Watford Locks Closed

[David Schweizer]

On 06/06/2025 at 12:03, pearley said:

I'm not there but would think an A frame.erected over the lock with a chain hoist would be simple.

 

Which is exactly what they did in the 1960's.  BW replaced all four gates above our mooring at Uxbridge Lock, where there was no road access, in one weekend, using A frames to lift and lower the gates into position.

 

 

Edited June 7 by David Schweizer

[Llamedos]

8 minutes ago, David Schweizer said:

 

Which is exactly what they did in the 1960's.  BW replaced all four gates above our mooring at Uxbridge Lock, where there was no road access, in one weekend, using A frames to lift and lower the gates into position.

 

 

The gates at Watford are huge. I’m not surprised a crane is needed. 

[matty40s]

2 minutes ago, Llamedos said:

The gates at Watford are huge. I’m not surprised a crane is needed. 

They used to do them with A frames, they havnt grown any bigger in the last 200 years.

[Jonny P]

The use of A frames to lift gates is common if not the standard practice.

 

Hence I doubt CRT have suddenly forgotten this and mistakenly opted for a crane. There will be a reason.

[Llamedos]

5 minutes ago, matty40s said:

They used to do them with A frames, they havnt grown any bigger in the last 200 years.

@Jonny P beat me to it. I think in these cases we have to assume the CRT engineers know what they’re doing. There’s obviously a reason. 

[David Mack]

I seem to recall that a number of portable lifting gantries were amongst the equipment BW/CRT auctioned off a few years back when they moved from largely in-house staff to using contractors.

[robtheplod]

When will we see details of the Watford Locks (bottom) Canal Festival?

[Waterweed]

2 hours ago, Llamedos said:

How many boats like you are stuck there? I bet you’re seething. 

There’s probably at least 10 or 12 above the locks including hire boats due back at bases. Not sure about those waiting to come up. The owners of the offending boat tried to stop my friend taking photos on Thursday! I took one anyway 🤣A lot of the festival boats have already gone through this week but I bet there’s some that haven’t made it.

No point in being seething. It’ll get sorted I hope.

[Llamedos]

9 hours ago, Cygnet said:

There’s probably at least 10 or 12 above the locks including hire boats due back at bases. Not sure about those waiting to come up. The owners of the offending boat tried to stop my friend taking photos on Thursday! I took one anyway 🤣A lot of the festival boats have already gone through this week but I bet there’s some that haven’t made it.

No point in being seething. It’ll get sorted I hope.

It all sounds pretty horrendous. You sound like you’re taking it in your stride though and probably more philosophically than I would! Hopefully CRT have ‘clocked’ the offending boat and their legal team will get onto it in due course and try to recover some of the costs? They’re going to be pretty significant I would think. 

[Jonny P]

2 hours ago, Llamedos said:

It all sounds pretty horrendous. You sound like you’re taking it in your stride though and probably more philosophically than I would! Hopefully CRT have ‘clocked’ the offending boat and their legal team will get onto it in due course and try to recover some of the costs? They’re going to be pretty significant I would think. 

May not be so straightforward with the way CRT control and operate the Watford flight.

[Llamedos]

7 minutes ago, Jonny P said:

May not be so straightforward with the way CRT control and operate the Watford flight.

Yeah, you may have a point there. 🤔  Still, I hope they try, and don’t just let it go. We all indirectly pay for these incidents after all. 

[dogless]

I'm sure the damage won't have been deliberately caused ... if it was caused by significant misuse then fine, but accidents do happen.

 

Rog

[Jonny P]

Just now, dogless said:

I'm sure the damage won't have been deliberately caused ... if it was caused by significant misuse then fine, but accidents do happen.

 

Rog

And it’s why we all carry insurance.

[MrsM]

I presume there must be records somewhere of how many times CRT have successfully recovered repair work costs from insurance companies? Would be interesting to know. 

[ditchcrawler]

7 minutes ago, dogless said:

I'm sure the damage won't have been deliberately caused ... if it was caused by significant misuse then fine, but accidents do happen.

 

Rog

And also it may have been on its last legs before he touched it, the straw that broke the camels back. 

[MtB]

34 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

And also it may have been on its last legs before he touched it, the straw that broke the camels back. 

