More volockie hassle

[Mad Harold]

1 hour ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

By the time you've argued about priority most of the locks would have self-filled anyway, solving the problem.

 

39 minutes ago, Victor Vectis said:

Or self emptied.

 

[Machpoint005]

3 hours ago, Loddon said:

If both sets of gates are closed, the lock is half full and two boats arrive from opposite directions at the same time how do you decide whose lock it is, toss a coin?

 

After you, No after you, and an amicable agreement.

 

I realise this means one actually has to talk to people.

 

 

[GUMPY]

2 minutes ago, Machpoint005 said:

 

After you, No after you, and an amicable agreement.

 

I realise this means one actually has to talk to people.

 

 

Both would sit on their boats waiting for the other one to come through 😁

[Machpoint005]

The Memsahib wouldn't be sitting on our boat.

 

 

[Midnight]

3 hours ago, Loddon said:

If both sets of gates are closed, the lock is half full and two boats arrive from opposite directions at the same time how do you decide whose lock it is, toss a coin?

In the early days of the Stockton and Darlington railway such issues were often settled by fisticuffs. The loser having to reverse back to the last passing place. Not recommended but fun to watch.

[JamesWoolcock]

Did Hatton this morning,  bottom to top, two 50ft plus boats, both single handed.

After 4 locks the Volokies appeared. At one time there were 5 helping. All under our instructions. No problems whatsoever. All the way to the top. Just brilliant and so very much appreciated. Thanks chaps.

[frangar]

12 minutes ago, JamesWoolcock said:

Did Hatton this morning,  bottom to top, two 50ft plus boats, both single handed.

After 4 locks the Volokies appeared. At one time there were 5 helping. All under our instructions. No problems whatsoever. All the way to the top. Just brilliant and so very much appreciated. Thanks chaps.

You must be in the good book….they hide when I go through! Suits me mind you! 

[nicknorman]

12 minutes ago, JamesWoolcock said:

Did Hatton this morning,  bottom to top, two 50ft plus boats, both single handed.

After 4 locks the Volokies appeared. At one time there were 5 helping. All under our instructions. No problems whatsoever. All the way to the top. Just brilliant and so very much appreciated. Thanks chaps.

Very good. It's just a pity that not all are like that, and the rogue element spoils the reputation of the rest.

 

We have a volunteer at our marina, we are quite friendly with him. In previous years he has done a power of work cutting back vegetation etc. This year he is on Atherstone flight as a volockie. In chit chat he mentioned that "we are supposed to ask the boaters if they would like any help" - the inference from that I take to be that they don't actually ask. This behaviour is presumably how he as been trained, either in basic training or in on-the-job training in amongst other longer standing volockies. Therein lies the problem. Lack of supervision as to what actually happens at the coal face.

[Graham Davis]

1 hour ago, frangar said:

You must be in the good book….they hide when I go through! Suits me mind you! 

 

They've probably read on here what a miserable so and so you are and decided not to help you. Can't say I blame them!

[MtB]

1 hour ago, nicknorman said:

Very good. It's just a pity that not all are like that, and the rogue element spoils the reputation of the rest.

 

We have a volunteer at our marina, we are quite friendly with him. In previous years he has done a power of work cutting back vegetation etc. This year he is on Atherstone flight as a volockie. In chit chat he mentioned that "we are supposed to ask the boaters if they would like any help" - the inference from that I take to be that they don't actually ask. This behaviour is presumably how he as been trained, either in basic training or in on-the-job training in amongst other longer standing volockies. Therein lies the problem. Lack of supervision as to what actually happens at the coal face.

 

I came up Atherstone today and I can confirm none of the vollies asked me if I wanted any help. 

 

On the other hand they were all perfectly pleasant people enjoying themselves working the locks I expected to be working myself. Every lock was open and ready for me to enter as the vollies all now seem to have radio comms, they all knew in advance I was arriving, hence none asked if I wanted this. 

 

I definitely felt like I'd missed out on the experience of working myself up the flight. 

 

On the upside none of them instructed me to "stay on the boat" (when as a single hander I prefer to be lockside) as has happened so often in the past. Thank heavens for small mercies I suppose. 

[frangar]

5 hours ago, Graham Davis said:

 

They've probably read on here what a miserable so and so you are and decided not to help you. Can't say I blame them!

That’s fine by me…as I said I wasn’t complaining about it…much rather look after myself. 

[Arthur Marshall]

8 hours ago, MtB said:

 

I came up Atherstone today and I can confirm none of the vollies asked me if I wanted any help. 

 

On the other hand they were all perfectly pleasant people enjoying themselves working the locks I expected to be working myself. Every lock was open and ready for me to enter as the vollies all now seem to have radio comms, they all knew in advance I was arriving, hence none asked if I wanted this. 

 

I definitely felt like I'd missed out on the experience of working myself up the flight. 

