River Nene, Lower Barnwell Lock

[Chevetter]

Emergency closures

 

Lower Barnwell Lock will be closed from Monday 25 February 2008 to Thursday 20 March 2008 to allow essential repair works to be carried out. Update 20 March 2008; high flows are currently restricting the progress of these works and the lock will remain closed for navigation until the river conditions return to normal.

 

Link: http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/subje...n=1〈=_e

 

 

:D :( :( :(

[gazza]

oh dear, had a feeling that was going to happen

 

our hopes are for a trip on monday, but having had light rain most of the night, this looks unlikely now.........

[Chevetter]

River Inspector says:

 

There is around 12 hours of work left to do on this lock. Its all welding on the guillotine gate but they are going to get in and do it as soon as the waters subside so it shouldn't be a major issue.

[Brummage]

The lock will remain closed until "at least 4th April 2008" says the EA website. Hopefully with reasonable weather forecast for the next few days, the work will get done and we can get through next week! Fingers crossed.

[PaddingtonBear]

What about the poor Moomins? Has any one seen them?

[MoominPapa]

What about the poor Moomins? Has any one seen them?

We fought rain, snow, hail, etc, etc and made it to Blisworth by Thursday mid-afternoon. I didn't know about Barnwell lock at that point, but decided anyway to take a break. I talked to Andy Hall, the inspector for the upper Nene, who confirmed that it was open and off SSA, but still quite high, and likely to go straight up again with any significant rain. Since significant rain has not been exactly unknown recently, I decided that I didn't want to fight marginal stream conditions and marginal weather for my very first Nene trip, with the added risk of getting stuck half-way down.

 

Given the announcement about Barnwell, that looks like a good move. (What were the EA doing between the 20th when it was supposed to reopen and the 28th when they anounced it's still closed?)

 

So, Melaleuca is moored towpath side at Blisworth opposite Blisworth Tunnel Boats, That feels to me like a safe location, talking to locals seemed to confirm that, and there were at least two other private boats left unattended at the same place. Anyone who passes, please take a look and make sure it's all OK.

 

If Barnwell opens when EA says it might, and the weather is good this week, we may be moving again by next weekend. If we miss that, it may be towards the end of the month before we can get the people together again and time off. I'm hoping I can stretch my 14 days towpath mooring in that case.

 

I'll try and write up a trip report and some photos soon. (PB, WW should have something in her work email-box.) We passed "Keeping up..." going the other way in the middle of Stoke Bruerne flight

 

MP - who really should have had a nice meal of pine-needles and hibernated 'till spring finally arrives........

[Chevetter]

Just to clarify here, Lower Barnwell had its welding finished and was operational. However it promptly suffered an electrical problem and broke down again. Apparently this is EON's problem and they are fixing it now.

Edited April 1, 2008 by Chevetter

[MoominPapa]

Just to clarify here, Lower Barnwell had its welding finished and was operational. However it promptly suffered an electrical problem and broke down again. Apparently this is EON's problem and they are fixing it now.

Thanks, Chevetter. Please continue to keep us all informed.

 

How are river flows looking, at the moment?

 

Cheers,

 

MP.

[Scotty]

Just to clarify here, Lower Barnwell had its welding finished and was operational. However it promptly suffered an electrical problem and broke down again. Apparently this is EON's problem and they are fixing it now.

Thanks for keeping us up to date on this, I had assumed it was all fixed.

 

I'm heading towards the Nene, but i'm tempted to stay at Braunston for a while now.

[gazza]

fear not intrepid boaters, we have had a good dry spell since late saturday night. a very brief and light shower this moorning and that is it.

 

the river level has dropped to not far off normal levels at the moment, may be worth a quick check with the EA but i would think you should be ok (insert standard walk in front of a bus type disclaimer!!)

 

i shall hopefuly be out for the day on saturday, but, as we all know, things can change between now and then!

 

good luck all who are hoping to get underway this week

[Chevetter]

Thanks, Chevetter. Please continue to keep us all informed.

 

How are river flows looking, at the moment?

 

Cheers,

 

MP.

 

As Gazza says, the flows and levels are fine at the moment although there is potential for some heavy rain next week - keep watching those weather forecasts.

 

 

Thanks for keeping us up to date on this, I had assumed it was all fixed.

 

I'm heading towards the Nene, but i'm tempted to stay at Braunston for a while now.

