Canal life

[greatgrandma]

We walked across the aqueduct, our grandson actually was invited to hop on one of the boats and he rode part of the way. There is about 5 inches or so water on each side of the boats going across. The aqueduct is 125 feet in the air and the water trough is only about 7 feet wide and 5.3 feet deep. The height apparently concerns some people but not others. I saw a man standing on the roof of the canal boat taking pictures. I saw one lady with a toddler asleep in a sling across her chest, walking fast along the aqueduct with a camera in her hand, while her husband drove the canal boat and red headed twin girls played in the front. Presumably she was going ahead to take photos

Mom of the twins with baby running ahead

Canal boat in aqueduct

Twins on the bow of a narrow boat

In order to get some Idea of how far up you are, - look down

A long way down

River Dee - note a child's tricycle in lower left corner

 

[greatgrandma]

There were a lot of canal boats coming across the aqueduct as there is a mooring area there at Trevor where people spend the night. They have the option to either cook on their boat, or go to the local pub for a meal.

Trevor basin

Canal boat in the turning basin turns to go back

 

[greatgrandma]

After we rented the boat-We were following another boat which also had first time hirers. Another boat following us was more experienced.Since we were all going in the same direction, that meant the first boat opened the top paddles, and after the lock filled opened the gates (which were almost impossible to open unless the water was level inside and outside the lock), drove the boat into the lock closing the top paddles and gates.

lock gate

Then they opened the bottom paddles, and after the lock emptied, opened the gates, and exited the lock, closing the gates and paddles behind them.Then we had to do the same procedure unless we met a boat coming up, in which case they would fill the lock and leave the top gates open. At one point, the people ahead didn't shut one of the bottom paddles all the way so the lock wouldn't fill. The lady in the boat behind us pointed that out. After we got done with the Offerton locks, our son-in-law steered, and Bob and our daughter (and grandson) did the locks.

son-in-law steering

Gregory Mills Locks

Grandson and Bob at the lock

our boat going down in the lock

 

[greatgrandma]

Each lock and bridge is numbered in sequence (different sequence for bridges than for the locks)

You are supposed to push the gates rather than pull them. That way you don't back off into the canal. There are studs on the brickwork in the semicircular swing radius of the gate lever to help give traction.

When the water is out of the lock you can see the Lock Gate Sill sticking out from the gates. It is this sill which will damage the rudder if you don't keep the boat away from the lock gates. When the boat is going down in the locks it can come down on the sill and the rudder will be damaged. When the boat is going up in the lock, the water pushes the boat back toward the stern and the rudder can get stuck under the lock gates which allows water to come in on top of the boat and flood it. Neither is desirable.

Lock Gate Sill


On the water, proper protocol is to keep to the right. Even in England, boats drive on the right

 

[greatgrandma]

open lock gates

Son-in-law and grandson at lock

daughter pushing lock gate lever


Then we ran aground in the middle of the canal and had to back off (using the punting pole) and try again.

approaching lock

A little later at lock 5 or 6, a piece of wood got stuck in the lock gate, and kept it from opening all the way, so when we tried to drive into the lock, we got wedged in and couldn't go forward any more.

Lock gates being closed


Bob had me come back to run the engine, and he and our daughter and SIL pushed the boat backwards using the boat hook and pole as I revved up the engine in reverse until we got unstuck.

Down in the lock


Then they shut the gate the piece of wood dropped out and the gate could open again.

 

[greatgrandma]

private boat reflected

Beautifully painted private narrowboat


We moored in the hire company basin, and unloaded stuff.

Dunhampsted hire company basin

Unloading the boat

After we got back to the boat another couple with two teen age boys came in and moored next to us. They had the boat for a week and had done the whole ring up through Birmingham. They said it was nice except for the Wolverhampton part when some boys made rude remarks like they were going to break in a steal stuff off the boat (the TV) and asking them for a ride etc.

In the loose-leaf binder that came with the boat (in case we forgot the operating directions) it said in that case to take their pictures (which I probably would have done anyway - I came back from this two week trip (the whole trip not just this weekend) with 26 floppies of digital pictures (between 6 and 20 per disk) and 12 rolls of film). This particular day, since it was bright and sunny, I took a LOT of pictures.

 

[Mikbone]

private boat reflected

Beautifully painted private narrowboat


We moored in the hire company basin, and unloaded stuff.

Dunhampsted hire company basin

Unloading the boat

After we got back to the boat another couple with two teen age boys came in and moored next to us. They had the boat for a week and had done the whole ring up through Birmingham. They said it was nice except for the Wolverhampton part when some boys made rude remarks like they were going to break in a steal stuff off the boat (the TV) and asking them for a ride etc.

In the loose-leaf binder that came with the boat (in case we forgot the operating directions) it said in that case to take their pictures (which I probably would have done anyway - I came back from this two week trip (the whole trip not just this weekend) with 26 floppies of digital pictures (between 6 and 20 per disk) and 12 rolls of film). This particular day, since it was bright and sunny, I took a LOT of pictures.

loving your work here greatgrandma, very informative

 

[JohnPD]

loving your work here greatgrandma, very informative

Same here. A great log, Rosalie!

 

[PhotoNut]

The Pontcysyllte aqueduct must be one of the most spectacular in Britain. The canal is fed from the River Dee at the Horseshoe Falls just out of Llangollen and the Dee runs under the aqueduct. The famous engineer, Thomas Telford, built Pontcysyllte Aqueduct near Llangollen in 1795. Today, it is a protected Grade I listed building, a Welsh National Monument and is one of the seven wonders of the British Inland Waterways System.

Aqueduct from the side

I wanted to hire a narrowboat for a week and do this canal, but could not due to time constraints. I had only a long weekend that that's not enough time to get from the hire station to the aqueduct and back. So I settled for driving up in a car and walking across. I understand that you can hire a boat for the day for up to 12 people at 2 local Marinas to travel on this canal.

Warning Sign at the entrance to the towpath

The aqueduct with canal boat at the end

Looking back -Man and dog walking along the canal path

Bob and our daughter as boat passes

A great read, very interesting. Thanks for sharing!

 

[greatgrandma]

I am thinking of doing a whole thread/post on locks and canals. I don't want to hijack this thread on canal boats because not all locks are just for canal boats - like the Panama Canal for instance, and the Plaquemine Locks - Dismal Swamp, the Virginia Cut etc