Is it just us that complains about volunteer lock keepers

[PaulJ]

1 minute ago, nicknorman said:

Yes it is more prevalent than it used to be, but we don’t subscribe to it. Today, everyone was helping everyone else and it was no problem. The only problem arose when the volockies tried to go “against the flow” and make their mark by disrupting the natural flow of traffic through the locks.

Yep I'll vouch for that. Cheers again to your crew member who helped with the lock for me.

On the bright side-hopefully all that extra water that went down lifted the level a bit below Varneys lock for you..

[Jerra]

12 minutes ago, Arthur Marshall said:

Am I right in thinking your boat is a cruiser rather than a narrowboat? If so I wonder if they have a different attitude to them for some reason, which might explain why you seem to meet this hassle more often?

Its a narrowboat.

[nicknorman]

1 minute ago, PaulJ said:

Yep I'll vouch for that. Cheers again to your crew member who helped with the lock for me.

On the bright side-hopefully all that extra water that went down lifted the level a bit below Varneys lock for you..

No thanks needed - it’s what we do! And what everyone should do IMO.

[Jerra]

17 minutes ago, Arthur Marshall said:

That's just silly. I presume if you're in a queue for locks, you just sit there on your boat and watch, rather than walking up and helping anyone else?

I have noticed that attitude is a lot more prevalent than it used to be.

I always walk up and help but I always ask the boat if they want help and how they want things such as the paddles handled.   It is IMO simple and courteous and takes no time or trouble.

[Captain Pegg]

33 minutes ago, magnetman said:

A conspiracy theorist might say there are moves afoot to put off the "old school" boat users in favour of the new dumbed down variety who see locks as an obstacle. 

 

This sounds a bit rude but one wonders if the latter category of boat users are more generally meldable and therefore easier to manage as a group. 

 

 

 

 

 

No conspiracy. It was deliberate policy to shift the point of subsidy and get the volunteer sector involved and that means the volunteers will largely be of a certain demographic that shares a social status and general outlook with the group of boaters of the same demographic.

 

I am sure I once witnessed a group of volunteers ignore the presence of a couple of non-shiny boats in amongst the shinier boats they were helping. I was asked three times if I wanted assistance and each time I suggested they instead help the boats in front of me I was stared straight through as though nothing had been said. When I got to the top of the flight in question I asked a different volockie if there was a reason the boats in front of me were not helped I got the exact same response.

 

 

[Captain Pegg]

13 minutes ago, Jerra said:

I always walk up and help but I always ask the boat if they want help and how they want things such as the paddles handled.   It is IMO simple and courteous and takes no time or trouble.

 

I think what folk perhaps overlook is that there are more single handers about these days. Meeting a boat coming the other way is a chance for a PNB and to make a brew, and maybe arrive at the lock in time to invite the crew to step aboard while you open the gates and put the paddles down.

 

I'm firmly of the view that paddles are best left to the boat's crew and helpers should focus on gates and lowering paddles after the gates are open (putting down any paddle you didn't raise before the gates are open is a heinous crime).

Edited July 6, 2022 by Captain Pegg

[MtB]

36 minutes ago, Arthur Marshall said:

That's just silly. I presume if you're in a queue for locks, you just sit there on your boat and watch, rather than walking up and helping anyone else?

I have noticed that attitude is a lot more prevalent than it used to be.

 

No, I march up to the top of the queue, barge in, take control and start bossing people about just like your beloved vollies. Can't abide waiting for incompetents in my way...

[Jerra]

11 minutes ago, Captain Pegg said:

 

I think what folk perhaps overlook is that there are more single handers about these days. Meeting a boat coming the other way is a chance for a PNB and to make a brew, and maybe arrive at the lock in time to invite the crew to step aboard while you open the gates and put the paddles down.

 

I'm firmly of the view that paddles are best left to the boat's crew and helpers should focus on gates and lowering paddles after the gates are open (putting down any paddle you didn't raise before the gates are open is a heinous crime).

Which is why I ask.  Some say I would prefer to do them myself, some say oh just whack them open, and so give sensible instructions such as x turns and wait until I signal for more.

[Captain Pegg]

2 minutes ago, Jerra said:

Which is why I ask.  Some say I would prefer to do them myself, some say oh just whack them open, and so give sensible instructions such as x turns and wait until I signal for more.

 

Any distraction when single handing is more likely to hinder than help. Routine is everything to the single hander and every action matters. The very fact you've bothered to untie the boat from the bank and go boating means I have a prepped lock ahead and don't have to close the gate as I exit. That's more than enough help and winding a paddle is peanuts by comparison.

 

[AndrewIC]

3 hours ago, Captain Pegg said:

 

Volockies are very welcome to set up locks for me as I approach, and before I get there move on to the next lock.

Yes. The best vollockies are a lock or two in front, thinking and setting ahead.

[nicknorman]

3 minutes ago, AndrewIC said:

Yes. The best vollockies are a lock or two in front, thinking and setting ahead.

Setting ahead yes. But not if it involves turning locks in the face of oncoming boaters. Well I guess that is the setting ahead bit without the thinking bit!

[Captain Pegg]

5 minutes ago, AndrewIC said:

Yes. The best vollockies are a lock or two in front, thinking and setting ahead.

 

They are indeed. Although it was a bit tongue in cheek when I suggested they move on before I get there. They can wait and say hello, maybe even close the nearside gate if I'm ascending, and then move on. But I'll bet at least 50% would be inclined to instead then say "you stay on".

 

To be fair they will probably think that's really helpful, but they wouldn't if they'd ever done much serious boating.

