Singlehanded. Asked to do swing bridges, not in a nice way.

[Athy]

On 09/07/2022 at 12:59, LadyG said:

I see Tracy Darth thinks I should be doing swing bridges .

 

I can't see where she expressed that view.

She bestowed an "unimpressed" emoticon on your post, indicating that she was unimpressed by the behaviour and demeanour of the people on the other boat - which is quite understandable.

[LadyG]

2 hours ago, Athy said:

I can't see where she expressed that view.

She bestowed an "unimpressed" emoticon on your post, indicating that she was unimpressed by the behaviour and demeanour of the people on the other boat - which is quite understandable.

Oh I see, I thought she meant I was in the doghouse !

[Mad Harold]

On 09/07/2022 at 15:50, Goliath said:

Ok

 gonna chuck a wild one in here:

 

why are people taking up canal boating in their old age?

surely they will struggle. 

 

 

 

It's generally older people who have the money to take up boating.

When I was younger practially everything I earned went on mortgage, concil tax utilities and kids! Those of us who have them know how expensive they are.

it's only when I retired and started drawing a couple of pensions and having paid off the mortgage and the kids leaving home, I found I had the spare money to take up boating.

On 09/07/2022 at 15:50, Goliath said:

Ok

 gonna chuck a wild one in here:

 

why are people taking up canal boating in their old age?

surely they will struggle. 

 

 

 

It's generally older people who have the money to take up boating.

When I was younger practially everything I earned went on mortgage, concil tax utilities and kids! Those of us who have them know how expensive they are.

it's only when I retired and started drawing a couple of pensions and having paid off the mortgage and the kids leaving home, I found I had the spare money to take up boating.

[Tracy D'arth]

1 hour ago, Mad Harold said:

It's generally older people who have the money to take up boating.

When I was younger practially everything I earned went on mortgage, concil tax utilities and kids! Those of us who have them know how expensive they are.

it's only when I retired and started drawing a couple of pensions and having paid off the mortgage and the kids leaving home, I found I had the spare money to take up boating.

It's generally older people who have the money to take up boating.

When I was younger practially everything I earned went on mortgage, concil tax utilities and kids! Those of us who have them know how expensive they are.

it's only when I retired and started drawing a couple of pensions and having paid off the mortgage and the kids leaving home, I found I had the spare money to take up boating.

Correct,    and old people tend to repeat themselves!

[MrsM]

Had an experience today that would have been horrible if I'd be in your shoes, Jo. 2 surly Scots had moored and were fishing on one of the very short Avon river lock landings near Stratford. They were only visible once I'd come around the corner, heading for the landing and I got quite close to their little yoghurt pot day boat (but not close enough to touch). I asked them if they were going up the lock as they were tied up next to the 'No Mooring, lock landing only' sign but they clearly weren't. I asked them to move so I could tie the boat up. They then got very aggressive, rude and confrontational and I was quite frankly scared of them. Peter usually works these heavy locks while I steer but I was too intimidated by them as they were still shouting aggressively at me. The lock was full so I went up to empty it leaving Peter hanging onto the lines. We asked to them to move as we had nothing to to tie up to. I only let a little water down but it was enough to start our boat drifting back towards to theirs. At this point they finally decided they would be move! It was really nasty and quite shook me up. Am planning to report them to ANT.

[Bargebuilder]

4 minutes ago, MrsM said:

Had an experience today that would have been horrible if I'd be in your shoes, Jo. 2 surly Scots had moored and were fishing on one of the very short Avon river lock landings near Stratford. They were only visible once I'd come around the corner, heading for the landing and I got quite close to their little yoghurt pot day boat (but not close enough to touch). I asked them if they were going up the lock as they were tied up next to the 'No Mooring, lock landing only' sign but they clearly weren't. I asked them to move so I could tie the boat up. They then got very aggressive, rude and confrontational and I was quite frankly scared of them. Peter usually works these heavy locks while I steer but I was too intimidated by them as they were still shouting aggressively at me. The lock was full so I went up to empty it leaving Peter hanging onto the lines. We asked to them to move as we had nothing to to tie up to. I only let a little water down but it was enough to start our boat drifting back towards to theirs. At this point they finally decided they would be move! It was really nasty and quite shook me up. Am planning to report them to ANT.

Perhaps someone should make a 'dashcam' for boats to record such incidents should evidence be needed at a later date.

[MrsM]

2 minutes ago, Bargebuilder said:

Perhaps someone should make a 'dashcam' for boats to record such incidents should evidence be needed at a later date.

Yes that's a very good idea, and I'm sure it might curb some people's antisocial behaviour if they knew they were being filmed. 

[Laurie Booth]

4 minutes ago, Bargebuilder said:

Perhaps someone should make a 'dashcam' for boats to record such incidents should evidence be needed at a later date.

