River Severn - Single Handed

[doratheexplorer]

On 04/08/2019 at 00:52, TheBiscuits said:

I'll pay good money to watch you try that on the chains above Gloucester Lock, especially if it's a bit fresh!

 

I don't disagree with the rest of your comment, and that is indeed normal practice,  but if you can't stop in reverse heading for one of the big weirs, then it's worth rounding up and gunning it as an "OMFG I'm gonna die!" manoeuvre ...

 

 

I don't understand this.  First, you mean below Gloucester Lock.  Second, you will be pointing downstream so this is a perfect example of what Mike was saying.

[Just Heaven]

Having been caught out once at Gloucester when the lock wasn't ready even though I'd called ahead, I now have one of these on a short rope attached at the stern ready to drop over one of the ladders in the wall if I have to.

Though having done it many times, the lockies are excellent, and 99% of the time the gates are open and waiting if you call ahead.

 

Steve

 

 

 

[nebulae]

My experience is that lockies do not always respond to V.H.F. In one case,the locky told me he could hear me,but had not done the course,so he could only listen. They do seem to phone the next lock,if you are going through,so they will be expecting you. Not had much luck speaking to the locky at Gloucester until within sight and that is with a fixed set.

[john6767]

2 minutes ago, nebulae said:

My experience is that lockies do not always respond to V.H.F. In one case,the locky told me he could hear me,but had not done the course,so he could only listen. They do seem to phone the next lock,if you are going through,so they will be expecting you. Not had much luck speaking to the locky at Gloucester until within sight and that is with a fixed set.

I have been able to clearly speak to Gloucester from Upper Parting on a handheld.  I did once have a problem in contacting the first lock that you get to from Stourport, which was the very first time I used the radio, so I thought I was doing something wrong.   Turned out he was cutting the grass and had not heard it.

 

Off topic, when we crossed the Ribble Link last week I had the radio on even though CRT don’t use VHF on the Ribble Link,  interesting to be hearing the coastguard!

[Keeping Up]

I've never had any problem contacting Gloucester Lock on VHF from way above the Partings, mind you I do have a fixed installation. I've often found it harder to contact Upper Lode, I think the locky turns the squelch right up so that he doesn't keep getting interrupted by the radio from Gloucester; even from Lower Lode it usually takes the full 25 watts to reach him. I've also once had the problem at Diglis that the locky there wasn't trained to use the radio, the problem was he didn't know his phone was out of order and he couldn't see or hear us from inside his cabin so we waited below the lock for an hour until he came out to let a boat down.

[Rob-M]

4 hours ago, Keeping Up said:

I've never had any problem contacting Gloucester Lock on VHF from way above the Partings, mind you I do have a fixed installation. I've often found it harder to contact Upper Lode, I think the locky turns the squelch right up so that he doesn't keep getting interrupted by the radio from Gloucester; even from Lower Lode it usually takes the full 25 watts to reach him. I've also once had the problem at Diglis that the locky there wasn't trained to use the radio, the problem was he didn't know his phone was out of order and he couldn't see or hear us from inside his cabin so we waited below the lock for an hour until he came out to let a boat down.

Why didn't you walk up and knock on his window...?

 

I only call Gloucester Lock using a mobile phone, all the other locks on the Severn I just approach slowly and generally get the flashing light to acknowledge they have seen me.

[ditchcrawler]

1 hour ago, Rob-M said:

Why didn't you walk up and knock on his window...? 

Had that at a bridge on the G&S pulled slowly up to the bridge and waited a bit mid stream, nothing. Honked the horn a couple of times, nothing. Put Diana ashore and she found him in his hut, feet up, fast asleep so banged on his window.

[Chewbacka]

1 hour ago, ditchcrawler said:

Had that at a bridge on the G&S pulled slowly up to the bridge and waited a bit mid stream, nothing. Honked the horn a couple of times, nothing. Put Diana ashore and she found him in his hut, feet up, fast asleep so banged on his window.

I bet that was Sims bridge

[Chris Williams]

On 04/08/2019 at 00:46, Mike the Boilerman said:

step off with the stern line snd secure the boat.

Err - there is like a 15 foot wall for you to 'step off' onto. 

Grab one of the chains.  There are ladders to climb.

[doratheexplorer]

8 hours ago, Chris Williams said:

Err - there is like a 15 foot wall for you to 'step off' onto. 