 

Edited July 6, 2022 by Captain Pegg

[Midnight]

If in a queue I always go to the lock to help but ask the skipper/s if he/she is ready and if they want the paddles half up or all the way. So far never been told to go away but would step back if asked. I don't mind vollies or others helping me doing the same. It's when you get to a lock and there's a hire boat waiting to come down with dad on one paddle and young son on the other both with that 'under starters orders' look of eagerness that I get nervous and suggest they may leave it all to me.

[Athy]

13 hours ago, nicknorman said:

 

 

Dear Christine


We are out on a trip and 4 days in, our first encounter with volunteers at Claydon locks on the S Oxford has turned sour. 

 

In a way, you were lucky. We have passed through Claydon locks perhaps a couple of dozen times over the years and have never seen volunteer lock operatives there. What's your secret?

   As an aside, we're coming to our boat today for a few days. If you're in the area, do come and say hello. We may even help you through Cropredy lock if you're lucky.

[Chris John]

10 hours ago, nicknorman said:

Well as I said, I want to give my time for free to shag your wife. Or husband, I’m not fussy, or girlfriend. Or boyfriend, or mother, or father… are you still happy?

Are you for real?  If you must know my wife recently died and whilst you weren’t to know that comment is the sort that drags this forum down and maybe you should have a little thought before posting bile. Reported to mods 

[nicknorman]

17 minutes ago, Athy said:

In a way, you were lucky. We have passed through Claydon locks perhaps a couple of dozen times over the years and have never seen volunteer lock operatives there. What's your secret?

   As an aside, we're coming to our boat today for a few days. If you're in the area, do come and say hello. We may even help you through Cropredy lock if you're lucky.

Thanks, but we are now just the other side of Banbury. I can report that Trojan is still in one piece and not sitting on the bottom! 

10 minutes ago, Chris John said:

Are you for real?  If you must know my wife recently died and whilst you weren’t to know that comment is the sort that drags this forum down and maybe you should have a little thought before posting bile. Reported to mods 

I am sorry about your wife, and for causing you upset, obviously I didn’t know. My point was simply that it incorrect to assume that volunteering to do something is always welcome, and I was making that point in a humorous (to me) way.

Edited July 7, 2022 by nicknorman

[Arthur Marshall]

8 hours ago, MtB said:

 

No, I march up to the top of the queue, barge in, take control and start bossing people about just like your beloved vollies. Can't abide waiting for incompetents in my way...

Nor can I. Nor pigheaded fools who insist there is only one way of doing things, and it's theirs...

[Athy]

10 hours ago, nicknorman said:

Well as I said, I want to give my time for free to shag your wife. Or husband, I’m not fussy, or girlfriend. Or boyfriend, or mother, or father… are you still happy?

While some may find your versatility admirable, and indeed surprising, could you please rein in such comments?

[nicknorman]

5 minutes ago, Athy said:

While some may find your versatility admirable, and indeed surprising, could you please rein in such comments?

Ok

[Victor Vectis]

8 minutes ago, Athy said:

While some may find your versatility admirable, and indeed surprising, could you please rein in such comments?

Well said.

[Momac]

13 hours ago, Midnight said:

On one occasion after being tossed around in Hazelhurst Lock by a volockie who opened the wrong paddle I did mention to the next volockie at Gunthorpe (who worked the lock very well) that maybe he should mention to his colleague downstream that he would benefit from some better training.

The sluice on one side only has been  working for some time . So it couldn't be the wrong paddle.

And its "Hazelford".

If it's possible to keep the boat at the downstream end of the locks on the Trent the turbulence is much reduced. 

[doratheexplorer]

13 hours ago, nicknorman said:

We are shortly heading onto the Thames,  not sure if they have real lock keepers or not these days? I don’t have a problem with the Thames locks, multiple boats fit into the locks and someone has to organise it. Although we haven’t been on the Thames for 5 years or so, I don’t recall any problems

A warning:  My experience of the Thames lockies last year is that they're worse than the CRT volockies on the whole.  I took to cruising early mornings so I could do the locks myself, before the lock keepers arrived.  One in particular was downright dangerous.

[doratheexplorer]

Bad lockie experiences that I remember was the utter assholes at Stenson Lock on the T&M and Torksey Lock on the Trent/Fossdyke.  Also the guys on the Atherstone flight are a waste of space.

 

To balance that a bit, I recently cruised the Severn and the lock keepers there were fabulous as usual, especially the husband and wife team who had a lock each.  Last year I was helped up the Marsworth Flight on the GU by a pair of incredibly helpful and polite volockies.

[Momac]

In general the volunteer lock keepers on the Trent have been good the last couple of years. 

Occasionally  there will be one that doesn't turn up.

I expect if folks prefer to operate the locks themselves then they only have to ask. 

The tidal locks  can't be self operated of course.

I have more debates than a few with the employed  tidal lock keepers at Cromwell  who refuse requests  to operate outside of 8am to 4pm . So any tides outside those hours  such as  right now  the dubious advice is get here as early as possible.The lock keepers  will most likley sit there all day and not see a boat move.

 

 

[Jim Riley]

2 minutes ago, MartynG said:

In general the volunteer lock keepers on the Trent have been good the last couple of years. 

Occasionally  there will be one that doesn't turn up.

I expect if folks prefer to operate the locks themselves then they only have to ask. 

The tidal locks  can't be self operated of course.

I have more debates than a few with the employed  tidal lock keepers at Cromwell  who refuse requests  to operate outside of 8am to 4pm . So any tides outside those hours  such as  right now  the dubious advice is get here as early as possible.The lock keepers  will most likley sit there all day and not see a boat move.

 

 

What about the PRN?