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CRT contact for caldern canal


Jrtm

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so I'll apologise in advance as this may affect travel plans.

 

so this year I'm having fun, I've had a section on corking come out causing an emergency docking, I've been stuck just outside middlewich lock 65 do to CRT putting a wooden rub stip onto one of the lock entrances just before the gates.

 

it's taken me 2 days to get to lock 5 on the caldern cut to now get stuck in lock 5 due to a big solid obstruction under the water just at the entrance wall to lock 5 going up. luckily after alot of flushing and messing about for 1 1/2 hours I've managed to get back out the lock.

 

I now have the problem that I'm now stuck just below lock 5 due to a few reasons mostly shallow, I have rolled over a lot and got stuck alot but was ok as the bow would ride over it and the back would struggle but eventually go over, but I've tried to go back to the last winding hole but a. its along way and b. I now cant get over the stuff i rolled over as the back just hits it and stops or the prop picks up everything and kills the engine.

 

most of the problems have been caused where the lock overflows have got the top plank missing causing the levels to be down by 3-6 inches as nearly every lock has 1 or 2 missing this has caused my trip to be slow (I dont mind this) but now has caused me to be stuck in a section I cant move from without causing potential damage to my boat.

 

so i need to contact CRT for this area so i can get them to try and fix the problem so I can carry on,

 

my question is who is the best to contact for CRT on the caldern cut?

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CRT have been contacted then got email for area and emailed with problems.

 

I've had a semi responce saying sorry we have had problems last few days, are you still stuck? if you need urgent assistance call a number and well get a guy out to you.

 

I've told them once again the problem and waiting a responce. saying as before I'm not stuck at this moment hence why I haven't called with an urgent responce required like I have other times I've been stuck. but have explained I cant move due to the problems and if you haven't sent out anyone to assess the problems then I wont be able to. waiting to hear back.

Edited by billybobbooth
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I've had my responce back from CRT.

 

effectively saying we have not had any reports of problems at lock 5.

 

if you get stuck next time you move you boat there please call us and well send someone out to help you.

 

well funny if they haven't done anything looks like they'll get a call.

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2 hours ago, TheBiscuits said:

Sounds reasonable to me.

 

CRT: Are you stuck? Do you need help?

 

You: No, I'm not stuck at the moment.

 

CRT: OK. If you do get stuck we will help you.

not really when you get stuck let us know well I cant move so me driving 3 hours to ring up to say I cant move to wait for them to say oh well have to do something but will have to get someone else to look is abit of a waist of my time and there's,

 

me telling them there is a problem and them at least going to look at the problem at least there can be a plan put forward.

 

what's worse is I've told them all the details as to what is wrong and why.

 

but if you would like I'll jam my boat in the lock and then call them, or I can do as I have try not get threw them contact for a resolution so I dont block the cut and stop everyone else from getting threw who can.

Edited by billybobbooth
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I know what you are saying, but I would have told them I was stuck at the lock.  As far as they are concerned you are not stuck, because that's what you told them!

 

If you're not on the boat it does make it tricky, but it might be worth trying again after the rain that's forecast in case that gives you a precious extra inch of water.

 

Please don't knock a hole in your bottom though!

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5 hours ago, TheBiscuits said:

I know what you are saying, but I would have told them I was stuck at the lock.  As far as they are concerned you are not stuck, because that's what you told them!

 

If you're not on the boat it does make it tricky, but it might be worth trying again after the rain that's forecast in case that gives you a precious extra inch of water.

 

Please don't knock a hole in your bottom though!

yes I see what you mean but I get the impression they want a CRT guy there when we try again but I have advised that flushing water and even using the paddles to lift the boat up and forward dosnt work.

 

when I tried last time the level was right up and I had nearly drain the short pound above lock 5 trying, the simple solution would be to fix the lock overflow at lock 4, again I have advised this as it's only a few bits of wood missing but they seem reluctant to do this (prob as it means actually fixing something they haven't planned for) but given there is ment to be a boat rally there this year it would prob be better to get it done.

 

anyways I'll keep you updated to the response but so far there idea seems to be well meet you there and flush you threw, until they see the boat, then decide that wont work, either that or I'll get the CRT person to unload and reload all the ballast! they will love that job!

  • Happy 1
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  • 2 weeks later...

ok so update,

 

so went to boat the pound was down and I was out the water by 4 inches to start with, called CRT guy on phone was very helpful but reported a guy had been down less than an hour ago and reported no low levels, to which i questioned, I explained the problems I had and he confirmed they had been passed on the message but didnt have enough info! dispite all the info I could give crt. (even how to fix the problems)

 

so they sent a guy out he was there 5-10 mins looked when I showed him where the obstruction was and how deep it was level down 4 inches and showed at 2 foot 5. I explained what I had done before, he the said even with the level up to where I was afloat I wasnt getting over it.

 

he then agreed the only thing to do was repair the missing lock weir parts. (as I had already said to do)

 

anyways they are now going to put the missing parts back in the weir at lock 4 and going to let me know once fixed then arrange to bring the level up a few days before I next go up.

 

so all in all a good result that something is going to get sorted, bad news was that they could have sorted or at least inspected the problem whenni reported it, (this was only annoying as I had to go to the boat for a waisted trip in the morning given I had landed back in the country at 3am) my plan was to move the boat before we went away a bit.

 

anyways as said at least they have seen there is a problem but reason hardly anyone would hit the obstruction as it sits around 2 foot 9-10 to 3 foot.