Grab one of the chains.  There are ladders to climb.

There are signs telling you not to use the ladders.

[Onewheeler]

9 hours ago, Chris Williams said:

Err - there is like a 15 foot wall for you to 'step off' onto. 

Grab one of the chains.  There are ladders to climb.

It's not that tall if the river is high ?

[doratheexplorer]

12 minutes ago, Onewheeler said:

It's not that tall if the river is high ?

If the river is high enough to be able to step straight off, I'd rather not be on it on a narrowboat.

[Chris Williams]

9 hours ago, doratheexplorer said:

There are signs telling you not to use the ladders.

Why ?  What are they for then ?

[Rob-M]

17 minutes ago, Chris Williams said:

Why ?  What are they for then ?

Maybe due to they look like they might collapse if you stepped on one.

[blackrose]

On 04/08/2019 at 07:43, frangar said:

All the Severn locks are manned. 

 

Must be my dodgy memory then.

Edited August 6, 2019 by blackrose

[frangar]

3 minutes ago, blackrose said:

 

I'm sure you're right, but not when I went through.

 

But I went through some that weren't manned.

There isn’t any that are self op on the Severn. Are you sure your not thinking of the Avon?  

[blackrose]

7 minutes ago, frangar said:

There isn’t any that are self op on the Severn. Are you sure your not thinking of the Avon?  

Possibly - see above, I edited my post.

[Chris Williams]

1 hour ago, Rob-M said:

Maybe due to they look like they might collapse if you stepped on one.

So how do you get up that wall ?  I had to in the days before mobile phones and VHF to contact the lock.  As for the bridges, you just blew your horn.

[Rob-M]

15 minutes ago, Chris Williams said:

So how do you get up that wall ?  I had to in the days before mobile phones and VHF to contact the lock.  As for the bridges, you just blew your horn.

You rely on the lock keeper or bridge keeper seeing you and you calling ahead on the mobile.

 

Some of the bridges are operated by a single bridge keeper who jumps in a van and drives to the next one.

[Onewheeler]

2 hours ago, Rob-M said:

Maybe due to they look like they might collapse if you stepped on one.

To stop people thinking they might get off their boat for a stroll or to find a mooring ring. They're only intended for emergency use, and are incredibly badly designed with a bit of an overhang at the top.  I co-authored a document some years ago (in BW days) making a number of suggestions to improve safety at the lock.

[TheBiscuits]

1 hour ago, Chris Williams said:

So how do you get up that wall ?  I had to in the days before mobile phones and VHF to contact the lock.  As for the bridges, you just blew your horn.

That's the G&S though isn't it?

 

Canal not River, so the weirs won't eat your boat!  Are there any swingbridges on the Severn?  I can't think of any, but would accept there used to be.

[Graham Davis]

20 minutes ago, TheBiscuits said:

That's the G&S though isn't it?

 

Canal not River, so the weirs won't eat your boat!  Are there any swingbridges on the Severn?  I can't think of any, but would accept there used to be.

I've just finished reading "Severn Tanking" and there are no swing bridges mentioned between Gloucester and Stourport.
I never realised that Haw Bridge had been demolished by a tanker.

[Chris Williams]

3 hours ago, Rob-M said:

You rely on the lock keeper or bridge keeper seeing you and you calling ahead on the mobile.

We did not have mobiles in 1974.  You called ahead on your hooter.  My hooter wasn't very good, but at Sharpness I 'acquired' a Windtone horn off a scrap lorry.  The result was much better.

 

1 hour ago, Graham Davis said:

Are there any swingbridges on the Severn?

No, nor lifting bridges.  Just keep a'going.

[doratheexplorer]

13 hours ago, Chris Williams said:

So how do you get up that wall ?  I had to in the days before mobile phones and VHF to contact the lock.  As for the bridges, you just blew your horn.

You shouldn't have any reason to get up the wall, but in case of emergency there are steps set into the wall in one place.  Of course, if you're hanging on a chain and your engine catches fire, you might have difficulty manoeuvring your boat to the steps.

[ditchcrawler]

9 hours ago, Chris Williams said:

We did not have mobiles in 1974.  You called ahead on your hooter.  My hooter wasn't very good, but at Sharpness I 'acquired' a Windtone horn off a scrap lorry.  The result was much better.

 

No, nor lifting bridges.  Just keep a'going.

As I said, on one occasion it didn't work for me