impulsive

[lee113]

HI everybody,
I've been wanting to learn to sail for some years now and ive finally taken the plunge, but i've also made my first mistake. i bought a 25ft westerly moored at a marina in grimsby, but i live in wirral. I was told i would be able to bring it over to the river mersey via the canal system if i lowered the mast. I've since been told that the canals could possibly be too shallow. Now i have a dillema. I only paid £1500 for the boat and have been quoted £1000 to transport it over. i don't know wether to re sell the boat and just buy another closer to home or if there is anybody out there than can suggest another alternative. i have my first sailing lesson next week, im really excited to get started. Thanks in advance for any advice.

[roverhi]

Don't know a thing about the canal system in England/Wales but there is usually significantly more water in canal systems in the spring. If you don't draw more than 4' you'd probably have a good chance of making it but you better get cracking as the spring rains are hopefully coming to an end.

[Kelkara]

I'm going to guess that the Leeds-Liverpool Canal will be the limiting factor on that route.

According to this:
https://www.canals.com/canaldata.htm
there's a minimum draft of 3'9"

is this your boat?
WESTERLY 25 sailboat specifications and details on sailboatdata.com
in which case it has a maximum draft of 2'6".

So unless the canal is more shallow than usual ... you should be good.

So I'd phone up Inland Waterways (or whatever they're called), and get definitive info on whether there are any unusual restrictions ... and get advice from canal cruising people not ocean sailors.

but the canal is 127 miles long with 91 locks ... if you want to be in Liverpool by next week you'd better get cracking.

[JPA Cate]

Take a friend with you for help tying up in the locks, and companionship.

Ann

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Lee.

[lee113]

Thank you every one for the welcome. I do have my first lesson on Monday but fortunately i don't need my boat for lessons yet. I'm glad that if all is as it should be , i should have the draft to bring the boat by canal but 91 locks!!!! oh my. I think I will have a few lessons and see if i can make some sort of decision then. Thank you everyone.

[Wotname]

Welcome aboard CF, lee113. I had to refresh my memory of where Wirral is .

There will be someone around (or some group) that will know the state of the canals between you and Grimsby. The UK is awash with folk who know all about walks, canal. railways etc. You will just have to hunt them out to confirm the current draft of the canals /locks in question.

As for the trip itself, it should be easy. Some simple motoring and docking skills plus discovering how the locks operate. Once you have done the first couple, you will just be repeating the same skills another 88 times .

Assuming you have the time (and you might not have to complete the trip in one go) and a mate or two will to join you along the way or at least for the first five or ten locks, you will have a great time.

Crikey, I want to buy a airfare to Liverpool just thinking about it