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Leeds & Liverpool, Blackburn Locks

Titus

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Update-

Leeds & Liverpool Canal - Blackburn Locks ( Lock 55)
Wednesday 28 August 2013 until further notice
UPDATE (29 August 2013): Our team have investigated the problem and confirmed that the cill and concrete have suffered significant damage.
We are in the process of ordering the required plant and materials and verifying access requirements.
Teams are on site undertaking preparation works. Pumps will be delivered to manage the water and installation of scaffolding will take place tomorrow. We have also arranged for on-site security for the duration of the works.
We anticipate that the works should take approximately one week, once fully mobilised on site.
An update will be issued before midday on Monday 2 September 2013.
My bold and red.
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jonathanA Experienced

jonathanA

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according to lock keepers in the area, they also need to 'rescue some fish'...

 

I'd assumed the low water levels on the L&L had been the cause of the 3 failures in the last month or so as boats scraped over the cill trying to leave locks into pools with low water levels - but one of the lockies reckons the cause of the problem in Blackburn is people opening the top paddles, before the tail gates are closed, causing them to 'slam' shut damaging the cill in the process.

Edited by jonathanA
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bigste Rising Star

bigste

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The problem there is that the pounds are not much longer than the lock, though they are obviously wider. The level can easily be dropped and cause problems entering the top end of the lock. Hence we have a damaged cill due to many boats rubbing on it.

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jonathanA Experienced

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The problem there is that the pounds are not much longer than the lock, though they are obviously wider. The level can easily be dropped and cause problems entering the top end of the lock. Hence we have a damaged cill due to many boats rubbing on it.

 

Yes and if you get a number of boats all moving in the same direction the water levels drop and has been remarked in another thread, not all boaters realise this and either scrape over the cill or get stuck..

 

of course if there was a lock keeper keeping an eye on things then there would be less chance of this happening but as they are rarer than Hens teeth on the L&L I guess we need to learn to keep an eye on on this ourselves...

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Bumped for update -


Leeds & Liverpool Canal - Blackburn Locks ( Lock 55)


Wednesday 28 August 2013 until further notice

UPDATE (02 September 2013): The team have been busy through the weekend de-watering the affected section and installing scaffold.


The have also dedicated a lot of time to lifting and removing the damaged concrete. The concrete is very deep and the removal has proven to be difficult and time consuming.


We are now in the process of preparing the timber and will be fitting the cill shortly. We hope to commence re-laying the concrete tomorrow and this will take approx. 3 days to set.


An update will be issued before midday on Thursday 5 September 2013.

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jonathanA Experienced

jonathanA

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latest - not too good i'm afraid...

 

UPDATE (05 September 2013): Further to our update of 2 September 2013, the concrete works were completed yesterday and this will now need approx. 3 days to set.

The teams are completing other tasks around the site during this time and have endeavoured to minimise issues with low water levels. Due to this stoppage, water levels in the general area have been affected and we are working to replenish this without detriment to the stoppage site.

We anticipate that the area will be open to navigation by Sunday afternoon.

An update will be issued tomorrow -6 September 2013.

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Paul C Veteran II

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Yes and if you get a number of boats all moving in the same direction the water levels drop and has been remarked in another thread, not all boaters realise this and either scrape over the cill or get stuck..

 

of course if there was a lock keeper keeping an eye on things then there would be less chance of this happening but as they are rarer than Hens teeth on the L&L I guess we need to learn to keep an eye on on this ourselves...

 

Yet another stoppage which would probably have been avoided if boaters had taken the simple step of ensuring the pound they are entering/lock exiting, has enough water to allow the boat over the cill! Its not even a month since this tragedy http://waterwaynews.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/photograph-of-latest-huddersfield.html occurred. With the lack of excess CRT staff/lockkeepers etc, boaters need to take responsibility for themselves and do basic stuff like make sure the boat has enough depth of water to float in!

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DeanS Veteran II

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Yet another stoppage which would probably have been avoided if boaters had taken the simple step of ensuring the pound they are entering/lock exiting, has enough water to allow the boat over the cill! Its not even a month since this tragedy http://waterwaynews.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/photograph-of-latest-huddersfield.html occurred. With the lack of excess CRT staff/lockkeepers etc, boaters need to take responsibility for themselves and do basic stuff like make sure the boat has enough depth of water to float in!

