Victor—the Rochdale

SORTING the men from the boys and of course, the women from the girls. That's what the recently restored Rochdale Canal certainly does.

For instance, four boats were booked on the morning of Friday 20th September to go down the 'Rochdale 18', but only two made it, ours being one of them. The other two had given up the ghost very early on.

Hard work? Well just think. 91 locks over a distance of 32 miles. Many with paddle gear broken; others with half the paddles chained up; spindles on the gear so worn that windlasses slip round; paddles that need two people just to turn; gates that just cannot be moved; getting grounded in many places; too much water in others Need I go on?

My opinion? I enjoyed every minute of it! What a marvellous change from the mamby pamby canals of the midlands...

The 'old' section

THE 'OLD' section of the canal is of course that from Sowerby Bridge to the summit, which though only connected a few years ago to the main system by the deep Tuel Lane Lock, has been open and maintained by the Rochdale Canal Society for many years.

There are 35 locks to the summit, and not being particularly well maintained, causes a few problems, but as the section is well used by the hirers from Shire Cruisers at Sowerby Bridge, little more than hard work is needed.

But the scenery? Now we have cruised all the Kennet & Avon, the Llangollen and the scenic part of the Leeds & Liverpool, but nothing can compare to the dramatic scenery of the Yorkshire part of the Rochdale Canal.

An idyllic mooring before the summit

Right up into the Pennines, the views are superb.

Facilities there are a-plenty, with the canal starting off in a supermarket car park, with moorings and water points along the way.

Over the top!

SO ON up to the summit and into the Lancashire section.

Oh dear! This is where the real troubles start. A friendly British Waterways fella opened up the summit lock for us, we swung the bridge and down we went. Then stopped! The second pound was empty! With a boat well and truly stuck on the mud!

We eventually managed to get some water in, and crept down the middle of the channel, scraping the bottom, into the next lock. This is where we had windlass problems. You can forget the lightweight Dunton's, they are useless, for the paddle spindles are so worn that the Dunton Windlass just slips round. The short throw windless didn't give enough leverage and the long throw windless caught the beam!

When the windless was turned, the whole of the top part of the lock moved away from the bottom part, it was so worn.

All great fun! Especially in its wisdom, British Waterways had locked up the paddles on the other side, possibly they were broken.

During the season, the lock sides had actually bowed in nine inches. The reason, we were told, was that up to this year, a couple of boats a week would venture up, but this year there had been hundreds, and the water building up behind the walls, as the locks were emptied, was forcing them to bulge inwards.

So on we struggled, but before long no paddles were chained up, but still it was sometimes better just to struggle with one paddle rather than two!

We soon realised that boaters' public enemy number one, English Nature, had had its wicked way, with length after length of canal cordoned off to protect its precious plants. We really ought to watch this lot, or else they could be taking over, for already it has special areas on the canal set aside solely for raising its blessed plants.

Down to Slattocks Top Lock, were we moored for the night, and met up with Helen and Roger in Eastrop, who accompanied us right down into Manchester.

Life was a little easier then, for they cruise six months a year, so knew exactly what they were doing, with both of us getting in and out of locks by opening just a single gate.

Helen and Roger on Eastrop

Paddle gear and locks, having had more use in this section proved easier, though we both managed to get grounded, in one instance just outside a lock gate.

But the fishermen! I have heard lots of complaints about the fishermen on the restored section of the canal, and paid little heed. No, it's not the usual boaters' complaint, it is serious. The fishermen here take very strong exception to boats on their canal.

Roger, on Eastrop, was told in no uncertain terms that he had 'ruined £3 worth of bait' with his boat, which the fisherman had just thrown in.

One fisherman was most abusive to me, stating repeatedly that I didn't have a licence to be on that canal. He could not accept that the expensive British Waterways licence allowed cruising on the Rochdale Canal. As far as he was concerned, he had a licence and I had not, so shouldn't be allowed on!

I expect most of us can have a little sympathy for the fishermen who are forever pulling out to let boats pass, but on this particular day, there were only two going down and one coming up. I reckon that British Waterways will have to sort this out with a little persuasive public relations...

Eventually we arrived at the Boat & Horses pub, which is the designated place to moor before descending the 'Rochdale 18'.

We couldn't understand why the mooring was against stakes, away from the bank, even though there was plenty of water.

But we soon found out, when Eastrop was 'bombed' even in the afternoon, from the handy area above. Of course, the stakes are to stop boarders!

Roger was told by a British Waterways fella that it was no longer safe there, and to moor in the actual tunnel under the motorway, as it had no towpath, so boats were safe from the bandits!

Moorings at the Boat & Horses

All well and good, but there was nothing to moor to! We managed to get a very thin stake in between the wood and the concrete at one end and a screwdriver at the other! We were safe!

Eastrop managed to moor with most of the boat in the tunnel and a long rope to a stake outside, so that boat too was safe!

'Rochdale 18'

COME the following morning and up turned Jamie and John, two British Waterways' staff, all eager to assist us down the now named 'Rochdale 18'. "Where are your shotguns?" Jan asked. "I've got an MK47 in my pocket." Jamie retorted!

First things first of course, so we gave them a cup of tea each. And kept them supplied all the way down.

This was all a bit of a doddle now, with new gates and paddles, and the two were only too willing to work the locks with us, and go ahead to set others up.

But passing through Newton Heath, it is easy to see why boats are escorted both ways in the mornings, for it is obvious that vandalism is rife.

Vandals at work on the lock railings

Even though children were at school, a couple tried to get down a lock ladder onto Eastrop's roof. It was only when a video camera was pointed at them, that their coats went over their heads to hide their faces.

It is clear that at the week-ends, as many people have reported, it is a great problem with children climbing onto boats, with John remarking that the boats acts as a magnet for them.

Many people have told of the children on this part of the canal, and though we were originally booked to come down on a Saturday, cowards that we are, the schedule was re-arranged so that we could make the '18' on a Friday whilst the children were at school.

It must be stated however, that there is no reports of the kids actually damaging boats or throwing things—they just want a ride!

Bundles of coir, with some missing...

Then there are the narrow channels, with bundles of coir fastened to steels pins down each side, restricting the width. Okay, so there is room to steer a boat down, and no chance of a passing boat, as all boats are accompanied, and allowed though only at certain times. But the vandals have managed to reach the bundles, with now lots of them missing, some floating free, just waiting to get wrapped around a prop shaft, but in their place, about two inches of steel rod poking out of the water—nasty!

So down right through the '18' into Dulcie Street Junction, and goodbye to the very hard working Jamie and John, and into a different sort of problem—too much water!

Jamie and John chaining up the last lock

With the water from the Rochdale, Ashton and Huddersfield canals all pouring into the basin at Dulcie Street, it was a good foot over the top gate. And the blasted stuff followed us right down through the nine locks into Castlefield.

We had to drain the water out of every single lock before we could open a gate, for of course, as we let it out of one lock, it piled up on the next.

These are locks I shouldn't like to tackle late in the day, for even in the afternoon the rent boys were out and doing business in the catacombs where the canal goes under the buildings. Nearly every corner had blankets and things, with syringes and needles all over the place.

Approaching a lock under buildings

Castlefield at last, 32 miles and 91 locks later. It took us five days, and we don't hang around. But for all that, it was an experience I wouldn't like to have missed.

Do it. But if you are one of those who lets the little lady do all the locks—don't!