The Cat's Corner

[David Mack]

Watford and Foxton are staircase locks in that one chamber connects directly to the next. But in terms of water movement they function like separate conventional locks with intermediate pounds, just that these pounds are off to the side. Hence you have the top paddle for the lower lock (red) and the bottom paddle (white) for the upper lock, which both connect the relevant lock to the side pond, and there is no paddle directly between the upper and lower locks. Because the side pounds are small (and sorely in need of dredging), you have to open the red first, as otherwise the pound could overflow, leaving insufficient water to fill the lower lock fully.

[cuthound]

40 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

 

Hope this is in time.

 

That flight is a bit odd, as is Foxton, in that you have two sets of paddles at one end, a white set and a red one. The rule is Red before white, you'l be all right, white before red gets you a smack in the head (and overflowing side pounds).

 

I am sure there is a notice explaining it and hopefully the lockie will look after you.

 

 The penalty has obviously been downgraded since Mick and Crystal were the lockies in the 80's

 

Crystal told me the rhyme as "Red before white and you'll be alright. White before red and you'll be dead!"

[haggis]

1 minute ago, cuthound said:

 

 The penalty has obviously been downgraded since Mick and Crystal were the lockies in the 80's

 

Crystal told me the rhyme as "Red before white and you'll be alright. White before red and you'll be dead!"

That's my memory too 🙂 

[ditchcrawler]

7 hours ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

A good chance there will be vlockies on duty. If not, there will be a notice board with destructions for your efficacious edification.  

Watford like Foxton is now closed when its not manned 

[alias]

22 hours ago, Stroudwater1 said:

Im afraid it’s no longer allowed, something to do with a perceived risk of water from Elsan contents sucking back through a tap that’s closed into other water pipes. So instead Elsan contents are left to spread disease.
 

A more likely outcome anyone but a legislator would think. 
 

Fortunately some boat clubs and kind people elsewhere put them back on but it’s not allowed. Same I think at some water points where hosepipes existed especially on the Thames. 

 

A few hoses remain, there's one at the Elsan at Gayton junction with what looks like a non return valve protecting its supply. I have similar on my garden hose at home.

 

Are these NRVs not not acceptable?

7 hours ago, cuthound said:

 

 The penalty has obviously been downgraded since Mick and Crystal were the lockies in the 80's

 

Crystal told me the rhyme as "Red before white and you'll be alright. White before red and you'll be dead!"

 

I was told white before red you'll wish you were dead. To me this sounds more menacing, and also scans properly with the preceding line.

[Mike Todd]

22 hours ago, Stroudwater1 said:

Im afraid it’s no longer allowed, something to do with a perceived risk of water from Elsan contents sucking back through a tap that’s closed into other water pipes. So instead Elsan contents are left to spread disease.
 

A more likely outcome anyone but a legislator would think. 
 

Fortunately some boat clubs and kind people elsewhere put them back on but it’s not allowed. Same I think at some water points where hosepipes existed especially on the Thames. 

The new ones at Memory Lane have a fixed pipe for this purpose but is controlled by a button mechanism not a simple tap. I guess someone has found a means of meeting the intent of the legislation (no back flow)rather than follow the interpretation embedded in earlier designs

[Stroudwater1]

12 hours ago, alias said:

 

A few hoses remain, there's one at the Elsan at Gayton junction with what looks like a non return valve protecting its supply. I have similar on my garden hose at home.

 

Are these NRVs not not acceptable?

 

 

Good point. Im no expert but would”fibrous and solid debris” potentially cause obstruction?  I suspect some may not stay there for long, and non removable ones if they exist could prove expensive to fit especially when CRT seem unable to fund toilets and other facilities? 

[MtB]

16 hours ago, alias said:

Are these NRVs not not acceptable?

 

I'd be surprised if they are. 

 

The water regulations set out several different classes of backflow prevention, and which of the hierarchy applies depends on the severity of the risk to the public water supply. The highest degree of protection IIRC is a 6" air gap, as provided by a cistern. Mind you it must be at least 30 years since I looked at the water regs so things have probably changed by now. 

