Route advice please

[Moggs]

Hello, joined to ask for advice really, hired a 60 foot boat for a week in the summer, it's at Preston brook ( frodsham) and we have it for 7 days . Could anyone advise a nice route to take which is less of a challenge for a novice. Have been on a boat years ago but was only a teen, locks ok with but slightly disabled after military injury so the less the better

[Flyboy]

9 minutes ago, Moggs said:

Hello, joined to ask for advice really, hired a 60 foot boat for a week in the summer, it's at Preston brook ( frodsham) and we have it for 7 days . Could anyone advise a nice route to take which is less of a challenge for a novice. Have been on a boat years ago but was only a teen, locks ok with but slightly disabled after military injury so the less the better

Welcome to the forum. You could go south down the Trent & Mersey to Anderton, go down the lift and do the whole of the the Weaver. All the locks on the Weaver are manned so very easy. The Weaver is a lovely river and much underused.

[Moggs]

Just now, Flyboy said:

Welcome to the forum. You could go south down the Trent & Mersey to Anderton, go down the lift and do the whole of the the Weaver. All the locks on the Weaver are manned so very easy. The Weaver is a lovely river and much underused.

Thanks very much for that, will have a look , 

[ditchcrawler]

2 hours ago, Flyboy said:

Welcome to the forum. You could go south down the Trent & Mersey to Anderton, go down the lift and do the whole of the the Weaver. All the locks on the Weaver are manned so very easy. The Weaver is a lovely river and much underused.

I would go along with that, also a trip into Runcorn

 

[Flyboy]

51 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

I would go along with that, also a trip into Runcorn

 

Are yes, I've only been down the Runcorn arm once and found it very pleasant. Seems like a very under used bit of canal as we didn't see any moving boats.

[NickF]

12 hours ago, Flyboy said:

Welcome to the forum. You could go south down the Trent & Mersey to Anderton, go down the lift and do the whole of the the Weaver. All the locks on the Weaver are manned so very easy. The Weaver is a lovely river and much underused.

I think that's a great idea but make sure the hire company allows you on the Anderton Lift. I went down a few years ago with an Alvechurch boat and had to have a letter from the hire company saying I was an experienced boater.

[Flyboy]

1 hour ago, NickF said:

I think that's a great idea but make sure the hire company allows you on the Anderton Lift. I went down a few years ago with an Alvechurch boat and had to have a letter from the hire company saying I was an experienced boater.

I don't understand why Alvechurch would stipulate that, as going down the lift is no different to going in a lock. The Weaver is slow flowing and doesn't change levels much after heavy rain. What reason did Alvechurch give you ?

[ditchcrawler]

Lots of Hire Boats go down there now. Another suggestion is also to carry on along the Trent and Mersey to Middlewich, this gives you the chance to do a lock and have a meal at The Big Lock pub before returning. 

[captain birdseye]

If you like lock free boating go along the Bridgewater there are lovely moorings at Moore, Lymn and Dunham and also have a day out in Manchester

[Pete of Ebor]

Re The Weaver, we took an Andersens Hire Boat up to Vale Royal Lock on the Weaver a few years ago (2003 actually) whilst doing The Cheshire Ring. The next time we hired from there (in 2009) we mentioned that we'd done it and were told we shouldn't have ! They said that if we'd told them, they would have said NO. The reason we were given is that if there was a breakdown on the river, access would be nigh on impossible until we'd been towed back to a lock - though this is all quite a few years ago now, but do check with the hireco.

As for route, you could easily make Chester and back. There aren't many locks, only 40 in the week, that's 20 out & the same 20 back, though they are wide locks and can be a bit heavy. There aren't any big flights, and they are generally spread out, though there are a few a bit closer together on the approach to Chester. There is a staircase pair at Bunbury just for a bit of variety (or amusement..) and a staircase triple in Chester, though you don't need to do this if you wind at Br 123E Cow Lane.

[Moggs]

14 minutes ago, Pete of Ebor said:

Re The Weaver, we took an Andersens Hire Boat up to Vale Royal Lock on the Weaver a few years ago (2003 actually) whilst doing The Cheshire Ring. The next time we hired from there (in 2009) we mentioned that we'd done it and were told we shouldn't have ! They said that if we'd told them, they would have said NO. The reason we were given is that if there was a breakdown on the river, access would be nigh on impossible until we'd been towed back to a lock - though this is all quite a few years ago now, but do check with the hireco.

