Hastings Posted September 23, 2021 Report Share Posted September 23, 2021 (edited) The Audlem flight (Shropshire Union Canal) is closed at lock 2, as the bumper on the cill was lifted out of position this morning by a boat going uphill. CRT have inspected, and will report more tomorrow. By late pm, there was a total of 21 boats waiting to go through. Edited September 23, 2021 by Hastings incorrect spelling Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Mack Posted September 23, 2021 Report Share Posted September 23, 2021 If a boat going uphill can lift the bumper, that would suggest either the bumper was already out of position, or that the boat in question had some sort of low level projection on the bow that could hook under it. Both seem a bit unlikely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hastings Posted September 24, 2021 Author Report Share Posted September 24, 2021 8 hours ago, David Mack said: If a boat going uphill can lift the bumper, that would suggest either the bumper was already out of position, or that the boat in question had some sort of low level projection on the bow that could hook under it. Both seem a bit unlikely. David - I could be wrong, of course, but that's what two separate people who'd been there told me. No doubt we'll hear more later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob-M Posted September 24, 2021 Report Share Posted September 24, 2021 Hopefully CRT will sort it out today ready for when we get there in a few days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave moore Posted September 24, 2021 Report Share Posted September 24, 2021 Among the uphill queue are friends of mine who are supporting the bow hauling of Stratford, a 22’ maintenance boat, from the Boat Museum to Hawne Basin, raising funds for charity as they do so. This is their second hold up, a stoppage at Chemistry lock being the first. I hope that the volunteers involved have some leeway in their schedules to accommodate these delays, they were supposed to complete the trip by Tuesday next. Fingers crossed....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip Posted September 24, 2021 Report Share Posted September 24, 2021 What are the respective queues like now here both uphill and downhill? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave_P Posted September 24, 2021 Report Share Posted September 24, 2021 1 hour ago, dave moore said: Among the uphill queue are friends of mine who are supporting the bow hauling of Stratford, a 22’ maintenance boat, from the Boat Museum to Hawne Basin, raising funds for charity as they do so. This is their second hold up, a stoppage at Chemistry lock being the first. I hope that the volunteers involved have some leeway in their schedules to accommodate these delays, they were supposed to complete the trip by Tuesday next. Fingers crossed....... Since you brought it up, if any forum members would like to donate to the effort: https://www.gofundme.com/f/pulling-stratford-back-to-the-midlands Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterF Posted September 24, 2021 Report Share Posted September 24, 2021 Update to the stoppage notice saying that navigation should resume tomorrow afternoon. Initial investigations are now complete, and a plan of repair has been organised for Lock 2, Audlem on the Shropshire Union Canal. Our contractors have attended site today to measure up and prepare a design to fabricate a free-floating scaffold to assist with the lifting of the cill buffer from within the chamber. Works are currently continuing off site to fabricate the scaffold and our teams will be back onsite tomorrow from 6.30am to undertake the lift and re-secure the cill buffer. Once this is complete, our teams will demobilise site and navigation can resume. We anticipate the repair will be complete tomorrow and an update will be provided tomorrow afternoon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracy D'arth Posted September 24, 2021 Report Share Posted September 24, 2021 I've never seen a contractor who has to design and fabricate scaffolding off site. Are they not allowed spanners on site? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterF Posted September 25, 2021 Report Share Posted September 25, 2021 Fixed and navigation now open. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Mack Posted September 25, 2021 Report Share Posted September 25, 2021 Sounds like, rather than being lifted off by an ascending boat, the buffer was one of those supported on chains which were slowly rusting away, and a possibly quite gentle nudge from the boat was enough to break the chain with the result the bumper fell into the bottom of the chamber. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracy D'arth Posted September 25, 2021 Report Share Posted September 25, 2021 (edited) There are babbys either hanging off, broken or missing all over the system, I reckon they inspect them when the lock is full. Edited September 25, 2021 by Tracy D'arth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Pooley Posted September 25, 2021 Report Share Posted September 25, 2021 It's good to hear that Audlem is open again...we're hiring from Norbury Wharf next weekend with the intention of getting to Ellesmere Port. (This is our somewhat delayed spring 2000 trip!) Simon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchcrawler Posted September 26, 2021 Report Share Posted September 26, 2021 On 23/09/2021 at 23:59, David Mack said: If a boat going uphill can lift the bumper, that would suggest either the bumper was already out of position, or that the boat in question had some sort of low level projection on the bow that could hook under it. Both seem a bit unlikely. Lots of boats have the base plate sticking out at the bows, ask @maffi mushkila Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magpie patrick Posted September 27, 2021 Report Share Posted September 27, 2021 23 hours ago, ditchcrawler said: Lots of boats have the base plate sticking out at the bows, ask @maffi mushkila I think David was implying the base plate would have to stick out as far as the button On 25/09/2021 at 20:19, Simon Pooley said: (This is our somewhat delayed spring 2000 trip!) 21 years! That's some delay! 