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Has it been a busy summer?


Philip

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2 hours ago, mark99 said:

Like the <new> lady lockie volly at Hanwell. She kept signalling for me to go back from lower gaters when descending.

I often get that, having a 70 footer , I'm really not sure where they expect me to go to......

(No rude answers please)

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Coming through Hillmorton locks yesterday, which are supposed to be CRT's busiest, the lady lockie told me that boat numbers this summer were slightly down on last year. I believe they keep count so presumably that´s a pretty good indicator, albeit in only one location. 

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We have just had a few days on the boat going up the Llangollen to Ellesmere and back and we noticed the "September" effect - boaters not daring to go up there in August because of an assumption it would be too crowded, but lots venturing up there now. Couple with the fact that just about every hire boat around was out as well meant it was very busy. It took us almost 3 hours to get through Grindley Brook last Wednesday - the lock keeper said it had been one of their busiest days of the year. Conversely coming back down on Friday there was nobody there, mainly due to it being a big hire boat changeover day.

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35 minutes ago, John Wareing said:

We have just had a few days on the boat going up the Llangollen to Ellesmere and back and we noticed the "September" effect - boaters not daring to go up there in August because of an assumption it would be too crowded, but lots venturing up there now...

Funnily enough, I was talking to a couple on a private boat at Bank Newton locks last week (we are hirers) and she said that they had visited the Llangollen in August - boater friends had begged them to reconsider with dire warnings about interminable waits for locks and a chronic lack of moorings, but they said that it was the quietest they had ever known it; virtually no private boats moving, and hire boaters doing 'long days', so moorings were plentiful before 5pm.

So is September the new August?!:huh:

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

This September effect seems like a real thing to me. After coming down the Watford flight on Tuesday lunchtime, there were 13 boats waiting to go up. A butty inevitably takes a little longer to get through a narrow lock than an ordinary boat despite our best efforts, but I don't think we were the main cause of the queue, there were just quite a lot of boats on the move.

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Well we came down Audlem locks on Wednesday morning and what a mad rush it was going the other way! I bet we passed at least 20 boats going uphill in 2 hours! Others said it had been quiet along that stretch beforehand and were surprised at the number of boats. Spey and Giffard were working as a pair at the front of things going up, but there still seemed to be an extraordinary amount of traffic in one direction and a lot more than we'd seen further south.

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On ‎10‎/‎09‎/‎2017 at 15:45, Naughty Cal said:

 

Can't wait for the winter boating to start now. 

Abso bloominlootely . There is nowt better than a frosty day just doing a couple of hours mid morning with stove glowing and no waiting at locks. Not that its a hurry but I am always amazed at why so many people tie up for the duration of the best time of the year.

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A lot of people seem to have already hung up their boat keys. 

We are presently out for a long weekend and have had complete freedom of choice of moorings.

Over the summer my impression is an average year for boat traffic. Never too busy to affect our plans. Never completely free of other boats . However before this weekend we have not been out since the end of July so have missed most of the school holiday period.

I am quite pleased to note the large numbers of boats in the marina that do not go out much. Some do not go out at all.

 

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10 hours ago, MartynG said:

A lot of people seem to have already hung up their boat keys. 

We are presently out for a long weekend and have had complete freedom of choice of moorings.

Over the summer my impression is an average year for boat traffic. Never too busy to affect our plans. Never completely free of other boats . However before this weekend we have not been out since the end of July so have missed most of the school holiday period.

I am quite pleased to note the large numbers of boats in the marina that do not go out much. Some do not go out at all.

 

Yep and its getting better now for a few months, plain to see by all the talk of " Wintersising " boats. We are off out soon and it will be super dooper.

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7 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

Yep and its getting better now for a few months, plain to see by all the talk of " Wintersising " boats. We are off out soon and it will be super dooper.

We're due to start a trip of almost 3 weeks commencing 11 October so it pleases me to hear that things seem to be quietening down nicely.

Only the 3rd week will be school holiday time but as it's the last week of October hopefully that won't make too much difference.

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On 31/08/2017 at 11:51, matty40s said:

The central Grand Union has been busy all Summer (Stoke Bruerne to Braunston) - hire companies have had a cracking season. The Bank Holiday was not as busy as I expected going from Northants up to Anderton, but I did make sure I hit all the pinch points either very early or very late.

We are moored between Norton Junction and Braunston Tunnel. More moving boats yesterday than we've seen for the past 6 months. Huge queue yesterday for boats ascending Watford Locks.

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I have done fewer engine hours this year than the usual average, which makes up for last year being a little above average. This is in part possibly weather related but also crew not available for seven weeks on  medical orders and only just now back in action. I hope to make up for it next year.

As for the preference for going out in the winter I can understand it on a sunny day but must confess my preference for dry and warm conditions, and above all , light winds. I don't mind putting a coat on ,which is often needed in the so called summer months.

In the meantime this morning is glorious on the river, and only one other visiting boat in view.Lunch is booked a short walk from the boat and grandchildren joining us later for a couple of hours.

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On 9/8/2017 at 22:33, Lily Rose said:

Coming through Hillmorton locks yesterday, which are supposed to be CRT's busiest, the lady lockie told me that boat numbers this summer were slightly down on last year. I believe they keep count so presumably that´s a pretty good indicator, albeit in only one location. 

Maybe depends on what count is being used as a measure.

If it is CRT's measuring equipment, then it doesn't count boats, it counts lock operations, whether there is a boat in that lock or not.  Given the number of times one of each of a pair of locks at Hillmorton is out of use, whilst only one is in use, there will be far more times that a lock is emptied or filled with no boat in it.  The twinned locks make it far more likely you use a lock that a boat coming the other way has set in your favour.  The "lock operation" count will include many operations with no boat in the lock.

If on the other hand it is a manual count by the volunteer lock keepers, I have seen many people say they now deliberately pass through Hillmorton at a time they are not operating, so those boats will not be included in any manual count.

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1 hour ago, MartynG said:

I have done fewer engine hours this year than the usual average, which makes up for last year being a little above average. This is in part possibly weather related but also crew not available for seven weeks on  medical orders and only just now back in action. I hope to make up for it next year.

As for the preference for going out in the winter I can understand it on a sunny day but must confess my preference for dry and warm conditions, and above all , light winds. I don't mind putting a coat on ,which is often needed in the so called summer months.

In the meantime this morning is glorious on the river, and only one other visiting boat in view.Lunch is booked a short walk from the boat and grandchildren joining us later for a couple of hours.

Nothing wrong with cruising on any winters day. Get the heating on and cruise on.

I must admit to being quite excited about this winter season as we have missed the last few with the boat being ashore. 

 

ETA:

We are also well down on miles and hours so far this year mainly due to trailing the boat for our summer trip.

Edited by Naughty Cal
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9 hours ago, matty40s said:

This area has been non stop since the schools went back. 

This is when the " sensible money " hire boats. The fleet here is still very busy, it is always a good month as kids are back at school and peeps with grown up children or the older end hire boats out keeping the fleet busy. Drops a bit in October then the fleet here goes to bed November to February so that's theeee best cruising time in this area. Soon be time to cruise :cheers:

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