Some views of Cammell Lairds:
Oil product tanker, inbound, passing Cammell Laird's "big shed"
Jump to: May(near marina)
Jump to: June(Eastham)
Jump to: June(Pickerings Pasture)
Jump to: July(Widnes)
Jump to: September(Fidler's Ferry)
Wednesday 21 May (Liverpool HW 10:50).
High pressure - sunny - slight wind. So ideal for testing boat after period in boat yard.
Enter river from marina at 9:40. Run at full revs (2400) to test engine
and cooling system - all OK. 16 knots.
Some views of Cammell Lairds:
Oil product tanker, inbound, passing Cammell Laird's "big shed"
Lock in to marina at 10:40, only boat, and quickly into marina
itself, since water level was similar to that in the river.
Wednesday 12 June (Liverpool HW 7.7m, 16:10).
A brief period of slight wind - so take the chance to get out of the marina. Cool, some breeze, no rain. Small tide - so not suitable for going far up river.
Enter river from marina at 2:55 with 2 yachts. Cross to Birkenhead side and head up to Eastham.
Some views of Cammell Lairds:
Carmet's yard - now MST.
Dredger barge? - moored in the river near the Carmet yard.
Outbound MV Cembay
Dock at Eastham
View of building at Eastham
Inbound Elisa K
Run briefly at full revs - to check engine. Lock back in at 4:15, with 2 other motor yachts.
Monday 24 June (Liverpool HW 8.9m, 13:35).
Warm and sunny - wind from S force 2-3. Spring tide so suitable for heading up the Mersey.
Enter river from marina at 12:10, only boat. Head up river, with the current, via Garston Channel and then keeping to north shore. [see earlier trips for more navigation details]
View of Cammell Lairds, seen from the Garston Channel:
Houses at Cressington (near Garston):
Garston Dock Entrance, passed at 12.35, near buoy G11.
Liverpool Sailing Club House. [offshore, there was a yacht moored and
what looked like the mast of a sunken vessel - further inquiry revealed that it
was a racing mark].
Airport gantry.
Pass Hale Head at 1:15, Light house (disused):
After passing Hale Head, I took a look at the birds on Pickering Pasture, without getting too close to spook them. Close together were water-fowl: very white (egret); grey (heron); very black (cormorant).
View from Pickerings pasture of the bridges at Runcorn.
Turn around at 1:28 - basically near HW Liverpool, so some adverse current. But there
is a back eddy near Pickerings Pasture which helps. Then pass around Hale head (still quite strong
up-river current) and head around the Dungeon (inlet to north which has less current).
Some herons were visible, in the Dungeon:
Further round the dungeon, pass the "tank traps" abandoned there:
On leaving the Dungeon area, at 2:03, the lattice perch (one of the
last remaining navigation marks) was prominent, with the airport
control tower beyond.
Then head along north shore - as on way up river. Current picked up and reach marina lock at 2:58. Only boat, in marina 3:05.
Whole trip was at low revs - about 6 knots through the water. Depth of water
under my keel was always more than 2 metres.
Wednesday 24 July (Liverpool HW 9.2m, 14:04).
Forecast: light wind, but overcast with possible rain. Spring tide - so suitable for going far up river.
Enter river from marina at 12:04 with 1 yacht.
Head, with the current, past Garston (12.45), Airport Gantry (13.00), Hale Head (1.22), Runcorn Gap (1:43). Pass under N arch of Railway Bridge.
View of underside of rail and road bridges at Runcorn.
After passing under bridges, I was surprised to see a small yacht waiting - as if for the current to ease off. I headed round to the area off the Widnes West Bank - where there is less current. I waited there until about HW Liverpool, when the current under the bridge would have slackened a bit.
Gateway Bridge - with remains of Fidlers Ferry power station beyond.
Yachts at West Bank. I believe the lock is still not functioning, so the vessels
in use are moored alongside the quay, or in the lock entrance.
I set off back to Liverpool at 2.03 - with revs now set for 7 knots through the water (I had only needed 6 knots through the water for the trip up). I passed Hale Head at 2.36, with the current upriver quite weak.
Hale Head Light-house (disused).
By 3.02, I was off the airport Gantry with slight favourable current, and by 3.15, off Garston, there was an increasingly strong current pushing me along. There was some rain at times - with misty visibility. Also the wind picked up to SW force 3.
Lock into the Marina at 3.40. - only vessel.
Wednesday 18 September (Liverpool HW 9.7m, 12:01).
Forecast: wind SE, 2-3, overcast then sunny. Spring tide - so suitable for going far up river.
Enter river from marina at 10:12 with 1 yacht and 1 rib.
Head, with the current, past Garston (10.45), Airport Gantry (10.52), Hale Head (11.15), Runcorn Gap (11:35). Pass under N arch of Railway Bridge. Because of the strong current up river, and the SE wind, there was some "wind over tide" chop at times.
View of Garston docks, with Mersey Ferry (Overchurch/Royal Daffodil/Daffodil)
which is being refurbished for use as a floating bar/cafe.
Runcorn steaming away.
View of rail and road bridges at Runcorn.
After passing under bridges, I decided to head on further, following the channel that runs around the north bank. Pass West Bank sailing club - with a few boats moored/alongside since lock is now closed.
West Bank Boat Club at Widnes, Spike Island.
Gateway road bridge.
Pass under Gateway Bridge (N arch) at 11.43. then turn near
flower statue on bank:
Reach Hempstone point at 11.50, pass under the pylon crossing at 11.55, then head up the reach past Fidler's Ferry Sailing Club. This has several large buoys moored - for yacht racing presumably. The current up was 3 knots plus. Decide to turn around and head out at 12.02.
Current on buoy at Fidler's ferry.
Fidler's Ferry Yacht club:
Fidler's Ferry lock:
To stem the current and make progress, I increased speed from 6 knots through the water to 10. Even so, progress was slow until I reached Widnes at 12.36, nearer to local HW. By the time I reached Hale Head (at 12.55) the current was favourable and I slowed down to 7 knots through the water.
Marlin at speed, with Fidler's Ferry power station (only 4 towers now) behind.
The obligatory image of the Hale Head LH.
Liverpool airport:
Reach marina lock by 1.50 and, after a rib left, lock in by 1.58. Because of the big spring tide, depth under my keel was 2m or more almost everywhere. Distance run: approximately 32 miles.
If higher resolution versions of the above images are wanted, please contact me. All information given in good faith, but please do not rely on it.
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