Steve Wood wrote: > Ray wrote: > > >> A point though - If BW accepted that well maintained cruiseways are those >> where a boat loaded to design depth for the waterway can get about without >> too much trouble then the rest of us would have NO trouble. Ever. >> > > I was shocked to see the silt depth revealed when the Caldon breached > last week. The soil round there is very sandy so the difference in > colour between this and silt is quite apparent in photos, for example > http://www.cuct.org.uk/news/091112_caldon_breach.shtml > It wasn't that bad up there at all, we came tanking along that length in early September and we draw well over 3ft at the back. The channel was in fairly good condition along that reach, all the way from the aqueduct over the Uttoxeter line up to the new winding hole beyond the tunnel, just a few black swirly bits on the corners thrown up by the prop. Beyond the winding hole was very slow though, but still passable. Now down the locks on the bends by the Hollybush it was horrendous.No depth there, what so ever, and it was stoney rather than mud. Ditto leaving the river, and past the flint mills. We run with about 7 tons on board in an attempt to minimise the tendency of Clayton boats to Hog, due to poor design, a split lining plank at the tank stanks, makes them very weak. Another 5 tons would level her off and then another 8 would take her down to drawing about 3' 10" / 4ft which was the normal fully loaded trim. No more could be loaded as the centre of mass got to high and they would turn turtle, which is why Claytons stuck with wooden boats - higher centre of buoyancy.
see http://www.flickr.com/photos/93173...@n00/3919877175/in/set-72157594502381930 for running condition at that time. -- cheers Ian Mac