 

AND, might the boater concerned have been following instructions from the CRT fat controller there? 

 

I've never down Watford but I gather boats are not left to their own devices, they transit the flight under the direction of CRT staff. Is that right?

[Jonny P]

Just now, MtB said:

 

AND, might the boater concerned have been following instructions from the CRT fat controller there? 

 

I've never down Watford but I gather boats are not left to their own devices, they transit the flight under the direction of CRT staff. Is that right?

You’re usually assisted and the volunteers work most of the paddles. Not always though. I have worked through the flight unassisted. But you can only proceed with their authority.

[MtB]

Just now, Jonny P said:

You’re usually assisted and the volunteers work most of the paddles. Not always though. I have worked through the flight unassisted. But you can only proceed with their authority.

 

Thanks. 

 

Do they expect single handers to "Stay on the boat mate" ? 

 

 

[magnetman]

If it is a split pot then it was going to happen at some stage unless replaced as part of routine maintenance. 

 

Its a service part related to a moveable structure. Basically a plain bearing.  Bearings do wear out specially in silt laden water. That might be why a crane is chosen. The gate may need to be removed completely for elfin safety in order to set a new pot in place. 

 

Just a theory but I wonder about these pots because I used to find worn ones with the magnet. John at Stockers lock used to have chrome plated gate pots as door stops in his house. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Jonny P]

11 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

Thanks. 

 

Do they expect single handers to "Stay on the boat mate" ? 

 

 

I’m not sure they expect it but you can. I tend to get off to wind the paddles while the volockie closes up behind, then I’ll reboard once they arrive. Most of my trips involve descending, going up I’d be more likely to stay aboard.

 

It rather depends on how busy the flight is and how many volockies are on duty.

 

Edited June 8 by Jonny P

[MtB]

Just now, Jonny P said:

I’m not sure they expect it but you can. I tend to get off to wind the paddles while the volockie closes up behind, then I’ll reboard once they arrive.

 

It rather depends on how busy the flight is and how many volockies are on duty.

 

 

I was hoping the opposite. 

 

I prefer to get off the boat while it is in a lock being emptied or filled, and this causes slight friction between me and vollies sometimes. 

[magnetman]

1 minute ago, MtB said:

 

I was hoping the opposite. 

 

I prefer to get off the boat while it is in a lock being emptied or filled, and this causes slight friction between me and vollies sometimes. 

Yes I always prefer to be off the Boat in locks. Better view and one can walk around  Once or twice I have been asked to get back on by Thames lock keepers but my method is be on the lockside and I have single handed various vessels up to 57x12 Limehouse to Lechlade politely refusing assistance and never had any problems. 

 

Its probably a territory issue where the volunteer thinks the lockside is theirs. 

 

 

[Jonny P]

8 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

I was hoping the opposite. 

 

I prefer to get off the boat while it is in a lock being emptied or filled, and this causes slight friction between me and vollies sometimes. 

I prefer that as well which does puzzle some folk when sharing GU locks but they’d understand if they single handed.

 

With Watford being (mostly) a staircase it’s a bit different as they are quick and access on and off the boat isn’t always easy.  
 

At busy times it’s best for everyone if you just do what’s quickest and that’s probably staying aboard.

 

Edited June 8 by Jonny P

[Stilllearning]

2 minutes ago, magnetman said:

Yes I always prefer to be off the Boat in locks. Better view and one can walk around  Once or twice I have been asked to get back on by Thames lock keepers but my method is be on the lockside and I have single handed various vessels up to 57x12 Limehouse to Lechlade politely refusing assistance and never had any problems. 

 

Its probably a territory issue where the volunteer thinks the lockside is theirs. 

 

 

If the boater stays on their boat, then the lock keeper knows where they are, and they can't be in a potentially hazardous position on the lockside. 

[MtB]

2 minutes ago, magnetman said:

Its probably a territory issue where the volunteer thinks the lockside is theirs. 

 

More likely an authority thing. I think it was Hilmorton I had "Stay on the boat mate" As I set about climbing off. I responded with "I prefer to be on the bank in locks thanks" and got off the boat. This got me "Have it your way then" and they stomped off back into their hut. 

 

To be fair this was right back at the start of vollying.