and he has put a video clip of his boat at Stockwith Lock on one of the many topics on here dealing with boating on the tidal Trent and Ouse.

You could also try typing 'Tidal Trent, tidal Ouse, Stockwith lock, Keadby lock, Selby lock' etc. into the Search box at the top of this page.

Edited September 3, 2016 by Tony Dunkley

[Scholar Gypsy]

 

There probably is, but I'm not able to direct you to it.

Simon, who replied to you in post #2, will be far more useful to you than me as regards that, and he has put a video clip of his boat at Stockwith Lock on one of the many topics on here dealing with boating on the tidal Trent and Ouse.

You could also try typing 'Tidal Trent, tidal Ouse, Stockwith lock, Keadby lock, Selby lock' etc. into the Search box at the top of this page.

 

Here are a few resources I used for my trip on the Trent last year - I did Torksey to West Stockwith.

 

• Chesterfield Canal Soc, you could use that to plan a trip Cromwell-Stockwith and Stockwith to Keadby. The Chesterfield Canal is fabulous by the way (if a bit weedy, shallow, and slow).
• A very old (1970s Waterways World) chart that shows how the times for flood (start of the flood tide) and high tide (shortly followed by the start of the ebb) relate to HW times at Hull.

And here is the video Tony mentioned, of going into Stockwith on the ebbing tide (I turned around to starboard upstream of the lock, just starting to turn in the first photo, and then let the tide take me backwards.) The boat I shared with turned below the lock and then punched the tide upstream.

 

I am ashamed to say I have to do the Yorkshire Ouse. Key checklist = anchor & chain, lifejackets, clean fuel, marine VHF. I had a depth gauge as well which was quite fun and interesting (eg when the depth jumped to 8m on a hairpin bend near Gainsborough!).

 

 

 

Loads more videos on youtube of course eg

 

Edited September 3, 2016 by Scholar Gypsy

[Tony Dunkley]

Here are a few resources I used for my trip on the Trent last year - I did Torksey to West Stockwith.

 

• Chesterfield Canal Soc, you could use that to plan a trip Cromwell-Stockwith and Stockwith to Keadby. The Chesterfield Canal is fabulous by the way (if a bit weedy, shallow, and slow).
• A very old (1970s Waterways World) chart that shows how the times for flood (start of the flood tide) and high tide (shortly followed by the start of the ebb) relate to HW times at Hull.

And here is the video Tony mentioned, of going into Stockwith on the ebbing tide (I turned around to starboard upstream of the lock, just starting to turn in the first photo, and then let the tide take me backwards.) The boat I shared with turned below the lock and then punched the tide upstream.

 

I am ashamed to say I have to do the Yorkshire Ouse. Key checklist = anchor & chain, lifejackets, clean fuel, marine VHF. I had a depth gauge as well which was quite fun and interesting (eg when the depth jumped to 8m on a hairpin bend near Gainsborough!).

 

Loads more videos on youtube of course eg

 

 

 

Thanks for putting those clips up, Simon.

 

I'm pretty sure I've seen some You Tube video clips of boats going in at Keadby and Selby as well, but I don't know how to post them on here, even if I could find them again.

Edited September 3, 2016 by Tony Dunkley

[Scholar Gypsy]

Here's a couple of Keadby. Personally I would turn above the lock, and then set backwards. I can't see any advantage in going past. Running aground on a sandbank on an ebbing tide can be a bit tricky.

 

The third one shows the December 2013 floods coming over the top. You would be mad to take a narrowboat out in such conditions!

 

 

 

 

linky

Edited September 3, 2016 by Scholar Gypsy

[Dave_P]

Of course, if you're worried about the Trent, there are various other routes you could take. The Ouse is unavoidable though.

 

From Tardebigge you could head north and join the T&M or the Shroppie and cross the Pennines via the Huddersfield Narrow, the Rochdale or the Leeds and Liverpool.

 

All have their issues though.

 

The HNC has height and cabin-top width restrictions through Standedge Tunnel.

 

Both the Rochdale and the HNC lead to locks which cannot take boats longer than 60' (and more realistically approx 58').

 

The L&L is a long way round and also last restricted length (64'???)

 

Any route is bound to be fun though!

[Heavyhead]

Thanx for all your comments, we have bottled it for this year, and will perhaps try it next year, but lots of good info

Thank you all!