 

 

[ditchcrawler]

7 hours ago, MtB said:

 

I'd be surprised if they are. 

 

The water regulations set out several different classes of backflow prevention, and which of the hierarchy applies depends on the severity of the risk to the public water supply. The highest degree of protection IIRC is a 6" air gap, as provided by a cistern. Mind you it must be at least 30 years since I looked at the water regs so things have probably changed by now. 

 

 

I am sure there was a long thread on this years ago when the Thames was first muted. 

 

[TheShipsCat]

Tunnel thing: In two way tunnels, when a boat passes, like any passing boat, my bow gets pulled to the left.  If another boat is following close behind the passing boat, I get pulled into them.  If I throw power with the tiller hard left, my stern is pushed into the first passing boat.  I really can't see any way to correct for this, other than the second passing boat to not be an idiot and not tailgate the boat in front of them, which is out of my control.

 

Or am I misunderstanding something?

[ditchcrawler]

56 minutes ago, TheShipsCat said:

Tunnel thing: In two way tunnels, when a boat passes, like any passing boat, my bow gets pulled to the left.  If another boat is following close behind the passing boat, I get pulled into them.  If I throw power with the tiller hard left, my stern is pushed into the first passing boat.  I really can't see any way to correct for this, other than the second passing boat to not be an idiot and not tailgate the boat in front of them, which is out of my control.

 

Or am I misunderstanding something?

About right

[MtB]

54 minutes ago, TheShipsCat said:

Tunnel thing: In two way tunnels, when a boat passes, like any passing boat, my bow gets pulled to the left.  If another boat is following close behind the passing boat, I get pulled into them.  If I throw power with the tiller hard left, my stern is pushed into the first passing boat.  I really can't see any way to correct for this, other than the second passing boat to not be an idiot and not tailgate the boat in front of them, which is out of my control.

 

Or am I misunderstanding something?

 

Good point! send crew up front to fend off when you are not single handing, but obviously not possible when you are. 

 

So this appears to be a second valid use for a bow thruster. In addition to steering the boat in astern when reversing long distances.

[Stroudwater1]

You probably need to almost be stationary if you can see two coming. Then moderately hard throttle to get you back into the side once the first has passed. If you are moving forward you won’t have as much time to do this.

 

Boats do tailgate others in tunnels, some  boaters seem to slow down even when nothings coming. Possibly they feel unable to keep their boat straight, forgetting that you loose steering at slower speed. 
 

It’s possible that a motor and butty could be passing or a boat that’s malfunctioning so can only go at tickover. 
 

Also with a short distance from wide locks it’s quite likely boats sharing the locks will be close together- Both ways for Braunston. 
 

 

[David Mack]

49 minutes ago, Stroudwater1 said:

It’s possible that a motor and butty could be passing

Motor and butty should be close enough together that your bow will have passed the butty bow before you get pulled over, so contact will probably happen, but be gentle. It will be worse when there is a gap of 1-2 boat lengths.

 

And the lesson is, if you are following a boat in a tunnel, hold well back, so an oncoming boat has room to get back to its right hand side before meeting you.

[MtB]

59 minutes ago, David Mack said:

And the lesson is, if you are following a boat in a tunnel, hold well back, so an oncoming boat has room to get back to its right hand side before meeting you.

 

 

I think this naturally happens as it is fiendishly difficult from the helm to tell just how close the bow is to a boat you are following, especially in the dark. Even if you think you are pretty close there is prolly a boat-length of space. If not, the boat you are following is gonna be getting real twitchy about how close you are...

 

 

[TheShipsCat]

15 hours ago, ditchcrawler said:

About right

Yah.

15 hours ago, MtB said:

Good point! send crew up front to fend off when you are not single handing, but obviously not possible when you are. 

 

So this appears to be a second valid use for a bow thruster. In addition to steering the boat in astern when reversing long distances.

