What date is Buckby lock 12 closing?

[Tony1]

I'm near Braunston and planning to go down the Buckby flight before the planned closure, but there is snow forecast for tonight/tomorrow. So I want to wait a few days, but also to double check whether any of the members here know the closure day for certain (the affected lock is lock 12, Long Buckby Wharf)?

 

On the CRT map view of stoppages, it currently says the lock will close on 13th Jan, but I spoke to a couple of passing boaters yesterday who said they thought the closure had been brought forward to 7th Jan, and the woman even double-checked on her phone as we talked (I think she was looking at an email notice, not at the map).

 

I would really rather not move until the snowfall melts, but I do NOT want to get trapped for 2 months behind a closure - so if anyone knows the definitive closure date I would be very grateful.

I'm assuming the email notices will supersede the info on the map view of stoppages, but I stupidly didn't set up an email notice- so I've already missed the email, if indeed there was one. 

I'm not optimistic that I'll get a clear answer from a random bod at CRT, but if the folks here dont know for sure, I'll try CRT later when I get back to the boat. 

If it is closing on 7th, I'm going to go through tomorrow regardless of snow, so as to give myself some contingency days in case of problems.

 

Edited January 4, 2025 by Tony1

[matty40s]

Lock 3 Braunston (Braunston) 
Starts: 04/11/24 08:00

Ends: 19/12/24 16:00

Type: Navigation Closure

 

Lock 13, Long Buckby Wharf, Whilton, Daventry 
Starts: 13/01/25 08:00

Ends: 07/03/25 16:00

Type: Navigation Closure

 

Keep your eyes peeled over there, d00D is on the way with little red iets Groter.

I wouldn't hang around, the weather is going to be icy all week, and if the snow doesnt melt in the short warm period, it could be lethal. Csn you not do it today?

[Mike Tee]

It's only half a days cruise from centre of Braunston to Whilton marina so I'd suggest just go and do it!

[matty40s]

Buckby will be lethal with frost after snow, especially if the canal has been overtopping the towpath at the bottom end( has happened frequently recently.)

[Tony1]

Thanks for the replies folks, much appreciated. 

CRT themselves said the lock doesnt close until 13th, so I have to assume that the woman I met must have been wrong.

The reopening date is 7th March, so I suspect she misread her small phone screen, and thought that 7th Jan was the closure date.

So it looks like there's plenty of time, as I suspected.

I'm not a fan of doing fairly deep double locks in near-freezing weather, intermittent drizzle and a fresh breeze, so I'll see how conditions look in the morning. We might have snow on the ground persisting into the afternoon, from the expected overnight fall. 

Problem is the weather might not get much better for a few days!

 

[matty40s]

Well, I did tell you that....

We have more than 1" of snow already and it only started an hour ago!!...

[ditchcrawler]

You missed a good run up the Braunston flight yesterday, all the locks would have been with you all morning, if you had timed it right some gates open as well.

[Jonny P]

22 hours ago, Mike Tee said:

It's only half a days cruise from centre of Braunston to Whilton marina so I'd suggest just go and do it!

Assuming the OP is single handing it’s a lot more than half a day in the current weather.

[Tony1]

2 hours ago, ditchcrawler said:

You missed a good run up the Braunston flight yesterday, all the locks would have been with you all morning, if you had timed it right some gates open as well.

 

I actually came up there the day before yesterday, and moored near the road into Daventry for shopping. But unfortunately I've been held up by what I think was food poisoning from a takeaway (that shall remain nameless, in case I'm wrong).

 

[matty40s]

Theres a few boats moving about today, and a few going up Buckby tommorow that I know of. Hopefully this rain will clear the locks of snow before it freezes for the rest of the week.

[ditchcrawler]

1 hour ago, Tony1 said:

 

I actually came up there the day before yesterday, and moored near the road into Daventry for shopping. But unfortunately I've been held up by what I think was food poisoning from a takeaway (that shall remain nameless, in case I'm wrong).

 

We must have passed you then, we spent Friday night  about ¾mile from the tunnel mouth and came down the flight yesterday morning 

[Tony1]

11 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

We must have passed you then, we spent Friday night  about ¾mile from the tunnel mouth and came down the flight yesterday morning 

 

Yes you did, I came up the Braunston flight before midday on Friday. I was one of line of two or three boats moored about 300 yards after the tunnel, before the road bridge.

I'm pretty much back to normal so I was going to go down to Whilton tomorrow, but it looks like pretty rotten weather so I might hang fire till Tuesday.

 

[PaulJ]

3 hours ago, matty40s said:

Theres a few boats moving about today, and a few going up Buckby tommorow that I know of. Hopefully this rain will clear the locks of snow before it freezes for the rest of the week.

