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Selfish boater


Clanky

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Came up the staffs and worc today from Autherley to just north of Penkridge. Most of the locks were against us from Gailey but when we got to Penkridge somebody had gone through the locks and left the downstream gates open and the paddles up much to my wife’s annoyance. I hope this was just a one off and we were unlucky. Fortunately we never caught up with the offender as the Mrs was revving. 
Otherwise it was a beautiful days boating.

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There are some clowns, even on here, who argue that you should always leave gates open behind you (probably not with the paddles up, though). As a single-hander, I'd cheerfully murder the lot of 'em.  I'm sure it was a very efficient way of doing things back in the day when boats were hurtling in all directions all the time; these days, with leaky gates and a falling to bits system, it's just daft.  In your case, I suspect an idiot in a hurry or someone who simply doesn't know, and may well have been told by now.

I met a family on an inflatable today who nearly got squashed because he didn't know we drove on the right.  He does now, but i did impart the info in a friendly manner!

Edited by Arthur Marshall
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You said downstream, in my eyes that would have allowed you to sail straight into the lock without opening the gates??

If you meant the top gates, then..

Perhaps someone had thought nobody is around, I will just go up and use the services, turn round and go back down again.

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14 minutes ago, matty40s said:

You said downstream, in my eyes that would have allowed you to sail straight into the lock without opening the gates??

If you meant the top gates, then..

Perhaps someone had thought nobody is around, I will just go up and use the services, turn round and go back down again.

Travelling Autherley to Penkridge locks are going downhill so bottom gates left open is someone being lazy and wouldn't mean boating straight in.

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We went from Todmorden to Summit (Rochdale Canal) a couple of days ago. I suspect we were the first two boats to do this section for some time. Almost all the locks were empty with a bottom paddle raised when we got to them.  A lot of walkers and cyclists had gone past and I can only conclude that one of them had a windlass (or adjustable spanner) with them and decided to set the locks for us.

 

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

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41 minutes ago, Jinna said:

Came up the staffs and worc today from Autherley to just north of Penkridge. Most of the locks were against us from Gailey but when we got to Penkridge somebody had gone through the locks and left the downstream gates open and the paddles up much to my wife’s annoyance. I hope this was just a one off and we were unlucky. Fortunately we never caught up with the offender as the Mrs was revving. 
Otherwise it was a beautiful days boating.

Only one lock is not so bad.  We went down Stockton (wide locks) following a pair of hire boats and they left all the bottom gates open and paddles both side up.  What a pain that was.

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last time we came down heartbreak hill we came upon a chap coming the other way just about to exit the lock, i noticed he was singlehanded so i told him i’d get the paddles as we were going in, he nodded and carried on. wasn't until we came to the next lock with its gates wide open and paddles still up that we realised he’d no intention of doing them himself, and the next three locks we came to were the same :(

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46 minutes ago, Jinna said:

Came up the staffs and worc today from Autherley to just north of Penkridge. Most of the locks were against us from Gailey but when we got to Penkridge somebody had gone through the locks and left the downstream gates open and the paddles up much to my wife’s annoyance. I hope this was just a one off and we were unlucky. Fortunately we never caught up with the offender as the Mrs was revving. 
Otherwise it was a beautiful days boating.

I don’t understand 

 

You arrived at locks set to your advantage? 

What was annoying ? No one to shut the gates behind you and fill the lock? 

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35 minutes ago, Rob-M said:

Travelling Autherley to Penkridge locks are going downhill so bottom gates left open is someone being lazy and wouldn't mean boating straight in.

Ah, he said came up the Staffs and worcs, I missed the fact that he was going Down the Staffs and Worcs..?

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8 hours ago, Goliath said:

I don’t understand 

 

You arrived at locks set to your advantage? 

What was annoying ? No one to shut the gates behind you and fill the lock? 

The annoying thing surely is that, despite the short term advantage, sooner or later the pillock is going to drain a pound or two. And,singlehander though I am, it wasn't me!

Edited by Arthur Marshall
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Sorry if my terminology is incorrect, for clarification (I hope) we were travelling north, all the locks were empty, and the gates at the far end of the lock from us open, we had to close the gates and paddles fill the locks, 5 of them, open the gate and enter the lock.

Edited by Jinna
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10 hours ago, dmr said:

We went from Todmorden to Summit (Rochdale Canal) a couple of days ago. I suspect we were the first two boats to do this section for some time. Almost all the locks were empty with a bottom paddle raised when we got to them.  A lot of walkers and cyclists had gone past and I can only conclude that one of them had a windlass (or adjustable spanner) with them and decided to set the locks for us.

 

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

Last time we came down from the summit into Tod there was a chap walking his dog who said: "I'll nip back home and get my windlass". He set all the locks down into Tod. A really nice chap; perhaps it was him. 

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12 hours ago, Arthur Marshall said:

There are some clowns, even on here, who argue that you should always leave gates open behind you (probably not with the paddles up, though). As a single-hander, I'd cheerfully murder the lot of 'em.  I'm sure it was a very efficient way of doing things back in the day when boats were hurtling in all directions all the time; these days, with leaky gates and a falling to bits system, it's just daft.  In your case, I suspect an idiot in a hurry or someone who simply doesn't know, and may well have been told by now.

I met a family on an inflatable today who nearly got squashed because he didn't know we drove on the right.  He does now, but i did impart the info in a friendly manner!

In some areas at least I believe that there are more boat movements today (well, outside of lock down!) than in the canal's heyday. (Or am I mis remembering the stats?)

Edited by Mike Todd
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2 hours ago, Martin Nicholas said:

You could have waited for an uphill boat, who would have done all the work for you, saving 5 locks of water into the bargain.
 

Surely it only saves one lock of water in total.

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I don't see the problem. I stop boat at side wife gets off and does lock whatever is needed. I drive in, she finishes locking and I drive out and she closes gate. Wife gets on, repeat. 

Edited by mrsmelly
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17 hours ago, Arthur Marshall said:

There are some clowns, even on here, who argue that you should always leave gates open behind you (probably not with the paddles up, though). As a single-hander, I'd cheerfully murder the lot of 'em.  I'm sure it was a very efficient way of doing things back in the day when boats were hurtling in all directions all the time; these days, with leaky gates and a falling to bits system, it's just daft.  In your case, I suspect an idiot in a hurry or someone who simply doesn't know, and may well have been told by now.

I met a family on an inflatable today who nearly got squashed because he didn't know we drove on the right.  He does now, but i did impart the info in a friendly manner!

There are some navigations where it is the rule to leave the gates open. The River Wey and the River Avon (Warwickshire) are two.

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2 minutes ago, Alway Swilby said:

There are some navigations where it is the rule to leave the gates open. The River Wey and the River Avon (Warwickshire) are two.

There are some locks on canals the same, but they're marked. Rivers, I think, are often treated differently to canals.

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3 hours ago, Goliath said:

The disadvantage of having to close gates when others have left them open is very minor compared to the big advantage to be gained if they’re left open in your favour. 
I bet no one complains then. 

Yeah, but they never are.  It's the same as when you ride a bike, the wind is always against you.

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