Blue Line

[Guest leeparkinson]

I totally agree mike being from a boating family my self it is all about making your life easier and if people take notice more damage is done to lock gates up north by narrow boaters only opening one lock gate and rubbing against the other gate which makes the gates leak.another way to close the tail gates is to open the top paddle without the catch on and once the gates start to close drop the paddle

[alan_fincher]

People tend to think of locks and gates as delicate structures, but they are built like the proverbial and even when old and past their best still keep on going. Hire boats hitting and pulling gates in the wrong ways and places probably does the worse damage, I've still not come close to breaking anything with Victoria even though I've, at times, been a little remiss in my control of it.

I don't think of them as delicate structures at all, but lets be clear, they can take some real abuse, and it is often not necessary.

 

I, (like many others), have in the past treated locks very robustly, and am under no illusions that working boatmen did likewise.

 

However, I am persuaded having had conversations with actual BW men on the ground that have to maintain them, replace gates, and try and patch up gaps in brickwork where cracks appear, that this "robust" use does do considerable damage over time.

 

I no longer think it is appropriate for anybody to boat in a way that might unnecessarily shorten the life of things. Clearly if any of us do (say) thump a gate because we pick a blade-full up entering a lock, we are unlikely to see anything visibly broken as a result, but I don't see how you can say with total confidence that people doing this over time doesn't accelerate the need for gate replacements or brick or stonework repairs.

 

I love to see old boats, (indeed any boats), worked with real skill, but if emulating practices of the past results in more wear and tear than is necessary, I'm afraid I no longer think it appropriate. I therefore try, (but admit I don't always succeed), to boat with either boat, ("modern" or "old"), in a similar way, so that I can't actually be accused of having been too "robust" on anything.

 

It is obvious from the really quite caustic comments that often get poured out here and elsewhere about "arrogant working boat owners" or "the working boat playground" that it is easy for us to attract a bad press that I'd rather not be part of.

 

Oh, and for the avoidance of doubt, I was talking about old published pictures that show bottom gates, (with paddles down) being flushed shut by a motor, when top paddles are already well drawn. In this case you simply cannot stop the gates coming against the cill, or each other, with very great force, and I simply don't accept that it can ever be other than at risk of damaging gate or other infrastructure.

 

(Have I now completely ruined the reputation some would like to give me of actually being one of the "cowboys" ? :lol)

[Pluto]

Using the engine to flush the gates shut does no damage at all, and done carefully shutting gates with a paddle on doesn't much either. When flushing gates shut, leave the paddle up on the shutting gates will reduce the water flow a little so they don't slam so much - then you can drop the paddle once the gate is shut.

 

People tend to think of locks and gates as delicate structures, but they are built like the proverbial and even when old and past their best still keep on going. Hire boats hitting and pulling gates in the wrong ways and places probably does the worse damage, I've still not come close to breaking anything with Victoria even though I've, at times, been a little remiss in my control of it.

 

Mike

Given the state of our canals, particularly the lack of dredging, using your engine around a lock gate will tend to pull rubbish on to the sill and thus cause increased wear and leakage. If you tried it in Germany, the lock keeper would give you a severe talking to (I don't know what bo**ocking is in German). Tyres are also prohibited as fenders as they can get ripped off in locks and end up on the sill.

[maritime22]

The Leeds and Liverpool boatmen most certainly used to partly open one of the upper lock gate paddles to help get the lower gates on the move when closing them prior to filling the chamber. It seemed do the wooden gates no harm and certainly ensured a tight fit with minimum leakage. Another trick they used was to throw a hooked rope over the iron rail of the swing bridges they passed through using a stern cleat and the weight of the usually loaded moving short boat to draw the swing bridge shut. The rope was then deftly flicked by the steersman and the hook flew free up in the air.

[Tony Dunkley]

It describes fairly well what Blue Line inherited from Barlows, the boats they brought in to replace wooden motors (e.g. Renfrew replaced Ian for the Whitloicks, and Nutfield replaced Roger for the Brays), and quite a bit more besides, including the potential replacement of the by then seriously flawed Belmont with Capella, and plans to replace Lucy & Raymond.

