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Oops! - York


wobbley

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Looking at the York Rowing Club webcam this morning. It shows the visitors moorings at Museum Gardens. The image is a bit 'blurry' but it looks like someone may have left their boat tied up without anticipating the rapidly rising river levels.

 

ycrc-25-09-12.jpg

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It really int uncommon for the Ouse to rise and fall like that though.

Given the forecast it wasnt a wise place to moor.

Still sad though.

 

I hope there wasn't anyone in it, the tv ariel is up.

Looks like the back end was held down as the front end is tied to the tree.

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A quote from the York Press web site:

 

"Latest on capsized barge: A spokesman for North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue said fire crews were called to reports of a long boat in danger of capsizing.

 

He said when firefighters arrived they found the boat badly listing to the port side.

 

Crews cut the mooring lines on the boat to try to right the vessel but due to the amount of water taken on board firefighters were unable to save it and had to let the boat sink."

 

 

So we have barges and long boats here in York but no mention of narrowboats. Oh... and it was actually listing to starboard!

 

Never believe newspapers!

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I'm sure the vikings will be glad to get there boat back soon.

Vikings had longships, not longboats.

 

If waterways enthusiasts can't get it right why do they expect everyone else to?

 

I believe the paper got the important points correct without making any tactless jokes at the expense of someone who has lost their boat, possibly their home.

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A case of tying up too tight perhaps?

 

BBC footage

 

 

25 September 2012 Last updated at 13:02 Help A barge sank on the River Ouse in York after a night of heavy rain.

 

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said crews found the narrowboat badly listing to one side.

 

They cut the mooring lines to try to right the vessel, but it had taken on too much water.

 

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I've just walked past that boat. The bench you can see in the photos is at the top of a steep embankment, with the towpath below it.

 

I would guess that the stern is possibly resting on the towpath, and the bow on the embankment.

 

We'll know when the water level drops again.

Edited by Minos
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According to the York Press, a second boat may have been lost:

 

12:56pm

Getting reports of another boat close to sinking on the River Ouse in York at Marygate near the Bay Horse pub.

 

Firefighters have been called.

 

More to follow as it comes.

And

2:28pm

 

Update on sinking boat at Marygate, York: North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue say a boat crew have now rescued the owners of the stranded vessel.

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Speaking as a noob, but someone hoping to "use the Ouse" in the future, what steps can be taken to avoid sinking when the Ouse rises rapidly like today?

As someone who has been caught out by flooding on the Ouse more times than not, my advice is this: don't go unless you are happy to pay for a mooring at one of the marinas. When it floods, it is downright dangerous and there is nowhere safe.

 

Are there no floating pontoons in York?

The only floating pontoons are privately owned by the hire boat operator - and he does not give permission for visitors to use them except in emergencies and when using them won't interfere with his business.

 

Other than that, the marinas outside the city will happily charge you.

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As someone who has been caught out by flooding on the Ouse more times than not, my advice is this: don't go unless you are happy to pay for a mooring at one of the marinas. When it floods, it is downright dangerous and there is nowhere safe.

 

 

The only floating pontoons are privately owned by the hire boat operator - and he does not give permission for visitors to use them except in emergencies and when using them won't interfere with his business.

 

Other than that, the marinas outside the city will happily charge you.

 

But you can run down to Naburn Lock ( an hour and a half away) and perhaps get a mooring on the services floating pontoon. The alternative is to go upstream to Linton Lock (about two and a half hours away) which has floating pontoons both below and above the lock. Whilst the River Ouse can rise very quickly, keeping an eye on the weather forecast and also the river levels would be wise and give sufficient time to move on. I saw two narrowboats moored at Museum Gardens on Sunday night. I was sure, with the heavy rain forecast, that they would move to a safer mooring on the Monday. Obviously at least one of them did not for some reason.

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But you can run down to Naburn Lock ( an hour and a half away) and perhaps get a mooring on the services floating pontoon. The alternative is to go upstream to Linton Lock (about two and a half hours away) which has floating pontoons both below and above the lock. Whilst the River Ouse can rise very quickly, keeping an eye on the weather forecast and also the river levels would be wise and give sufficient time to move on. I saw two narrowboats moored at Museum Gardens on Sunday night. I was sure, with the heavy rain forecast, that they would move to a safer mooring on the Monday. Obviously at least one of them did not for some reason.

 

You could moor on the services pontoon at Naburn- but people do need to use this. It's mooring on a water point and makes life difficult for others.

 

Last time the river rose when we were there, 9 narrowboats were stuck and ended up mooring abreast on the two mooring rings above water in the Foss Basin. All you can do is find something to moor to above water, wait it out and keep checking the mooring lines because the river levels shift very quickly and it's easy to be caught out going up and down!

 

I'll never forget the time when my dad popped on board for a cuppa - got down onto the boat for it. Less than an hour later he had to get back down off the boat to the towpath because the river levels had gone up so much. There hadn't been much rain at all in York over the previous few days, although there must have been further north.

 

It's a shame - York is such a lovely place to be, yet the boating facilities aren't great at all. The council are apparently looking at it as an issue, but we'll have to see :)

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The safe moorings in York as I said in the other thread are Linton lock upstream on the floating pontoons, naburn lock, naburn marina, kings and queens staithe (although in bad floods these walls can also become overwhelmed)

 

Best bet is to watch the weather forecasts and keep and eye on the weather if it is forecast to rain a lot (and not just in York but in the catchment areas for the river) then move to safe moorings.

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