Wheaton Aston Lock

[Rob-M]

I've been told today that Wheaton Aston Lock is going to be closed on the 31st July for a week to repair the cill.  The stoppage notice hasn't been updated with the dates yet though.

 

I'm supposed to be bringing a pair back from Audlem during this time so planning to get them above the lock before the 31st.

[cheshire~rose]

Where did you hear this? 

There seem to be various people talking about it at The Anchor tonight 

[Rob-M]

 

6 hours ago, cheshire~rose said:

Where did you hear this? 

There seem to be various people talking about it at The Anchor tonight 

The crew of Scorpio and Leo were talking to CRT on their way to Audlem and were told. I'm moving the pair back to Icknield Port from Wheaton Aston so they let me know of the impending stoppage.

[cheshire~rose]

Thank you, you had not mentioned that it was CRT who told you and eveyone who seems to have heard about it is a it vague about where the information came from. We better make sure we are through there today then. 

[Rob-M]

There is no mention of it in the CRT stoppage notices though but hopefully Scorpio and Leo will be clearing the lock today as well.

[cheshire~rose]

I know there was a stoppage posted for that lock some time ago, someone shared the stoppage report on Facebook and there was an outcry because it is of huge importance to a LOT of different hire bases in the area. From memory I seem to think it turned out that the proper consultation with those businesses had not occurred before they posted the stoppage notice and so the entire thing was either postponed or certainly scaled down significantly.

 

I had not realised you were with the pair yesterday, just a few boats ahead of us. It was a good day's boating through the locks 

[Rob-M]

I wasn't on the pair yesterday, I was with them Saturday and will be moving them back to Icknield Port on the weekend.

[kawaton]

I did read on Facebook that the repair had been postponed until Winter.

There was information mentioning the stoppage on the CRT site, but the day after reading about the postponement, the CRT site was updated and the stoppage removed.

 

I hope it has been postponed as i will be going through WA on 6th

 

If anyone hears any different please do comment as i will need to amend my plans

[ditchcrawler]

6 hours ago, kawaton said:

I did read on Facebook that the repair had been postponed until Winter.

There was information mentioning the stoppage on the CRT site, but the day after reading about the postponement, the CRT site was updated and the stoppage removed.

 

I hope it has been postponed as i will be going through WA on 6th

 

If anyone hears any different please do comment as i will need to amend my plans

I heard its been delayed until October from a very reliable source assuming people who send emails know what people who mend locks are planning to do

[Rob-M]

Yes, work has been rearranged even though the water is pouring through.

[MoominPapa]

Just now, Rob-M said:

Yes, work has been rearranged even though the water is pouring through.

There's not often a shortage on that stretch though - it's fed from the output of Wolverhampton sewage works, hence all the beefed-up bywashes. As long as they keep peeing in Wolves, it'll be fine...

 

 

MP.

 

[ditchcrawler]

plenty of water on the bywashes tonight

[cheshire~rose]

The problem with this type of mis-information is that although the work has been postponed, the grape vine is aware of a problem and the Chinese whispers persist with nothing you can find on the official stoppage notices to suggest there is anything happening and so when you are fumbling about in a phone that is the black hole for data that many parts of The Shroppie are you start to question whether it is you who has missed the stoppage or not! 

 

We got through this afternoon and we are actually pleased to be through because the amount of water gushing out the bottom makes one think that it is entirely likely it will fail at some point. 

 

I don't know if all the boats travelling yesterday all decided to tie up at Wheaton Aston last night making the bridge hole the only place to tie a pair but with very little moored above the lock tonight it seems an odd place to have left them paired up.  We have spent the afternoon watching the hirers approaching leaning over the side of the boat to try and see if there is anything coming through the bridge they might meet as they wiggle past the pair to line up with the bridge. It is a busy stretch for people who have very recently taken charge of a hire boat with possibly little previous experience. I hope the boats don't suffer from their inexperience. 

 

I will see if I can find some photos I took of the lock 

[Rob-M]

I've not seen where they have been left but surely being ex working boats they are entitled to moor anywhere they fancy.

