The Wash… Boston To R Nene

[bountyaft]

Hi all I have a bounty 27 aft with a 50 hp nanni diesel on shaft . With 200 litre fuel tank. 
would it be a good / safe idea?? . No previous experience on the wash.

river experience for 20 years.  Thanks 

 

[CambridgeCabby]

Boat should be capable when calm , but it is sensible to be accompanied by a suitable craft with an experienced skipper .

Also make sure you have suitable emergency equipment ( flares etc) and ship to shore fm 

[Happy]

44 minutes ago, CambridgeCabby said:

Boat should be capable when calm , but it is sensible to be accompanied by a suitable craft with an experienced skipper .

Also make sure you have suitable emergency equipment ( flares etc) and ship to shore fm 

And at least two spare fuel filters with the knowledge to fit them 

[Smoggy]

Pick weather and timing carefully,  check charts as it's not all water in the wash it's more like a soggy sandpit, there's no straight routes.

Fuel will be your downfall, may run perfect on rivers but a bit of chop will fill your filters full of crud quicker than your underwear.

I've done some flat calm wash crossings and some seriously lively ones, the wash is very unpredictable,  it ain't no boating lake.

[ChrisB]

I would be wanting VHF even if only the much lower power hand held.

[dom]

1 hour ago, ChrisB said:

I would be wanting VHF even if only the much lower power hand held.

The only issue with a lot of handhelds is they lack AIS, which may well communicate your position far quicker than a novice helm/radio user. There's obviously also a risk with a novice that they may inadvertently give an incorrect position. AIS will relay your position reliably in seconds.

[Smoggy]

1 hour ago, dom said:

The only issue with a lot of handhelds is they lack AIS, which may well communicate your position far quicker than a novice helm/radio user. There's obviously also a risk with a novice that they may inadvertently give an incorrect position. AIS will relay your position reliably in seconds.

Dsc is the one you're thinking of for vhf, not many vhf's have ais transmit built in and are silly money if they do.

But yes vhf critical, my handheld does have dsc but the power of a fixed set is better to have, then you need the fixed ship (or portable) licence and operators certificate to be legal, first one is free online and gives you a callsign and mmsi, second involves a short course.

[dom]

11 minutes ago, Smoggy said:

Dsc is the one you're thinking of for vhf, not many vhf's have ais transmit built in and are silly money if they do.

I did indeed mean DSC. Between boats, business and IT, I think my brain has reached its storage capacity for acronyms.

13 minutes ago, Smoggy said:

you need the fixed ship (or portable) licence and operators certificate to be legal, first one is free online and gives you a callsign and mmsi, second involves a short course.

This is always the trouble with a "quick trip" out to sea - to do it safely, you do really need to be properly licensed to use VHF (although RNLI won't generally make an issue if used without in an emergency), to have a decent means of navigation and, ideally, the ability to still work out where you're going if the latter fails.

Undoubtedly, as CambridgeCabby suggests, the best option would be to try and join up with at least one other experienced skipper. Trips out to sea are extremely enjoyable if you're someone of an adventurous nature, but far too many people head out inappropriately equipped. The RNLI do a sterling job, but aren't a breakdown service.

 

[William92]

It's been done in less suitable vessels. I have no idea what your boat needs re: fuel are etc. A friend alongside in a coastal or offshore boat would be good peace-of-mind! Is it possible to short-term hire an EPIRB, life raft, etc, for when the proverbial hits the propeller?

[dom]

58 minutes ago, William92 said:

It's been done in less suitable vessels.

I've been at sea in a force 5 in a 17ft open fishing boat with an outboard which kept cutting out and wasn't especially unnerved by the experience - but heading out in a narrowboat just wouldn't sit comfortably with me. You can just see in the video around 15:30 that it has next to no lateral roll stability. I know they do it in relatively calm conditions, but conditions can change pretty rapidly at sea.

[William92]

7 minutes ago, dom said:

I've been at sea in a force 5 in a 17ft open fishing boat with an outboard which kept cutting out and wasn't especially unnerved by the experience - but heading out in a narrowboat just wouldn't sit comfortably with me.

I'm 100% with you on that one - I admire how the narrowboat has evolved to the exact requirements of the canal network, and the historical utility of the form, but they are spectacularly unsuited to anything where the water moves on its own accord. They come a bit of a cropper from the current in the river after the passage.

[YnysMon]

David, who filmed the YouTube video linked above was a passenger. I think there were three YouTube videos made of the trip: David’s, Laura’s (another passenger) and Jo and Michael (the boat owners - YouTube channel Minimalist). It’s worth looking at Jo and Michael’s videos leading up to the trip, in which they detail the planning and preparation that went into the trip. I’m pretty sure they said they had to employ a pilot. 

[floydraser]

I understand narrowboats have crossed the English channel before now. Must cost a fortune for the horse's bouyancy aid..

[Smoggy]

I think it's Lincoln boat club and Boston boat club that often head out into the wash for a game of cricket on Roger sand, that's how deep large parts of the wash are, those that can take the ground anchor over the bank and just wait for the water to drop while those that can't anchor in the channel and use tenders.

Some narrow boats use the same system to await the next tide to go in.

You need a lot of power and speed (and fuel) to exit and enter any wash ports on the same tide.

We used to go into King's Lynn being great ouse based at the time and the channel into Lynn has changed several times, originally via Cork hole, then bulldog channel for a few years,  then daisleys sled, and now back to bulldog channel, I've no idea if the nene approach is as volatile but I suspect so, always had to anchor (or often used pilots buoy, if we can't get in they can't get out) to wait for enough water to get in.

The east coast is mostly fairly mobile so a lot of up to date charts are out of date if there's been a good blow and I dread to think when the last proper surveys were done.

Don't let any of this put you off just take heed and the right preparation for the trip, and have fuel tank properly cleaned first, it's been mentioned before several times but is most likely to be what makes it go wrong. 

[dom]

8 hours ago, Smoggy said:

I've no idea if the nene approach is as volatile but I suspect so

I've never done it by boat, but did look at keeping a boat at either Wisbech or Sutton Bridge in the past. From what I've seen of things, the tidal flow is pretty fierce and probably worse than the Ouse at KL. There is also regular shipping traffic to contend with, as Sutton Bridge port has returned to operating again.

[Hylander]

I assume that boat that ran aground on the Nene has now been moved.

 

[ChrisB]

Do you mean this little boat.

[Hylander]

Yes I do.    I assume it has been moved.

[ChrisB]

She came off about 12 hours later with the aid of two tugs

[Lulu]

 

[dom]

I can't believe how amazingly flat calm a day they managed to pick for the crossing. I don't think I've ever seen the Wash looking like that.

[LizG]

Strange the original poster hasn't subsequently posted?

[ExSurveyor]

They have reacted to many of the replies though.

[bountyaft]

Hi all I have suffered a fould prop and subsequent noise near the gear box or stuffing box and the prop shaft has moved back about 5 mm

hence I have not thanked people for their appreciated and constructive replies.