Storm Babet

[magnetman]

Cirrhosis of the River always makes me chuckle.

 

 

Rudest one was Up Yaws. I do wonder how they filter rudeness out of boat names. 

 

I can imagine a meeting of ordinary decent folk making decisions. 

 

I have a dinghy I am considering calling 'Scum'. Is it too rude.

Edited October 23, 2023 by magnetman

[adam1uk]

CRT News release:

 

COUNTING THE COST OF CLIMATE CHANGE: CANALS LEFT DAMAGED BY STORM BABET

 

The Canal & River Trust, the national canal charity, is working across its 2,000 miles of historic canals and navigable rivers to respond to the damage left by Storm Babet.

 

Hundreds of trees have been blown down, and the canal network has suffered structural damage including towpaths washed away, a landslide on the Worcester & Birmingham Canal, and considerable damage on the Leicester Line of the Grand Union Canal where the River Soar flooded into the canal, causing over 50 metres of bank to collapse.

 

The Trust’s staff and volunteers attended numerous call-outs as they battled to control water levels and respond to damage, whilst, on the Erewash Canal in Sandiacre in Derbyshire, the quick response by one of the Trust’s volunteers averted disaster when they were able to rescue a member of the public who fell into the canal, one of a many people who were still using the towpath, despite itself, being submerged under storm water.

 

Richard Parry, chief executive of the Canal & River Trust, comments: “I’d like to thank colleagues and volunteers at the Trust for battling across the weekend to control water levels, responding to the emergencies caused by Storm Babet, and for all their efforts to keep everyone safe.

 

“Our canal network is a national treasure dating back 250 years. It isn’t safely locked away as an exhibit in a museum. It is here to be navigated by boats as they did centuries ago, used freely by millions of people, and for the benefit of wildlife. We’re going to see Storm Babet leave the canal network with a bill likely to be in the £millions. This illustrates the increasing expense of keeping the canal network safe and open, at a time when funding from government is reducing in real terms, and ahead of the steep future cuts they announced earlier this year. These extra costs are becoming increasingly common place as the changing climate takes its toll. Without adequate funding, they will lead to the gradual deterioration and eventual closure of some canals. 

 

“The work of staff and volunteers, together with the support of our partners and friends, is vital if we are to keep our canals alive to benefit this and future generations.”

 

For more information on the Trust’s Keep Canals Alive campaign, visit: Keep Canals Alive | Canal & River Trust (canalrivertrust.org.uk)

 

 

Edited October 23, 2023 by adam1uk

[BoatinglifeupNorth]

Looks like the licence increase announcement in November may be increased a little bit to pay for Babet🌨🌨

[haggis]

48 minutes ago, blackrose said:

 

Why would you expect other people to know about your specialist interest? That would be like me being surprised that you don't know the names of different bonsai trees for example.

As the KELPIES are iconic canal structures which have been widely publicised I don't think it is unreasonable to think that canal folk know about them. I presume from your post that you are unaware of them 😄

[David Mack]

55 minutes ago, magnetman said:

Rudest one was Up Yaws. I do wonder how they filter rudeness out of boat names. 

I've seen a few variations on Firkham Hall. Not sure I'd want to be seen on a boat with a name like that.

[Guest]

1 minute ago, David Mack said:

I've seen a few variations on Firkham Hall. Not sure I'd want to be seen on a boat with a name like that.

 

Or Far Canal....

[Naughty Cal]

6 minutes ago, M_JG said:

 

Or Far Canal....

Norfolk Enchants always made us smile when we saw it on the Broads.

[matty40s]

3 hours ago, Grassman said:

On Friday it was touch and go as to whether they'd let us through Harecastle Tunnel in Stoke due to the exceptionally high water level. As we approached (from the south) water was cascading into the canal faster than it was going out. Some of the overflows weren't coping very well and were 'backing up'.

 

They did let us through but in the low section in the middle of the tunnel we were only an inch or so from the tunnel roof. As a matter of interest does anybody know if the tunnel has ever been closed due to high water levels?

 

Having tried to get through Stoke on Friday lunchtime and having to veer off and take a very scenic but not flooded route, I am amazed that they let you through.

Edited October 23, 2023 by matty40s

[Naughty Cal]

Gunthorpe River Trent

 

https://westbridgfordwire.com/drone-footage-shows-rising-river-trent-at-gunthorpe/

 

 

[magnetman]

26 minutes ago, Naughty Cal said:

Norfolk Enchants always made us smile when we saw it on the Broads.

Thats exactly what the woman said when I suggested we buy a little bungalow on the broads and keep a boat down the garden. 

 

 

[ditchcrawler]

1 hour ago, blackrose said:

 

Why would you expect other people to know about your specialist interest? That would be like me being surprised that you don't know the names of different bonsai trees for example.

Well as the Kelpies are somewhat famous bit like the Angle of the North or Golmey's statues.  I am sure if the boat was called Ash, Oak of Elm people would know they were trees.

