Two barges get stuck in low water Wigan Canal 05 04 2014

Note.....
All the problems were due to low water in the canal,not the people on the barges.....Steve..

[@Ogsonofgroo]

Still watching narrow boats/canal boats to this day, I call it a vicarious holiday :) Love these vids!

[@stestepney]

Thanks for watching and comment mate cheers Steve ..

[@irenedavo3768]

Watching December 2020

[@spencerwilton8876]

Looks like about 18 inches has been drained over a short period looking at the water line on the stone banks. Is this a very short pound or was it vandalism / carelessness at a lower lock?

[@sam8alex12]

Pleased they both made it out. Thanks Steve

[@stestepney]

Thanks Ernie made a change from trains..cheers Steve..

[@sam8alex12]

stestepney Yes there must be lots of other things going on ,other than trains just a matter of finding them.

[@thedieiscast9729]

Comeback British Waterways Board. Our locks were always better maintained.

[@pops1507]

Happened to us. Man on phone said engineers had "over cooked" the canal. Funny. Got quick tow off. Brits are great people.

[@stestepney]

Thanks Pops good to hear all was sorted out cheers Steve ..

[@f114163]

I had the same problem on Clayton Locks, Manchester, recently. Part way up the flight the pounds were low and the boat bottomed out. No option but to let water down from the next higher pound. This of course leaves the next pound low and you have to repeat the process. It took us 3 hours to get up the last 4 locks. I don't think revving the engine hard is the solution though. If you're not floating ask yourself why first. Also inner city canals are full of junk, you risk winding something up in the prop if the water's so low. Stick to the middle too as someone commented below. Can't thank enough some passers-by in Manchester who lent a hand too. Some people can be friendly.

[@stestepney]

I lived in Openshaw and worked at ESC and Eva Brothers both canal side in the 60/70s loved walking along that canal cheers Steve ..

[@Neilukuk]

Some people leave the lock open at other end, That doesn't help.

[@alison__16]

Imagine standing there all day breathing in exhaust fumes

[@richardwilliams8953]

Get both boats out, close both gates, open all sluices.....flood the length below, then go back and shut down.......had to do this a few times with a tripping boat....

[@johnwalton6642]

Great to see the crews work as as teams to sort their problems out. The 'nasty man' is obviously another oxygen thief!

[@stestepney]

Thanks John sorry just seen your comment cheers Steve ..

[@cornelbebie7400]

Frankie's diesel is not a happy engine... [All the problems were due to low water in the canal,not the people on the barges] : Sure, but if the whole crew was simultaneously pushing on poles, a small silt shoal could be overcome. Awareness and teamwork... even if it's only sweetwater navigation.

[@elizabethannferrario7113]

hi everyone why are narrow boats permitted so much funes from the engine when smokeless zones have been implemented for years ! this is not good ! just look at the fumes !

[@amcsv650s]

Still far less than the putrid bellowing filth spewing from your pie hole.

[@murkywaters4236]

Cannot be named Canal if so shallow and poorly maintained. My sympathies, should have been a fine journey on a fine barge.

[@johnmcmickle5685]

Keep in mind that id might be due for dredging, which I hope is not as much of an issue as ti would be in the United States.

[@slimsterslim6531]

Narrow boat. Not barge.

[@ynot6473]

the water level looks to be 15-18 inches down!!! that's appalling.

[@stestepney]

Thanks for watching mate yes the water was way down that day cheers Steve ..

[@spencerwilton5831]

pmailkeey you can clearly see the ground paddles in the lock have been opened in order to do just that- that's the water pouring in at water level from the left of the picture.

[@bwghall1]

why did you not pour the water in out of the kettle. Lol. this is plan F....

[@thefloatingapothecaryroman16]

How many holiday boaters does it take to operate a lock? 🤣

[@clivelee4279]

The Usual remedy for this problem, is to open the paddle's in the top gate of the lock, and let some water down to put the level up.

[@scdevon]

Lame canal maintenance. These boats only draw about 2 feet of water to begin with.

[@davidh4514]

Drought

[@spencerwilton5831]

scdevon more likely a mistake at the next lock, temporarily draining the pound. You can see how much it's dropped, most likely a careless boater left a paddle open.

[@BarnabyPerrinAldous]

At the end of the day (so to speak) you're grounded and you just have to deal with that. Clearly, the wash from that outlet is depositing silt so it requires dredging. What I see is a splendid canal, but with work to be done x

[@stestepney]

Thanks Barnaby not sure but think the canal had been emptied but water level not up yet ? cheers Steve ..

[@MrJimbaloid]

He was a bit nasty wasn't he. No need for that was there.

[@stevebarbier5602]

Can't see any barges.......................just narrowboats !!!

[@davidharrop9984]

They were quite close to the British Waterways office.... It should have been their problem not the boaters.

[@stestepney]

Thanks mate - Steve ..

[@spencerwilton5831]

David harrop it happens. It's part and parcel of being a boater. You can see from the water line on the stonework that the water has dropped about 18 inches over a short period- most likely a paddle left open. As a boater you just deal with it and move on. The canal will eventually refill as water comes down the system.

[@nickviner1225]

I migrated in 1972 to Australia. I never knew that there was so little water in the canals. I reckon you could walk across that canal and not have water above your chest.

