Lift bridges on the Oxford

[Mike Sainsbury]

I notice the lower Oxford lift bridges tend to be down.... how do you get under them if you are cruising alone?

 

Thanks

 

Mike

[DHutch]

Not familur with the lower oxford ones (just about to do them at the end of the month) but if anything like the llangollen ones, the usall technique is "with diffculty"

 

One way i have heard it be done is to nudge up against the gate with your button fender, then leaving the boat in gear, at tick over, climb over the bow, raise the bridge as quick as you can, so the boat goes forwards, without cliping the cratch on the half up bridge.

- Then eather grab the stern warp and sercure that to the bridge, before lowing it, and pulling the boat towards yourself to get on.

- Or get on the boat, knock it into reverse when its close to being though, then leap of and lower the bridge, geting it down before you take of the back end of the cabin!

 

 

 

Daniel

[timboharticus]

The best way is to wait for someone to come along and do it for you. I have been up and down Oxford and most of the bridges are well used by pedestrians etc.

 

The other way is to stop, open the bridge and try to secure it with rope, mooring pin etc. In some cases this is not feasible.

 

I have used Daniel's method, but it's a bit hairy!

 

Please be careful, ref. safety.

[Yoda]

Not familur with the lower oxford ones (just about to do them at the end of the month) but if anything like the llangollen ones, the usall technique is "with diffculty"

 

One way i have heard it be done is to nudge up against the gate with your button fender, then leaving the boat in gear, at tick over, climb over the bow, raise the bridge as quick as you can, so the boat goes forwards, without cliping the cratch on the half up bridge.

- Then eather grab the stern warp and sercure that to the bridge, before lowing it, and pulling the boat towards yourself to get on.

- Or get on the boat, knock it into reverse when its close to being though, then leap of and lower the bridge, geting it down before you take of the back end of the cabin!

Daniel

 

Would it not be easier to use a long stern rope to do the job?

[Guest]

. . the lower Oxford lift bridges .... how do you get under them if you are cruising alone?

Mike

 

Daniel - you're the expert on "searches" here on the forum - can't you find the item by David for Mike? The one that is all about "The Banbury Stick" ?

 

Peter

[DHutch]

Would it not be easier to use a long stern rope to do the job?

Could do, or a long center line. Whatever.

- That said, a stern warp of over about 20ft is going to start being a bit of pain all the other times!

 

 

 

Daniel

[Hairy-Neil]

 

- Or get on the boat, knock it into reverse when its close to being though, then leap of and lower the bridge, geting it down before you take of the back end of the cabin!

Daniel

 

This wouldn't work, the bridges won't stay up on their own.

 

In fact there are some bridges that need a sizeable person hanging on the balance beam to even lift them, my < 8 stone wife was not heavy enough to open Thrupp bridge on her own last time through.

[DHutch]

Fair enough.

- As i say, this was based on talk about the llangollen bridges, most of which are hydrolic, and as such ussally stay roughly where they where put!

 

 

Daniel

[nigel carton]

This wouldn't work, the bridges won't stay up on their own.

 

In fact there are some bridges that need a sizeable person hanging on the balance beam to even lift them, my < 8 stone wife was not heavy enough to open Thrupp bridge on her own last time through.

 

Some of the objects I've used in the past when single crewing to weigh down the bridge; generator, sack of coal, lump of concrete, illegal imigrant, its amazing what you can find lying around! I've weighed down the Thrupp bridge in the past with a small bucket of a JCB (it wasn't attached to the JCB) still nearly broke me back, did the job though

[Noah]

I used a mooring pin/bag of coal combination (didn't trust one alone) but by the time I had finished farting about with ropes some walkers usually turn up for a good laugh.

 

Noah

[GUMPY]

Here is the best way:

 

http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php...l=banbury+stick

 

With the exception that the one that working boatmen used had a rope tied to the bottom end so that as they went through the bridge they could grab the rope and remove the stick without stopping the boat.

 

 

J

[John Orentas]

I did the whole length of the Oxford twice on my recent trip, most are open permanently to the canal and 2 or 3 were opened for us by locals who happened to be hanging about. I think spouse only had to open 2 on her own and even then the boat traffic was such that only a short wait would have been required for another boat.

[Hairy-Neil]

With the exception that the one that working boatmen used had a rope tied to the bottom end so that as they went through the bridge they could grab the rope and remove the stick without stopping the boat.

J

 

Presumably the lock wheeler would insert the stick in time for the boat to pass, but how would the stick get back to the them ready for the next bridge? My guess is the stick was only used when the lock wheeler had other more pressing duties like setting a nearby lock. At other times the lock wheeler would just hold the bridge open.

[David Schweizer]

The numbr of times this question has been asked justifies an archived page of it's own. Here is what I have posted previously

 

" What you need is a "Banbury Stick" (or at least a modern version of one), which is basicaly a stout pole a little under 6ft long. This is used to hold the lift bridge up by wedging it betwen the bridge cill and the underside of the bridge after you have lifted it up from the Towpath side. This should give sufficient clearance for you to take your boat through. I have done the Southern Oxford single handed several times, and in reality have only had to operate lift bridges without assistance on about three occassions. If there isn't another boat around, there is usually a walker or runner quite willing to hold the bridge open for you if you ask."

 

I did post a much fuller version some years ago which included the proceedure for pulling the stick away from the bridge by means of a rope attached to it's bottom end without stopping the boat, however that proceedure is now frowned upon by the authorities.

Edited August 13, 2006 by David Schweizer

[timboharticus]

I still don't see how the "Banbury Stick" is usable by a single crew.

 

If the bridge is lifted, then it would come down before the stick could be wedged.?

[David Schweizer]

I still don't see how the "Banbury Stick" is usable by a single crew.

 

If the bridge is lifted, then it would come down before the stick could be wedged.?

No. You lift the bridge fronm the towpath side and wedge the stick under it, they are very well balanced and requitre almost no effort to lift. The bridges are quite easy to hold with one hand whilst putting the stick in place with the other.