Bringing the boat home 27/11/10

Barton turns marina to findern mooring in 4 hours (10 miles and 4 locks)

Almost had to abort the trip due to the marina being frozen over - it has been clear all week

The boat services guys broke the ice for us and allowed us to get away onto the T & M by around 12 pm

Issues:

The rear corner fenders made it a tight squeeze through a couple of locks

The steering took a lot of getting used to - a bit of zig zag, plus clouted a few walls - the boat handled really well later on when the wind dropped.

The outboard started to play up after a couple of hours - cut out and wouldnt run on slow tick over - ok later on, but, had to perfect a technique of leaving in fast idle then switching to full throttle when ready to go.

Had to ice break in sheltered canal sections - most of Burton on Trent (- helped later on when we met some traffic - who had broken the ice for us) - a bit of a worry as i was told that GRP boats don't do ice! (will have to check the boat hasn't sunk in a few days)

Problems with the boat:

A real pain to get in and out of - think Starsky and Hutch

There doesn't appear to be any on switch for the tap???? It is connected to a proper water tank!

The floor bearers near the cabin entrance are not strong enough - needs a bit of 3" x 2" - cheapish repair

The zip on the cover needs stitching - not a major problem

Positive points:

The boat is quick

Got back to the pub in Findern by 4.30 and warming a pint before tea

Acquired a gnome left on the boat by the previous owner

New (to me) boat

I have agreed to buy a GRP cruiser - sad looking Norman 23 cruiser (1980).

3 berth with Mercury 15 hp engine.

Obvious faults:

Exterior painting required

Anti fouling required

Patching repairs needed to hood

Front fender required

Some interior joinery required

Battery isolator to fit (battery box), possible battery upgrade

Foam upholstery needed in front of boat

Some interior painting

Some interior electrical works (minor)

Would not win any beauty contests, but, I like the layout and it has potential

It also has the advantage of a four year safety certificate

Will take up most of my spare time in the spring

Mooring secured

Not received any formal paperwork, but, British Waterways have cashed my cheque for the mooring in Findern (won via online auction at reserve price). Looking to get a small cruiser for now - narrowboats are well over priced at the moment (and a lot of crap about).

30.8 foot to use, water and plenty of parking. Shame BW had electric disconnected, however, there is a large area that could accommodate a small shed and I have a generator (once it is repaired)

Also an Indian restaurant/pub along side - no need to take the boat out!

Erewash canal 5/6/10

Reports of poor quality water (weed), rapaging kids and drunks, unusable locks and weed hatch issues prove to be unfounded as we had a pleasant 3 hour trip from Trent Lock to Sandiacre (Derby canal junction) on Saturday. The weed and canal depth is actually worse at Trent Lock, no doubt due to the polution caused by the permanent live aboards and the fact that they seldom move their boats. The water is actually remarkably clear - probably due to the weed (lilies) - you can see the bottom of your boat - a pretty scary sight after a winter of ice damage to the blacking! Just remember your anti vandal key for the locks! The expression use it or lose it springs to mind - how Derby boaters would love a canal like the Erewash - how many millions would have been saved if it had been preserved in the 60s like the Erewash (not much change out of £100m I would guess)?

Fradley junction 5/6 April 2010

Stenson to Fradley 7 and a half hours each way (10 locks, 16 miles and the scary Trent at Wychnor)

We have done Stenson to Branston/Barton a few times, but, fancied the slightly longer trip to Fradley this Easter bank holiday (I have visited this popular spot by car a couple of times - very pretty and with good boater facilities including the famous Swan pub).

Against the water flow and wind most of the way, however, most of the traffic was going the other way so no hold ups at locks.

The village of Alrewas looks very pretty with attractive waterside thatched cottages, however, due to its popularity some of the moorings cause a few problems getting through due to the narrow canal and double parking especially around bridges (patience required)

Could be my last trip if the boat sale goes well (I am sure it wont)

Bridge 20 open

Nice new bridge 20 plate

Just requires coping on right parapet

Hard core replaced on bridge saddle

Canal now fully open - apparently opened on time yesterday 12/3/10.