[@DaveDriver]

I wonder why they didn't just top up the pound from above.

[@stestepney]

Don't know Dave cheers Steve ..

[@gary96397]

21 locks in a row, and then 2 locks after that at a greater distance apart

[@stestepney]

Thanks for info Gary cheers Steve ..

[@powellriver100]

Do they ever dredge those canals out? Just wondering.

[@davidh4514]

@Never Mind careless use of locks

[@spencerwilton5831]

Bias KZbin there is no EU directive on dredging canals. Just a lack of funds. That's why the licence check staff are essential, or do you think people should be allowed to live on the canals for free?

[@justbanter8727]

That looks like Wigan Pier? - not a very good advertisement if the canal is so shallow that it can't accommodate these vessels! - I believe it was a very busy working boat venue (coal) back in its heyday, so obviously boats with a much lower draft used to operate here without a hitch!!

[@stestepney]

Thanks mate yes it is Wigan Pier area, don't think they usually have the problem think it had been drained but it was not full enough on the day cheers Steve ..

[@TheByard]

The bargees used to throw coal off the lighten the load, maybe a bit too much has been dumped there. Tunnel used to be the worst as the dumpers couldn't be seen. One lump or two vicar???

[@johnmcmickle5685]

It looked like from what I could see in the video the canal was probably over a foot below normal level.

[@stestepney]

I think you are right there John cheers Steve ..

[@bivers4399]

Don’t show Greta those plumes of smoke out of exhaust or boating will be banned next😂😂

[@jamesbutterson5218]

Dredge out all those little ditches so y'all can float around without getting stuck ⛴️

[@MrStephen54]

Well i now know what a barge pole looks like....still wouldn't touch it though.......

[@stestepney]

Well said Steve cheers Steve ..

[@SirFloofy001]

4:50 That made me wince

[@julast6658]

10 47 you can see how low the water is, to low. They should stop and let more water in from the CRT. The nasty man kind of had a point. ;-)

[@stestepney]

Thanks mate i agree but nasty man should have made his point in a nicer manner cheers Steve ..

[@timothycole9232]

They narrow/canal boats

[@BritishBeachcomber]

Too close to the side. There's usually deeper water in the middle of the cut.

[@stestepney]

Thanks for comment mate,i believe the canal had been drained and was not at its full level when they were running cheers Steve ..

[@andyparsons6293]

3.30 You can see the first boat is pushed from the centre of the canal towards the right bank by a flow of water entering the canal from just outside the lock gates. An inflow of water like this would have a greater effect on passing craft in shallow water than normal.

[@migranthawker2952]

Narrowboats, NOT barges!!!

[@stestepney]

Thanks for your comment you Narrowboats me Barges cheers Steve ..

[@bwghall1]

this global warming. we have tides in canals now. LOL.

[@ShipSpottingNederland]

Is this in Canada?

[@stestepney]

Hi mate Wigan Greater Manchester England cheers Steve ..

[@labarone8910]

Throw all the Barm cakes off. Problem solved. Haha

[@stestepney]

Ye but eat the bacon first

[@keithbrierley710]

a barge does not have an engine. they wer narrowboats

[@lknanml]

Helpful guy. LOL.

[@stestepney]

Thanks mate he must have got out wrong side of the bed (LOL) cheers Steve ..

[@CardiganBear]

4:51 Ouch!

[@gary63693]

Yeah did sound like he left his gearbox behind then. lol

[@AYY116]

shit happens

[@elizabethannferrario423]

Sorry but come on people ! You can’t actually do it with a tad,of gumption !your poor boat wouldn’t need that much traumatic issues then crash your boat thank god I don’t face you on the road ! Your poor boat abused by stupidity ! Sorry I face it ! Laughing it’s not funny

[@junepercival418]

Incomprehensible rant!

[@rss3781]

geet a real boat looks like a trash barge if this is what england has america has amazing boats hell me bass boat does 90mph easy and my 42 ft whaler outrage 420 does about 45 on a 3ft seas day

[@TR4zest]

Did you hear the whoosh? That was the point of these boats going right over your head. A 90 mph bass boat? Ha ha ha ha. Thanks for the laugh.

[@alextelford5176]

NOT barges!

[@thegrayknight71]

Great video. Thanks. I dream about driving a large dutch barge up and down the english canals. But... the canals are often narrow, low bridges, the locks can be short, AND i realize a barge sitting lower in the water than this narrowboat... Time for plan B. :)

[@stestepney]

+Kyrre Forland. Thamks mate hope plan B works for you cheers Steve ..

[@mrgibbs4521]

Ok

[@stevebirks2186]

"It's a flat fish that seeks shallow waters" !

[@shadowfax1220]

looks like a foot lower than usual level. Clearly angry man is as thick as 2 short planks. At least he kept the revs low to stop the stern digging in

[@stestepney]

Your right on both counts there mate cheers Steve ..

[@tomhayes9087]

More than a foot that

[@frankrydzinski2103]

oh no not frankie?? how will i ever live it down :)

[@stestepney]

Thanks for watching cheers Steve ..

[@CosgroveNotts]

Boats and caravans draw a certain kind of person

[@tango6nf477]

Yes discerning and interesting people who are not afraid of doing something challenging and stimulating instead of sitting on their backsides on a beach