 

I presume the skipper in charge today felt they weren't causing an obstruction.

Edited July 30, 2019 by Rob-M

[cheshire~rose]

5 minutes ago, Rob-M said:

I've not seen where they have been left but surely being ex working boats they are entitled to moor anywhere they fancy.

 

I presume the skipper in charge today felt they weren't causing an obstruction.

There is no obstruction for anyone who is experienced in handling a boat. I felt it likely that the moorings here were heaving last night so maybe they had no option/

 

I took a photo of the entire length of visitor moorings outside the Navi at Gnosall earlier today - completely devoid of any boats. I shared it on Facebook tagging in our friend who used to manage the pub only to be told that there were at least 3 historic craft moved off from there this morning. It is far too easy for anyone to make an incorrect juddgment on the situation a day later when loads of boats may have moved away today 

[ditchcrawler]

21 minutes ago, cheshire~rose said:

The problem with this type of mis-information is that although the work has been postponed, the grape vine is aware of a problem and the Chinese whispers persist with nothing you can find on the official stoppage notices to suggest there is anything happening and so when you are fumbling about in a phone that is the black hole for data that many parts of The Shroppie are you start to question whether it is you who has missed the stoppage or not! 

 

We got through this afternoon and we are actually pleased to be through because the amount of water gushing out the bottom makes one think that it is entirely likely it will fail at some point. 

 

I don't know if all the boats travelling yesterday all decided to tie up at Wheaton Aston last night making the bridge hole the only place to tie a pair but with very little moored above the lock tonight it seems an odd place to have left them paired up.  We have spent the afternoon watching the hirers approaching leaning over the side of the boat to try and see if there is anything coming through the bridge they might meet as they wiggle past the pair to line up with the bridge. It is a busy stretch for people who have very recently taken charge of a hire boat with possibly little previous experience. I hope the boats don't suffer from their inexperience. 

 

I will see if I can find some photos I took of the lock 

Last night it was full, lots moved off this morning, There was very little space when we came through mid afternoon

[David Mack]

https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notices/15831-wheaton-aston-lock

[tree monkey]

17 hours ago, MoominPapa said:

There's not often a shortage on that stretch though - it's fed from the output of Wolverhampton sewage works, hence all the beefed-up bywashes. As long as they keep peeing in Wolves, it'll be fine...

 

 

MP.

 

Isn't that a touch weird and possibly illegal 

[MoominPapa]

24 minutes ago, tree monkey said:

Isn't that a touch weird and possibly illegal 

I couldn't possibly comment.....

 

[Rob-M]

On 30/07/2019 at 22:16, cheshire~rose said:

There is no obstruction for anyone who is experienced in handling a boat. I felt it likely that the moorings here were heaving last night so maybe they had no option/

 

I took a photo of the entire length of visitor moorings outside the Navi at Gnosall earlier today - completely devoid of any boats. I shared it on Facebook tagging in our friend who used to manage the pub only to be told that there were at least 3 historic craft moved off from there this morning. It is far too easy for anyone to make an incorrect juddgment on the situation a day later when loads of boats may have moved away today 

The mooring was a bit suspect, not somewhere I would have left them moored. I'll have a word with the skipper who was in charge of that trip.

 

Passed Delhi on our way to Tipton and @TheBiscuits.

[TheBiscuits]

6 hours ago, Rob-M said:

Passed Delhi on our way to Tipton and @TheBiscuits.

 

I'm quite used to people shouting "Biscuits!" at me, but "Noodles!" was a new one! 

 

If you had said you'd be up this way, I'd not have let them go travelling, and we could have wrung that extra fiver out of @Dr Bob!  All I knew was that you couldn't get over to Sharpness earlier in the week.

 

@cheshire~rose : the noodles left Gloucester Dock heading for Wyvern Shipping Company on the GU - do keep up!

 

I seriously considered a photo with a tin of Callaloo on Delhi as it sounds a bit like Carrie~Lou!