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River Trent tidal locks reduced service


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2 hours ago, MartynG said:

My boat was ashore from mid October to mid Feb and and  we didn't miss  many , if any, weekend boating opportunities. The river was in flood a good deal  of that time or if not the weather was foul. 

 

 

 

I remember him. He insisted on sliders being used when penning down , which can be tricky from the side deck of most cruisers , and  just stood and watched people struggle / refused to help with the ropes .   

Yes he was a proper plonker.

 

Going down the lock the risers are too low in the wall to reach safely from the bow of NC. 

 

The last time we had a run in with him was a very blowy day and the lock was quite full. We were the last boat to slot in at the back on the port side. After  a couple of goes at getting the boat in which was being blown off the wall we eventually got roped up to a slider at the stern and a ladder at the bow.

 

Mr Grumps was not happy with this even though we were going down in the lock and made us rerope it. He eventually took a rope after several comments about being there all day and put it around a bollard on shore as far away as he could find. Needless to say before we got to the bottom of the lock the rope ran out despite us having long ropes attached. Cue more stomping around by Mr Grumpy.

 

We were definitely glad to see the back of him. And funnily enough have never had a problem in that lock since.

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20 hours ago, PD1964 said:

 

License increase is that it. Is this the hidden agenda about your moan?

I’ve never had a problem with doing any of the locks out of hours.

Or do you think it’s below you to get off your boat and do a lock?

I take it you have a large GRP?

No hidden agenda. License fees have increased and service reduced.

 

The type of boat I have is not relevant. It  is  a GRP cruiser but not particularly large. 33ft.

 

 

 

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Before we left Kings, Martin, a proper boater, said he had volunteered to be at Nether Lock. I guess his first day was 1 July. 

 

Except he wouldn't attend CRT induction training as he thought if a waste of time.

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On the subject of the tidal locks . 

Are there no objections from narrowboat owners on the reduced hours  eg 8am to 4pm and only if booked 24hrs in advance ?

Edited by MartynG
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15 minutes ago, pearley said:

Before we left Kings, Martin, a proper boater, said he had volunteered to be at Nether Lock. I guess his first day was 1 July. 

 

Except he wouldn't attend CRT induction training as he thought if a waste of time.

I  cant understand that. It doesn't seem unreasonable  that training is mandatory.  

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41 minutes ago, MartynG said:

 

 

On the subject of the tidal locks . 

Are there no objections from narrowboat owners on the reduced hours  eg 8am to 4pm and only if booked 24hrs in advance ?

Yes, if these new hours are to believed - there are quite a few rumours started by lock keepers-  I'd say it's going to make journeys take far longer than necessary on the tidal section,  especially in the summer months when early lockings were normal. It's been a downhill slope since the resident keepers left.

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Of the 1000's of locks I have passed thru in the last 40 years, Nether has been my only 'near death experience'.

 

River Trent 14/10/17

Departed Cromwell Lock heading upstream for Newark.

Called the Lock keeper at Nether Lock when 10 minutes out and asked to pen-up when convenient, received the reply “Lock is in your favour, gates are open, lights are green come straight in”

Entered the lock-cut and as the bow passed the gates, the gates started to close, - immediately stuck both engines into full reverse and just managed to back out as the gates closed to leave about a 3-foot gap  - we are a 14 foot beam GRP cruiser, we would have been totally crushed.

Called the Lock Keeper on the VHF: “Nether Lock, what the hell are you doing ?”

No reply but the gates opened and we entered.

As we finally got into the lock another boat called up “10 minutes out would like to lock up” the lockie replied he would hold the gates for them.

Normally the lockie would come and inspect our licence, ask for our destination, pass the time of day but this time (I presume he was so embarrassed) he just stayed in his hut until the other boat arrived, at which time (being ‘safe’ and having a witness should anything happen) he stuck his head over the edge of the lock and (sort of) apologised.

Asked him what had happened and he said: “I closed the gates because I thought you were already in the lock”  

 

Just a young lad - I think (hope) he has had a scare and will be more careful in future.

 

I’m all for volunteer lock keepers but they really should be taught the importance of looking out of the ‘hut window’ and awaiting the OK from the skipper before closing gates or raising paddles.

 

Following this incident I wrote a complaint to C&RT, explaining what had happened and questioning why the had moved the 'control tower' from the original side to its new location, on the opposite side and set back many, many feet from the edge of the lock, where there is no way that the lock keeper can see into the lock from the control and I suggested they should either invest in mirrors mounted on the lock gates, CCTV, or move the control back to its old location.

