Midnight

Hi Mac Heading up the Pocklington next weekend. How was the link between the river and canal and how bad is the weed up to Melbourne? We had a few problems last year and there was a willow hanging at about 45 degrees over the link which I reported it to the Barrage Lockie

Hebden Bridge has got to be the slowest in the world

I think that applies only to tidal rivers, but there are many sewage treatment works that discharge raw sewage into rivers when in flood. I was quite horrified to find that out after the Boxing Day floods in the Calder Valley. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/oct/16/raw-sewage-flowing-into-rivers-across-england-and-wales Looking at the azolla problem on the Selby canal it makes you think.

You would work it. It would just either be full if going down or empty if going up.

... if CaRT instructed them not to help with locking a boat unless asked but to help by setting locks ready they would still get to play locks and nobody would object to them being in charge of a lock not yet in use.

Absolutely No. When single handed going down, centre rope 2 turns around a forward bollard or at my feet if there's none and I never leave the boat until it's down and the bottom gates open - too many hang-ups both going up and down. Fortunately always been there to sort it out.

Yes there's at least one good vollocky there but he usually either assists single-handers or goes ahead and sets the locks. Which is very helpful. He's also a very nice chap and doesn't take control - just helps.

No I think not rather those who have had issues with vollies who take command. If my understanding is correct they are instructed to help if asked by the boater. If you like their help that's fine, but not all of us do. You may have been lucky as I believe the majority of vollies are helpful and follow CRT policy. It's the ones who don't that spoil it for the rest. I do a far amount single handed but still prefer the work my own locks, after all it's my boat so don't you think that's fair?

Oh bugger! I'm off down there on the 11th Sept, a Wednesday. I think one of the main reasons we don't see them on the C&H is because many of the paddles are very heavy, especially below Battyeford. Hirers and the ladies of the area use the long handled 'Yorkshire' windlass I just visit the rupture clinic every so often. Like your good self and MTB I get that 'oh bollocks' feeling when I see blue shirted vollies on the lock I'm approaching. I think they are very useful on long flights when they walk ahead lifting paddles and opening gates or even behind, shutting gates. The only one I ever saw around here was at Brearley Lock on the Rochdale a few years ago and she said she was only there to paint the stones(?) and keep the lock tidy - now that's what I call a useful volocky.

Locally it' known as the 'Calder Navigation' hence the CNS 'Calder Navigation Society' (http://www.calderns.org.uk/) The electric locks on Aire & Calder have recently had the gate walkways renewed by some 'real' lockies (not contractors so it's possible they were there and did the key stuff for you as they did for me a few weeks ago. Never seen any vollies there but who knows I may need to get a tin of anti-vollie spray next time I go that way.

The Pocklington is always an adventure. Going up there again for the gathering on September 14th. The canal society should make the Guinness book of records for the number of boats they can squeeze into the small basin.

Those who prefer to do their own locks should consider moving to the Calder Navigation I've never seen one - fortunately.

Dry dock South Pennine Boat Club £75 A week, members only ? Hempel from Carter paints, Sunderland. Sand blasting by Mick Blackley, Barnsley, Masks and filters from Arco, Sundries from Boyes store. The bottom plate on Midnight was done a few years ago, brought it out to see how it was doing. When other members saw it was in very good order they decided to have their's done too. Another two scheduled for September and October. Midnight's hull sides were done from new 15 years ago and still not a blemish to be seen. Edited to add the hardest job is clearing the sand from the dock 4 of us 3 hours ?

I've no idea what the charges are from a boat yard but I recently helped a mate do his in the boat club dry dock so these are diy costs Dry dock £150 Sandblasting £500 20 litres Hempel 2 pack epoxy £180 Rollers, masks and sundries £100

Looks like some poor boater left their boat tied up in Milby cut. The river was up yesterday. https://www.harrogateadvertiser.co.uk/news/canal-barge-spotted-submerged-in-yorkshire-1-9929197?fbclid=IwAR0RkbXGHGp67RauVw9cD6zvNr1pl_n3B3GoIe5ZpTFhTOObvZhPCbXxM8s

Where did you get that idea from? I was answering the question ".... what is to say that another engineer, not via RCR, would have the right theory?" There's no guarantee that anyone would give the right diagnosis and there's just as much chance RCR would/wouldn't as an independent engineer. There's a boatyard engineer with a good reputation not too far from our mooring, but recently there's been a few issues with work he's done so shows nobody is infallible.

Nothing, but you wouldn't have been paying out lots of money for the previous X number of years

Yes I agree for some "it is the practical benefit of someone definitely attending"

Yes I agree for some it's peace of mind. I did briefly rejoin when my son took the boat for a few weeks, but for me it's too expensive, too many caveats and too many horror stories.

I may (or may not) be "clearly a prescient expert" but at least I can spell Whaley Bridge

^^^^^^ this and bring back lengths men lengths persons allowing them to maintain and fix things. Get rid of the bean counting middle managers, endless hangers oners and call centre staff who know next to nowt about waterways and recruit from within the organisation giving staff a chance to climb the ladder. Most of all I would give priority to navigation... ...but then my mam said "wake up son it's time to go to school"

Close enough for me but you miss the point! True I never started boating until the 80's but even so it's not just about maintenance. I asked for opinions on how CaRT will be generally regarded by the powers that be in the aftermath of the Whaley Bridge incident. From a boaters point of view - mine in particular - the system has seriously declined to the point where fellow forum members talk about selling up and many like me worry when setting out on holiday if we will get back. Looking at the situation without considering navigation I think CaRT have been successful. My understanding was they are supposed to be a navigation authority but it's clearly not the case and was wondering what the future holds when the funding stops.

I think this is the point. If you put your £175+ membership fee into a savings account after a couple of years you will have enough to cover most repairs. I was a member for about 5 years only called them out once for a broken gearbox cable. Now I carry spare cables, fan belt, fuel filters etc. for minor breakdowns and would simply call a local boatyard for anything major. I can fully understand those with little mechanical know-how joining but for the rest of us it's an expensive insurance policy with lots of get-out clauses.

The Whaley Bridge incident has launched CaRT into the public eye and national media and they will no doubt come under scrutiny from high places, but in the end will they be judged a success or failure? From their Articles of Association The Trust’s objects are: 2.1 to preserve, protect, operate and manage Inland Waterways for public benefit: 2.1.1 for navigation; 2.1.2 for walking on towpaths; 2.1.3 for recreation or other leisure-time pursuits of the public in the interest of their health and social welfare; Thinking about the navigation I guess a lot of us here would say they are a dismal failure. In my opinion the waterways have never been so unreliable and in such poor condition. But boating apart they seem to have made a success of walking and cycling on towpaths - albeit the lycra speedway brigade may prove the opposite in the long term. And likewise for recreation, health and social welfare with picnic areas, statues, lock poetry, well-being campaign etc. Their record on maintenance will no doubt be highlighted by any scrutiny committee in the aftermath of Whaley Bridge and do I wonder if another organisation will be handed control of reservoirs. With only 3 years to go before the government funding runs out there's little prospect of becoming self-sufficient so it's unlikely all things maintenance will improve. I wonder in the aftermath will CaRT survive or will there be big changes to the way the waterways are managed.

If it's just a vandalism thing why not just use a BW watermate padlock at each end?