Anti vandal key?

[Nev]

Can't recall if any of the Atherstone flight or the Glascote locks need an anti vandal key. Can anyone advise ?

 

Many thanks

 

Nev

[Rob-M]

I can't recall needing one on either of these when going through them earlier in the year.

[guelrose]

Neither Atherstone or Glascote require anti vandal keys

[Guest]

I seem to think some locks on the Atherstone flight do.

 

Why does it matter though?

 

The keys are cheap and readily available....why not just carry one?

[Keeping Up]

No, they're definitely not needed on Atherstone or Glascote.

[benfordboy]

Pretty sure none required.

 

If any it will be BW key as last time down there Dad had our pair of Anti vandal keys on loan !!

[Nev]

I seem to think some locks on the Atherstone flight do.

 

Why does it matter though?

 

The keys are cheap and readily available....why not just carry one?

Thanks for all the replies. Picked up Percy yesterday and the only thing I forgot and is not on the boat is the anti vandal key ! Might be the ice that stops me not the lack of a key .

 

Take care

 

Nev

[Ange]

Thanks for all the replies. Picked up Percy yesterday and the only thing I forgot and is not on the boat is the anti vandal key ! Might be the ice that stops me not the lack of a key .

 

Take care

 

Nev

 

Agreed that they're not needed for those locks, so no need to make a superfluous purchase (we bought an anti vandal key shortly after we purchased our boat. I must say I didn't find it particularly cheap though I suppose those with deeper pockets may think so. We bought it because we'd read that we needed one, only to realise that THAT was the funny shaped implement x3 in one of the draws of the boat! That was one of our first "doh - stupid newbies" moments!)

 

Best of luck and hope the ice doesn't hold you up

Edited December 2, 2012 by Ange

[john6767]

When we got the boat there was1 anti vandal key in the locker with the other equipment. After we had gone through the first flight so equipped I quickly bought another one. They are so easy to drop, I have visions of being stranded mid flight after dropping the only one we had into a lock!

[Ange]

The first time we needed a handcuff key was for the Wigan Flight - I know because I didn't have a scooby what I was meant to do with it. We'd already been up and down Atherstone and Glascote so you definitely don't need one there.

[cotswoldsman]

I seem to think some locks on the Atherstone flight do.

 

Why does it matter though?

 

The keys are cheap and readily available....why not just carry one?

 

I think the question required a yes or no answer...........

[Guest]

I think the question required a yes or no answer...........

 

I was just curious John - as I say they can be had for a few quid and can be bought at any chandlers, Midland have them for less than the price as a packet of ten fags or a bottle of cheap wine for example.

 

http://www.midlandchandlers.co.uk/Products/CruisingHardware/WindlassKeys/Keys/AG050.aspx

 

To the OP - you can BTW sometimes circumnavigate the need for them if you get stuck with out one with a small socket and ratchet - if you have one on board.

[alan_fincher]

I was just curious John - as I say they can be had for a few quid and can be bought at any chandlers, Midland have them for less than the price as a packet of ten fags or a bottle of cheap wine for example.

 

http://www.midlandchandlers.co.uk/Products/CruisingHardware/WindlassKeys/Keys/AG050.aspx

If buying from Midland Chandlers, check carefully that what you are buying actually has something approaching a square socket at the end, and that it is somewhere approximately near the middle of the shaft.

 

Some of what are in their bins are shocking, and a certain forum member that worked there spent a while going through quite a few to find us a couple that didn't look like a failed training exercise by an engineering apprentice.

 

The T-bar has since detached itself from one of those!

 

Perhaps that is why they now seem to have dropped their price by a fair amount.

[Guest]

If buying from Midland Chandlers, check carefully that what you are buying actually has something approaching a square socket at the end, and that it is somewhere approximately near the middle of the shaft.

 

Some of what are in their bins are shocking, and a certain forum member that worked there spent a while going through quite a few to find us a couple that didn't look like a failed training exercise by an engineering apprentice.

