Stoppage on wey Navigation

[boatyboy]

Evenin all.Just thought i would post this up for anyone heading up or down the Wey.Last night oiks totally drained the pound between New Haw lock and Coxes lock.Leaving it empty.The pound is now full again and looks fine to navigate until you try using Coxes lock.Due to so much silt and stones being washed into the lock the gate will not close at the bottom.We were trying for nearly 3 hours with 4 other boats to shift all the rubbish away from the cill.But it would appear that there is a gravel bank built up in the middle of the chamber that is so high that your boat get left high and dry by 12 inches.so don't go into the lock if you are coming to coxes from the Thames end.I expect there will be an official stoppage posted for this sometime.National trust guys were there helping us,but had to call it quits

The National trust plan to dredge the lock and pound sometime tomorrow,So i suppose that some guy in a suit will have to come along to do the usual risk assesment and so on. But that will have to travel down from godalming which is 6 hours cruising away from here.If you need further info other than what i've put here, please feel free to phone me on 07902925144. Coz we ain't going nowhere until at least mid afternoon tomorrow.

Dave .....N/B Urquheart Castle

Edited October 12, 2010 by boatyboy

[WJM]

It doesn't affect me - but what an excellent, helpful post!

 

Thank you

[jenlyn]

met a guy in cowley lock today, on his way to the wey. hope he sees this post

[nipper]

Hi Dave,

This running aground lark seems to follow you around!

Good post and nice to see that you have ventured to southern waters!

Nipper (Water Jester)

[boatyboy]

met a guy in cowley lock today, on his way to the wey. hope he sees this post

Spoke to water guys again.The locky on the Thames lock will be advising Those boaters entering the Wey from the Thames end.

Dave

 

Hi Dave,

This running aground lark seems to follow you around!

Good post and nice to see that you have ventured to southern waters!

Nipper (Water Jester)

Hi There,I guess my boat sits a bit low eh.Love the Thames!! our favorite waterway in the country.

Dave

[boatyboy]

Spoke to water guys again.The locky on the Thames lock will be advising Those boaters entering the Wey from the Thames end.

Dave

 

 

Hi There,I guess my boat sits a bit low eh.Love the Thames!! our favorite waterway in the country.

Dave

The National trust have been dredging the lock all day today,and now boats are ok to use the lock.Tomorrow morning they plan to dredge the pound below the lock,so i guess there may well be some waiting time whilst the dredger moves to allow you to use the lock.Hope this post has been helpful?

Dave

[twbm]

Very useful, thanks - we're taking loaded boats up there next week.

[twbm]

Went through here last week with a lightly loaded working boat. The lock is fine, but the weir has evidently pushed the silt up into a bit of a heap about 20 yards out from the entrance. We got stuck on that and when we tried to reverse off the water from the weir running down the right side of the boat did the 'aeroplane wing' thing and spun it 90 degrees across the canal, leaving us elegantly stopped sideways across the canal with the full force of the weir now running along the left side, pinning us to the wall of the mill. Luckily we had the bowhauling line from the butty with us, about 150 feet long - that tied across the canal and us pulling the middle of the rope sideways to get good leverage eventually shifted the boat.

 

Boats drawing under about 2'6" will probably be OK, albeit the weir wash is tricky at the best of times. Deeper boats might want to brace themselves for an interesting half hour.