Vlog 28: Route Canal
Several people have asked me where I plan to take the narrowboat over the summer and several possibilities have occurred to me. In this video, I describe why I abandoned one plan and have settled (mostly) on another.
Buy Nicholson’s Guides: https://geni.us/CtC_Nicholsons
Or Pearson’s if you prefer: https://geni.us/CtC_Pearsons
Hi, a quick question about the water in canals. It seems a bit dark and murky. How deep the canals are and how clean is the water? How about fishing while cruising the canal system, is it allowed?
Very shallow. At the edges it’s quite easy to ground the boat and the middle’s only about 3-4 feet deep. They are mucky though, despite that there are lots of fish. You can only fish with a licence I believe and you’re not sllowed to eat them, it’s sport fishing only so they have to go back once caught, unharmed.
Here’s a useful page to look at https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/enjoy-the-waterways/fishing/guidelines-and-strategies/fishing-faqs
Thanks for the info.
Hi there, not a comment specific to your latest vid but hope you have a good trip. We used to own a cruiser and enjoyed a good few years cruising the cheshire ring. We emigrated to NZ in 1984 but do miss the serenity of the cut and are planning a trip back to hire a narrowboat soon. We really enjoy watching your vids and eagerly await the next episode. cheers
Hello New Zealand! Thanks for the message, glad you’re enjoying the videos. Hope you get back here for another canal trip soon. Cheers.
Hi, did you get your pump fixed and what was causing it ,. There’s a canal festival in Rickmansworth when you plan to come down the grand Union (music beer tent etc ) I will find out dates ,you mentioned in an earlier blog you had friends in Ricky perhaps you can kill two birds with one stone! Keep up the good work sarge….
Sort of got the pump fixed. Having reduced the pressure it’s all now working fine and not running on its own, and the taps are behaving much better too. So for the moment it’s all OK as it is but I’m keeping an ear out for any problems.
Yes, please do let me know about that festival. Not sure when I’ll get there but would be useful to know. Cheers.
To answer your question in a slightly less public location than youtube……
You where wondering what was 183mtr long and what I do. Well the answer is a new oil tanker to carry petrol, diesel etc or thicker heavier stuff (I am hoping not as more of a hassle as you have to keep it warm n runny). It will carry 45000m3 of product and powered by a 9100kW 6 cylinder engine. Each piston 50cm in dia and stroke of a couple of meters thereabouts, probably running at approx 100rpm max speed. If you want to stop then stop the engine and run it backwards. There are plenty of ship engine room vids on YouTube including some of very large container ships which can be almost 400mtr long and have 12cyl engine of over 100000 horsepower output.
As of my job well I run the engine room staff day to day…so will be a bit busy with new ship getting all sorted out and dealing with the niggles. I will have to catch up with your vids if I can find WiFi ashore….
Wow. Sounds amazing. Yes, I should think that will keep you busy. I have you have luxurious crew quuarters ;-)
Seems like a good route to take David.
Thank you. I hope so!
Fascinating vlog as always. I like the ‘learn as you go approach’ rather than the usual style from most of ‘I’m the expert and i’ll show how its done’. And talking of approaches why don’t you just pootle off now (maybe I’ve missed the three week deadline thing) and see where you end up -betya you’ll be on the cut somewhere :-)
I won’t head off now partly because I’ve paid the marina to the end of March, partly because the weather’s still a bit unsettled and partly because I’ve got some things to sort out locally over the next couple of weeks. But I’ll be off from April 1st.
If you want to join the Thames from the GU you will have to go via a short (pre-booked) tidal section of the Thames from Brentford to Teddington, we did it last year, it’s not too scary but certainly more so than the River Soar. It’s then about 100 miles to join the Oxford. You’ll need a Thames licence of course.
Nothing to be scared of on the non-tidal Thames.
I was thinking that by the time I get to the Thames I’d be more confident about it but I didn’t realise the first stretch was tidal. Something for another year maybe!
Another excellent vlog despite the cartographic irregularities! Shame about the Soar, ‘cos it’s an excellent waterway – only odd sections are river and if it has rained a lot you just wait on the canal bit until it’s all calmed down which is usually only just hours! The worst bit of the trip up to Nottingham is not the river but the large number of large and cumbersome locks – best to travel in tandem! The best bits of our trip were the Soar and the Trent. See the relevant bit of our blog from last August:
http://narrowboat-adagio.tumblr.com/post/126496042386/day-two-foxton-to-bumblebee
You’re very lucky I’ve allowed that blatant plug for your blog to get posted.