😉 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephenA Posted September 27, 2021 Report Share Posted September 27, 2021 Just now, magpie patrick said: I think David was implying the base plate would have to stick out as far as the button But not if the button was already over the bumper (so trying to hit the gate) and the base plate caught on the bumper. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Pooley Posted September 28, 2021 Report Share Posted September 28, 2021 12 hours ago, magpie patrick said: I think David was implying the base plate would have to stick out as far as the button 21 years! That's some delay! 😉 Oops! I meant, of course, delayed from 2020. Although there is some relevance to the timescale in that we haven't been up to Chester and beyond since 1996. Simon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchcrawler Posted September 28, 2021 Report Share Posted September 28, 2021 On 26/09/2021 at 22:11, ditchcrawler said: Lots of boats have the base plate sticking out at the bows, ask @maffi mushkila Maybe that should have been @Lord Maffi of Oxford Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agg221 Posted September 29, 2021 Report Share Posted September 29, 2021 (edited) On 25/09/2021 at 20:19, Simon Pooley said: It's good to hear that Audlem is open again...we're hiring from Norbury Wharf next weekend with the intention of getting to Ellesmere Port. (This is our somewhat delayed spring 2000 trip!) Simon. 21yrs would have been a considerable delay! Funnily enough, we were last up near Chester around 1996 and hired from Norbury a few weeks ago. Not sure whether you are following us or we are following you! Which boat are you hiring? Alec Edited September 29, 2021 by agg221 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Pooley Posted September 29, 2021 Report Share Posted September 29, 2021 49 minutes ago, agg221 said: Which boat are you hiring? We've booked /Meadow Dew/ from Norbury https://www.facebook.com/norburywharfltd/posts/4868434433209525 Looks like being a smart new boat, and the stove well be useful if the weather continues to be much the same as this week! Did you go North or South from Norbury? Simon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agg221 Posted September 29, 2021 Report Share Posted September 29, 2021 2 minutes ago, Simon Pooley said: We've booked /Meadow Dew/ from Norbury https://www.facebook.com/norburywharfltd/posts/4868434433209525 Looks like being a smart new boat, and the stove well be useful if the weather continues to be much the same as this week! Did you go North or South from Norbury? Simon. We had Phoenix which is one of their older boats but tidy, with a stove and diesel central heating, neither of which was used as it was too warm. It came back with very shiny brasswork courtesy of my elder daughter. They will have to put a tin of Brasso on board from now on! We went North round the Four Counties and also up the Caldon to Consall Forge. Not possible at the moment it seems. If it's relevant to your plans, we arrived early, at around 12.45, and had lunch at the cafe. They had us on the boat by 13.30 and we were underway by 14.00 - we were meeting friends for dinner at the Shroppie Fly so the extra time helped. Alec Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Pooley Posted September 29, 2021 Report Share Posted September 29, 2021 Several times over the past few weeks I've thought "this is good weather to be on a boat". We're used to hiring in late Apr/early May so are well used to the vagaries of UK weather - with the stove and good coats I'm sure we'll have a fine time, Thanks for the confirmation that the boatyard are amenable to early departures. We've got a rendezvous for shopping beforehand, lunch at the pub, and no specific target for Saturday night so we'll probably proceed in a relaxed manner. Our plan is to head for Ellesmere Port, then back to Autherley. If we're making good time, then the Middlewich branch will probably get visited, or maybe we'll nip up the Wolverhampton locks and call in at the Black Country Museum. Simon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephenA Posted September 29, 2021 Report Share Posted September 29, 2021 6 hours ago, agg221 said: We had Phoenix which is one of their older boats but tidy, with a stove and diesel central heating, neither of which was used as it was too warm. It came back with very shiny brasswork courtesy of my elder daughter. They will have to put a tin of Brasso on board from now on! We went North round the Four Counties and also up the Caldon to Consall Forge. Not possible at the moment it seems. If it's relevant to your plans, we arrived early, at around 12.45, and had lunch at the cafe. They had us on the boat by 13.30 and we were underway by 14.00 - we were meeting friends for dinner at the Shroppie Fly so the extra time helped. Alec Norbury to Audlem in half a day? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agg221 Posted September 29, 2021 Report Share Posted September 29, 2021 15 minutes ago, StephenA said: Norbury to Audlem in half a day? Not quite. Left Norbury at 2pm, tied up at Audlem top lock at 8pm. This was the last week of August so it was still light until around 8.20pm. We walked down the flight to the pub (20mins). We went down the flight the following morning which took 1.5hrs from the top lock to the bottom. Only 2 locks were with us. Alec Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephenA Posted September 29, 2021 Report Share Posted September 29, 2021 15.75 miles and 10 locks in 6 hours ... that's quite a run. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Featured Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now