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  • 2 weeks later...

sorry not given an update on this but I didnt have any new news,

 

well I've been told that parts have been replaced on the lock weirs and they are in the process of bringing the levels up but given they have 10 inches to bring the level up from where it was when shown to CRT and about 6 inches up from the highest it could get as it's long sections it could take a few days but I'll report once I've got moved.

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45 minutes ago, billybobbooth said:

sorry not given an update on this but I didnt have any new news,

 

well I've been told that parts have been replaced on the lock weirs and they are in the process of bringing the levels up but given they have 10 inches to bring the level up from where it was when shown to CRT and about 6 inches up from the highest it could get as it's long sections it could take a few days but I'll report once I've got moved.

Perhaps if you had told them you had bought a brand new boat and were going to go public with your unfortunate position, someone from CRt might have sorted it out with an army of helpers in days rather than the time you have had to wait.

Disgusting delay when the simple remedy was spelled out to them weeks ago.

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the guys who did the job had done it quick and are going to check levels all this week for me.

 

but I dont mind mend I didnt have to move it, on the other hand we now wont get to do the rest of the cut as we have now run out of time. I don't mind getting stuck.

 

I was more annoyed with the responce of the email back as normally I just call them out but as we had time rather than calling someone out and me not being in a rush that day to fix I thought an email was the quickest way, turns out it's better to just call them and not bother with the email staff.

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final update

 

I never made it!

 

i got to the boat yesterday to find the level was down, CRT had put the lock wear blocks back in at lock 4 but didnt build them higher as they said they just replaced the 1 that was missing that just raised the level by 2 inches! not the agreed 10! yes I really did need 10 inches!

 

I went and measured the obstruction and yesterday was at 2 foot 8-9 I still wasnt getting into lock 5.

 

CRT were called and informed I still couldn't move and they said they would send someone out and give me a call back, we never received a call back or saw a CRT person yesterday, we waited about an hour before giving up on crt

 

i took extra crew with me and with them and 4 people off the bank we got towy free and had to struggle reversing and pulling towy back to the 1st able winding point (between the manual and electric lift brdges) with all public and crew after 20 mins of struggle we get towy turned round.

 

we set off from below lock 5 and get to eturia, set off at about 12.40 after giving up on CRT and arrived in eturia at 6.30 all very shattered.

 

on being told last time that CRT had no equipment in the area to remove the obstruction and that they were unable to block off and drain to remove the obstruction, I found they have a proper dredging digger on a hopoer and 2 push tugs at eturia and also got told by the just retired CRT guy with me who helped they could have easily used it to removed the obstruction!

 

after spending nearly a month on the section I got to enjoy the worst of the canal as I was really looking forward to getting photos of the steam trains going over bridges with towy in the bridge.

 

I cant say thank you enough to the 4 random people who helped especially when trying to wind towy without them I wasnt going to get out of the canal.

 

to my extra crew again without there 40+ years of boating I wouldn't have got out as along with me we could work in harmony knowing exactly how and what we needed to do to get moving.

 

to CRT someone's there team were helpful some were not, it really just highlights it all comes down to inderviduals in CRT as the last time I was stuck the 2 guys stayed with me till 11pm at night to make sure i got to the next safe spot i could moor at.

 

anyone using this section most wont touch it some might rumble a little but there are 2 big block of rock about a foot square in the lock entrance there around 2 foot 6-9 deep depending on water level.

 

oh and when lock 5 is full the lock wall leaks and then flows the water all over the lower lock wall entrance, but CRT have said there all ok and check.

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Yes they did, on Friday they passed us going up, and this morning they passed us about 8.30 (Endon Basin) on the way going back down. 

 

Edited to add they probably didn't have much coal on board.

 

 

Edited by Jennifer McM
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6 hours ago, Rob-M said:

Hasn't Halsall just gone up the Caldon loaded...?

 

That's what they told us yesterday when we took a half tank of fuel from them.

5 hours ago, Jennifer McM said:

Yes they did, on Friday they passed us going up, and this morning they passed us about 8.30 (Endon Basin) on the way going back down. 

 

Edited to add they probably didn't have much coal on board.

 

 

They said that they sold a bag of solid fuel very recently to someone who was feeling the cold!

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5 minutes ago, Mike Todd said:

That's what they told us yesterday when we took a half tank of fuel from them.

They said that they sold a bag of solid fuel very recently to someone who was feeling the cold!

Not surprised really, Saturday was a cold miserable day ? 

 

You must be behind us then Mike? Don't think we've passed bows with Alchemy? 

 

On the way up, I've just remembered seeing a heritage boat (Towy?) moored just away from the landing at Lock 5. There was a grey boat moored behind. 

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I made a mistake - it was Alton, not Halsall. They have just passed on their way back down again - we are moored in Macclesfield. (Both are part of the same group of fuel boats)

2 hours ago, Jennifer McM said:

Not surprised really, Saturday was a cold miserable day ? 

 

You must be behind us then Mike? Don't think we've passed bows with Alchemy? 

 

On the way up, I've just remembered seeing a heritage boat (Towy?) moored just away from the landing at Lock 5. There was a grey boat moored behind. 

Towy's story is told in post #17 - at least the up-to-date part, earlier posts give the back story.

  • Greenie 1
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If the fuel boats draw more than 3 foot they'll get stuck / roll over it, more than 3 foot 3 they have no chance, but given then dont normally have a wooden bottom and can load to bow down a fair bit it brings the back up a little.

 

as above yea was towy below lock 5 now gone with alot of effort. shame as It was a section i really wanted to do

  • Greenie 1
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