Lock Helper at Aldermaston (K&A)

[dmr]

Coming up the Kennett yesterday we had two incidents with people wanting to help and telling us how we should be doing things, one claimed to be a proper volunteer lock keeper.

NEVER accept help from bystanders, whatever they claim, unless you are happy they know their stuff, and even then retain control of the situation. NEVER give anybody a windlass unless you are 100% sure. Some helpers are passing boaters but they are easy to spot.

 

Burghfield lock is the second shortest on the K&A (I think) and a very very tight fit for us. Unusually I was driving and Gillie was locking. My front was right up against the gate paddle so a bit of care was needed. The lock helper became quite insistent that the paddles had to be raised fully and quickly and tried quite hard to get the windlass and take over.

 

A couple of locks up (the real shortest lock) a load of children wanted to help with gates and paddles but were very understanding when I explained about long boats, short locks and gate paddles. They did the gates but I could not let them do the paddle, they got to walk up and do the swing bridge for us as consolation, that's how it should be.

 

At Aldermaston lift bridge a bloke (certainly not a gentleman) came over and said he was going to advise me on how to get through the bridge, though in fact he gave me commands rather than advice. I pointed out that I did not intend to follow his advice at which point he told me that he was the  volunteer lock keeper. I told him that I was still not going to do things his way because he was wrong and obviously knew very little about boating. He then went over and persuaded a second boat waiting to come down to do things his way which wasted a fair bit of time and caused a lot of confusion...and he gave me a bit of a telling off. I noted that he had no life jacket, no blue shirt, but did appear to be associated with a set of fishing rods up by the sanitary station . 

 

I was going to report this bloke to CRT but I expect they would take no action or the wrong action. There is a long standing unofficial volunteer lock helper on the Kennet who much predates the days of volunteer lock keepers and I must stress that it was not this man, I would hate to cause any "collateral trouble" for him as his very competent help is always much appreciated.

 

.................Dave

[Dinz]

You back in the area?

When are you due through Dave?