Cromwell , Torksey , 2 days notice required , and 5 days notice for Boston

[Momac]

Not sure why 48hrs notice is now required at Cromwell and Torksey when 24hrs was previously okay  . In the past you could just turn up . 

 

 

Edited September 26, 2021 by MartynG

[Alan de Enfield]

3 minutes ago, MartynG said:

Not sure why 48hrs notice is now required at Cromwell and Torksey when 24hrs was previously okay  . In the past you could just turn up . 

 

 

 

 

O' dear, another nibbling away at the service offered.

When we were at Kings, we'd just decide to go 'out' head downstream and be at Cromwell in under an hour - no booking necessary just go as soon as the tide was suitable.

 

Now you have to work out a day when the tide is correct between their 'working hours', then give two days notice and hope your plans don't change or the weather turn.

 

Another reason I'm glad we moved to where the tidal lock is manned 3 hours either side of HW, both night and day - if HW is at 3:00am, it is manned from midnight to 6:00am for anyone who wants to use it. Call up on the VHF radio when you wish to leave your mooring, or are approaching the gates and they'll be open when you arrive. Non of this booking nonsense.

[Momac]

51 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

 

O' dear, another nibbling away at the service offered.

When we were at Kings, we'd just decide to go 'out' head downstream and be at Cromwell in under an hour - no booking necessary just go as soon as the tide was suitable.

 

Now you have to work out a day when the tide is correct between their 'working hours', then give two days notice and hope your plans don't change or the weather turn.

We will see how it goes. It does seem like booking  will become a requirement rather than being advisory. 

 

To be honest I do usually plan tidal trips well in advance and with an eye on the tides but as you say dates have to be flexible, especially if coming up from the tidal side. I hope C&RT will be flexible.

 

 

 

[StephenA]

1 hour ago, MartynG said:

Not sure why 48hrs notice is now required at Cromwell and Torksey when 24hrs was previously okay  . In the past you could just turn up . 

 

 

 

This is what happens when you put a charity in charge of something that actually has to be run on business lines.... they do not have the lock keepers to cover the locks because they can't afford them (because they've spent all the money on stupid notices or publicity)  so you have to book so they can juggle them round between the locks.

 

Booking will kill things off - I'm waiting for them to basically close Harecastle because its not practical to keep it open any more.

 

 

[Hudds Lad]

31 minutes ago, StephenA said:

Booking will kill things off - I'm waiting for them to basically close Harecastle because its not practical to keep it open any more.

I’d think it more likely a “booking fee” will be levied, plenty of hire boats must transit both ways, what’s an extra tenner on top of hire fees and pub lunches for the family.

[Momac]

7 hours ago, StephenA said:

 

 

Booking will kill things off 

 

 

I hope not. 

In theory it has always been necessary to book Torksey and Cromwell but in the past  you could just turn up. The 48hr requirement is new as is the inference that booking is mandatory.

At Cromwell a lock keeper being on only 8am to 4pm in summer started as a Covid thing and  has stuck. 

 

 

[magpie patrick]

This is a fundamental failure to understand the nuances of the market CRT serve - as Alan commented, there are plenty of boats for which the tidal sections of the river are no obstacle at all but the interface between tidal and non-tidal water is becoming a barrier. 

 

Normally the need for booking also reflects light traffic - if there is a boat a week then one can see why a lock-operator needs to be booked, but I would have thought the level of traffc through Torksey and Cromwell is well over one a day, they're going to end up with lock-operators on site most days anyway. 

[noddyboater]

Thankfully the lock keepers do seem to have some say whether they stick to the stupid 8-4 hours. I recently went out at Stockwith at 5.30pm, when I mentioned the new hours he quite rightly said "What's the point of sitting here 8-4 when the tide is at 5.30?"

More worrying was at Cromwell the next morning being told that he was on call to go mobile if anyone needed help further up the river, which would mean leaving his lock closed to passage if he got a call! 

