magpie patrick

The lower picture looks like it allowed water to weir past the tail gates, that doesn't explain building the recess out of wood though

As a long term solution lowering the water level doesn'twork for exactly that reason: in time the "top six inches" leak again. However as a short term solution to a drought there is no doubt it iscbetrer to keep that top six inches in the reservoir rather than the canal. Remember the reservoir also won't be full so it's not a waste of capacity to keep it there Another feature of a brim full canal is that water gets wasted when locks are not set ahead, as the lock above is emptied it runs over the bywash and isn't available to fill the next lock.

Thanks all - very useful. Rob I've sent you a PM

Aplogies, this is off forum territory, but I thought I'd ask here as I guess the case I've been asked to look at bears some similarity to the rights of those who live on boats. I have a client who has erected a "chalet" (it's actually a wooden clad demountable building) and has someone living in it. Problem is, it's not got planning consent, and isn't going to get it in a million years without some extra justification. The client plonked it there because there was to be a planning application for a number of chalets for holiday accomodation, and there would need to be a warden, and he had someone who needed a place, etc. When it comes to the planning consents that are needed I can deal with that, or at least I can if the client gets his finger out, which has taken so long he now has an enforcement notice. Why am I telling you lot all of this? Well, this temporary chalet has someone living in it, indeed the enforcement notice is on the basis that the chalet is residential. That someone will need somewhere else, and I was wondering what the tipping point was at which things like a right to be rehomed would kick in, or where an eviction notice might be needed? Is there a defintion of "home" where losing that "home" one becomes "homeless"? I don't really want to go down this road, I want to get the client to sort the paperwork out properly, I'd only use any information to buy time to get the planning paperwork right. If anyone would rather PM me, then please do so. Thanks Patrick

I'm still alive - I'm 52, without the NHS i wouldn't have got to 47 Whem the chips are down...

I think the Erie can top that! 375 miles or thereabouts? However it was built by New York State rather than a private company so might not fit the strict criteria 😎 Edited to add - i see the canal de l'est was built in two halves and that the northern half is mostly the canalised Rive Meuse, not sure it counts...

The difference is nearly 3 feet so that was an ambitious plan, and altering either level by that much would have been problematic. I know it was proposed but i don't think they had thought it through. To the OP, friends of mine used to be in New Islington but left, antisocial behaviour and repeated attempts to steal their motorbikes were too much. Locals were the root of the problems not boaters. Tas is a tough nut who used to love city living sobit must have been bad. It may be that site security has improved, it was effectively (but not officially) public open space

And, IIRC correctly, around 100 miles is still open I'm guessing the Grand Junction was probably the second longest main line built buy a single company - 93 miles? The original Oxford line was similar but is now quite a bit shorter Going the other way the K&A is quite a bit shorter than it's given credit for - although the company managed 86 miles of navigation the Kennet and the Avon were open several decades earlier and bit the K&A Co. built was only 57 miles So whilst I don't think those fancy northern staircases can hold a candle to Caen Hill, they are on the longest canal built by one company

Historically Bugsworth has leaked like a sieve - I think they got it to a less sieve like level to allow it to reopen following years of restoration, but it still leaks - I guess they feel they can't sustain the losses at the moment

My centre line went missing, and in its place were the works of a French impressionist Monet for old rope

No, no and thrice no The EA approach causes more problems than it solves, not least because however nominal the fence, you can't walk though it, this makes it difficult to get clear of the lock as well as to get at it. Getting the width of the operational area right, and balancing that with the width available to non-boaters isn't always practical. To do this in, say, Farmers Bridge Locks would mean either a very narrow through route for pedestrians or a very narrow operational area for boaters. Fences are probably necessary where crowds gather by canals, such as at Camden Lock - elsewhere they get in the way: thet get in the way of people following innocent pastimes like photography and of those working the canal. They also get in the way of emergency services when an accident does happen. I've quoted this before, Bath deep lock originally had a fence. A boat got cilled in it and the fire service cut the fences off so they could get equipment in. The fences did not and could not have prevented the cilling (surely one of the more common accidents in locks) but they can get in the way of the recovery.

Checked it out - looks a good permanent solution. Only question is whether to straighten the roof first or leave it as it is Very much aware of this - unsure of how to raise the roof and wary of causing further damage, but yes it's the ponding at this location that really causes the issue Agreed - bit concerned that because of the dip water will simply collect under the tarp.

Interesting stuff - I need to do a little more research and find a reason to go back to Hockley Heath, or at least spend an hour there en route to somewhere else

I was cursing all the rain we had in the first four months of the year, as Lutine's roof leaks and it wouldn't dry out, needless to say in this dry spell I've been too busy to get to the boat! The basic problem is a dip in the roof where water can pond. Obvious in the photo by the black bit. Water sitting here will find even the tiniest leak. In the long term the entire cabin needs stripping back, re-coating and repainting, as well as doing something about the dip (which shows up in the ceiling as well). That's a time consuming job, probably for next year. Is there a quick fix in the meantime? Just to last this winter (or even just the next rain whenever it comes?) Paint? I'd thought if putting a lid over the area but the dip will collect water unless the lid covers the whole roof!