riding the tide up the Ouse to York

[dylanwinter]

York was a viking city

and the Humber tide still reaches to within four miles of the city

I fancy riding the tide up to York

maybe without using the engine - just using the flow of the tide with a dropped mast

I think it might take me two tides from Brough

I could wait out one ebb at Goole - that is a bit early and I want to catch the first off the flood as soon as it turns

so what I want is a hole half way up where I can drop a hook - or even better find a pontoon where I can wait out the ebb, overnight probably now the days are getting shorter

Longshot I know... but does anyone know the river well enough to offer me some advice

Dylan

 

[Lakesailor]

I would try at springs and after a dry spell. (Some hope)

 

[yachtorion]

I'm sure you'd be welcome to join us for the annual regatta between York RI SC and Yorkshire Ouse SC this coming weekend Dylan - though we might need to stick you in a dinghy rather than Katie L if you want to race. That said I have been threatening to enter my Hurley among the Mirrors, the Enterprises and the GP14s (I think they think I'm joking). We're a little way up from Naburn Lock where the tide ends.

http://yrisc.org

We do have pontoons at the club, but I'd be doubtful about their ability to hold a "big" boat. York Marina has some river-side pontoons opposite ours - perhaps they'd do a deal for a celeb I'm told, but don't know first hand, that you can get that far up river with the mast up - so you might not have to motor the whole way. I wouldn't advise drifting with the tide - near Selby there is still commercial shipping, and near York there are a lot of leisure motor boats.

An old railway bridge (formerly the East Coast Mainline, there is a photo somewhere of the Flying Scotsman going over it) passes over our club and between our two sets of pontoons. It no longer swings and means anything bigger than a dinghy can't get through unless the stick comes down. I suspect you could use the fuel berth at York Marina to drop the stick if you chose to proceed up to the free 48 hour visitor moorings in the city center (some next to a pub) - http://www.york.gov.uk/environment/Parks_and_open_spaces/rivers/ouse/

There is a wonderful (I think) sculpture built on top of the bridge called the Fisher of Men. The plaque below on the bridge contains an inspiring moral, but I'll let you discover it for yourself. From that position you can stare down into our boat park if you desired.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Naburn_railway_bridge_near_York.jpg

I don't know the river much below York but I'd second the comment above about after a dry spell. We've lost a lot of weekends this year to floods. If it's been raining much on the moors there is a good chance the river will flood. Our pontoons (and sometimes boat park) have been underwater a few times this year. Floods arrive quickly and leave a little more slowly. If you get caught then the pontoons actually inside the marina are a safe but not cheap way to ride it out as the shopping trolleys and trees float past down the river.

The Viking Recorder (link below) is a good thing to keep an eye on - anything over 1.5m is to be thought about.

http://www.environment-agency.gov.u...nId=8208&RegionId=3&AreaId=17&CatchmentId=151

It probably goes without saying but keep away from the edges. In places they are nice and steep... in others there are submerged trees and sand banks jutting out.

Should you want any information about the river in an around York, or think you might get the chance to join us for some racing, let me know. Feel free to shout when you get near Hartlepool if you so wish as well - there is a reasonably decent bottle of Whisky on board my boat there.

James
Wanderer 1278 "Emily Lucy" @ York RI SC
Hurley 22 1198 "Omega" @ Hartlepool Marina

 

[dylanwinter]

great offer

I'm sure you'd be welcome to join us for the annual regatta between York RI SC and Yorkshire Ouse SC next weekend Dylan - though we might need to stick you in a dinghy rather than Katie L if you want to race.

http://yrisc.org/2012/08/27/336/

James
Wanderer 1278 "Emily Lucy" @ York RI SC
Hurley 22 1198 "Omega" @ Hartlepool Marina

would love to

but got a wedding to go to on Saturday

but can you put me in touch with anyone who knows the top bit of the tidal ouse well enough to make some suggestions

D

 

[yachtorion]

would love to

but got a wedding to go to on Saturday

but can you put me in touch with anyone who knows the top bit of the tidal ouse well enough to make some suggestions

D

I'm afraid us dinghy sailors don't tend to venture below Naburn Lock - but if no-one on the forum can help then I bet some of the folk at York Motor Yacht Club would know - http://ymyc.co.uk/contact/

 

[yachtorion]

I've just had another thought which is Selby Boat Centre. Ask for Simon. They're on the canal, accessible from the river. I'd expect him to be able to provide some useful information - but also he's got some moorings and he's always willing to do a deal.

They also have some interesting relics in the yard, including a very sad prout that came in for a minor refit a long time ago...

http://www.selbyboatcentre.co.uk/

 

[ProDave]

This may be over simplifying things, but looking at my Nicholson inland waterways map, can you not pop into either the River Derwent, or Selby canal for a break?

 

[Niander]

Id of thought naburn lock would be good to stop for the night
heres how it looks http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6_YX9GS-VY

you can see some pontoons above the lock
that is like a canal job to raise the boat in height and bypass the wier
all exceedingly good video material...

ive been there on foot as lived in York

 

[dylanwinter]

limited access

This may be over simplifying things, but looking at my Nicholson inland waterways map, can you not pop into either the River Derwent, or Selby canal for a break?

usually the canal gates are only open for a couple of hours either side of high tide

I really want to pick up the first of the flood

But both good suggestions

although I would have to get a canal license - which I will need if I go up to York as opposed to just ride the tides up and back

D

 

[Beadle]

There is nowhere sensible to stop between Goole and the river Derwent entrance lock.

Next stop upstream is Selby, again a lock.

There are 2 swing bridges - at Goole and at Howden (Boohferry)

Then you have Selby Swing Bridge. Above Selby there is a swing bridge at Cawood looked after I believe by the Selby keeper.

After that you are fairly clear

They should open for you - channel 9 to call bridge keeper.

I would think carefully about riding the tide. On the flood the the tide is covering the sandbanks and tends to carry you towards the shallow bits. Running aground is not something you want to do. Some years ago a fuel barge - 600 ton jobby - grounded its bow on the putty, was swung around broadside and then rolled over by the tide.

Best of luck

 

[SelbyBoatCentre]

The Prout is still present......