Or a slow cam

[LadyG]

On 09/07/2022 at 17:17, Captain Pegg said:

No. If the lock has steps at the foot you’d step off with centre line and windlass and let the boat coast into the lock. Or if not you’d drive into the lock and go via the roof and then up the lock ladder, ideally having placed the windlass on the lock side and thrown the rope up beforehand so your hands are free. In neither event would you turn the engine off.

When I m taking my windlass and a centre rope what I do is feed the rope through the windlass so I always have both with me, as I climb the ladder. I can't use the roof for access to and fro which is a nuisance as my knees won't bend on demand.

I have seen these steps, but generally too late to take advantage.

 

 

Edited July 11, 2022 by LadyG

[Laurie Booth]

10 hours ago, MrsM said:

Yes that's a very good idea, and I'm sure it might curb some people's antisocial behaviour if they knew they were being filmed. 

Too expensive to use film.

 

[Alan de Enfield]

15 minutes ago, Laurie Booth said:

Too expensive to use film.

 

 

Its the price of the postage to send it away to be developed that cutails the 'filming' these days.

[Dav and Pen]

Single handed was much harder before lock ladders were installed especially in wide locks easy to get off when going down but bit scary to jump onto the roof when empty. At places like Somerton deep used to pull the boat out with a rope after starting it with a bit of a flush. In a flight like Hatton it was easiest to use a paddle on the opposite side which held the boat against the wall and walk up to the next lock shut gates open one paddle walk back open gate get on boat go out (didn’t shut gates in those days) push bottom gate of next lock open. Down hill used mast line to open gate and drive out. Biggest problem were the lift bridges on the southern Oxford as all were worked from the offside and some were to heavy to push up from the towpath side and use the Banbury stick.  Only made the mistake once of getting off without a line as had great difficulty getting back on. Single handed is not hard once you work out a method that suits you and stick to it .

[Arthur Marshall]

2 hours ago, Dav and Pen said:

Single handed was much harder before lock ladders were installed especially in wide locks easy to get off when going down but bit scary to jump onto the roof when empty. At places like Somerton deep used to pull the boat out with a rope after starting it with a bit of a flush. In a flight like Hatton it was easiest to use a paddle on the opposite side which held the boat against the wall and walk up to the next lock shut gates open one paddle walk back open gate get on boat go out (didn’t shut gates in those days) push bottom gate of next lock open. Down hill used mast line to open gate and drive out. Biggest problem were the lift bridges on the southern Oxford as all were worked from the offside and some were to heavy to push up from the towpath side and use the Banbury stick.  Only made the mistake once of getting off without a line as had great difficulty getting back on. Single handed is not hard once you work out a method that suits you and stick to it .

I think Beeston Iron lock is now the only one without a ladder.

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

5 hours ago, Arthur Marshall said:

I think Beeston Iron lock is now the only one without a ladder.

I’m guessing because of Heritage it can’t be messed with. It being the only iron lock. 
Doesn’t seem to stop the lock being allowed to run in to neglect though. 
 

I can’t remember how I dealt with that lock on my own. I’m sure there was a scaffolding bridge below/over the lower gates making it tricky for passing a rope. 
Can’t remember. 
 

Point being when your on your own you have to deal with it and work something out. Part of the challenge. Sometimes f###ing annoying. But you always manage. 
Somehow 👍

 

 

Edited July 11, 2022 by Goliath

[Arthur Marshall]

36 minutes ago, Goliath said:

I’m guessing because of Heritage it can’t be messed with. It being the only iron lock. 
Doesn’t seem to stop the lock being allowed to run in to neglect though. 
 

I can’t remember how I dealt with that lock on my own. I’m sure there was a scaffolding bridge below/over the lower gates making it tricky for passing a rope. 
Can’t remember. 
 

Point being when your on your own you have to deal with it and work something out. Part of the challenge. Sometimes f###ing annoying. But you always manage. 
Somehow 👍

 

 

Going up I just drift the boat in and catch the rope with the boathook as it comes under the bridge. There was a rumour a couple of years ago it was going to have a ladder, but never did. Never saw how they could put one in.

 

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

8 minutes ago, Arthur Marshall said:

Going up I just drift the boat in and catch the rope with the boathook as it comes under the bridge. There was a rumour a couple of years ago it was going to have a ladder, but never did. Never saw how they could put one in.

 

I lost my boat hook in Ellesmere Port. 
Rotten, snapped in half and the metal end sank. 
🙁

But no, I can’t see how they can put a ladder in. 
And I’d prefer they didn’t, as awkward as it is, I’d rather they didn’t mess with the heritage. 

Edited July 11, 2022 by Goliath

[Paul C]

Beeston Iron is one of the few locks with 1) no ladder and 2) a tail bridge, which means you need to do "something different" as a single hander than either getting on/off the boat or bowhauling it in and out. 

 

I've done it a few times, by using the technique to "swing" the rope under the bridge and catch the other end (or step on it) from the bridge. Sometimes it can be done 1st time, sometimes it takes 10 attempts!!

[Tony1]

 

I've done the iron lock a few times over the last year, but only twice singlehanded. 