No crew, no thruster. Just me and bangity bang.

14 hours ago, Stroudwater1 said:

Also with a short distance from wide locks it’s quite likely boats sharing the locks will be close together- Both ways for Braunston. 

Right.  Hadn't thought of that obvious detail.  Deserves a CRT sign seems to me, but who am I to say.  

 

It was my last passage through Braunston tunnel that was so very contact-full.  The second tailgater that I hit (the first being simultaneous contact with the boat and the right wall) was full-on under his power, and as I finally passed I yelled "please don't follow so close to the boat ahead, I've no  time to correct!" to which the young pillock driving the luxury boat had to take out his earpods to hear me and blankly stare at me, not understanding what I'd said in the slightest.  I also noticed through his open side doors as I passed, his girlfriend laying on the floor on her back looking thoroughly disappointed with everything.

 

I for one, am never disappointed when I get the honest chance to refer to someone as a pillock.

 

Moored up in Braunston with a laundry list of stuff to do on the boat.  In this heat, it's siesta time.

 

Edited May 26 by TheShipsCat

[IanM]

2 minutes ago, TheShipsCat said:

I yelled "please don't follow so close to the boat ahead, I've no  time to correct!"

 

I wouldn't worry about it or say anything.  There's a high chance you're going to bump into either the wall or the other boat when passing in a tunnel so don't get annoyed and say something, you might not like what their reply is.

 

 

[TheShipsCat]

1 minute ago, IanM said:

 

I wouldn't worry about it or say anything.  There's a high chance you're going to bump into either the wall or the other boat when passing in a tunnel so don't get annoyed and say something, you might not like what their reply is.

 

 

Fair 'nuff.  I'm too green to be telling anybody off anyhow. 

[IanM]

2 minutes ago, TheShipsCat said:

Fair 'nuff.  I'm too green to be telling anybody off anyhow. 

 

Also it was Braunston tunnel, which is just plain horrible anyway.  Blisworth is lovely in comparison. 

[Stroudwater1]

6 hours ago, TheShipsCat said:

  I also noticed through his open side doors as I passed, his girlfriend laying on the floor on her back looking thoroughly disappointed with everything.

 

I for one, am never disappointed when I get the honest chance to refer to someone as a pillock.

 

Moored up in Braunston with a laundry list of stuff to do on the boat.  In this heat, it's siesta time.

 

She probably was waiting for him to moor up. It’s really only Gosty Hill that boaters can get down to anything in a tunnel. The story is that the working boaters put their boats into tickover but allegedly to have their lunch at Gosty Hill.. 
 

Our record was 10 boats coming the other  way through Braunston. An early or late journey through though is usually lovely. 

[ditchcrawler]

51 minutes ago, Stroudwater1 said:

 The story is that the working boaters put their boats into tickover but allegedly to have their lunch at Gosty Hill..  

That is the only tunnel that bothers me, so much crap at times 

[TheShipsCat]

12 hours ago, ditchcrawler said:

That is the only tunnel that bothers me, so much crap at times 

Well, now I understand the reality and will set my head accordingly.  I will certainly need to traverse it again and possibly soon.

[IanM]

11 minutes ago, TheShipsCat said:

Well, now I understand the reality and will set my head accordingly.  I will certainly need to traverse it again and possibly soon.

 

I think @ditchcrawler is talking about Gosty Hill Tunnel.  Single boat width, low roof (and confusingly a really high roof in places too) and a lot of floating rubbish.

[Rob-M]

1 hour ago, IanM said:

 

I think @ditchcrawler is talking about Gosty Hill Tunnel.  Single boat width, low roof (and confusingly a really high roof in places too) and a lot of floating rubbish.

And very shallow with a lot of silt, I came to a halt in there last week due to the silt.

[Stroudwater1]

Was that at the old shed end Rob? It’s very bad there, you need a good run up only to find someone in the tunnel and it’s very hard to reverse out then. Really needs a bit of targeted dredging.