The contractors still have to place copings on the new brickwork on the right parapet, however the scaffold and platforms have been removed.

The temporary bridge is still in place and the repaired bridge is still fenced off until the copers are cemented on.

I presume BW will put a weight limit on the bridge to warn the farmer?

Must be a big relief for the hire companies and Stenson marina - might take the boat out tomorrow to Willington and back.

Bridge 8 completion

New concrete bridge saddle

Just a few bricks left to replace - scaffold gone

work boats - hogging the towpath

Collapsed towpath repair in progress

The canal is now open at Weston on Trent - bridge 8 repairs. To be fair it was more of a make over than anything structural. The scaffold and temporary bridge has been removed and the bridge remains closed to traffic for now. The canal and lock appears open although the towpath is taken up by two work boats repairing the collapsed concrete path.

Bridge 20 progress 28.2.10

This is a bit of a worry - new brickwork on a damaged pillar

Slow progress with the bricklaying on the parapet

The Willington side has been pointed

Slow progress on the left parapet (Stenson side) the bridge saddle has been concreted

Update on the bridge 20 repairs as at 28.2.10.

This work should be completed and the canal opened by 13.3.10 - doesn't look good and difficult to see where the £250k has gone (probably mostly health and safety and worker comforts)

The bridge pillar on the damaged side has not been repaired at the base - surely this will eventually crack and collapse.

The bricklaying is very slow - probably due to a lack of qualified staff and the lime mortar problems.

Old Derby canal - M1 to Draycott

Public footpath from the M1 to the car parts firm near navigation inn - parallel with Longmore Lane - mostly muddy fields

Tarmac area used by car parts firm - see compound used for car body parts which blocks the canal route

Navigation inn - over the road from the tarmac area

Navigation inn on Risley Lane - canal on right - tunnel required

Navigation pub to left - Breaston

Stream and farm track

Lock sides - either side of tarmac

Old pipe bridge

Hopewell road Draycott - bridge required - time to go home for now

The other side of the M1 heading towards Breaston is rough pasture/farmers fields with public right of way. There is no decent path to follow until you get to the rear of the Beeston Car parts firm - a tarmac area used as a car park. There is also a fenced off area that would block the canal used as a storage area by the parts firm.

Accross the road (Risley Lane) the canal path has been covered with tarmac and is advertised as a cycle route - I rode along this section to the kennels at Hopewell road and the derby canal society sign.

Sign at Hopewell road Draycott - note the BNP grafitti

Old Derby canal - Sandiacre to the M1

Junction with the Erewash canal

Tree clearance at Sandiacre

Longmoor Road bridge

Springfield avenue crossing - bridge required

Bostock lane crossing - very busy road - tunnel needed - hotel to right

M1 bridge near Long Eaton longmoor lane - canal bed/bridal way to right - tunnel under M1 required

Walk bike through Sandiacre to the M1. Pretty lock at the junction of the old derby canal and the Erewash canal. Work looks to have started on clearing the canal bed of trees etc on the stretch to Longmoor road.

The track is rough gravel at this end - as opposed to tarmac at the Derby end - watch out for punctures.

As the path crosses an estate road another bridge will be required - Springfield Avenue.

The cycle path ends at the busy Bostock Lane an M1 feed. accross the road the path/canal bed becomes a bridle way - very boggy and full of horseshoe holes/s**t.

At the M1 a tunnel will be required to reach the farm fields on the other side of the M1.

The decision has been made

I am putting Pearl up for sale in the next few weeks. I am not going to sell her cheaply, in fact I don't really want to sell at all! I can't justify the cash tied up in her and the running costs when my wife is not behind the investment - she was really keen at first, making the new seat cushions and curtains, but, now has no interest in the boat.
Hopefully the sale will take a few months to complete so I can enjoy a few trips before she is sold. I just hope bridge 20 gets finished soon so I can get over to Burton and beyond, hopefully at Easter!

