Wilmcote flight nr Stratford

[zimzim]

According to a man on a bike who just passed is, there's a closure due to a breach at lock 43 on the Wilmcote flight

 

[Rob-M]

There was a stoppage notice yesterday, canal closed to investigate a potential breach.

 

Lock 43 South Stratford Canal

Detail

From Date: 06/08/2023 10:00

 

To Date: On-going

 

Type: Navigation Closure

 

Reason: Structure failure

 

Is the towpath closed? No

 

Location

Closest waterway: South Stratford Canal

 

Upstream winding hole: Between locks 39 & 40

 

Downstream winding hole: Between locks 51 and 52

 

Description

Potential canal breach has meant we have had to close navigation to investigate the issue. Further update will be made by Wednesday 9th Aug 2023 

[dogless]

Photos of the 'hole' are available on Facebook

 

I don't do it so can't post them.

 

Rog

[nicknorman]

Ah yes. There is a hole, and CRT are looking into it.

[Hudds Lad]

why is it only a "potential" or "suspected" as a breach, when there's obviously a girt big hole that's let the water out?

[Theo]

Which bit of FB are the photos on.  I can't find them

 

N

[magnetman]

3 hours ago, Hudds Lad said:

why is it only a "potential" or "suspected" as a breach, when there's obviously a girt big hole that's let the water out?

Maybe it it was 'vandalism' it is not a breach. A breach would imply something caused by inadequate maintenance rather than something done deliberately at the time. 

 

Don't the CRT have some sort of motivation to describe obvious maintenance related failures as vandalism?

Edited August 7, 2023 by magnetman

[Hudds Lad]

2 minutes ago, magnetman said:

Maybe it it was 'vandalism' it is not a breach. A breach would imply something caused by inadequate maintenance rather than something done deliberately at the time. 

 

Don't the CRT have some sort of motivation to describe obvious maintenance related failures as vandalism?

Yes, i overlooked the obvious cause! A roving band of teenage delinquents with bucket & spade, dismayed at the lack of sand to build castles on their break from education, decided to bail out the canal and build a scale model of the channel tunnel  No doubt to the untrained eye this would look like a breach at first glance.

[ditchcrawler]

From Facebook 

[Stroudwater1]

I can’t see a breach there, just an empty pound? 

[ditchcrawler]

52 minutes ago, Stroudwater1 said:

I can’t see a breach there, just an empty pound? 

Sorry there were a whole series following it on FB, I will try and grab another

[matty40s]

There has been serious leakage in that area for over 12 months. We did the flight on Queens Jubilee last year and even though the lockie ran major amounts of water down from the top....with all the side channels water falling, get to that pound and the rest of the flight was low, same coming back up, a struggle, then lots of water above there.

[ditchcrawler]

6 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

Sorry there were a whole series following it on FB, I will try and grab another

[matty40s]

There will be a LOT of hireboats affected by this, from multiple operators, so a temporary swift fix is likely.

[Stroudwater1]

Just now, matty40s said:

There will be a LOT of hireboats affected by this, from multiple operators, so a temporary swift fix is likely.

You mean THREE CaRT senior officers thumbs in the hole? 

 

Sounds like another lack of maintenance issue. It was the same pre L&L breach with water levels dropping and again it wasn’t properly assessed till too late.

I worry for the hire fleets TBH. There were many discount offers for this Summer, very many Black Prince boats sitting unoccupied or being turned round at Stoke Prior when we passed at the height of the season. 

[ditchcrawler]

25 minutes ago, Stroudwater1 said:

 

I worry for the hire fleets TBH. There were many discount offers for this Summer, very many Black Prince boats sitting unoccupied or being turned round at Stoke Prior when we passed at the height of the season. 

We have noticed the same as we travel around 

[Rob-M]

Sticking plaster in place...

 

Notice Update: 8th August 23

Navigation: Open, Towpath: Open

South Stratford Canal

Location: Lock 43 South Stratford Canal

Up Stream Winding Hole: Between locks 39 & 40

Down Stream Winding Hole: Between locks 51 and 52

 

Update on 08/08/2023:

We're pleased to advise our Reactive Response team worked through the night and were able to put a temporary fix in place, so navigation is now open. The hole will be dealt with at a later date.

[zimzim]

Completely useless comms from CRT...we turned round and spent a day going north on the Stratford, only to find that they have fixed the Wilmcote problem. We are now stuck at Shirley drawbridge which, contrary to comms originally issued, will now remain closed until tomorrow. 

.......updated to note that we have passed through Shirley with no sign of the problem.... drawbridge is working fine.

CRT notices are not really worth looking at.

Edited August 8, 2023 by zimzim

[ditchcrawler]

[Stroudwater1]

15 hours ago, zimzim said:

 

.......updated to note that we have passed through Shirley with no sign of the problem.... drawbridge is working fine.

CRT notices are not really worth looking at.

Apart from the booked widebeam passages through Braunston and Blisworth tunnels 🤣😱 

There were three booked through from Braunston at around 8am Monday morning.