 

So I'm told, the Nene and April are not friends and so you'll find that the river will Strong Stream a couple of times in the month. It's very hard to predict though so you won't really know the river conditions until you are already there. Gayton has lots of useful facilities and the people at the marina are very friendly, however I wouldn't recommend it as a place to moor unless your boat has double glazing - the canal passes right near to the A43 and the road noise doesn't stop all night long. Maybe you could head down towards the river and if conditions aren't favourable carry on to Stoke Bruerne?

 

I spoke the the river inspector again today and was told that things are still on target for Lower Barnwell to open 'on friday afternoon' although he wasn't able to tell me what time.

 

For my own part I've had enough of waiting. I'm off in the morning at daybreak

 

I'd also like to say my own thanks to Gazza for all the info and advice he's given me.

[Scotty]

Gayton has lots of useful facilities and the people at the marina are very friendly, however I wouldn't recommend it as a place to moor unless your boat has double glazing - the canal passes right near to the A43 and the road noise doesn't stop all night long.

 

For my own part I've had enough of waiting. I'm off in the morning at daybreak

After spending last night at Whilton, alongside the M1, I can see what you mean!

 

It's been fairly dry for a while now, and I don't want to risk waiting at Gayton only for the weather to turn again,

so i think i'll head onto the Nene and just hope that Lower Barnwell Lock is working when I get there.

[MoominPapa]

It's been fairly dry for a while now, and I don't want to risk waiting at Gayton only for the weather to turn again,

so i think i'll head onto the Nene and just hope that Lower Barnwell Lock is working when I get there.

Go for it! I just spoke to Roy Smith the inpector. Lower Barnwell lock is now passable, but you need to use a windlass to raise the guilotine: the electrics are still broken.

 

I'll be setting off from Blisworth early on Sunday.

 

MP.

[gazza]

hi all,

 

there are several boats at Wellingborough Embankment. spotted em on the way home. I had time to see a GRP cruiser underway heading down stream. being profoundly jealous of seeing a boat move on the river (again!) i decided i ought to go and check my boat....

 

just had a short run to woodford and back. the river is still up abit, the level would be 6 - 9 inches higher than normal at the moment. water was flowing over the top of woodford lock a bit more than usual, but this is not a bad thing - aids with filling.

 

we have had a good dry spell since late saturday night, one very brief rain shower and thats it. keep your fingers crossed it stays this way!

 

Chevetter, sorry i didnt get a chance to go to Diamond Centre and have a quick look at the river, got stuck at work till late. I am sure you will be ok if you set off tomorrow. have a pleasant and problem free cruise.

 

Ps. as the river is slightly higher than it was on the 14/03 so you should bo ok at the confluence of the Nene and the tributary from stanwick lakes, just remember to keep a healthy distance from the righthand bank as you are travelling downstream. i have had limited corespondance from the EA, and can only assume that as the river was effectively shut over easter nothing has been done about it.

[Chevetter]

Well today I've done a long day today - Gayton to The Diamond Centre. I have the following pieces of information/random thoughts:

I got a nice note stuck to my boat at Gayton. It said I had been on a 14 day mooring for longer than 14 days and if I didn't move I would get a ticket. Actually I had only been there 12 days and I spoke to another bloke who'd got the same note after 5 days!

 

Rothersthorpe locks are rather tatty looking and generally in a fairly poor state of repair. When I came down them this morning the pound between 6 and 7 had drained itself even though all the gates, paddles and sluices either end were shut.

 

The 'conventional' locks on the Nene are often geared too low - it takes 87 turns of the windlass to raise a paddle.

 

The upper Nene is generally rather too close to the A45 for my liking.

 

Lock gates are very heavy on rivers.

 

I helped some ladies out today whose boat was in trouble. Their drive plate had smashed itself to smitherines. They had literally no idea about... anything and had been putting all the locks back as they found them which meant setting them against me. I helped them moored up, gave them the numbers of RCR and Andy Hall and left them to it.

 

Rivers don't always have towpaths. This is annoying.

 

Ditchford Lock has a 'radial' downstream gate. Does anyone know why this is?

 

The mooring at Rushden is very nice.

 

 

Tomorrow I'm going to get as close to Peterborough as I possibly can, but right now I'm off to bed. I've done 33 locks today (although I only operated 31, thanks to some very nice people).