 

I questioned what would happen had the gates closed on the boat and the reply was incorporated into the general reply.

 

The response I received was as expected, "very sorry for the incident, we will ensure the volunteer lock-keeper is up to date with his training and I will investigate, and report back to you the reasoning behind the re-location of the control tower. The gates have pressure relief valves and if the gates hit an obstacle they will not close any further."

 

I asked at what pressure the valves were set and at how that pressure  would affect a GRP boat,

 

"I will ask engineering to answer your questions, as they have the information available"

 

Of course - nothing heard on anything promised.

 

The whole organisation is rotten to the core.

 

Customer fobbed-off - Job successfully done !

Edited by Alan de Enfield
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1 hour ago, MartynG said:

 

 

On the subject of the tidal locks . 

Are there no objections from narrowboat owners on the reduced hours  eg 8am to 4pm and only if booked 24hrs in advance ?

I have just watched a widebeam come in at West Stockwith 10 minutes ago (20:15) and shall along with a couple of other boats be going out at about 7.30 tomorrow morning. Lockies here at 7..

 

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44 minutes ago, PaulJ said:

I have just watched a widebeam come in at West Stockwith 10 minutes ago (20:15) 

 

So have I . "Opulence"

The lock keeper at Cromwell who informed me about the new times and requirements  must have assumed the same rules apply at all tidal locks. 

 

Torksey was not manned on the tide yesterday evening.

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17 minutes ago, MartynG said:

So have I . "Opulence"

The lock keeper at Cromwell who informed me about the new times and requirements  must have assumed the same rules apply at all tidal locks. 

 

Torksey was not manned on the tide yesterday evening.

That,ll be the one. Did a bloody fantastic job bringing that in ?

Was that you I was talking to by the lock gates?

Edited by PaulJ
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2 hours ago, MartynG said:

 

 

On the subject of the tidal locks . 

Are there no objections from narrowboat owners on the reduced hours  eg 8am to 4pm and only if booked 24hrs in advance ?

It seams that most Narrowboat owners can’t be ars&d with your moan, we always do our own locks so if there is a lock keeper on it’s a bonus, obviously you don’t do canals only the bigger Trent locks and now you might have to do your own locks, your on here trying to make a point. Obviously much easier to step off the back of a Narrowboat onto a lock landing then climbing down from your fly bridge. As I say manned locks are a bonus, you think it’s normal and that’s what you pay your license for.

Edited by PD1964
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Been out on my 20 foot  Shetland for the last 4 days cruising between Sawley down to Farndon and back with my son. 

 

In Hazelford lock on the way back upstream we got told off by the Vlockie for using a riser and a ladder, the guy said it wasn't safe. Its unbelievably difficult to hook on to a second riser from the cockpit of a very small cruiser in a river lock, in fact it is actually dangerous as the procedure involves either shunting the boat around or dangling over the transom with a boat hook after shes roped on at the bow. 

 

After we left the lock my son commented that we should just move out of hours as generally it's less hassel when we operate the locks ourselves.

 

On a separate note there are sand bars outside Holme lock, Hazelford lock and Stoke lock I'm hopeful the Canal and River trust might do some dredging soon, you never know. 

 

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1 hour ago, noddyboater said:

Yes, if these new hours are to believed - there are quite a few rumours started by lock keepers-  I'd say it's going to make journeys take far longer than necessary on the tidal section,  especially in the summer months when early lockings were normal. It's been a downhill slope since the resident keepers left.

Perhaps the lock keeper at Cromwell  has been mis informed and has assumed 

On Saturday  there was no lockkeeper on at Cromwell from mid afternoon. A small boat had to wait overnight on the tidal side. Similarly a boat delayed at Torksey yesterday. Not life threatening but certainly delaying journeys . 

2 minutes ago, PD1964 said:

.... you think it’s normal and that’s what you pay your license for.

Correct

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Reduced service = fewer boats = even further reduced service = even fewer boats ..... eventually the Trent becomes a non navigable ditch.

It's not far off that now.

 

I think the C&RT will be happy when there are no boats.

 

.

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4 minutes ago, MartynG said:

Reduced service = fewer boats = even further reduced service = even fewer boats ..... eventually the Trent becomes a non navigable ditch.

It's not far off that now.

 

I think the C&RT will be happy when there are no boats.

 

.

The Trent is supposedly dredged to 6 feet, but whist in the main channel I have grounded with 4' 6" draft - and that's over the last few years, not just after this last Winters problems.