Not enough boaters are happy to venture out onto the tidal Trent already,  all this will do is frighten off more. 

[Alan de Enfield]

22 minutes ago, noddyboater said:

Thankfully the lock keepers do seem to have some say whether they stick to the stupid 8-4 hours. I recently went out at Stockwith at 5.30pm, when I mentioned the new hours he quite rightly said "What's the point of sitting here 8-4 when the tide is at 5.30?"

More worrying was at Cromwell the next morning being told that he was on call to go mobile if anyone needed help further up the river, which would mean leaving his lock closed to passage if he got a call! 

Not enough boaters are happy to venture out onto the tidal Trent already,  all this will do is frighten off more. 

 

 

At least the vistors moorings at Cromwell are well appointed - floating pontoon, water and electricity and the surroundings (are / were) well maintained with BBQ areas, toilets and showers, its not a bad place to stay (unless you have to be somewhere by a certain time).

[noddyboater]

9 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

 

At least the vistors moorings at Cromwell are well appointed - floating pontoon, water and electricity and the surroundings (are / were) well maintained with BBQ areas, toilets and showers, its not a bad place to stay (unless you have to be somewhere by a certain time).

Above the lock maybe,  if several boats had been approaching from downstream behind me and he left his post to go mobile the facilities aren't so good. 

[Scholar Gypsy]

The Boston arrangements have changed slightly since this notice. I got this updated dated 2nd August.

 

 Update on 02/08/2021:
Apologies for yet another short notice update. However I hope this is a welcome one!
No sooner had we agreed within the team that we could shorten the summer notice period from 5 days to 3, they have come up with an additional solution to reduce booked passage at Boston to 2 days. 
As the navigation authority we retain the right to refuse or cancel passage where necessary to do so. However we aim to adhere to 2 day notice periods as far as possible.
Therefore please give at least 2 days notice for passage through Boston Lock. Our Lock keeper remains well placed to advise on tidal passage. 

[Derek Porteous]

Isn’t it the case with the online booking system, you can’t book anywhere on the day. Certainly the case you can’t book the Bridgewater on the day, so can’t spontaneously decide to cruise down to the pub(s) on the Bridgewater. Nothing within cruising distance on the CRT side of the canal.

[StephenA]

Just now, Derek Porteous said:

Isn’t it the case with the online booking system, you can’t book anywhere on the day. Certainly the case you can’t book the Bridgewater on the day, so can’t spontaneously decide to cruise down to the pub(s) on the Bridgewater. Nothing within cruising distance on the CRT side of the canal.

 

Very true - a couple of years ago we came up the lift in the morning and decided to go to Lymm for the evening. Can't do that spontaneity now

[TheBiscuits]

40 minutes ago, Derek Porteous said:

Isn’t it the case with the online booking system, you can’t book anywhere on the day. 

 

No.  Anderton Lift and Frankton Locks certainly both allow booking on the same day as passage.

 

41 minutes ago, Derek Porteous said:

Certainly the case you can’t book the Bridgewater on the day, so can’t spontaneously decide to cruise down to the pub(s) on the Bridgewater. 

 

True, and I have complained publicly to CRT about it.  Sonny, the licence officer on the Bridgewater doesn't seem that bothered if you are here today and not booked on until tomorrow because it's all the online system lets you do.  He does get cross if you're not booked on at all though.

 

 

32 minutes ago, StephenA said:

 

Very true - a couple of years ago we came up the lift in the morning and decided to go to Lymm for the evening. Can't do that spontaneity now

 

If you telephone and make the booking they can set the date to today, and if you do so please complain that it's stupid you can't book today online - you don't get an extra day, it's still the 7+3 thing and it's purely an administrative booking so no staff need organising in advance.

 

The more people that make complaints the more likely CRT will change the system to let customers book online for today rather than tomorrow for Bridgewater passages.