As its all ice free -Me included. In the little boat that was, then wasnt but now is 😀

[matty40s]

It's now on the wharf, in case the marina freezes, however, in 2 hours it's gone from 2c to 11.5c so cant see that happening tonight!!

[matty40s]

5am and the temperature went back the other way, now snowing heavily again and 0.6c

[matty40s]

...and starter off....

[PaulJ]

30 minutes ago, matty40s said:

...and starter off....

Cheers for all your help earlier Matty 

At least the mini blizzard that was happening as I arrived stopped..

Much warmer back in Bedford 😀

[MrsM]

Sorry to hear you have been unwell @Tony1 and credit to you for getting through quite a strenuous flight when it was probably the last thing you felt like. Hope you can put your feet up and enjoy a glass of something restorative. (I decided to do dry January this year, but only lasted until Saturday - I've decide to have a dry mid-week January only). 

[Tony1]

41 minutes ago, MrsM said:

Sorry to hear you have been unwell @Tony1 and credit to you for getting through quite a strenuous flight when it was probably the last thing you felt like. Hope you can put your feet up and enjoy a glass of something restorative. (I decided to do dry January this year, but only lasted until Saturday - I've decide to have a dry mid-week January only). 

 

My dear Mrs M, you are too kind. 

For normal people that flight means a grim few hours in wet, windy and cold weather, but luckily I have the physique and strength (and probably the looks) of a greek god. Well perhaps a retired greek god. Anyway, it was but a trifling matter. 

I expected a welcoming committee and some sort of award when I reached the bottom, but no preparations were visible as I left the last lock.

Probably an admin mix up at CRT.

 

But I think the dry mid week thing is a splendid idea. I've found over my years on the boat that my beer intake has gradually increased until I was having beer on maybe 6 nights of each week. None of the hard stuff mind, but its still a bad idea. 

But recently I've cut down to a couple of nights each week, which is very boring but absolutely necessary if I want to last until I'm 70. 

That said, the idea of an entirely dry month is too horrifying to contemplate. What would I do with my hands in the evenings? I certainly cant crochet. 

Whoever came up with that idea should be soundly thrashed. 

 

[IanD]

Just now, Tony1 said:

 

My dear Mrs M, you are too kind. 

For normal people that flight means a grim few hours in wet, windy and cold weather, but luckily I have the physique and strength (and probably the looks) of a greek god. Well perhaps a retired greek god. Anyway, it was but a trifling matter. 

I expected a welcoming committee and some sort of award when I reached the bottom, but no preparations were visible as I left the last lock.

Probably an admin mix up at CRT.

 

But I think the dry mid week thing is a splendid idea. I've found over my years on the boat that my beer intake has gradually increased until I was having beer on maybe 6 nights of each week. None of the hard stuff mind, but its still a bad idea. 

But recently I've cut down to a couple of nights each week, which is very boring but absolutely necessary if I want to last until I'm 70. 

That said, the idea of an entirely dry month is too horrifying to contemplate. What would I do with my hands in the evenings? I certainly cant crochet. 

Whoever came up with that idea should be soundly thrashed. 

 

 

Good idea -- thrashing them will help you build up a thirst... 😉 

[frahkn]

15 minutes ago, Tony1 said:

 

My dear Mrs M, you are too kind. 

For normal people that flight means a grim few hours in wet, windy and cold weather, but luckily I have the physique and strength (and probably the looks) of a greek god. Well perhaps a retired greek god. Anyway, it was but a trifling matter. 

I expected a welcoming committee and some sort of award when I reached the bottom, but no preparations were visible as I left the last lock.

Probably an admin mix up at CRT.

 

But I think the dry mid week thing is a splendid idea. I've found over my years on the boat that my beer intake has gradually increased until I was having beer on maybe 6 nights of each week. None of the hard stuff mind, but its still a bad idea. 

But recently I've cut down to a couple of nights each week, which is very boring but absolutely necessary if I want to last until I'm 70. 

That said, the idea of an entirely dry month is too horrifying to contemplate. What would I do with my hands in the evenings? I certainly cant crochet. 

Whoever came up with that idea should be soundly thrashed. 

 

I was 71 a couple of weeks ago, this proves nothing but it does at least suggest that alcohol in heroic quantities is not always a life shortener. I think it's more the worrying about drinking too much than the actual deed. 

Course I may be dead in the morning!

[cuthound]

2 hours ago, MrsM said:

I've decide to have a dry mid-week January only). 

 

I decided on a similar strategy. I'm only drinking whilst I'm awake...

[GUMPY]

I have found that the older I get the less tolerant I am of some beers. I have to be very careful what I drink as some beer, especially anything from Sharps or St Austell, gives me severe stomach cramps after just a pint or so. This has led to me almost stopping drinking and I'm probably down to an average of a couple or three pints a month.

Strangely I don't miss it although I do have the occasional grand lapse.😱