All part of the reasons I have given up on the Inland Waterways.

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10 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

The Trent is supposedly dredged to 6 feet, but whist in the main channel I have grounded with 4' 6" draft - and that's over the last few years, not just after this last Winters problems.

All part of the reasons I have given up on the Inland Waterways.

We had 4 and a bit ft depth of water  in places between Cromwell and Torksey on Saturday and  and that was close to high tide.

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13 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

The Trent is supposedly dredged to 6 feet

It's not dredged much at all. The last effort was a few years ago but they just put the dredging on the bank.

I heard  narrowboats have been grounded this year ... which usually when they cut the corners.... but not  this year.

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28 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

I know - Newark has been our 'home-base' for 10+ years.

 

2x NB's and 1x GRP Cruiser

Yes I know. My response was to inform the wider audience.

If the Trent becomes non navigable it will be a great loss. I feel C&RT by reducing  sevices are moving towards closing the River Trent  navigation . I may have to relocate to the coast also ..... but probably not Wales.  

 

 

 

 

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9 hours ago, PD1964 said:

It seams that most Narrowboat owners can’t be ars&d with your moan, we always do our own locks so if there is a lock keeper on it’s a bonus, obviously you don’t do canals only the bigger Trent locks and now you might have to do your own locks, your on here trying to make a point. Obviously much easier to step off the back of a Narrowboat onto a lock landing then climbing down from your fly bridge. As I say manned locks are a bonus, you think it’s normal and that’s what you pay your license for.

You can't work the tidal locks on your own though which is what the initial post was about. Reduced lock hours for the tidal locks.

9 hours ago, MartynG said:

We had 4 and a bit ft depth of water  in places between Cromwell and Torksey on Saturday and  and that was close to high tide.

That's deep compared to some of CRT's ditches.

 

The Fossditch has become unbelievably shallow in places. Whether it is just silt that has washed into the channel during lock down that might be redistributed we don't know but several times on the way to Toksey last weekend, more so between Burton Waters and Saxilby, the depth sounder shallow water alarm triggered because we had less than 1ft of water below the hull which effectively means the drive was in the silt.

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It seems there was a boat stuck on Trent at the weekend.

 

Notice Alert

Location: River Trent - between Dunham Toll Bridge (Br 32) & Torksey Lock (Lock 1)


Intersection of:

Bridge 32, Dunham Toll Bridge to Bridge 32, Dunham Toll Bridge on River Trent

and

Lock 1, Torksey Lock to Lock 1, Torksey Lock on Fossdyke Canal

Friday 17 July 2020 23:30 until further notice

Type: Navigation Restriction
Reason: Boat damage

Original message:

A boat has become stuck on the tidal section of the River Trent between Dunham Toll Bridge (Br 32) and Torksey Lock (Lock 1) – more specifically between the Ferry Boat Inn and Manor House Park near Church Laneham. The boat is positioned in the middle of the navigation and will therefore restrict the navigation.

River Canal Rescue have been informed and will hopefully be able to remove the craft at some point tomorrow (Sunday 19th July)

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35 minutes ago, Naughty Cal said:

It seems there was a boat stuck on Trent at the weekend.

 

Notice Alert

Location: River Trent - between Dunham Toll Bridge (Br 32) & Torksey Lock (Lock 1)


Intersection of:

Bridge 32, Dunham Toll Bridge to Bridge 32, Dunham Toll Bridge on River Trent

and

Lock 1, Torksey Lock to Lock 1, Torksey Lock on Fossdyke Canal

Friday 17 July 2020 23:30 until further notice

Type: Navigation Restriction
Reason: Boat damage

Original message:

A boat has become stuck on the tidal section of the River Trent between Dunham Toll Bridge (Br 32) and Torksey Lock (Lock 1) – more specifically between the Ferry Boat Inn and Manor House Park near Church Laneham. The boat is positioned in the middle of the navigation and will therefore restrict the navigation.

River Canal Rescue have been informed and will hopefully be able to remove the craft at some point tomorrow (Sunday 19th July)

That boat , a very old wooden cruiser, was moved to Torksey on Sunday by one of the ski boats. He had gone too close to the side at Laneham . Sounds like he broke a steering cable as the rudder caught the bottom.

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The regular lock keeper at West Stockwith is working  hours to suit the tides but he understands that is not necessarily the case  when he is on  a day off.

 

He understands  more usual hours may be resumed  sooner or later . It does seem C&RT head office don't have  a great understanding of  tides .

Edited by MartynG
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