Old Derby canal - Cycle from Boulton Lane to Pride park - 3 miles

Boulton Lane from Allenton side

Brackens Lane - school to left and playing fields to right - hump back bridge required

Harvey Road from Allenton side this is a busy ring road dual carriageway - underpass required

London road bridge heading towards pride park - bridge in excellent condition

London Road bridge from Pride park side - the Navigation inn to right of bridge

Pride park - the end of the path/canal - football stadium to left of flats

No visible signs of the canal, but, a wide and flat cycle way.

As with the previous walk, the main problem appears to be the many roads that cross the route at canal level and the school at brackens lane would be cut off from some playing fields next door if the canal were reinstated.

The fact that the canal also needs to cross the dual carriageway ring road is also a major problem.

After the well maintained London road bridge the path passes the Nanigation inn which if it survives will become a canal side inn.

After the pub the route finally disappears being crossed by a dual carriageway into pride park.

After the heavy development of pride park this will be a difficult area to cross - perhaps the canal will follow the line of the river Derwent into the middle of town.

My next walk/cycle will start from the other end of the old derby canal with the junction of the Erewash canal in Sandiacre - called lock lane.

Walking the old Derby Canal (3.5 miles)

A50 from Derby side - canal to right

A50 from Swarkestone side - canal to left

Brook under old canal - aqueduct needed

Canal bed to right, hump back bridge needed

Old railway embankment - see disused bridge - would have run over canal

Old lock sides - lock probably intact under tarmac (Fullen's lock)

Chellaston Road bridge

Chellaston Road bridge

Boulton Lane - another bridge required

Just walked from Swarkestone junction to Boulton Lane, Alvaston where the canal bed is crossed by a busy road (Boulton Lane).

The canal bed is pretty much intact between Swarkestone and the new housing estate in Chellaston.

Problems noted so far:

The A50 cuts through the canal bed at canal height - there is an underpass next to the canal but it is too low and is used by the cycle path and farmers lane. This alone will cost millions to sort.

The next problem is a brook coming into Chellaston which will require an aqueduct to cross - the path takes a big dip with a small footbridge crossing the brook (Holmleigh Way).

Further along near a new housing development there is a road (Sinfin Moor Lane) on a embankment which will need raising and a hump back bridge forming over the canal. Past this point there is no discernable canal bed - just a concrete path.

Good news is the disused railway embankment further along will not require a new bridge.

The old lock sides near Somersal Close are visible at the sides of the tarmac path (Fullen's lock).

The rest of the route to Boulton lane has no major obstructions and is sufficiently wide to run the canal - the old Bridge under Chellaston Road (A514) although low offers possible navigation through to Boulton Lane.

Hopefully the weather will improve next time and I can take a bike (too much snow and ice today)

mini logs

I had a walk down to bridge 20 this morning - very little visible progress - looks like about a foot of the brickwork has been laid on the damaged parapet this week - it must be slow going due to the documented problems with the lime mortar (not liking cold temperatures).
While at bridge 20, I helped myself to some of the branches left when a nearby tree was felled. Using a bow saw I cut some branches into 5 inch pieces and bagged them up - my plastic cart has had it - now split - I will have to replace it soon. During a few towpath walks I have noticed that the trees are being felled or cut back this winter (also mentioned in other blogs). I dont think I will invest in any chain saws or circular saws as other boaters seem to do - I cant get big logs in my stove - small Carabo, and the bow saw seems to perform well and is good exercise.

New barge poles

Bought a length of 45mm diameter round handrail to replace my broken barge pole. It is a bit thicker than the old one and, unfortunately, plain pine, so it will need treating (ash is recommended). It comes in 4.2m length so I had it sawn in half - now two 2.1m lengths. The square ends will need rounding off but a cheap solution at £8 from a wood yard. I will probably need to keep indoors when not cruising to protect the wood from water ingress and warping, at least I will have a spare in case the other one snaps. I will try and avoid ice breaking in future due to damage to the pole and the loss of blacking on the hull.

