Birmingham and Fazely between Minworth and Curdworth.

[MoominPapa]

The entire 3 miles pound is down a foot or so, and pounds at Curdworth are also low because there's no supply from the top. 

 

More specifically: Melaleuca is sat on the ridge outside Curdworth tunnel and going nowhere until the level goes up. The canal is therefore blocked unless another boat turns up and can do a snatch.

 

CRT are aware: apparently they have a pump down which is the cause of the problem. They are allegedly running water down Minworth now, but it could be a day before there's a significant improvement. 

 

MP.

[David Mack]

2 hours ago, MoominPapa said:

CRT are aware: apparently they have a pump down which is the cause of the problem.

Surely this section is fed by water from Perry Bar, Aston and Garrison locks. So why should any pumping be involved?

[MoominPapa]

6 minutes ago, David Mack said:

Surely this section is fed by water from Perry Bar, Aston and Garrison locks. So why should any pumping be involved?

I'm just repeating what I was told.

 

There are definitely pumps at the top of the Garrison flight, so maybe the problem is water supply in Birmingham, which has resulted in less water coming down those flights.  The bywashes around the bottom three locks at Aston are almost completely blocked and the pounds are flooding the towpath, so that's one source of water lost for a start.

 

MP.

[David Mack]

32 minutes ago, MoominPapa said:

There are definitely pumps at the top of the Garrison flight,

There is a backpump up Garrison and Camp Hill, although I don't know how much it is used (or even whether it is still in use). But if it has failed that should result in more water not less for the Fazeley cut.

[MoominPapa]

2 hours ago, David Mack said:

There is a backpump up Garrison and Camp Hill, although I don't know how much it is used (or even whether it is still in use). But if it has failed that should result in more water not less for the Fazeley cut.

Maybe I've been bullshitted.

 

Anyway, the activity running water down Minworth did yield a marginal increase in levels and I managed to redistribute enough mud to be able to slither over the remainder and get to Curdworth top lock without further problems. The long pound between Curdworth Lock 1 and Curdworth Lock 2 was 18 inches down. We had to fill it up to about 8 inches down to be able to grind under the A446 bridge, which definitely reversed the level increase in the Minworth-Curdworth pound. Since we've seen only one other moving boat in the last week, and he will be away up Minworth long since, I didn't feel too bad.

 

After the top pound, the rest of Curdworth is fine (so far). Moored for the night between 6&7.

 

MP.

[nicknorman]

1 hour ago, MoominPapa said:

Maybe I've been bullshitted.

 

Anyway, the activity running water down Minworth did yield a marginal increase in levels and I managed to redistribute enough mud to be able to slither over the remainder and get to Curdworth top lock without further problems. The long pound between Curdworth Lock 1 and Curdworth Lock 2 was 18 inches down. We had to fill it up to about 8 inches down to be able to grind under the A446 bridge, which definitely reversed the level increase in the Minworth-Curdworth pound. Since we've seen only one other moving boat in the last week, and he will be away up Minworth long since, I didn't feel too bad.

 

After the top pound, the rest of Curdworth is fine (so far). Moored for the night between 6&7.

 

MP.

 

Surprising. We went from Fazelely to Star City last Tuesday, and back down again on Wednesday. All levels were normal. Just some Rothen guys doing something silly above lock 7 - ie installing a huge sheet of plastic right across the canal on the bottom, to seal a leak into a culvert. Well that was the plan, but the plastic sheet was floating to the surface probably buoyed up by methane from the rotting vegetation on the bottom. When we went up they advised us to pass in neutral to avoid getting the huge sheet round the prop. But on the way down there was nobody there and no notices, and as we passed (in neutral) we could see the huge plastic sheet lurking just below the surface. I did suggest to CRT that it wasn't a great idea and perhaps there should at the very least be some warning notices, but I don't think they "got it".

[MoominPapa]

36 minutes ago, nicknorman said:

 

Surprising. We went from Fazelely to Star City last Tuesday, and back down again on Wednesday. All levels were normal. Just some Rothen guys doing something silly above lock 7 - ie installing a huge sheet of plastic right across the canal on the bottom, to seal a leak into a culvert. Well that was the plan, but the plastic sheet was floating to the surface probably buoyed up by methane from the rotting vegetation on the bottom. When we went up they advised us to pass in neutral to avoid getting the huge sheet round the prop. But on the way down there was nobody there and no notices, and as we passed (in neutral) we could see the huge plastic sheet lurking just below the surface. I did suggest to CRT that it wasn't a great idea and perhaps there should at the very least be some warning notices, but I don't think they "got it".

 

Those works are just in front of us. The sheet is visible on the offside bank, so that may have it place now. I shall be sure to pass in neutral if there's any water left in the pound to float in in the morning. Thanks for the heads-up.

 

MP.

 

[nicknorman]

9 minutes ago, MoominPapa said:

 

Those works are just in front of us. The sheet is visible on the offside bank, so that may have it place now. I shall be sure to pass in neutral if there's any water left in the pound to float in in the morning. Thanks for the heads-up.

 

MP.

 

I’d be interested to know if the sheet is still in the water, whether there are now any warning signs for boaters.

[MoominPapa]

8 minutes ago, nicknorman said:

I’d be interested to know if the sheet is still in the water, whether there are now any warning signs for boaters.

Will report back. The only sign I can see from here is a "men working" road sign on the towpath.

[David Mack]

13 hours ago, nicknorman said:

I’d be interested to know if the sheet is still in the water, whether there are now any warning signs for boaters.

Well if it is, and boats are grinding along the bottom of a low pound, it isn't going to stay intact for long!

[MoominPapa]

14 hours ago, nicknorman said:

I’d be interested to know if the sheet is still in the water, whether there are now any warning signs for boaters.

Looks pretty much as you described it. There are "men working" signs either side on the towpath and orange buoys next to them in the water, but no explicit signs. The sheet is still flapping about in the water; one end is weighted down with rocks on the offside bank. Rothens boats are on site, but no sign of Rothens doozers. Pound stayed up fine overnight, so the culvert leak may be fixed.

 

MP.

[tree monkey]

You needed

 

[MoominPapa]

That bloke looks just like me, only with less gut and more hair. Uncanny!

 

MP.