 

On the upside none of them instructed me to "stay on the boat" (when as a single hander I prefer to be lockside) as has happened so often in the past. Thank heavens for small mercies I suppose. 

I'd bear it in mind next time - if you mention to the first one you'd rather work the locks yourself they can radio that up the flight and find other things to do, or just go and help someone else. Myself, I'm always happy to see a lock open for me, and they probably assume everyone feels like that, but they need to be aware that not all of us do.

[pomkitanner]

Far from being an experienced boater, however over the course of 3 hires on the Oxford/L&L / and the GU,  i have to say i have never encountered a volunteer lockie. I do recall perhaps 2 C&RT employees, but in each case they took a very hands off approach.  Were i to come across a Vlokkie on my next hire , is it customary to dictate your preferences before entering a lock should their help be offered? I can imagine some situations where i might appreciate help - have yet to scale a flight, but generally i prefer my own company. 

[Nightwatch]

11 hours ago, MtB said:

 

I came up Atherstone today and I can confirm none of the vollies asked me if I wanted any help. 

 

On the other hand they were all perfectly pleasant people enjoying themselves working the locks I expected to be working myself. Every lock was open and ready for me to enter as the vollies all now seem to have radio comms, they all knew in advance I was arriving, hence none asked if I wanted this. 

 

I definitely felt like I'd missed out on the experience of working myself up the flight. 

 

On the upside none of them instructed me to "stay on the boat" (when as a single hander I prefer to be lockside) as has happened so often in the past. Thank heavens for small mercies I suppose. 

Is MtB ‘the’ MtB?

[tree monkey]

20 minutes ago, Nightwatch said:

Is MtB ‘the’ MtB?

It's MtBs sockpuppet, he just hasn't got the hang of this sockpuppetry thing yet

 

In all seriousness yes I think it is the one and only, I even saw him in the real world the other day, at least briefly 

[Nightwatch]

We crossed paths on the Napton flight afew weeks ago. Since, we have seen ‘Alonso’ back on its moorings. It was good to see he’s still alive and kicking.

 

 

[Ray T]

On 18/07/2021 at 13:46, Loddon said:

If both sets of gates are closed, the lock is half full and two boats arrive from opposite directions at the same time how do you decide whose lock it is, toss a coin?

If it twer boating days it would be a punch up. This applied to the women  as well.

😃

Edited August 4, 2021 by Ray T

[JamesWoolcock]

19 hours ago, JamesWoolcock said:

Did Hatton this morning,  bottom to top, two 50ft plus boats, both single handed.

After 4 locks the Volokies appeared. At one time there were 5 helping. All under our instructions. No problems whatsoever. All the way to the top. Just brilliant and so very much appreciated. Thanks chaps.

And did Lapworth today. Again cheerful, helpful volokies all the way up through the thick. Very grateful.

And on neither of these two days have any of our "advanced" techniques been criticised or even commented on at all.

[tehmarks]

On 18/07/2021 at 17:25, Midnight said:

In the early days of the Stockton and Darlington railway such issues were often settled by fisticuffs...fun to watch.

 

You surely can't be that old? 😉

[Tracy D'arth]

19 hours ago, MtB said:

 

I came up Atherstone today and I can confirm none of the vollies asked me if I wanted any help. 

 

On the other hand they were all perfectly pleasant people enjoying themselves working the locks I expected to be working myself. Every lock was open and ready for me to enter as the vollies all now seem to have radio comms, they all knew in advance I was arriving, hence none asked if I wanted this. 

 

I definitely felt like I'd missed out on the experience of working myself up the flight. 

 

On the upside none of them instructed me to "stay on the boat" (when as a single hander I prefer to be lockside) as has happened so often in the past. Thank heavens for small mercies I suppose. 

I have gone both ways on Atherstone flight several times and never had a vlocky's assistance. Seen them cluster around  the top lock, not doing anything.

I have noticed that the mechanisms have been oiled recently, they used to be red rusty, ignored completely by the then resident illiterate grass mower.

[Victor Vectis]

Came up Hatton this afternoon.

 

A lad and his mum were a great help on the bottom half. I'm not sure if they were official vlockies. They were great.

 

Different story towards the top.

 

Lots of locksmurfs, sorry, volunteers about but they seemed more concerned with showing the bystanders (of which there were loads. Lovely day, school holidays. car park full, cafe busy) what a wonderful job they were doing keeping the locks looking pretty rather than helping two single handers.

 

For example, at one lock the pound above was very low. A CRT employee, not a volly, asked us to take the boats out quickly as the reason the pound was low was badly leaking bottom gates.

OK we said, but it would be helpful if you could go up to the next lock and get the gates open which he did. The pound was so low I was doubtful that we could have got the boats onto the lock landing to do it ourselves.

Rather than closing the top gates behind us the locksmurf with him put his strimmer down, went and sat by the bottom gates and watched the world go by!

 

Two vollys opened the gates by the welcome station (Lock 4?) then vanished while the guy in the hut ambled about aimlessly.

