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Mooring on silty waters


grockell

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Hi fellow boaters,

 

New to living aboard and my first scare last night. I was moored in Berkhamsted and in the middle of the night I awoke to find my boat was sitting heavily angled in the water. I worked out that I must have been sitting on silt whilst the water levels dropped. It transpired the lock downstream had a panel left open, hence why the water levels dropped in the pound I was moored in. 

 

I was wondering, is there any tips for mooring in silted up areas? Do people probe the water before deciding to moor in certain areas or is there a way to moor so you're sitting further away from the canal edge??

 

Cheers!

 

George x

 

P.S I later passed a boat which had been flooded due to the drop in water as well! ?

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Firstly, have you realised that canals are not "box" shaped but have a sort of triangular shape, with the deepest bit in the middles?

 

Secondly, that "panel" was a paddle. That is the bit of lock that you wind up and down to let the water flow into or out of the lock. As Loddon says it is always worth checking that all paddles been dropped (wound down). That stops the water running down hill.

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Hi both, thanks for your replies. That sounds very sensible. I'll have a walk down with the windlass now, just incase! 

 

Embarrassingly, no, I presumed it was box shaped ? duh. That makes a lot more sense! Is it wise to keep a little slack on the ropes or is that unnecessary? I presume then, I'll be knocked around if a boat were to pass. 

 

Yes, paddle of course. Had a mind blank then. 

 

Thanks for the help

 

George

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There is one pond at Berko notorious for emptying overnight. I ended up letting water down at about 3.00 am, and we were already several feet away from the bank out into the channel. Can't remember which pound now, but it's below the usual moorings.

 

Richard

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9 minutes ago, The Dreamer said:

I am not sure that I follow how this could have happened?

It is not uncommon.

 

The boat settles into the mud.

As the water level increase again the suction of the mud (which is far higher for flat bottomed boats than a 'boat-shaped boat') is 'stronger' than the buoyancy of the boat.

This is normally overcome by running a rope below the boat and 'see-sawing' it along the bottom to break the suction and free it from the mud.

  • Greenie 1
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Or the boat leans over and water comes in the engine bay vents. 

 

The thing to remember about canals is tea related. 

 

Old fashioned tea cups the ones with the sloping sides. In theory this is the profile you want the canal to be but in reality it's more likely to be the shape of the china dish you put the tea cup on after sipping. 

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35 minutes ago, magnetman said:

Or the boat leans over and water comes in the engine bay vents. 

 

26 minutes ago, David Mack said:

 

Or through the front deck drains into the well deck, and then trickling in around the cabin front doors.

 

 

Because the boat is not buoyant enough to lift before the water gets to those vents.

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About 20 years ago I woke up at about 3am when I was moored at Apsley not so far from Berko and could hear lots of gurgling noises  coming from under the boat. I then realised the boat was over at an angle so I came outside and saw that the water level had dropped by about 2 and a half feet and my boat was starting to hang on its ropes. I grabbed a windlass and quickly walked down to the next lock and found a both sets of paddles had been opened. I think kids get hold of windlasses and think it will be good for a laugh.

 

Anyway I closed up that lock and went back to the uphill lock by Sainsburys and let a load of water down keeping my eye on the water levels in the pound above so not to drain it too much. It took me about an hour to sort things out and then I went back to bed. I told my fellow CC moorers about it the next day and none of them believed me! Good job I'm a light sleeper. 

Edited by blackrose
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4 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

 

 

Because the boat is not buoyant enough to lift before the water gets to those vents.

 

Yes, generally because the side of the boat nearest the bank is grounded so the boat tips over at an angle - as in the picture posted on the drained Avon thread.

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12 hours ago, grockell said:

Hi fellow boaters,

 

New to living aboard and my first scare last night. I was moored in Berkhamsted and in the middle of the night I awoke to find my boat was sitting heavily angled in the water. I worked out that I must have been sitting on silt whilst the water levels dropped. It transpired the lock downstream had a panel left open, hence why the water levels dropped in the pound I was moored in. 

 

I was wondering, is there any tips for mooring in silted up areas? Do people probe the water before deciding to moor in certain areas or is there a way to moor so you're sitting further away from the canal edge??

 

Cheers!

 

George x

 

P.S I later passed a boat which had been flooded due to the drop in water as well! ?

If you notice early enough that the boat is listing, loosen the stern rope an push it out, this will keep your boat floating on the level. Then take a look at the nearest downstream lock and sort out if necessary.

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 06/10/2019 at 21:04, Ex Brummie said:

Avoid mooring in lock flights.

There are many canals which are in effect a continuous flight...e.g. much of the K&A, southern G.U and the Pennine canals have very few long pounds. So not really practical advice. There isn't really anything you can do to stop this happening except be alert and, if you can, get a feel for which pounds are common mooring sites and which aren't ?

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Berko - I think the pound below the Rising Sun (Lock 55) is particularly prone to emptying.  I've been there when the was a sudden overnight drop.  In that case it seemed to be due to a pillock in the lock below rather than any natural phenomenon though.

 

The pounds above the main town moorings are very shallow.  I was moored at Jewsons to take on some wood earlier this week and the normal rise and fall of the pound was enough to ground me.  The locks between there and the main town are leaky and at least one asks for it to be left empty and bottom paddle drawn.

 

I'm now near the Crystal Palace, and it seems deeper and more stable....

 

 

Dave

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On 06/10/2019 at 18:58, grockell said:

 

 Is it wise to keep a little slack on the ropes or is that unnecessary? I presume then, I'll be knocked around if a boat were to pass. 

 

Ropes should go at 45 degrees to the bank which tends to restrict the moving and using a third one (a spring) at the back going forward will also help stop movement. Do not use the centreline as this will cause your boat to tip with very little movement.

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9 hours ago, DaveP said:

Berko - I think the pound below the Rising Sun (Lock 55) is particularly prone to emptying.  I've been there when the was a sudden overnight drop.  In that case it seemed to be due to a pillock in the lock below rather than any natural phenomenon though.

 

The pounds above the main town moorings are very shallow.  I was moored at Jewsons to take on some wood earlier this week and the normal rise and fall of the pound was enough to ground me.  The locks between there and the main town are leaky and at least one asks for it to be left empty and bottom paddle drawn.

 

I'm now near the Crystal Palace, and it seems deeper and more stable....

 

 

Dave

That'll be the Wandle then?

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10 hours ago, DaveP said:

Berko - I think the pound below the Rising Sun (Lock 55) is particularly prone to emptying.  I've been there when the was a sudden overnight drop.  In that case it seemed to be due to a pillock in the lock below rather than any natural phenomenon though.

 

The pounds above the main town moorings are very shallow.  I was moored at Jewsons to take on some wood earlier this week and the normal rise and fall of the pound was enough to ground me.  The locks between there and the main town are leaky and at least one asks for it to be left empty and bottom paddle drawn.

 

Never used to be a problem in that pound, I spent 13 weeks iced in there!! That pound is fed by the river Bulbourne, which leaves again near the Old Mill pub.

I was once tipped out of bed in the pound below Cowroast though, completely drained down to Northchurch by urchins.

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