Pearl's entry in the boat listing

PEARL Built by WARBLER - Length 9.76 metres (32 feet ) - Beam 2.09 metres (6 feet 10 inches ) - Draft 0.46 metres (1 feet 6 inches ) Metal hull, power of 16BHP. Registered with British Waterways number 54276 as a Powered. Last registration recorded on 19-May-09.

I am not sure how accurate these are

Never heard of Warbler
Draft must be over 2ft judging by the rudder hitting the canal bed
Engine is now Isuzu 25hp

Buying boats

A retro post going back to my original purchase of Pearl in May 2009

It is all about risk and trust

I bought my boat sold as seen without any survey or even inspection.

Major problems with the boat and cost to put right:

Flat starter battery (damaged beyond repair) - £70
No battery isolation - upset the guy wanting to weld new anodes on - Battery box with isolator £40
Alternator regulator not working - loose wire spotted (reason for flat battery)

No blacking for 4 yrs - £250
Anodes completely shot - £265

Engine mounts loose
Engine not serviced for a long time - £200

Rusty deck drain channels - just time and effort

Leaking stern gland - got away with a tighten

Broken and missing tv aerial - the maxview omnimax ones are useless any way

Faulty auxiliary switch panel - circuit breakers on the way out - £25

No fire extinguishers - £30

Cracked glass in Stove - £20
No cowl on chimney - £12

Missing second leisure battery - £57

Tiller bearings very loose - makes handling shaky but I can live with this!

Ongoing issues:

There are still a few items to sort - permanent solution to the rear cover holding rainwater in puddles (including the gas locker) - pram arrangement required (I have used sheeting as a temporary solution).

I have also added a small flat tv and satellite system, upgraded soft furnishings, painted the ceiling, added ballast to the starboard side and replaced the leaking bilge pump.

Positives - very little pitting on hull, relatively new boat for the money (1994), good layout, reasonable spec incl pump out toilet, recently painted.

The actual purchase was a bit tense - no log book scheme operates for boats or hpi check system.
You have to rely on honesty and trust (even if using a broker).
I asked for passport/drivers licence copies, full history of the boat (invoices etc) and enquired about finance outstanding (this is the worst bit!).
The money was paid over via bankers draft and a standard contract was signed by both parties.

A lot more stressful than buying a car!

Old Derby canal junction at Swarkestone

Old canal bed and towpath

The bridge at the old junction

The boat club squeezed into the old junction

I didn't realise that the old derby canal bed is still intact on the other side of Swarkestone Junction on the T & M. I bet the residents of the Swarkestone boat club have mixed feelings about re opening this old canal - I must admit they probably won't get much sympathy as they always moan when boaters turn at the junction.

I believe that the first stage of canal restoration will be the resoration of the towpath all the way through Derby and joining with the Erewash at Sandiacre.

I am not sure about the Derby arm proposal as it looks too much like a fairground ride and just as scary - what is wrong with a traditional aqueduct?

I will walk or bike the existing towpath soon to see how far it goes (park in Pingle lane, Swarkestone near the A50 Chelaston roundabout).

Weston on trent stoppage - bridge 8

The other stoppage on the T & M that has brought the canal to a stand still for the early part of 2010.

A repair not as sexy as the one at bridge 20 but just as disruptive

As usual the contractors have gone a bit employee welfare and H & S mental. There are at least 3 site cabins, 24hr high viz man attendance and a bespoke canal crossing which isnt actually needed as the parapets are only being pointed and the bridge is safe for walkers/joggers/cyclists.

I notice that the sign states that the bridge will be open early if the work is completed early!

It doesn't look as if the towpath collapse complete with the obligatory orange tape is part of this maintenance operation.