As for route, you could easily make Chester and back. There aren't many locks, only 40 in the week, that's 20 out & the same 20 back, though they are wide locks and can be a bit heavy. There aren't any big flights, and they are generally spread out, though there are a few a bit closer together on the approach to Chester. There is a staircase pair at Bunbury just for a bit of variety (or amusement..) and a staircase triple in Chester, though you don't need to do this if you wind at Br 123E Cow Lane.

Hello , when you say Chester do you mean through past tattenhall way or through the ship canal?

[adam1uk]

6 minutes ago, Moggs said:

Hello , when you say Chester do you mean through past tattenhall way or through the ship canal?

Past Tattenhall -- there's paperwork that needs doing to go on the ship canal, and they don't allow hire boats anyway.

[NickF]

2 hours ago, Flyboy said:

I don't understand why Alvechurch would stipulate that, as going down the lift is no different to going in a lock. The Weaver is slow flowing and doesn't change levels much after heavy rain. What reason did Alvechurch give you ?

I think the reason was that the CaRT would not permit hire boaters on the lift without a letter of approval from the hire company, It was some years ago now but it may just be worth the OP doing a double check before turning up and being refused passage. 

I do agree with you though the lift and The Weaver are very simple to use, much easier than a canal as it all gets done for you!

Edited April 21, 2017 by NickF

[Sally Grim]

On the Anderton Lift website it says that hire boats need the permission of the boat company.

https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/enjoy-the-waterways/museums-and-attractions/anderton-boat-lift/boaters-area

We're doing the Cheshire ring this summer, so I've been gathering information....

[Rob-M]

2 hours ago, Pete of Ebor said:

Re The Weaver, we took an Andersens Hire Boat up to Vale Royal Lock on the Weaver a few years ago (2003 actually) whilst doing The Cheshire Ring. The next time we hired from there (in 2009) we mentioned that we'd done it and were told we shouldn't have ! They said that if we'd told them, they would have said NO. The reason we were given is that if there was a breakdown on the river, access would be nigh on impossible until we'd been towed back to a lock - though this is all quite a few years ago now, but do check with the hireco.

As for route, you could easily make Chester and back. There aren't many locks, only 40 in the week, that's 20 out & the same 20 back, though they are wide locks and can be a bit heavy. There aren't any big flights, and they are generally spread out, though there are a few a bit closer together on the approach to Chester. There is a staircase pair at Bunbury just for a bit of variety (or amusement..) and a staircase triple in Chester, though you don't need to do this if you wind at Br 123E Cow Lane.

And you may get to do the Bunbury Shuffle.

 

[Flyboy]

2 hours ago, NickF said:

I think the reason was that the CaRT would not permit hire boaters on the lift without a letter of approval from the hire company, It was some years ago now but it may just be worth the OP doing a double check before turning up and being refused passage. 

I do agree with you though the lift and The Weaver are very simple to use, much easier than a canal as it all gets done for you!

So if you if you are a first time boater out on your newly purchased boat you can go on the lift with no questions asked. When I was last on the Weaver 4 years ago the lock keepers were worried that not enough boats were using the river and this might lead to the loss of their jobs. This would mean that the locks would not be usable. Hire boats should be encouraged to use the Weaver and that would help to ensure it stays open.

[Pete of Ebor]

On 21/04/2017 at 11:22, adam1uk said:

Past Tattenhall -- there's paperwork that needs doing to go on the ship canal, and they don't allow hire boats anyway.

No, not onto The Ship Canal. Stay on The Shroppie and go into Chester itself, or you could moor at Tattenhall and get a bus. It's not that far. I doubt you would have time to go beyond Chester.

If you are lucky, you might even get to do the Bunbury shuffle...

[captain birdseye]

If you go to Chester and have a day spare run down the pound to Chester zoo, it's only an hour beyond the bottom of the staircase, there are moorings near to it out in the countryside and it is well worth a visit.