The first time I was going down, and tbh I didnt even cotton on that there was no ladder until I started watching the water level go down. 

Seeing there was no ladder, I realised I'd have to tow the boat out, but of course there is the little footbridge close to the bottom gates, that prevents you doing a simple haul out. 

On my first go I lay down on the footbridge and passed the centre line underneath it from one hand to the other, but an experienced boater showed me an easier way a few weeks later. 

When you have those footbridges over the bottom gates, you stand on the 'lock' side of the footbridge, get the boat moving by pulling it, and then let the boat drift out of the lock.

As the boat passes underneath the footbridge it takes the centre line under the bridge with it, and as it moves further away the centre line starts to rise a bit, until it becomes reachable from the other side of the footbridge.

So at no point do you let the centre line go. You hold the end of it and as the boat passes underneath and starts to move away, you cross to the 'outer' side of the footbridge. And with the end of the centre line still in hand, you can reach down on the outer side of the footbridge, and grab the centre line as it is passing underneath. 

The family crews and the couples don't need to know these sorts of things really, but for a singlehander these tips can be really useful. 

 

 

[Midnight]

2 hours ago, Goliath said:

But no, I can’t see how they can put a ladder in. 
And I’d prefer they didn’t, as awkward as it is, I’d rather they didn’t mess with the heritage. 

If ever a single hander falls in I just can't see how they could get out. Dangerous lock on your own and if there were  fatality there would be a lock ladder within days.

[Arthur Marshall]

1 minute ago, Midnight said:

If ever a single hander falls in I just can't see how they could get out. Dangerous lock on your own and if there were  fatality there would be a lock ladder within days.

I'm sure when I started this lark there were other locks without ladders.

But the only way to put a ladder in it would be to reduce it to a single boat as it's pretty tight already.

Best just not to fall in. I don't think there are many cases of people falling off boats into locks, you tend to be a bit careful in them, especially on your tod.

[Ronaldo47]

When I started taking holidays on rivers and canals in the early 1970's, the only locks I can recall that had ladders, were on the Thames.

[Tony1]

10 hours ago, Arthur Marshall said:

I'm sure when I started this lark there were other locks without ladders.

But the only way to put a ladder in it would be to reduce it to a single boat as it's pretty tight already.

Best just not to fall in. I don't think there are many cases of people falling off boats into locks, you tend to be a bit careful in them, especially on your tod.

,

This could easily be a case of someone pulling my leg, but if its was, the woman was a very good actor. 

I got talking to a woman at a lock, probably on the Llangollen I think, and she was warning me to be careful. Perhaps I appeared to be a bit cavalier in my movements around the lock. 

She said that she had once fallen into an emptying lock, and had been sucked through one of the paddle holes in the lock gate, and came to the surface again out in the pound. 

I had no idea the holes were large enough to allow the passage of a person, even a small and slender person, but she seemed deadly serious about her story. 

Was I being gullible, or could this happen?

 

[Rob-M]

8 minutes ago, Tony1 said:

,

This could easily be a case of someone pulling my leg, but if its was, the woman was a very good actor. 

I got talking to a woman at a lock, probably on the Llangollen I think, and she was warning me to be careful. Perhaps I appeared to be a bit cavalier in my movements around the lock. 

She said that she had once fallen into an emptying lock, and had been sucked through one of the paddle holes in the lock gate, and came to the surface again out in the pound. 

I had no idea the holes were large enough to allow the passage of a person, even a small and slender person, but she seemed deadly serious about her story. 

Was I being gullible, or could this happen?

 

This could happen, a few years ago we arrived at Walsall top lock to be met by the fire brigade, the opening sentence was "can you hang on a minute as we just have the one body left to retrieve".  Judging by the look on my face he then explained that it was a training exercise to recover bodies from the paddle culvert but one of their dummies had got stuck part way through.

[Tony1]

5 minutes ago, Rob-M said:

This could happen, a few years ago we arrived at Walsall top lock to be met by the fire brigade, the opening sentence was "can you hang on a minute as we just have the one body left to retrieve".  Judging by the look on my face he then explained that it was a training exercise to recover bodies from the paddle culvert but one of their dummies had got stuck part way through.

 

It seems me going on a diet could become a matter of life and death.

Since I started shopping at Waitrose I've grown to Henry VIII proportions. There's no chance of me fitting through a paddle hole 😱

 

 

[tree monkey]

4 minutes ago, Rob-M said:

This could happen, a few years ago we arrived at Walsall top lock to be met by the fire brigade, the opening sentence was "can you hang on a minute as we just have the one body left to retrieve".  Judging by the look on my face he then explained that it was a training exercise to recover bodies from the paddle culvert but one of their dummies had got stuck part way through.

On I think the last time Tawny did the BCN we, or more accurately Richard had to fettle with one of the ground paddles in the culvert, it was surprisingly large, at least to me, I could easily see how someone could be drawn into it and I suppose out the other side.