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My first windlass injury


rawsondsr

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I had my first windlass injury today.

 

I was winding an especially stiff paddle, putting lots of force into winding it, and as i was doing this, it got to a freely moving section, and with all the force i could muster, i whacked the end of the handle into my kneecap.

 

oo ya bugger.  

 

It was agony, and i felt like i was going to faint, so moved away from the edge and sat down for 10 mins just groaning, and rubbing my knee.  I was limping for the rest of the day,and have a nice bruise now,

 

Not the normal injury, but by golly, never again!

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13 hours ago, rawsondsr said:

I had my first windlass injury today.

 

I was winding an especially stiff paddle, putting lots of force into winding it, and as i was doing this, it got to a freely moving section, and with all the force i could muster, i whacked the end of the handle into my kneecap.

 

oo ya bugger.  

 

It was agony, and i felt like i was going to faint, so moved away from the edge and sat down for 10 mins just groaning, and rubbing my knee.  I was limping for the rest of the day,and have a nice bruise now,

 

Not the normal injury, but by golly, never again!

I am pleased it didnt do worse or hit you in the face. We were sharing a lock in Bath some years ago when similar happened to a approx ten year old lad whos parents had allowed to operate the windlass on his own. His leg was a hell of a mess and was an ambulance job, luckily it missed his face and hit his leg or it could have been much much worse.  

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I feel your pain.

A few weeks ago I was doing a paddle on the Bridgwater and Taunton Canal, due to lack of use and even less lack of maintenance form the CRT the windlass went very stiff then slipped, luckily it just was a glancing whack to me leg and wrist, could have been a lot worse. Its very hit and miss down here some work easy some don't and some are dam pigs to move. 

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Horrible wet day a few years ago my hands slipped off the windlass, windlass unwound half a turn and bashed my wrist, nothing broke but it didn't half hurt..

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15 hours ago, RLWP said:

:giggles:

 

ahem...

 

Oh dear, that must have hurt. Hopefully we will get some warm weather so you can wear shorts. You don't want a good bruise to go unappreciated

 

Richard

This ^

 

Few months ago doing an engine service I slipped and smacked my ribs and by god it hurt and continued to hurt for weeks, didn't dare sneeze, couldn't sleep on my normal side and....

Absolutely no bruise I felt robbed :)

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20 minutes ago, tree monkey said:

This ^

 

Few months ago doing an engine service I slipped and smacked my ribs and by god it hurt and continued to hurt for weeks, didn't dare sneeze, couldn't sleep on my normal side and....

Absolutely no bruise I felt robbed :)

Whats it like to have to sleep on your abnormal side? ?

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Almost on topic: last week the volockie at the bottom of the Napton Flight, the larger half of a husband-and-wife team who seem to know what they're doing, told me that the smaller aperture at the end of the windless should be used on narrow locks and the larger one on broad locks. I had never heard this before. Is it true?

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It worries me when I see a windlass left on a wound up paddle and as well as standing well back I suggest that the windlass is removed and explain why. It is not just hirers who might be forgiven for doing it but I have noticed an increase in the number of presumably boat owners doing the it. It worries me especially if there are children nearby 

Haggis 

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5 minutes ago, haggis said:

It worries me when I see a windlass left on a wound up paddle and as well as standing well back I suggest that the windlass is removed and explain why. It is not just hirers who might be forgiven for doing it but I have noticed an increase in the number of presumably boat owners doing the it. It worries me especially if there are children nearby 

Haggis 

If some helpful boater winds a bottom paddle when I'm going down a lock, I'll not go past until they take the windlass off  the spindle, once on Cheshire Locks I saw a boat nudge a bottom gate and the windlass spun up and landed on his roof.

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8 minutes ago, haggis said:

It worries me when I see a windlass left on a wound up paddle and as well as standing well back I suggest that the windlass is removed and explain why.

Absolutely - except that, on the rare occasions that I've seen it done, I have done rather more than "suggest"!

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14 minutes ago, Athy said:

Almost on topic: last week the volockie at the bottom of the Napton Flight, the larger half of a husband-and-wife team who seem to know what they're doing, told me that the smaller aperture at the end of the windless should be used on narrow locks and the larger one on broad locks. I had never heard this before. Is it true?

Depends on the size of spindle, some broad locks have small spindles and some narrow locks have large spindles. Better to look and see which fits best.

I find it annoying when I get off with my single headed small or large windless and then find I need the other, worse is when you need both at the same lock as I do not like using a double headed windlass.

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1 minute ago, Rob-M said:

Depends on the size of spindle, some broad locks have small spindles and some narrow locks have large spindles. Better to look and see which fits best.

 

Just as I thought, thanks for confirming.

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24 minutes ago, haggis said:

It worries me when I see a windlass left on a wound up paddle and as well as standing well back I suggest that the windlass is removed and explain why. It is not just hirers who might be forgiven for doing it but I have noticed an increase in the number of presumably boat owners doing the it. It worries me especially if there are children nearby 

Haggis 

I have seen a pawl slip with the windlass left on, the windlass landed near the other end of the lock so 70+ feet in under a second. Luckily it missed the people on the lock.