 

The T-bar has since detached itself from one of those!

 

Perhaps that is why they now seem to have dropped their price by a fair amount.

 

There is the 'deluxe' version for the price of 20 fags .... it looks like a different fixing for the 'bar' and the same as the one we have.

 

http://www.midlandchandlers.co.uk/Products/CruisingHardware/WindlassKeys/Keys/AG400.aspx

Edited December 2, 2012 by The Dog House

[DaveC]

Neither Atherstone or Glascote require anti vandal keys

 

But it would be as well to have one with you in case CaRT fit the locks the day before you arrive!

 

Dave

[alan_fincher]

There is the 'deluxe' version for the price of 20 fags .... it looks like a different fixing for the 'bar'

 

http://www.midlandchandlers.co.uk/Products/CruisingHardware/WindlassKeys/Keys/AG400.aspx

Yep,

 

That is what has proved to be a very crap type, with detaching T-bar on one.

 

I wasn't offered the cheaper ones when we bought. (Would have been May 2011, as they were for Sickle).

 

I think the type you showed may be a new line.

 

I guess they are all subject to manufacturing variations, and defects are possible on any. Athough cheap, I recommend looking at what has come out of the bin, because if what you get hasn't got a proper square on the end, it is even less likely to work in a lock that is already worn or otherwise damaged.

 

Incidentally, my pet hate on the spring loaded, plunger style, locks used on places like the BCN, are those designed so that the plunger rocketing out neatly smacks you on the fingers you are using to turn the AV key - not pleasant when you fail to full your hand away quite fast enough!

 

But it would be as well to have one with you in case CaRT fit the locks the day before you arrive!

 

Dave

They tend to give a fair amount of publicity when they are about to fit them somewhere new in my experience, but I guess there could always be exceptions.

 

Additionally there continued to be "stoppage" notices for the "new" locks added to the Berkhamsted area of the GU for years after they were added, and certainly long after virtually all were vandalised and missing, or otherwise out of use. I think they have finally removed that notification, but I'm not sure there is now a single lock in Berkhamsted that you couldn't now easily get through without a key, anyway.

[rubblequeen]

How does one find out which locks need an anti-vandal key.

To date the only ones we have come across I was able to use my BW key. But there had not been any indications that the key would be needed at some point so took a while to figure out what was meant to be done.

[Laurie Booth]

How does one find out which locks need an anti-vandal key.

To date the only ones we have come across I was able to use my BW key. But there had not been any indications that the key would be needed at some point so took a while to figure out what was meant to be done.

Look for the graffiti, beer cans etc.

Edited December 2, 2012 by Laurie.Booth

[Guest]

How does one find out which locks need an anti-vandal key.

To date the only ones we have come across I was able to use my BW key. But there had not been any indications that the key would be needed at some point so took a while to figure out what was meant to be done.

 

Nicholson's guides make reference to sections that have them but as ever the info. can be very out of date.

[Hairy-Neil]

I believe the 'anti-vandal' tag was dropped about 10 years ago, in favour of 'water conservation key'...

[adam1uk]

If buying from Midland Chandlers, check carefully that what you are buying actually has something approaching a square socket at the end, and that it is somewhere approximately near the middle of the shaft.

 

Some of what are in their bins are shocking, and a certain forum member that worked there spent a while going through quite a few to find us a couple that didn't look like a failed training exercise by an engineering apprentice.

 

The T-bar has since detached itself from one of those!

 

Perhaps that is why they now seem to have dropped their price by a fair amount.

 

When we tried to buy an extra one from Midland Chandlers at Preston Brook a couple of years ago, they said they didn't have any, having sent them all back because they were so badly made!

[alan_fincher]

When we tried to buy an extra one from Midland Chandlers at Preston Brook a couple of years ago, they said they didn't have any, having sent them all back because they were so badly made!

The evidence is that it is possible they just moved them all on to their Penkridge store, then!