Northwich Dry Dock

Every three or four years narrowboats need their bottoms blacked 😳 The base and sides of the hull get scraped and bashed and exposed to all sorts of detritus and bacteria in the waters they travel through. To avoid rust taking a hold and eating away the steel, boats are taken out of the water and a new protective coating applied.

Northwich Dry Dock is located on an island near Hunt's Lock on the River Weaver and has a good reputation. Rainboat has been afloat for 28 months now and we have time to spare before any route off the Weaver opens up, so now was a good time to get this particular job ticked off.

Will got in touch with Matt and Rebekah who operate the dock and booked her in. At 15:30 on Friday 5th September we took the branch off the main navigation that led to a weir and the dry dock, located between two of the arches of Hunts Viaduct; a visually striking position. On arrival we found another narrowboat called Enigma already moored in the dock. Following Matt's directions, Will steered Rainboat in and we tied up to the starboard side.

Matt used the overhead gantry to lower the stop gate in. He carefully tied both boats to ropes which ran through pulleys and had weights on the end. Next, the paddle at the far end of the dock was opened, releasing a torrent of water into the navigation and gradually draining the dock. As the boats lowered with the water level, Matt and Rebekah kept a careful eye on their positions. Sturdy sleepers lay across the base of the dock and each boat came to lay gently on top of them as the water drained away.

The gantry crane was used to place a set of steps next to our stern so we could get on and off. Matt and Rebekah had thoughtfully put carpet onto them to make it easier for the dogs but each step was taller than Tiger so it was very tricky for them and we ended up carrying them. For the first two days Leo was too nervous to even descend the stone steps into the empty dock so needed carrying up and down these as well!

Matt gave us the dock induction, including safety, facilities and routes on and off the island. Some people choose to do the work themselves but it is very labour intensive and Vicky had persuaded Will that it was a good idea to let Matt, who had done it many times before, undertake the task for us.

The job started almost immediately with Matt blasting away the original blacking with a pressure hose. It was filthy work which required him to lay underneath Rainboat and get covered in the black layer of detritus as it peeled off. He worked fast. Once the hull was blasted back to the steel, he checked it over for damage and pitting, applied some anti rust paint in places and between spells of rain painted on two coats of Two Pack Epoxy over the next 5 days. We chose this instead of bitumen because it is more durable and adheres better. While the new blacking was left to dry Matt wrestled to remove our propeller. It had been damaged over the course of our adventures, probably due to frequent grounding on the shallower canals. It was a real struggle to remove and surprisingly heavy. With a shiny new prop installed and her unblemished coat of paint, Rainboat's underside was gleaming.

It was a strange experience living in the dock for a week. The sound of water streaming through small gaps in the stopgate was a constant and a little disconcerting considering the river level on the other side was above our heads. Trains slowed when they crossed the viaduct but even so, the rumble and vibrations could be heard and felt inside Rainboat. Whiskers didn't feel confident enough to use the stairs so spent the entire time cooped up inside, sitting on the stern or prowling the rooftop. We walked the dogs on the island, being careful to keep them away from Matt and Rebekah's hens. A bridge led to a path along one side of the river and we could cross Hunts Locks to access a park on the other side. Leo liked this route best because it passed the lock hut where CRT people often fed him treats. Northwich was a reasonable walk away so we only went a few times.

When the week had passed we were more than ready to regain our sea legs and enjoyed watching the paddles open, refilling the dock and refloating our boats. We noticed straight away what a big difference the new propeller made to how smoothly Rainboat sailed so were very glad we'd had it fitted.

Thank you to Matt and Rebekah for the work you put in and for allowing us to stay on board. It was a lot easier doing this than rehoming ourselves and the four furries for the week! The closure of Anderton Boat Lift and Marsh Lock means Northwich Dry Dock Company will struggle for business while the Weaver is cut off from the rest of the canal and rivers network. We do hope they make it through.Read more