At least hirers get some training if a bit basic, but a shared boat buyer may well receive absolutely nothing, and being a BMW/Audi driver bought the canal with his share.

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26 minutes ago, haggis said:

It worries me when I see a windlass left on a wound up paddle and as well as standing well back I suggest that the windlass is removed and explain why. It is not just hirers who might be forgiven for doing it but I have noticed an increase in the number of presumably boat owners doing the it. It worries me especially if there are children nearby 

Haggis 

We quite often see youngsters from hire boats leaving the windlass on a raised paddle - and we always tell them not to do it, and explain why.

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1 hour ago, Detling said:

I have seen a pawl slip with the windlass left on, the windlass landed near the other end of the lock so 70+ feet in under a second. Luckily it missed the people on the lock.

At least hirers get some training if a bit basic, but a shared boat buyer may well receive absolutely nothing, and being a BMW/Audi driver bought the canal with his share.

I have had an answer from a private boater saying they have never seen a pawl slip so it is OK.  I tell them I have seen a spinning windlass hit someone on the head (I haven't but it could happen and be very serious) and if they still leave the windlass there, I leave the scene. 

 

Haggis

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9 minutes ago, haggis said:

I have had an answer from a private boater saying they have never seen a pawl slip so it is OK.  I tell them I have seen a spinning windlass hit someone on the head (I haven't but it could happen and be very serious) and if they still leave the windlass there, I leave the scene. 

 

Haggis

Showing a friend how to operate a lock once, I was just giving the always remove the windlass talk when she let go of the windlass,  the fully open paddle slammed down, the windlass a blur.

How it didn't fly off I have know idea but it did prove the point

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1 hour ago, haggis said:

It worries me when I see a windlass left on a wound up paddle and as well as standing well back I suggest that the windlass is removed and explain why. It is not just hirers who might be forgiven for doing it but I have noticed an increase in the number of presumably boat owners doing the it. It worries me especially if there are children nearby 

Haggis 

B******  hell that's so dangerous. There's so many things that can hurt on the canals, paddle gear, slamming gates, ropes and bollards, and then there's the water itself. Amazing that more people don't get hurt especially when the history of working boat families includes an awful lot of drowned and crushed folk.

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4 hours ago, mrsmelly said:

I am pleased it didnt do worse or hit you in the face. We were sharing a lock in Bath some years ago when similar happened to a approx ten year old lad whos parents had allowed to operate the windlass on his own. His leg was a hell of a mess and was an ambulance job, luckily it missed his face and hit his leg or it could have been much much worse.  

I can bear personal witness to the dangers of the windlass.  I was working the paddle on the downstream gates of Bath Weston lock (the big lock that is the first on the River Avon).  The spindle is very awkwardly placed and I must have failed to hold the windlass fully onto the spindle and it flew off.  It DID hit me in the face - I literally saw stars and staggered back - I was lucky not to fall into the lock.   I had a cut below my eye and a very bruised temple.  Unfortunately I had suffered damage to the eye and eventually (after 6 operations at Bristol Eye Hospital) lost the sight in that eye.   I manage OK, but I have to be very careful judging distances especially when driving - parking and reversing are a real challenge.  I have fitted extra mirrors to the car (and the boat) which helps, but spatial awareness is compromised.  

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6 minutes ago, Murflynn said:

I can bear personal witness to the dangers of the windlass.  I was working the paddle on the downstream gates of Bath Weston lock (the big lock that is the first on the River Avon).  The spindle is very awkwardly placed and I must have failed to hold the windlass fully onto the spindle and it flew off.  It DID hit me in the face - I literally saw stars and staggered back - I was lucky not to fall into the lock.   I had a cut below my eye and a very bruised temple.  Unfortunately I had suffered damage to the eye and eventually (after 6 operations at Bristol Eye Hospital) lost the sight in that eye.   I manage OK, but I have to be very careful judging distances especially when driving - parking and reversing are a real challenge.  I have fitted extra mirrors to the car (and the boat) which helps, but spatial awareness is compromised.  

Blimey I am sorry to hear that. Perhaps though some parents who allow their small kids to use a windlass and read this may re consider. I didnt let my kids anywhere near one till mid teens and then I hated them using them and supervised them first hand. Orrible bits of kit not designed for kiddies.

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3 hours ago, Athy said:

Almost on topic: last week the volockie at the bottom of the Napton Flight, the larger half of a husband-and-wife team who seem to know what they're doing, told me that the smaller aperture at the end of the windless should be used on narrow locks and the larger one on broad locks. I had never heard this before. Is it true?

No it’s nonsense.  Just about the only spindles which are big enough for the big hole are the candlestick ones at Hatton etc.  But I’ve seen plenty of people using the big hole at other GU locks, where the spindles are much smaller; it explains why so many of them are worn and becoming round.

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1 hour ago, adam1uk said:

No it’s nonsense.  Just about the only spindles which are big enough for the big hole are the candlestick ones at Hatton etc.  But I’ve seen plenty of people using the big hole at other GU locks, where the spindles are much smaller; it explains why so many of them are worn and becoming round.

I wonder what effect these thin sceliton windlesses will have with a much smaller area of contact.Combines long throw and short throw windlass's together.

 

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