 

I watched boaters leaving the Skipton base, and can say with confidence.....90% of them have almost zero experience of locks....receive a very basic send off, and issues like water levels is not something that's covered in their training at all...just my observation. Of course many hirers are experienced...but not the ones I saw taking boats on the weekend I was moored near the hire base

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jonathanA Experienced

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Dean

 

I very much doubt that was the 'Skipton' based company - but might have been one based a bit further east. I can speak from personal experience that pennine cruisers at skipton meet their hirers at the first set of locks and give them practical tuition. As opposed to another company based at silsden who merely provide a 'DVD'.... A fact with which one of their directors was unaware until SWMBO made it him very aware of it earlier in the year whilst sharing a lock...

 

I'm talking about 'proper' hire boats not day boats of course...

 

back to the topic - any news did the locks re-open today ?

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Dean

 

I very much doubt that was the 'Skipton' based company - but might have been one based a bit further east. I can speak from personal experience that pennine cruisers at skipton meet their hirers at the first set of locks and give them practical tuition. As opposed to another company based at silsden who merely provide a 'DVD'.... A fact with which one of their directors was unaware until SWMBO made it him very aware of it earlier in the year whilst sharing a lock...

 

I'm talking about 'proper' hire boats not day boats of course...

 

back to the topic - any news did the locks re-open today ?

 

It's not realistic to expect Silsden to take hire boaters through a lock, though is it?

 

The nearest ones East are Bingley Five Rise and they have a keeper anyway.

 

Going West the first lock is Holme Bridge Lock just before Gargrave, many hours cruising away.

 

Firms like Canal Boat Escapes at Barnoldswick are fortunate in that they have a set of locks virtually on their doorstep.

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jonathanA Experienced

jonathanA

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It's not realistic to expect Silsden to take hire boaters through a lock, though is it?

 

The nearest ones East are Bingley Five Rise and they have a keeper anyway.

 

Going West the first lock is Holme Bridge Lock just before Gargrave, many hours cruising away.

 

Firms like Canal Boat Escapes at Barnoldswick are fortunate in that they have a set of locks virtually on their doorstep.

I don't want to turn the thread into having a go at silsden - its not just about locks though is it ? I don't think its reasonable to do nothing either - do you ? - the director my wife was speaking to was completely unaware of the poor reputation the company have on the L&L and in fairness it was something they said they would want to address, which is fair enough if they do try to improve things.

I rang CRT a few minutes ago and according to lady I spoke to the canal is now open at blackburn, (although she didn't sound entirely sure.... )

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I don't want to turn the thread into having a go at silsden - its not just about locks though is it ? I don't think its reasonable to do nothing either - do you ? - the director my wife was speaking to was completely unaware of the poor reputation the company have on the L&L and in fairness it was something they said they would want to address, which is fair enough if they do try to improve things.

 

No of course you're correct it's not just about locks but that was the specific issue you mentioned and the one I was responding too.

 

The only realistic way they could address the lock issue though would be to move base and I can't see that happening. Silsden are not the only company that don't take hire boaters physically through the locks to show them how to operate one 'hands on' so to speak.

 

As I mentioned in another thread we have hired from Snaygill, Silsden, Ashby Boat Company and Napton Narrowboats. The only company that physically took us through a lock was Snaygill - I don't know if they still do as the company has since changed hands. Snaygill is of course much closer to Holme Bridge Lock than Silsden are.

 

We of course know from being on here that CBE do but they are just up the road from Greenberfield.

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Janet S Rising Star

Janet S

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Yes, CBE will take their guests through the three locks at Greenberfield. If they've boated previously, we can usually sign them off as competent once we've watched them go through the first lock. It they're not confident or we aren't happy with their skills then we'll give relevant tuition and supervise them through the next two also. We're very lucky at being situated in such a good place...a nice cruise with time to give all the canal etiquette info and then three locks to work. Not all hire companies have the luxury of a three lock flight so close to their base...

 

We've hired with CBE, Wyvern, Claymoore, Shire Cruisers and Canal Cruising Co...each of these has given us at least some lock training, even on our second and third hires. As a hirer, I wouldn't want to hire from a company that couldn't give hands on lock tuition.

 

Janet

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