Basingstoke Update

[Leo No2]

Just a quick update. My Blog is being kept up-to-date. However Brookwood bottom lock should be finished today (02-October) - paddles on the lower gates were reinstalled yesterday. There's a little bit of remedial work to be undertaken on Lock 13 (permission required from Natural England to drain the very short pound between 12 and 13 - beggars belief I know but such are the SSSI regulations here). Those repairs will allow work boats into Brookwood Pound to cut back the off-side and remove the fallen trees. Byfleet Boat Club (BBC) visiting Brookwood (proper - not the country park) at Easter. The contractors (Dyer and Butler) said they thought Deepcut would be usable by Christmas - we've been promised this sort of thing before so I am a little cautious about taking that at face value but BBC are planning to use Deepcut at Easter still.

Edited October 2, 2012 by Leo No2

[Daftmare]

Just a quick update. My Blog is being kept up-to-date. However Brookwood bottom lock should be finished today (02-October) - paddles on the lower gates were reinstalled yesterday. There's a little bit of remedial work to be undertaken on Lock 13 (permission required from Natural England to drain the very short pound between 12 and 13 - beggars belief I know but such are the SSSI regulations here). Those repairs will allow work boats into Brookwood Pound to cut back the off-side and remove the fallen trees. Byfleet Boat Club (BBC) visiting Brookwood (proper - not the country park) at Easter. The contractors (Dyer and Butler) said they thought Deepcut would be usable by Christmas - we've been promised this sort of thing before so I am a little cautious about taking that at face value but BBC are planning to use Deepcut at Easter still.

 

 

Very exciting! Thanks so much for keeping us up to date with this.

 

I wonder if BBC will allow hangers on next Easter, or is it a Club thing?

 

Jo.

[the grinch]

gate crash it Jo!

[Leo No2]

Very exciting! Thanks so much for keeping us up to date with this.

 

I wonder if BBC will allow hangers on next Easter, or is it a Club thing?

 

Jo.

 

As I am the Commodore of BBC I expect we can help!!

 

For those of you who like old boats here's a picture of Christopher James taken at the top of the Deepcut light this morning.

 

Edited October 2, 2012 by Leo No2

[Tim Lewis]

There is a campaign cruise on the Basingstoke Canal over the Xmas period:

 

https://www.waterways.org.uk/iwa/calendar/event/view?id=524

 

Tim

[Basyfart]

As I am the Commodore of BBC I expect we can help!!

 

For those of you who like old boats here's a picture of Christopher James taken at the top of the Deepcut light this morning.

 

 

 

Looking realy good after replacing two bottom planks and new stern post, very hard and expensive work carried out by the owner and friends. Took nearly six months to carry out the work

[Leo No2]

Although the Basingstoke Canal Authority (BCA) website shows the Brookwood three as temporarily closed it was announced at a meeting I was at on Wednesday that the Brookwood 3 are now open. A warm welcome awaits anyone who uses the Brookwood three, at the bungalow immediately after Sheets Heath Bridge on the non-towpath side.

[Leo No2]

Well a week and a day and we are off up the Basingstoke - we have 37 boats booked for Odiham, 5 for Woking and 6 for Brookwood Country Park. I'd like all the boats to go to Odiham (King John's Castle) but the reality is that some people have other commitments and cannot spare the time. My only concern is the state of the Thames at the moment for those boats visiting from further afield.

 

There's a lot of work going on fitting new lock gates (Lock 16 is being finished off this morning and Lock 13 had new gates installed yesterday); I detect that it is because we have said we are coming that the work has got on a bit.

 

I believe we were in danger of losing this canal - I think it came very close 18 months or so ago. In the meantime the two counties who jointly own it (Surrey and Hampshire) have invested in it and I feel it is now a responsibility of the local boaters to use it especially as both counties have committed further funding for the next financial year. If you look at the history of the canal it is a wonder that there is any canal at all.

 

There's more information here and I'll keep my blog up-to-date during the trip as best I can.

[Daftmare]

Fed up that we cannot join this cruise after all. We could not get enough time off work, an engine mounting has sheared off, trying to get to TLC at Byfleet to get the work done, but the River keeps going into flood, and we cannot get under Broadford Bridge!

 

Having said that, we will try to come along on one day to help with locks, perhaps?

 

Will the Brookwood and Deepcut flights be open after Easter, or are they just being opened for this cruise? We definitely want to go as soon as we are able. Only got to the bottom of Brookwood flight last time.

 

Jo.

[Leo No2]

Fed up that we cannot join this cruise after all. We could not get enough time off work, an engine mounting has sheared off, trying to get to TLC at Byfleet to get the work done, but the River keeps going into flood, and we cannot get under Broadford Bridge!

 

Having said that, we will try to come along on one day to help with locks, perhaps?

 

Will the Brookwood and Deepcut flights be open after Easter, or are they just being opened for this cruise? We definitely want to go as soon as we are able. Only got to the bottom of Brookwood flight last time.

 

Jo.

Jo - my understanding that this is the 'test' for the canal and that if things work as expected it is likely to open (albeit on a restricted basis at first) from about the middle of April. You are most welcome to come along and help but please do contact the Canal Authority on 19252 370073.

[Daftmare]

Jo - my understanding that this is the 'test' for the canal and that if things work as expected it is likely to open (albeit on a restricted basis at first) from about the middle of April. You are most welcome to come along and help but please do contact the Canal Authority on 19252 370073.

 

Thanks for this.

J.

[Canalwatcher]

We are all geared up to get to Woodham on the 29th 9am but are getting increasingly doubtful whether the Thames will be OK to do it.

 

Fingers crossed!

 

If we are a couple of days late will we be able to catch you up?

 

Mick

[Leo No2]

We are all geared up to get to Woodham on the 29th 9am but are getting increasingly doubtful whether the Thames will be OK to do it.

 

Fingers crossed!

 

If we are a couple of days late will we be able to catch you up?

 

Mick

 

Mick - I don't think you will be able to catch us up - I will need to check with the Canal Authority. I am hopeful the River will drop between Teddington and Shepperton. I will E-Mail those that are coming that way to put you all n touch.

[Leo No2]

The Basingstoke trip is underway - the big exciting challenge comes tomorrow when we tackle Deepcut. Updates are here.

[Leo No2]

It looks as if Deepcut may be open from Monday - the following from the Basingstoke Canal Authority website:

Deepcut Flight Open (for testing)
The Deepcut flight is being tested over the Easter weekend. Engineers will then check the flight to ensure that it is up to a safe standard. It is estimated that the flight will be open to boaters from the 22 April.

We managed to get 22 boats up (and down) Deepcut, Brookwood, St Johns and Woodham over Easter.

Please see http://www3.hants.gov.uk/basingstoke-canal for further information.

Edited April 18, 2013 by Leo No2