R Nene locks

[Bill Kennedy]

We are thinking of doing the R Nene in a week or so and wondered if all the locks are now electric. We last did it in 2006 and quite a number weren't and we found the wheels without a handle a bit tough. Hasn't the weather been great.

[Chertsey]

Last time I did it (can it really have been in 2007?) I think there were about six left not done. Someone else will know more definitely though, just thought I'd bump it for them.

[MoominPapa]

Last time I did it (can it really have been in 2007?) I think there were about six left not done. Someone else will know more definitely though, just thought I'd bump it for them.

That would be my guess too, excluding the ones around Northampton and Wellingborough which don't have guillotine gates.

 

MP.

[gazza]

the ones left to electrifry are: -

 

upper ringstead

 

woodford

 

denford

 

ashton

 

perio

 

earls barton was electrified a couple of weeks ago

 

the next three are some distance from available power.

 

perio is the victim of a not very understanding land owner.

 

it is still quicker for a fit person to operate the manual locks. especially when a couple of you stand on the gate or the counter weight if you are less fit or advancing in years the electric ones are much nicer to operate.

 

the speed a nene lock can be filled and emptied is now governed by the speed the motor drives the gate. i can do ringtead upper (one of the more freely operating manual locks) in around 10 - 15 minutes depending on how motivated i am.

 

all of the electric ones require 15 - 20 minutes, some seem slower than others. the 2 minutes delay is also longer or shorter depending on the depth of the lock. upper barnwell being a very short delay, irthlingborough and ditchford being significantly longer.

 

we had a good trip to northampton last week. the river is looking particularly nice in the late spring/early summer. if you happen to be passing titchmarsh mill over a weekend drop in for a drink, all boaters are welcome. the beer is a fair bit cheaper than the kings head at wadenhoe where a pint is 3 quid odd these days.

 

hope this helps

 

gaz

 

edited to add.

 

several stainless wheels have a 6mm hole near the rim. if you make your self a handle with a 6mm thread about 15mm long you can slip it in the hole, secure with a wing nut and operate it in the correct fashion. i know of several boaters who do this. i have a modified g clamp for this perpose. dont use it when the EA inspectors are about though.......

Edited May 10, 2010 by gazza

[nbfiresprite]

several stainless wheels have a 6mm hole near the rim. if you make your self a handle with a 6mm thread about 15mm long you can slip it in the hole, secure with a wing nut and operate it in the correct fashion. i know of several boaters who do this. i have a modified g clamp for this perpose. dont use it when the EA inspectors are about though.......

 

Iam one of them, Andy Hall was inpressed

 

Firesprite

[starman]

several stainless wheels have a 6mm hole near the rim. if you make your self a handle with a 6mm thread about 15mm long you can slip it in the hole, secure with a wing nut and operate it in the correct fashion. i know of several boaters who do this. i have a modified g clamp for this perpose. dont use it when the EA inspectors are about though.......

 

Great tip - every time I go on the Nene I remember I meant to make a handle to spin those damn wheels more easily. Now I know how to do it I'll have one ready for the next trip.

[capnthommo]

just another point

they are gradually changing the paddles on the pointing gates to something a bit more like canal locks. still about twenty turns but a lot easier than the old 72 turn ones.

not all done but again they are progressing.

cheers

nigel

[ditchcrawler]

We are thinking of doing the R Nene in a week or so and wondered if all the locks are now electric. We last did it in 2006 and quite a number weren't and we found the wheels without a handle a bit tough. Hasn't the weather been great.

You may find this blog useful http://noproblem.org.uk/blog/nene/

[Biggles]

Make sure you have a selection of windlasses and take them all with you as the one you want will be the one you leave on the boat.

[nbfiresprite]

Make sure you have a selection of windlasses and take them all with you as the one you want will be the one you leave on the boat.

 

You only need one (Standard BW), And just change windlass when reach Ashline lock on the Middle Level.

 

If your on your own, A 2"x2" length of steel and some clamps come in useful at Rush Mills Lock to add some

length to the beam.

 

Beware of the section 8 lot, who are hiding from George Dickinson who chased them off the GU,

Now Andy Hall is chasing them.

 

Firesprite

[Biggles]

You only need one (Standard BW), And just change windlass when reach Ashline lock on the Middle Level.

 

 

Well I am not going to disagree, but I have w windlasses on my boat and all 3 of them were needed at some point along the Nene. I am not sure which type I have, but I would think with 3 of them including the Stanground one, I must be well covered.