[IanD]

10 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

Well as the Kelpies are somewhat famous bit like the Angle of the North or Golmey's statues.  I am sure if the boat was called Ash, Oak of Elm people would know they were trees.

Is the Angle of the North the one holding the oft-referred-to angel grinder? 😉

[mrsmelly]

20 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

I remember being stuck at Sawley for over 2 weeks and the rain hadn't been as bad as it is this time.

Even when they unlocked the locks the trip down to Canfleet was frightening. 

Managed to get onto a pontoon (at the sailing club), but another boat came barrelling down totally out of control, hit us snapped the lines and off we spun with no steering towards the weir, ended up sideways in the flow and just managed to get the bow around and creep slowly forward against the flow.

 

I wouldn't rush to travel before it is safe to do so, and that may not be when C&RT say it is.

 

Remember - it is the skipper, not the navigation authority that determines when you are safe to move.

Lol. I remember wading chest deep down my pontoon and up onto my boat moored in Sawley marina with dog on shoulders. My mate was on a towpath mooring outside the marina and he could just get on and off using waders!!

Someone had a medical emergency on a boat in the marina and had to be taken off by helicopter as the road was flooded.

[magnetman]

I have fond memories of rowing across the field in the dink when I was moored near Henley. It was great. Like a private rowing lake. 

 

Current Thames mooring although very swift in terms of flow is not a problem with levels because it is close to the weir and most importantly it is above the lock. 

 

It might come up 5ft and has done before but even at that level it won't flood the land adjacent although there could be other flooding to affect the access. Could get interesting. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[MrsM]

Finally managed to walk along the Fossdyke today, or should I say 'wade' as a section of the towpath is still under water. Sadly one of the larger wooden liveaboard boats has sunk so someone has presumably lost their home. Quite surprised to see some of the more 'earthy' boats still afloat.

[Naughty Cal]

Fiskerton, River Trent 

 

[Ronaldo47]

In the early 1970's, the fleet of Bushnell's Boatyard at Maidenhead were all named "Gay" something or the other. The one we hired was "Gay Fantasy No.4". 

[peterboat]

6 hours ago, haggis said:

As the KELPIES are iconic canal structures which have been widely publicised I don't think it is unreasonable to think that canal folk know about them. I presume from your post that you are unaware of them 😄

They are very beautiful but the money would have been better spent on Scottish network, if I remember it was in rag order at the time and was rescued with another grant!

[haggis]

7 minutes ago, peterboat said:

They are very beautiful but the money would have been better spent on Scottish network, if I remember it was in rag order at the time and was rescued with another grant!

Don't know about that but the Kelpies, like the Falkirk Wheel have done much to publicise the Lowland canals and the revenue from them must be helping pay for work on the canals. 

[peterboat]

16 minutes ago, haggis said:

Don't know about that but the Kelpies, like the Falkirk Wheel have done much to publicise the Lowland canals and the revenue from them must be helping pay for work on the canals. 

The Falkirk wheel was a solution to a problem, the Kelpies are stunning but........a lot of dosh

[haggis]

10 minutes ago, peterboat said:

The Falkirk wheel was a solution to a problem, the Kelpies are stunning but........a lot of dosh

Without the Kelpies the Helix Park would not be the attraction which it is and this has breathed new life into what was a deprived area. 

 

[Naughty Cal]

4 minutes ago, haggis said:

Without the Kelpies the Helix Park would not be the attraction which it is and this has breathed new life into what was a deprived area. 

 

Fully agree. We would not have visited or stayed in the area were it not for the Kelpies. 

[peterboat]

31 minutes ago, haggis said:

Without the Kelpies the Helix Park would not be the attraction which it is and this has breathed new life into what was a deprived area. 

 

 

26 minutes ago, Naughty Cal said:

Fully agree. We would not have visited or stayed in the area were it not for the Kelpies. 

Yes I saw the kelpies before the site opened however 5 million pounds! Ok lottery funding but at that point the Scottish canals were in rag order and nearly 1.7 million to do emergency work was required to make bridges safe, Scottish government had to fund it, surely the 5 million would have been better spent on that and other urgent works? Just my thoughts 

https://www.scottishcanals.co.uk/about-us/maintaining-and-developing-the-canals/our-projects/forth-clyde-canal-bridges

[matty40s]

dropped by Shardlow yesterday(photos earlier).

I couldnt fly the drone to the South or West of the village as it is too close to EMA. However, I did get the authorisations to fly to the East....albeit fairly low.

Its a bit jumpy as I didnt realise the drone was in sport mode until I got to Trent Lock.(still processing)

 

 

[matty40s]

a quick run past Sawley where I probably would have bumped into @Mykaskin of these pastures, and onto Trent Lock through the water covered road. 

The garden in front of the pub had started to fill, and the pontoon to the boats was going uphill, with less than a foot left on the risers!

The towpath towards the Cranfleet Cut was over a foot underwater, and the water was flowing over all the way to the lock, even after the floodgates,

Both pub car parks were underwater, and sewage was flowing out of pushed up manholes.

 

Edited October 23, 2023 by matty40s