 

The final line up was....

 

Renfrew & Lucy, (Rose & Bill Whitlock, with Laura Carter, Roses's cousin, usually the motor steerer).

Nutfield & Raymond (Arthur and Rose Bray, with Ernie Kendall, Arthur's step-son usually the motor steerer).

Stanton and Belmont (Jim and Doris Collins)

 

Belmont was not fit for use by the end, so the Collinsd ran single motor with just Stanton. It has been said Doris Collins was on record as saying you could lay in bed, and see Braunston church through the holes, (but that may be an invention).

 

 

 

In fact, 'Belmont' was barely fit for use well before the end. By December 1969 it was leaking so badly when loaded it was docked at Braunston for some fairly extensive patching.

Because of the tonnage needed at Southall at that time of year 'Ian' was put back into service for Jim Collins to run with 'Stanton' until the butty was repaired. In the event it didn't actually help much with the tonnage because the weather turned nasty and unbelievably cold one evening just before Christmas, froze hard overnight, and two days after loading they were iced in at Leighton Lock. I was on the way back from Southall empty and stopped there as well. It was after New Year before the cut thawed enough to get going again.

That did turn out to be the last time 'Ian' was ever loaded, Mr 'Streak' sold it shortly afterwards.

 

You're almost correct about Laura Carter being usually on the motor, but 'except for very rare occasions' would be nearer the mark.

Bill Whitlock was never allowed on the motor, and only rarely allowed to steer the butty, and that was under very close supervision by Rose and only on straight bridges' lengths.

Edited July 12, 2015 by Tony Dunkley

[X Alan W]

That I think sounds right, but I'm also not sure why I think so!

 

I believe before Lucy the Whitlocks had Iona, and I have recently seen a picture of Bill Whitlock steering a different Barlow's motor to Ian, but I seem to have mislaid the magazine that had it in. I think that picture was from shortly after he was de-mobbed, so a long while pre Blue Line!

I don't know if the Whitlocks boated with Iona but Micheal Streat & John Stothert at SUC were good friends & Iona was acquired to run as the horse drawn trip boat at Norbury I'm not sure but I think Rob Robinson towed it back to Norbury with his motor Dorset

Edited July 12, 2015 by X Alan W

[alan_fincher]

Belmont was in comparatively good condition then though, compared to recent times! does anybody have an update on current situation, please.

 

Roger and Raymond were reunited as a pair briefly at the recent Braunston show, although I was suitably lax in taking any pictures.

I don't know if the Whitlocks boated with Iona but Micheal Streat & John Stothert ay SUC were good friends & Iona was acquired to run as the horse drawn trip boat at Norbury I'm not sure but I think Rob Robinson towed it back to Norbury with his motor Dorset

 

It's well before my time on the canals, but don't pictures show the Iona as the butty the Whitlocks had before the Lucy?. Fairly certain they operated the Iona with the Ian?

[Tony Dunkley]

Belmont was in comparatively good condition then though, compared to recent times! does anybody have an update on current situation, please.

 

Roger and Raymond were reunited as a pair briefly at the recent Braunston show, although I was suitably lax in taking any pictures.

 

It's well before my time on the canals, but don't pictures show the Iona as the butty the Whitlocks had before the Lucy?. Fairly certain they operated the Iona with the Ian?

 

I don't think you missed much by not photographing the 'Roger' and the stack of timber that now carries the name 'Raymond' when together at Braunston.

From what I've seen of it in photos, this over decorated Joey bears not even a passing resemblance to the boat it's claimed to be.

Edited July 12, 2015 by Tony Dunkley

[furnessvale]

 

I don't think you missed much by not photographing the 'Roger' and the stack of timber that now carries the name 'Raymond' when together at Braunston.

From what I've seen of it in photos, this over decorated Joey bears not even a passing resemblance to the boat it's claimed to be.

I last saw Raymond chopped up in the hold of Gainsborough some years ago.

 

George ex nb Alton retired

[rivergate]

Jim and Doris were lovely people - when my daughter was born in our back cabin at Braunston, Doris knitted her a little shawl They were both really friendly characters full of boating stories and it was a privilege to have known them - however briefly....