 

Biggles

[gazza]

firesprite is on the money, the square is the larger of a bog standard windlass. we regularly do the full length from n'hampton to p'boro and have never had occasion to use the small hole

 

ashline lock at whitlesea on the middle levels requires a windlass with a much larger square, and a much longer handle to open the slackers. anyone who moans about a nene lock should be made to do ashline lock several times.

[Bill Kennedy]

Thanks for all the replies. Six seems do-able although I'm afraid we fall into the aging and not overly fit category. I did see some remarkable contraptions fitted to the wheels when we last did the R Nene.

 

Cheers

Bill

[the grinch]

i can do ringtead upper (one of the more freely operating manual locks) in around 10 - 15 minutes depending on how motivated i am.

 

all of the electric ones require 15 - 20 minutes, some seem slower than others. the 2 minutes delay is also longer or shorter depending on the depth of the lock. upper barnwell being a very short delay, irthlingborough and ditchford being significantly longer.

 

I thought the whole idea of boating was to relax - why are you in so much of a hurry and you will eventually have to come back up so take it easy, chill and enjoy the river

[Keeping Up]

Last time we went down the Nene, it was just after they'd removed the handles from all the wheels (after being sued by a dozy woman who had forgotten to hold on after raising the guillotine so she'd broken her arm when the wheel went round and the handle hit her) and before they'd electrified many of them, we worked out we'd turned the wheels around just he same amount as we'd have turned a similar size of wheel by doing the London Marathon in a wheelchair.

 

I hope we find it a bit easier this year!

[the grinch]

so x amount of locks, times circumference of wheel, times number of turns = a marathon!! at least you get the occasional break on the nene!!

[Chertsey]

I thought the whole idea of boating was to relax - why are you in so much of a hurry and you will eventually have to come back up so take it easy, chill and enjoy the river

Turning one of those bloody wheels is NOT relaxing!

[gazza]

I thought the whole idea of boating was to relax - why are you in so much of a hurry and you will eventually have to come back up so take it easy, chill and enjoy the river

 

eh?

 

not in a hurray at all. the times are stated are the times it takes

 

all boating relaxes me, i dont run round like a loon all the time

[Biggles]

Turning one of those bloody wheels is NOT relaxing!

 

 

One of my windlasses fits the large central hex nut enough to crank it

 

I found some of the locks a bit difficult at first. You need to take the tension off first.

 

Biggles

Edited May 12, 2010 by Biggles

[PaddingtonBear]

The worst thing about the Nene is the very small landing stages at locks and the fact that the locals seem to think that they are for long term mooring. Bloody awful river..........................................and no decent pubs esp. now you can't moor at Eaton although I always carry a couple of days emergency rations.

[Scotty]

It's worth noting that there is currently a restriction at the Nene Valley Railway Bridge (Wansford Station)

I don't know if it's completely closed to navigation, but worth checking if you're heading that way.

 

The Nene Valley Railway Bridge at Wansford Station, Stibbington on the Lower Nene, will be closed from 10 May 2010 for approximately four weeks. This is to allow essential maintenance works on the east arch of the Nene Valley Railway Bridge at Wansford Station, Stibbington.

 

For further information regarding restrictions please contact River Inspector Roy Smith on 07714 064034 or Roger Mann (Nene Valley Railway) 01780 784444 .

 

http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/homea...ting/38213.aspx

[FadeToScarlet]

Turning one of those bloody wheels is NOT relaxing!

 

Hmm.

 

 

It was novel at first, but after the first 20 turns or so, with 130 to go to lower it, and 150 to raise it, I tended to get bored!

[MoominPapa]

It's worth noting that there is currently a restriction at the Nene Valley Railway Bridge (Wansford Station)

I don't know if it's completely closed to navigation, but worth checking if you're heading that way.

This sounds more like a closure of the pedestrian route that passes over the bridge, but worth checking if you're going that way. The east arch is, AFAIK the navigation arch: the other one looks a bit shallow, but may be usable in an emergency.

 

MP.

[Keeping Up]

The worst thing about the Nene is the very small landing stages at locks and the fact that the locals seem to think that they are for long term mooring. Bloody awful river..........................................and no decent pubs esp. now you can't moor at Eaton although I always carry a couple of days emergency rations.

What has changed at Eaton?

[the grinch]

The worst thing about the Nene is the very small landing stages at locks and the fact that the locals seem to think that they are for long term mooring.

now you can't moor at Eaton although I always carry a couple of days emergency rations.

exactly the reason they were removed! the landowner quite rightly got tired of the local squatters and withdrew his consent for the use of his land. so i'm told!

 

i dont run round like a loon all the time

 

glad to hear it!!

 

Turning one of those bloody wheels is NOT relaxing!

 

do one then have a beer, do the next have a beer, by the time you get to the 6th you wont care anymore