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DandV

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On this day 2016. A wide beam arrived at the mooring with 2 Airedale’s, one very old stayed on board the younger one ran around . I let ours off to play and they charged around and then disappeared until loud screeching from the chickens in the farm yard altered us to their whereabouts. No real harm done but we were not very popular for a few days!

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Edited by Dav and Pen
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1 hour ago, John Liley said:

More on Changsha. An incidental discovery was that here a business had produced well over a hundred narrow boats and shipped them to England, two at a time, in containers. With government aid it has since morphed into a substantial shipyard. 

 

Working hours are long, so our visit provided the welcome excuse for a business lunch. The lady in blue did the English-Chinese translation on the narrow boat job.

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I guess those would be the boats sold here as "East West"?

Can you get two in one container?

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Re narrow boats in containers, I really don't know. Two into one was what I was told, but there may be some misunderstanding here. I was told that, initially, a British-built boat was more or less taken to bits and its details pored over. We were looking for some boat builder for the proposed water park and got the impression these people could turn out anything. The water park people also wanted a lock to be built and all manner of stuff, including restaurant boats and electric propulsion throughout. My head was beginning to spin early on, particularly as several bridges had already been build to unnecessarily tight dimensions and they had dammed off the natural connection with the River Xiang. Wheyher it all got built I wonder.

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1 hour ago, John Liley said:

Re narrow boats in containers, I really don't know. Two into one was what I was told, but there may be some misunderstanding here. I was told that, initially, a British-built boat was more or less taken to bits and its details pored over. ....

A small container ship in Southampton Water

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L2592_20170224_0068.JPG.b623b53b8f6afd7dd6cc46421b6babf5.JPG

although they still look big compared with tugs, or pleasure craft.

 

An intermodal container is usually 8'6" width external dimensions. Waterways World February 2007 said "Both boats are 44 ft long, which is the maximum length that can fit in a standard container for the journey to the UK"

 

 

 

 

 

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2 hours ago, PeterScott said:

On this day in 2012

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S&W Rodbaston Lock

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There was an enthusiasm from BW HQ to fence off all lock bridges, temporarily if necessary. Lock sides were not included.

 

 

I don't think there was much enthusiasm from BW, or anyone else familiar with the canal network, but they needed to have due regard to the findings of a coroner.

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1 hour ago, PeterScott said:

A small container ship in Southampton Water

L2592_20170224_0064.JPG.016d4081355f9204be4347fcbb9a99d6.JPG

 

L2592_20170224_0068.JPG.b623b53b8f6afd7dd6cc46421b6babf5.JPG

although they still look big compared with tugs, or pleasure craft.

 

An intermodal container is usually 8'6" width external dimensions. Waterways World February 2007 said "Both boats are 44 ft long, which is the maximum length that can fit in a standard container for the journey to the UK"

 

 

 

 

 

Yes, I remember a review (probably the same one) which explained that this was the reason for the boats' 44' length. I think they did longer ones too - how those got here I have no idea.

 

EDIT: a look at Apollo Duck shows 39', 44' and 57' models for sale.

Edited by Athy
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Not narrow boats but hulls or casco’s as they are called in Holland and Belgium on their way from China.  When we were in dry dock in Antwerp there were 3 companies fitting out 110m hulls and there seemed to be lots of demand but believe that lots of people who gave up smaller barges and took on bank loans for these large ones got into problems due to poor freight and low rates.

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On 19/05/2020 at 12:29, PeterScott said:

 

which sent me to the bookshelf for my rather delapidated copy of The Canals of England. APHerbert's foreward modestly denies that any of his words could be useful "But no words could compete with the pictures here", and that chimes with the thoughts above on verses and lighting; canal architecture and its quirky diversity speaks for itself.

 

gertrude8.jpg.9cf4454dba10b2798a82a9036ce1c7e2.jpgEric de Maré(*) uses this picture as a heading to "Chapter 3: The Canals Today" In my copy it's not a plate so the reproduction is poor, and it has been printed better elsewhere.

