# A ferry across the Manchester Ship Canal



## andy990 (Oct 26, 2014)

Might be of interest to some folks, provided you have 11p to spare!
http://allthingswarrington.net/Places/Places/thelwallpennyferry.html


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## ben27 (Dec 27, 2012)

good day andy990.m.yesterday.20:35.re:a ferry across the manchester ship canal.thank you for posting a most interesting piece of canal history,and a great video clip.regards ben27


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## Frank P (Mar 13, 2005)

Thanks for the link Andy, an interesting story.

In the 1980's I was working with a guy at BAT Liverpool and we got talking about the MSC (I had sailed up to Irlam a few times in the 1970's) and he told me a story about a ferry on the MSC he said there had been a fire on the canal (floating oil ) and some people in the ferry had got burned, do you know if this was true?....

Cheers Frank


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## andy990 (Oct 26, 2014)

Hi Frank. I think you're referring to Bob's ferry disaster at nearby Cadishead where a similar ferry service operates. Six people died in it sadly. You can read about it here: http://www.manchestereveningnews.co...memorial-service-mark-manchester-ship-7049065


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## Frank P (Mar 13, 2005)

Thanks Andy, that must be the story, very sad indeed. The memory is fading having read the article in your link I think that it may have been discussed before.....

Cheers Frank


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## TOM ALEXANDER (Dec 24, 2008)

On a lighter note B\)B\)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IRbgspkAy8


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## TOM ALEXANDER (Dec 24, 2008)

On a lighter note B\)B\)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IRbgspkAy8


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## John Briggs (Feb 12, 2006)

This was posted on SN quite a few years ago.

Captins Log - Brigantine “Phylis Gizzard”, out bound for Salford.

Seventy days out not a hint of a breeze, the bosun reports we are down to a single tin of sea biscuits and a fathom of hard tack, luckily still plenty of rum, but the water situation means we cannot dilute it and have to cut it into cubes and let the men suck their daily tot, this is a grave chore for men have not a cupful of spit betwixt them.

The man in the topgallants reported hearing breakers, could this be the dreaded reefs of Runcorn? Many a poor sailor man had been sent to fiddlers green on those evil spires, or worse, been cast ashore and devoured alive by the Cloggies.
A week since my last log entry, had to hang able seaman Jim Gonad, the sailmaker caught him drinking the last of my ink, nobody had the energy to administer a flogging but discipline must be maintained lest we turn into a rabble and begin to act like French sailors.

Liverpool Bay still fogbound, we feel our way forward using the lead, we must hit the Runcord entrance soon or we are doomed. The Mate Mr Rivet reports the Galley boy in a bad way , "He be losing flesh fast Capin" he said, this is bad news indeed, as we had been feeding young Jim Scuttle extra rations, for as the old sea saying goes, "a lb on the galley boy is a week in the lifeboat"

At last praise be, we are thru the Runcorn entrance and into the Canal, two men died horrible deaths by drinking the canal water in the thirst madness, at least this means there will be stew for tea tonight.

Seventeen day passage to Letchford, howls of the natives can be heard thru the fog, the men are very afraid, had the bosun issue musket and Cutlass, we keep a watch from the ratlines.

Day eighteen, no crew died in the night so it is back to hard tack and biscuit for myself and the crew, the mate says we could take one of young Scuttles kidneys as he is extremis and would probably not miss it, but no, must not give in to temptation , we must set a example.

Day 30, old Enoch Scrote sighted a whale spouting off the weather bow, this means that Lechford cannot be too far ahead, we pray for a breeze and a relief from the stifling heat, the natives were restless again last night, taunting us from the banks, their women folk lifting their dress's in lewd invitation, Harry Bollard and Jack Truss overcome with lust and thirst dove overboard, a shark got one before he made the shore, the other’s screams kept us awake well into the night.

Day fourty, my birthday today, fourty years man and boy at sea, at last my own command it looks like the Brigantine Phylis Gizzard may be my last. Cookie made a effort, he had the crew heave the anchor onto the focsul head, chipped the rust off, and made a pan of soup with it, our spirits were lifted for a while.
Praise the lord we have forced the straights of Irlham and are over halfway now, the heat grows worse as we penetrate the interior.

Had to punish four of the men yesterday, they had been hoarding their rum cubes. I will not allow drunkenness on the Phylis Gizzard, the heat is so great that the ropes are drying out, two of them snapped before the miscreants had finished dancing, had to order the bosun do the honours with a belaying pin.

Day fifty, two more crew to punishment, poor Enoch they had taken the lads right leg, this is ironic for I had issued orders that all men turn over their left shoes to cookie for stew.
The crew hop about the vessel now, as it is impossible to place a bare foot on the red hot decks. Old Dan the bucket maker is having a hard time, he had only one left leg at the start of the voyage, he shrieks in pain with every footstep.

Day sixty, Old Enoch croaked something incomprehensible in the tops, pointed a scrawny hand to the east, and plunged dead into the black swirling waters. But there thru the mists we sighted the black cliffs of Salford.

The men are in high spirits I have warned them of the ladies of Salford and the black pox, but alas in vain.

Day 75, I pay off the ships company, forty three men set sail from Birkenhead before the mast of the Phylis Gizzard, 17 remained on payoff day, thus is the life of a sailor, and those that dare the waters of the Manchester Ship Canal.


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## rothesian (Dec 31, 2005)

*Ferry*

there was and must still be a ferry at Stanlow Oil Docks.
There was a fire on the canal around 1969/70 when an overflow from the Tacoma was ignited. I believe the cargo was petroleum spirit or naphtha. Skipper was at home in bed at the time.


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## Pat Kennedy (Apr 14, 2007)

rothesian said:


> there was and must still be a ferry at Stanlow Oil Docks.
> There was a fire on the canal around 1969/70 when an overflow from the Tacoma was ignited. I believe the cargo was petroleum spirit or naphtha. Skipper was at home in bed at the time.


Here is the ferry at Stanlow which takes passengers from the main refinery acroos the canal to Stanlow oil dock


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## andy990 (Oct 26, 2014)

All interesting stuff, thanks for posting. Love the Stanley Holloway song about The Runcorn Ferry Tom. My grandad always used to do Stanley's Albert & The Lion monologue at Xmas.


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