 

There were two blokes in blue tops engaging with the public on the bridge (is CRT still trying to sign up friends?) but not doing much of use to boaters.

 

Don't get me wrong. I've had great help from vlockies on the Hatton Flight in the past, but not today.

[ditchcrawler]

1 minute ago, Victor Vectis said:

Came up Hatton this afternoon.

 

A lad and his mum were a great help on the bottom half. I'm not sure if they were official vlockies. They were great.

 

Different story towards the top.

 

Lots of locksmurfs, sorry, volunteers about but they seemed more concerned with showing the bystanders (of which there were loads. Lovely day, school holidays. car park full, cafe busy) what a wonderful job they were doing keeping the locks looking pretty rather than helping two single handers.

 

For example, at one lock the pound above was very low. A CRT employee, not a volly, asked us to take the boats out quickly as the reason the pound was low was badly leaking bottom gates.

OK we said, but it would be helpful if you could go up to the next lock and get the gates open which he did. The pound was so low I was doubtful that we could have got the boats onto the lock landing to do it ourselves.

Rather than closing the top gates behind us the locksmurf with him put his strimmer down, went and sat by the bottom gates and watched the world go by!

 

Two vollys opened the gates by the welcome station (Lock 4?) then vanished while the guy in the hut ambled about aimlessly.

 

There were two blokes in blue tops engaging with the public on the bridge (is CRT still trying to sign up friends?) but not doing much of use to boaters.

 

Don't get me wrong. I've had great help from vlockies on the Hatton Flight in the past, but not today.

You have to remember that some of them have specific duties and the strimmer guys may not been trained for lock work likewise the meeters and greeters 

 

[matty40s]

It's a very similar story with the Braunston vollys,  they watch the middle and upper pounds get lower and lower and then go for lunch at the Ad Nelson while boats struggle through the top two pounds. 

I borrowed a keb from UCC to clear a cill on lock 3 when the vollies were calling CRT about to shut the flight a couple of years ago, they didnt know what a keb was until I appeared with it.

I also got shouted at when refilling the top two pounds with a single paddle on both locks, they were assisting a 10 crew hire boat up and didn't want to wait as they were "in charge"

[dmr]

21 hours ago, MtB said:

 

I came up Atherstone today and I can confirm none of the vollies asked me if I wanted any help. 

 

On the other hand they were all perfectly pleasant people enjoying themselves working the locks I expected to be working myself. Every lock was open and ready for me to enter as the vollies all now seem to have radio comms, they all knew in advance I was arriving, hence none asked if I wanted this. 

 

I definitely felt like I'd missed out on the experience of working myself up the flight. 

 

On the upside none of them instructed me to "stay on the boat" (when as a single hander I prefer to be lockside) as has happened so often in the past. Thank heavens for small mercies I suppose. 

 

I believe we were just a little way behind you 😀.

The lockies were all friendly and all interested in boats and boating. None overstepped the mark.

One got a radio message saying a very inexperience hire boat crew were coming down and really struggling. He politely asked my permission to leave us and go and help them, and checked that we were happy to work our own locks (I think we've done something like 10,000 lockings 😀 )

 

Working locks is fun so maybe its only fair that more people get to do it?

We've only met a handful of really bad lockies.

Its more people involved with boats and the canal so more people to complain if CRT try to pave it over into a cycleway.

The lockies are mostly on the busy flights, it will be sad if they turn up on the remote locks where you raise only one paddle and contemplate the universe as your boat slowly rises.

 

..........Dave

[MtB]

What it boils down to is some of us boaters like working our own locks, and some of us would rather someone else did it for us. Personally, one of the big  reasons for having a boat is so I get to work the locks, but nowadays comfortably off middle class folk who also fancy working the locks on a nice summer's afternoon are competing with me for that pleasure, but not paying CRT handsomely for the privilege. So on that level it rankles a little.

 

When I got squirted up Atherstone like toothpaste from a tube it was a curious experience. Very slick and well organised. It felt like the pace of my boating was being set by the vollies, because as as soon as the top gates opened on one lock, I could see the open and empty lock up ahead with vollies hanging about obviously waiting for me, and felt a pressure to cruise up pronto, whereas what I really wanted to do was idle up there as I was unsure the cooling on my engine was working properly.

 

It would have been churlish in the extreme however to ask them to leave the locks completely alone so I could do them myself (as someone upthread suggested). On balance I think CRT are getting it about right now as being squirted unexpectedly up a flight is now part of the varied tapestry of canal boating, and I very much agree with Dave's comment about involving more people in canals means they are less likely to be abandoned as navigations turned into cycle tracks beside linear duck ponds.

 

The time I'd really like to find vollies on every lock in a flight is on a freezing and raining winter's afternoon in the gathering dusk when i'm tired and cold. Then they would be REALLY welcome but naturally being vollies, that's not when any want to do their volunteering.

 

 

Edited August 4, 2021 by MtB
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