Sharing locks to save water

[dave.e]

Waterscape have asked me to share locks from Marston Doles to Claydon and at Hillmorton.

 

Does the forum recommend that we wait for a boat shorter than 15ft to share with our 57ft boat, or should we be looking to trade our boat in for a 3ft4in width boat in the hope that others will follow suit...

 

Dave E

 

Oops, just realised there's already a topic on this.... I'll get my coat.

[magpie patrick]

I think at 57 feet you may have a long wait, however those with boats of 45 feet or less might usefully share with a yoghurt pot, and there are a few 30 foot narrow boats around which could share with others up to 40 foot.

 

On my first two boat holidays as an adult we shared quite a few locks as we hired a 32 foot narrow boat from Chas Hardern, well lets face it 4 lads spending all day on the back deck and all evening in the pub we didn't need a big boat! And a lot of four berth hire boats then were around the 35-40 foot mark. Boats have got longer since then though

[RLWP]

I see you've omitted the option of stacking one boat on top of the other. It should be easy to share if you follow this method

 

Remember to unstack before trying to negotiate the next bridge

 

Richard

[mayalld]

I see you've omitted the option of stacking one boat on top of the other. It should be easy to share if you follow this method

 

Remember to unstack before trying to negotiate the next bridge

 

Richard

 

I thought the next bridge was the official de-stacker

[RLWP]

I thought the next bridge was the official de-stacker

 

Only if you grease the roof first

 

Richard

[Allan(nb Albert)]

I see you've omitted the option of stacking one boat on top of the other. It should be easy to share if you follow this method

 

Remember to unstack before trying to negotiate the next bridge

 

Richard

 

If the level drops any more on the eight mile pound (between Hatton top and Knowle Bottom) the need to unstack boats will not be a problem.

[cotswoldsman]

Surely the best way to save water would be to stop people leaving marinas and long term moorings, and just leave the canals to CCers.

[mayalld]

Surely the best way to save water would be to stop people leaving marinas and long term moorings, and just leave the canals to CCers.

 

Because most of them never go through a lock?

 

Ah, my coat?

 

... and an angry mod with pitchforks, how nice.

[alan_fincher]

............... and just leave the canals to CCers.

Absolutely - no need to operate the locks at all then!

 

 

 

(Hoping John will know me well enough to know the remark is in jest!........)

[luctor et emergo]

Or indeed, to encourage boaters to stay in a small stretch of canal, not using the locks...

 

 

Ahhh...

 

 

Perhaps a limit on hire boats, using locks?? (Luctor runs off for cover...)

[carlt]

... and an angry mod with pitchforks, how nice.

Lady Muck's not that bad.

[churchward]

All I know is that what we are dealing with here is a an S.E.F./S.E.P. issue. ie Someone Else's Fault and Someone Else's Problem to fix!

 

or failing that the default its all BW's fault will do.

[cotswoldsman]

Absolutely - no need to operate the locks at all then!

 

 

 

(Hoping John will know me well enough to know the remark is in jest!........)

 

hang on I cruised the 1 mile from Welford and moored up just past the arm on the Leicester, and I did 1 lock and helped 2 other boats through so worn out and need to rest for a few days. Maybe even update my boring blog with that information!!!

[furnessvale]

I think at 57 feet you may have a long wait, however those with boats of 45 feet or less might usefully share with a yoghurt pot, and there are a few 30 foot narrow boats around which could share with others up to 40 foot.

 

On my first two boat holidays as an adult we shared quite a few locks as we hired a 32 foot narrow boat from Chas Hardern, well lets face it 4 lads spending all day on the back deck and all evening in the pub we didn't need a big boat! And a lot of four berth hire boats then were around the 35-40 foot mark. Boats have got longer since then though

 

Now that I have got a 35ft tug, if I arrive at the back of a lock queue, the first thing I do is dash up the line looking for anything around 35ft ot less. It has worked a couple of times at the bottom of Glascote:-)

 

George ex nb Alton retired

Edited August 3, 2011 by furnessvale

[Sunset Rising]

Or, to be serious for just a moment. Assuming they mean to share it with one coming tother way, how long should one wait ?

[Midnight Rider]

Or, to be serious for just a moment. Assuming they mean to share it with one coming tother way, how long should one wait ?

I would say that if the lock's in your favour you don't & if a boat or boats are behind you don't.

 

Otherwise I would be quite happy with say 15 mins.

[john6767]

I may be wrong but I think the sign at the top to Hatton tells you to wait for up to 20 minutes for another boat to share with (double locks of course). Never seen anything that states a time in relation to waiting for a boat coming the OTHER way.

 

Being realistic here, surely that statement on these recent restrictions is just standard boiler plate, even though it is not particularly relevant in these cases?

 

Can be a shock when 2 share "end to end", it made me double take when waiting to go up Braunston top lock and 2 boats came out, and I started move only for a third one to come out!

[DickBrowne]

There was a clarification from BW on this, I think it was a standard email template assuming double-locks, and the update stated that you should wait to see if boat is coming the other way.

 

Personally I feel that nobody should use the Oxford arm between Braunston and Cropredy until, say, Sunday? The fact that Pinmill is in a dry dock in Cropredy at the moment and we're collecting her on Sunday to bring her home has no bearing on my suggestion. Obviously.

[john6767]

Good timing, Napton to Cropredy will be crazy this weekend with boats moving there for the festival.

[Tim]

Good timing, Napton to Cropredy will be crazy this weekend with boats moving there for the festival.

 

Assuming there's any water left!

[alan_fincher]

Can be a shock when 2 share "end to end", it made me double take when waiting to go up Braunston top lock and 2 boats came out, and I started move only for a third one to come out!

We had to seek permission to go ahead of a pair of boats that were breasted together, so we could share locks with them last weekend.

 

As the owner had them tied together at the front back, but one was much longer than the other, we only had the option of being in front of the shorter boat.

 

Sickle is 40 foot, so fitted ahead of one of around 30 feet.

 

There was maybe 10 foot of available lock still on the other side, as the towing boat was maybe 60 feet, not 70 feet.

 

You do have to rely on the other chaps ability to stop at the right point, though!

 

 

EDIT Corrected to make it make some sense!

 

This is the simplest form of Narrow Boat Tetris.......

Edited August 3, 2011 by alan_fincher

[DickBrowne]

Good timing, Napton to Cropredy will be crazy this weekend with boats moving there for the festival.

 

We're heading the other way, luckily, so I'm hoping that we will hit very little traffic heading our way, but all locks should have somebody just coming out of them as we get there, and a boat awaiting us when we exit, we shouldn't have to touch a gate until we get to Braunston.

 

Meanwhile, in the real world