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First volockie irritation of the year.


nicknorman

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There is no doubt that some people with boats don’t really know what they are doing. But people who do know what they are doing, resent being patronised having the obvious “explained” to them, being micro managed, and then be expected to be grateful for the interference. A good volockie will be able to observe which people know what they are doing and which don’t, and act accordingly. The presumption should be that they do, until demonstrated otherwise.

13 hours ago, Gallyleigho said:

Some locks don't operate in the way you would hope/expect them to. 

 

That is what makes the canals interesting.

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13 hours ago, Gallyleigho said:

Lock 1, Leigh Branch of Leeds and Liverpool. If all four head paddles aren't used you will sit there for hours draining the pound above you.

As pointed out above that is nothing to do with normal lock operation but everything to do with lack of action by CaRT to fix the leakage. Otherwise the lock would work just like most others.

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Is it not strange that the mention of Volunteer Lock Keepers on this forum is one of the few subjects that will produce 16 pages of mostly drivel.

I'm  still waiting for someone to tell me what is a Hilter and why one is so terrible!

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22 minutes ago, canalboat said:

Is it not strange that the mention of Volunteer Lock Keepers on this forum is one of the few subjects that will produce 16 pages of mostly drivel.

I'm  still waiting for someone to tell me what is a Hilter and why one is so terrible!

You again! Can’t you just get over the fact that some people don’t consider volockies to be god’s gift. And would rather do locks themselves. And resent it when poorly trained and common sense deficient “helpers” nearly sink theirboats! 

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5 minutes ago, canalboat said:

My you do have bad luck. And you are so upset again. We should of course all be charitable toward you as I assume one sad reason behind your grumpiness is that you never got the news of your father that you search for.?

Whatever you are on, can I have some please?

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16 hours ago, Gallyleigho said:

Lock 1, Leigh Branch of Leeds and Liverpool. If all four head paddles aren't used you will sit there for hours draining the pound above you.

There is something strange about this lock.I've been through twice to and from Liverpool recently and the offside bottom gate paddle seems to be blocked from fully closing by a piece of welded metal .Ascending you can certainly see quite a flow into the middle pound as the lock fills.Is this some kind of CRT water control method to feed water into the middle pound between Lock 1 and 2 by slowly emptying any full lock after an ascent ,topping back up the middle pound  ?That may explain why the notices on Lock 1 are all about closing all gates and paddles after use,.

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Local knowledge is useful to get the best out of lock use. Boaters who regularly use a particular stretch, have gained that knowledge by experience. I am curious how CRT decide the allocation of jobs for their volunteers. Do they get training, are there specific locks where they are sent, do they have their own boats etc etc

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2 weeks cultural sensitivity training

2 weeks develop thick skin training

2 weeks crt dogma training

 

However one of our conflict points in the past which we came through last week was manned by a volunteer who did exactly as requested. Unlike last time where my wife nearly lumped the volunteer and she has the patience of a saint

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We never had them in my day.  I would be quite happy for one to get the lock ready and open the gates.  After that, it is MY lock and I will operate it how I want.  Bu**er off and get the next one ready.  They used to be called 'Lock-wheelers'

Obviously if a newby needs help then help him.  In which case the voly becomes a trainer. But who trained him?

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I’ve yet to meet one they don’t seem to have made it as far north as the L&L ...

 

if i met one that interfered in the way some describe then  the dog would be released to keep the eejit away from any gear and if that didn’t work swmbo would be unleashed with her curdle milk at a hundred yards stare, she would be at the helm in a lock. 

 

 

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2 minutes ago, jonathanA said:

I’ve yet to meet one they don’t seem to have made it as far north as the L&L ...

 

if i met one that interfered in the way some describe then  the dog would be released to keep the eejit away from any gear and if that didn’t work swmbo would be unleashed with her curdle milk at a hundred yards stare, she would be at the helm in a lock. 

 

 

There are some good ones on the Wigan flight, I think that is the L&L, not so sure about one we met further up towards Leeds who would set the lock ahead before we had started filling the one below

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4 hours ago, roland elsdon said:

However one of our conflict points in the past which we came through last week was manned by a volunteer who did exactly as requested. Unlike last time where my wife nearly lumped the volunteer and she has the patience of a saint

Stenson?

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26 minutes ago, jonathanA said:

I’ve yet to meet one they don’t seem to have made it as far north as the L&L ...

 

There are 6 on Stanley Dock Flight, dozens on Wigan, 4 on Johnson's Hillock, 4 on Blackburn, 6 on Barrowford, none I have ever met on Greenberfield, 6 on Bank Newton and 4 on Gragrave ...  have you recently moved on the L&L?!!

Edited by TheBiscuits
Forgot the quoted bit!
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9 hours ago, TheBiscuits said:

 

There are 6 on Stanley Dock Flight, dozens on Wigan, 4 on Johnson's Hillock, 4 on Blackburn, 6 on Barrowford, none I have ever met on Greenberfield, 6 on Bank Newton and 4 on Gragrave ...  have you recently moved on the L&L?!!

This week  none encountered on JH, none on Blackburn, 1 on Barrowford, but I think she was a professional. Great people on Stanley Dock, well meaning control freaks on Wigan.

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On 29/07/2019 at 12:11, canalboat said:

Is it not strange that the mention of Volunteer Lock Keepers on this forum is one of the few subjects that will produce 16 pages of mostly drivel.

You're just bitter that your rant about how rubbish CRT employees are didn't have the same staying power... 

 

On 09/07/2019 at 18:27, canalboat said:

Is there anyone else out there who has noticed a general decline recently in rudeness and sheer laziness of CRT employees out on the canal.   Have they all been sent on a mandatory tea-drinking and skiving course or is it an understandable, if not acceptable reaction to more and more volunteers?  Put that together with the increase in Chuggers scaring people away from popular bits of tow path and I wonder what direction the management have decided to impose.

 

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10 hours ago, TheBiscuits said:

 

There are 6 on Stanley Dock Flight, dozens on Wigan, 4 on Johnson's Hillock, 4 on Blackburn, 6 on Barrowford, none I have ever met on Greenberfield, 6 on Bank Newton and 4 on Gragrave ...  have you recently moved on the L&L?!!

+ Rufford Branch locks 1&2.

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18 hours ago, Victor Vectis said:

Stenson?

Probably the same one that told Mrs-m to wind the paddle down as she did 7 clicks not 6 as instructed. He was lucky not to take a dip in the lock on that day.

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