[Chevetter]

I went through Lower Barnwell today - the EA guys did the guillotine gate with a big electric drill type thing. Its not fixed yet but it would seem as if they are going to keep going until it is.

[Scotty]

I bought my licence at Gayton and worked through the Northampton Arm yesterday 17 locks is plenty for me in one day,

so I spent the night on he Nene at the mooring before lock 1.

 

Not sure how far i'll go today as i'd like to try and watch the F1 this weekend, but when I do get to Lower Barnwell I will let you know how it looks

 

I couldn't believe how much rubbish was on the Northampton Arm, Lock 17 didn't look like it had been used for months!

 

Edited April 5, 2008 by Scotty

[MoominPapa]

I bought my licence at Gayton and worked through the Northampton Arm yesterday 17 locks is plenty for me in one day,

so I spent the night on he Nene at the mooring before lock 1.

 

Not sure how far i'll go today as i'd like to try and watch the F1 this weekend, but when I do get to Lower Barnwell I will let you know how it looks

 

I couldn't believe how much rubbish was on the Northampton Arm, Lock 17 didn't look like it had been used for months!

 

 

Update from Melaleuca: we set off from Gayton at 10am this morning, and we're moored for the night just above Cogenhoe lock. We pulled some more crap out of lock 17, and got briefly stuck in lock 16 because of stuff jammed behind the gate. We were followed down the arm by another boat, so traffic is increasing.

 

 

Cheers,

 

MP.

[Scotty]

There's was a broken down boat on the landing stage at White Mills lock, which makes stopping there tricky.

 

Wrap up warm Moomins, it's turned mighty cold again.

I'm in Wellingborough on the embankment, i'll probably stay here for a day now that it's snowing, so you'll probably pass me.

[bargeeboy]

Does anybody know if passage is clear as setting out from Bill Fen on Tuesday afternoon to bring a boat back to Alvecote for brokerage

Change of circumstances forces sale of 6 month old Narrowcraft Classic 60' can make 6 berths as has pullman dinette and L shape but extremely comfortable cc boat for 2 or even 2 + 2

Give us a wave your recognise the boat by the Narrowcraft logo on the side.

[gazza]

theres been a bit of traffic on the river this weekend. levels are good at the mo. wonder what difference the snow will make........

 

spotted Melaleuca near woodford, and a lovely bunch on NB Herawood

 

broke the first rule of seaman ship - always keep a look out! can be tricky making a brew and steering single handed whilst trying to cable tie a solar panel cable out of the way........

[Chevetter]

Well I'm back - Gayton to Cambridge in 3 days, 6 1/2 hours.

 

I didn't see any of you so I guess you must have all been behind me.

 

One cautionary word for heading down the Nene at the moment:

 

The raised water levels means that the water is pouring over the top of some lock gates. This can be a good thing as it helps to fill the lock up, however if there is too much water it can be a very bad thing.

 

If you are planning on passing through Titchmarsh Lock No. 23 be extremely careful. Keep your boat as close to the downstream gate as possible and if you are full length then you might want to think twice about using the lock at all. Water is cascading over the top gate at an alarming rate of knots and you need to make sure that you keep your boat under good control with ropes to bow and stern due to the current that this creates, particularly if you are narrowbeam and locking on your own. I'll post up a photo later on to show you what I mean.

[Scotty]

Yes i found that at quite a few of the locks today, there's so much water coming over the gates that you don't need to open the paddles.

 

But with the vertical gate open your boat is sat in some fast moving water, tricky to untie and get back on board safely when single handed.

[Chevetter]

This is what the lock looked like on Friday, paddles closed, downstream gate open.

 

[MoominPapa]

Yes i found that at quite a few of the locks today, there's so much water coming over the gates that you don't need to open the paddles.

 

But with the vertical gate open your boat is sat in some fast moving water, tricky to untie and get back on board safely when single handed.

I really wouldn't fancy doing that single-handed. I've prefected a technique with rope for these locks, as on-board steerer, but it has been interesting getting in to the downstream landing to pick up the shore-crew on occasion. The boat gets flushed out of the lock like a cork from a bottle and it can be difficult not to shoot straight past!

 

Indeed, today's most difficult problem has been stopping. We've made good progress though!

 

Can't beat Chevetter, but Melalueca is moored for the night on the pontoon on the lake at Ferry Meadows, within easy reach of Stanground for out appointment tomorrow with Tina the lock-keeper.

 

MP.