 

Here we are below in 1995 towing Gertrude on the Northern Oxford. We passed her last (probably) owner Jason bow-hauling with a sign inviting offers-of-a-tow, which was an excellent offer not-to-be-missed, and I wrote about it on a thread here.

 

We could spend the rest of the lockdown picture-mapping the book to modern images ?

 

(*) Windows10, in many contexts, allows the (with Num Lock on) Alt-key to be pressed while typing the ASCII code. Alt-130 gives é. Apols for computery-nerdiness.

 

Rose (Jack) Skinner and here daughter Joyce.

I believe the photographer was in a little boat towed behing Gertrude.

 

Rose Skinner (Jack).jpg.jpeg

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1 hour ago, Dav and Pen said:

Not narrow boats but hulls or casco’s as they are called in Holland and Belgium on their way from China.  When we were in dry dock in Antwerp there were 3 companies fitting out 110m hulls and there seemed to be lots of demand but believe that lots of people who gave up smaller barges and took on bank loans for these large ones got into problems due to poor freight and low rates.

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A look on the Internet reveals that this  ship, the Heavy Lift Vessel Blue Marlin was attacked by pirates off the west coast of Africa last year, having just delivered a cargo in Equatorial Guinea. The crew of 20, locking themlves into the "ship's citadel'" called for help and patrol craft and helicopters were despatched - the pirates, meanwhile, letting off forearms and causing enough damage for the vessel to be rendered inoperable. A tug was sent, and the crew were later complimented fon their actions.

 

There was a picture some years ago of a similar stack of Chinese-built vessels on a raft stranded up an African beach after the towline had parted. Never a dull moment in the barge trade.

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2 hours ago, Mike Todd said:

I don't think there was much enthusiasm from BW, or anyone else familiar with the canal network, but they needed to have due regard to the findings of a coroner.

L2687_20170925_0221.JPG.fbf011091059794ac5fc8db8e1002656.JPGYes, certainly no obvious enthusiasm in terms of completing action. As discussed on Canalworld here, Robert Fidoe was bicycling across the 20-inch wide bridge at Stourport Basin L2687_20170925_0223.JPG.b7e63ccbbd11281a7699c65c25eb3027.JPGbottom lock when he fell in at about 11.50am on Friday, 3 June 2011 and subsequently died in the lock below.

 

WorcesterNews also reports that "Worcestershire coroner Geraint Williams wondered if one of Robert’s bike pedals had struck the side of the bridge throwing him off". Also reported from the inquest was that "Anthony Stammers, head of health and safety at British Waterways, said he would have expected to see a handrail – and one would now be put in place." If that report is right and the commitment to a handrail was made at the inquest, the coroner may well have decided that no further report was necessary under the 2009 Act.

 

I can find no such formal report, and if there was none, we don't know the scope of the recommendation. In any case the link above makes it clear that it is for BW/CRT to decide what needed to be done. By my visit in 2017 they had got as far as this scaffolding contraption on which was fixed a planning application for something more permanent. I recall speaking with Vince Moran, who was Head of such things at BW (as subsequently Acting Chief Executive of C&RT) and he certainly had a reforming zeal for handrails on all lock bridges. Quite likely not shared with colleagues who had to do the job. That nice Mr Google still shows scaffolding.

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That nice Mr Google is out of date.  A permanent solution was in place when we visited Stourport in 2018.  The longstanding scaffold handrail at Awbridge Lock has also been replaced with a permanent solution.

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On 09/05/2020 at 06:22, Rob-M said:

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On this day 2018. A visit to the Black Country Living Museum.

We were there a week later. L1463_20080829_0005b.jpg.cbb10964125fab355740555721451101.jpgThis approximately matching view from the other side of the canal is an earlier visit in 2008,

 

when as L1463_20080829_0047.JPG.7b6669f1f849327c16ca2e3f16e91874.JPGcrew of Angel it was being volunteer exhibits and entertaining the visitors with looking into the back cabin.

 

.

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On this day in 2020 we were booked to go across the Ribble Link.

?

 

I wouldn't mind so much but we were bowled out for the same trip a few years back.

