Boat rally 2010: Russell Newbery Register

The 2010 rally took place from Thursday 10th June to Sunday 13th June at The National Waterways Museum, Ellesmere Port (colloquially known as The Boat Museum). Rally boats were moored in the upper basin within the museum site, the lower basin, and just out side the museum at the very north end of the Shropshire Union Canal. [Google map for Ellesmere Port]

The main rally events were held in the Tom Rolt Conference centre. The rally bar featured local beers from the Frodsham Brewery and Spitting Feathers. The most popular beers were 1st Lite from Frodsham and Farmhouse Ale from Spitting Feathers. Additionally local cider from Cheshire's newest cider producer, Wrenbury Cider. The bottles of the ciders featured special lables featuring canal scenes.

The main entertainment feature was a return visit by Black Country comedy duo Dandy. On Saturday evening music was provided by the RNR Music Ensemble which featured pieces from the Ukelele section which had only been formed the afternoon before. Also a memorable item was some recitals on the harp by Jamie Mason.

A RNR rally record of attendance was set, fifty motor boats and two butty boats.

Other rally activities included:

Spider stitching with Mary Parry
Lean to play the Ukelele with Wendy Grattan
RN Cylinder Head workshop - lead by former RN apprentice Jamie Mason
Finccord Brooches with Bruce Turley
Narrowboars to Norway, Clive and Jill Field presnted the story of the trip to Norway and Sweden undertaken by four narrowboats in the summer of 2005. One of the boats was their own RN powered Witcombe.
Open Forum discussion with RN Diesels
PRM Gearbox - how it works - Ian Oliver from PRM

A pre-rally rally, Chester City Road, Tuesday 8 June.

Photo: RN powered motor and butty approaching Northgate bridge, Chester

In previous years the weather has been kind, but this year the week before the rally had a couple of wet days. Thus the not quite traditional umbrelas in use on this RN powered pair approaching Northgate bridge, Chester.

Photo: Boats moored up abrest just out side the mueuem entrance

Due to work on the wide Whitby locks not being completed, early arrivals moored up abrest just out side the mueuem entrance.

Photo: Boat jam approaching Ellesmere Port

Boats arriving on Thursday encounted a boat jam as moooring were sorted out.

For one arrival space was not a problem, having crossed the Mersey and come up the Manchester Ship Canal, nb Lothiorien waits in the ship dock below the ship lock.

Eventually moorings were sorted, with rally boats mingling with the muesum boats in the Upper Basin, ...

... and in the Lower Basin

The Lower Basin lineup had over 200hp of RN power tied to the bank.

And there were boats moored between both the wide and narrow Whitby locks. The lower wide lock was out of action during the rally weekend.

A very popular feature was the cooked breakfasts in the Museum restaurant. This is the queue forming at 9am on Saturday.

The excllent Tom Rolt conference centre facilities includes a small bar, much appreciated by the bar staff.

Regular rally attendee Ghost from nb Kyle enjoys a drop of decent beer too.

On Sunday evening there was a reshuffle of the moorings to get most of the boats departing via the Manchester Ship Canal into the lower basin. With the botom wide locks out of use, all boats had to desend the narrow locks, so for the two pairs this meant bow hauling the butties.

Photo: boats passing between the narrow locks

Quit a hive of acivity for a couple of hours - almost like the old days.

nb Swallow has a 1930s National engine fitted.

Boats in the first convoy assemble in the Ship Canal dock priory to navigating the Manchester Ship Canal and the River Weaver. Thirty rally boats returned this way in three convoys.

First two pairs of convoy one head towards Stanlow.

Photo: Multi colour life jacket brightening up the Ship Canal.

The multi colour life jack on nb Puffin's steerer brightens up the Ship Canal!

Photo: Tail end of convoy one heading towards Stanlow.

nb Alice Maria completes convoy one heading towards Stanlow.

Photo: Convoy two departing from Ellesmere Port, Mount Mainsty in background.

Almost all of convoy two departing from Ellesmere Port, Mount Mainsty in background.

Photo: Tail end of convoy two heading towards Stanlow.

nb Kyle ompletes convoy two heading towards Stanlow.

More photographs of the Ship Canal convoys

Photo: RN boats ascending Northgate locks, Chester

For the rest of the rally attendees it was back via the Shropshire Union. Here a pair ascend Northgate locks in Chester, the eay way. Breasted up one crew work the locks whilst the boats are worked by one person (the Register chairman no less).

Sunset over the Boat Museum, Telford toll house on the left

2011 Rally | 2009 Rally