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Mr Venus

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  1. AllanD says SC should create an environment where business and community groups can engage. There are plenty of both that try, but the irony of Steve Dunlop going to Scottish Enterprise is not lost on them. Trying to get them to even meet to discuss ideas let alone implement them is hard enough. What do they spend all their salary budgets on? Layer after layer of people attending meeting after meeting. Achievements? Well, we know that.
  2. I think the problem with the bridges is that the road routes they serve are too important for traffic (emergency vehicles for example) to be stopped for a boater to operate. Consideration was given to the Lemington lift bridge in Edinburgh, but this has never been followed through on. Incidentally, there are more moveable bridges on the Leeds Liverpool canal than locks, more than 100 of them, all boat crew operated. If they are designed to be operated by crews, there shouldn't be a problem.
  3. Unlike most of the locks on the English network, the locks on the Lowland canals have no by-pass weirs. As the F&C "flows" from its summit, the locks "run" all the time over the top of the gates due to excess water, this being Scotland after all. On top of that, the lock gates themselves have sluices built in above the water level, which means that boats going downhill can get cascaded with water in the stern when the locks are being filled. Going uphill, you are met with a waterfall coming from way above your head at the bow. Contrary to a previous post, I'm sure the hire fleet would love to have all the locks self operated by the crews, but these locks are not safe, and I speak as one who has done thousands of locks, big and small, often single handed, but I wouldn't do these on my own. In fact, despite the generally excellent work performed by both the SC and Re-Union lock teams, flooded boats are not as rare as they should be, and an out of control boat caught in the water stream coming from one of the gate sluices is not a pretty sight. Steel narrowboats are one thing, but a plastic yacht out of control would be another.
  4. Hirers have been informed by the hiring companies. Otherwise, it's the usual reply from SC - look on their website.
  5. I found the comments by Scottish Canals concerning the number of boats affected by the closure of the F&C very interesting. They seem to have forgotten that they took over the 19 strong hire boat fleet, based at the Falkirk Wheel, for the 2018 season. I happen to know that in the last 5 years, the number of days booked on this fleet rose from 1,992 in 2012 to 3,482 in the 2017 season. Nearly all those hirers, on average a crew of 4, will go West at some point to pass through both Bonnybridge and Twechar bridges, and of course they have to go and come back. My maths makes that boaters affected by the closures in the 20 thousands. All water off a duck's back to SC of course, the day when all boat traffic has ceased on the Lowland Canals is that day they will be much happier.
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