We got as far as Manchester to learn of that collapsed culvert on the Rufford Arm

:angry:

 

But on this night in 2011 we spent our very first night aboard 'Red Wharf'

?

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10 minutes ago, Victor Vectis said:

On this day in 2020 we were booked to go across the Ribble Link.

?

 

Many sympathies. This could have been you fighting the tide at Tarleton (from 2016)

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On memories of an earlier crossing, I did an hour-by-hour picture account starting at #668. It may not help ?

 

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14 hours ago, PeterScott said:

L2687_20170925_0221.JPG.fbf011091059794ac5fc8db8e1002656.JPGYes, certainly no obvious enthusiasm in terms of completing action. As discussed on Canalworld here, Robert Fidoe was bicycling across the 20-inch wide bridge at Stourport Basin L2687_20170925_0223.JPG.b7e63ccbbd11281a7699c65c25eb3027.JPGbottom lock when he fell in at about 11.50am on Friday, 3 June 2011 and subsequently died in the lock below.

 

WorcesterNews also reports that "Worcestershire coroner Geraint Williams wondered if one of Robert’s bike pedals had struck the side of the bridge throwing him off". Also reported from the inquest was that "Anthony Stammers, head of health and safety at British Waterways, said he would have expected to see a handrail – and one would now be put in place." If that report is right and the commitment to a handrail was made at the inquest, the coroner may well have decided that no further report was necessary under the 2009 Act.

 

I can find no such formal report, and if there was none, we don't know the scope of the recommendation. In any case the link above makes it clear that it is for BW/CRT to decide what needed to be done. By my visit in 2017 they had got as far as this scaffolding contraption on which was fixed a planning application for something more permanent. I recall speaking with Vince Moran, who was Head of such things at BW (as subsequently Acting Chief Executive of C&RT) and he certainly had a reforming zeal for handrails on all lock bridges. Quite likely not shared with colleagues who had to do the job. That nice Mr Google still shows scaffolding.

The Directors or Trustees of any organisation have an independent duty to assess Health and Safety of employees, customers, clients and even trespassers. This duty cannot be abdicated. In some contexts, but remarkably few, there care actual legal directives but the burden normally lies with the organisation to show that they have made a proper assessment and recorded it with regular reviews.

 

This case also shows the extent of that duty as the incident cited, as I recall, involved a young person riding a bicycle in a place where signage clearly forbade it. It is a classic case to cite when people think that they can mitigate a risk simply by putting up warning signs. However, this incident did not lead to BW's position being tested legally - or at least as  I recall - as no HSE case was brought nor did the family sue. However both possibilities make most companies nervous at ignoring such advice as given by coroners, even if at times they do seem to lack the ability, as embodied in legislation, to take a balanced view about risk. After all, we are talking about risk (ie the possibility of an event) not its complete elimination - that is rarely possible. Even lockdown has its downside.

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The proliferation of hand rails on the lock bridges produced some wonderful temporary contraptions. 'Temporary' stayed for a long time as planning applications for listed structures took their usual interminable time.

A few years on, these structures seem to have always been there as they have weathered ( and rusted) and look as original as other lock furniture.

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On this day in 2008

L1444_20080521_0094.JPG.bab0daaabab055cddc025589595b829e.JPG

 

Standedge Tunnel Diggle end

L1444_20080521_0113a.jpg.e465c66c6d70ffe314de77b63c5c0a28.jpgBoats emerging. This was the stage of tunnel development when convoys included the passenger pod to convey boatcrews, and excluded human fenderers on each boat, and boats were covered by rubber sheeting when available (lots of the sheets fell off in the tunnel and were not replaced). It was before boats were permitted to use their own engines.

 

On this occasion the Marsden to Diggle convoy had been delayed by the parting of this boat and its T-stud. As an aside, not a desirable outcome after deploying the anchor in an emergency. There was discussion of how it had been welded and the difficulties of welding together metal objects of different metals and the pressures of differential expansion with temperature.

 

The delay caused our afternoon tunnel-booking to be transferred to the next morning, giving an overnight mooring at Diggle, which was at the time not normally allowed. It is a brilliant place to moor.

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