Leaving Gates Open

[GUMPY]

Tomorrow leaving Berko going south I will not be closing gates and I will be leaving at least one paddle up on some locks

[Doorman]

While I can understand the logic of leaving a gate open on leaving double locks, especially on river sections and have done so myself and been grateful to find an open gate when approaching locks it is obvious that the majority of wear on bottom gates on the K&A is caused by boats clouting the gates on entry/exit. Almost every lock on the E K&A has a large hole worn in each bottom gate about two feet above the empty level of the lock. Perhaps the main consideration should not be the most efficient use of the lock but the most protection of an ageing infrastructure in respect of a limited budget for maintenance?

Perhaps another consideration for those whom clobber the gates on entry/exit is a trip to their local Specsavers store. We used to enter double locks on the Leeds & Liverpool with one gate shut and without damaging them, and that's with 5 foot nothing Mrs Doorman at the helm! Unless there's a strong bye wash or side wind there's no reason to hit the gates. Unless that is, you are going too fast.......

 

Last boat I saw deliberately forcing the gates open with his boat was not a hire boater...., I've never seen a hire boat do it so how would that help?

Ditto.

 

The last one I saw doing the same was definitely not a hirer and was definitely a member of this forum!

Edited September 19, 2013 by Doorman

[Beaker]

It's not rules, it's blanket guidance for people who can't think for themselves and make sound judgements in differing situations.

What is the point of closing all gates and leaving paddles up as mentioned above for instance?

Surely, the request should just be to leave a paddle up? Closing gates has become something of an obsession over the years to the extent that I've had people close gates when I was approaching a lock.

 

Sometimes I close gates, sometimes I don't, it depends on the circumstances. I like to think I have the intelligence to make a sound judgement rather than blindly follow, what someone thinks are, rules.

 

Keith

 

Well said, that man!

 

"Rules are for the obedience of fools and the guidance of wise men." - Douglas Bader

 

I think that's worth a greenie.

[Doorman]

If you don't like the sound of water then why move next to it? These snobby dits are the very reason all NB need to come with air horns. Just to let those living next to the canal that you are on your way.

That's like the residents of a row of newly built houses next to the embankments at Nantwich. Allegedly, the long term moorings adjacent to the houses have now been removed.......

 

Due to the householders complaining that boaters can see through their windows. A simple fence would remove this apparent invasion of privacy, that is unless there's a glut of double decker narrow boats coming along that way any time soon.

[ditchcrawler]

As a single-hander I can see the logic of leaving gates open, really I can. However, if you feel strongly enough about it to consider ignoring the rules, you should be lobbying CaRT to change the rules, not just doing whatever pleases you. If YOU are leaving gates open whilst 99% close them then YOU are being selfish and anti-social. It's quite simple really, you are getting the benefit of not having to close gates whilst also getting the benefit of having others close the gates ahead of you. In other words, taking without giving. It's not about blindly following rules for me, it's about having a level playing field for all boaters.

 

I could take the same attitude as the 'gates-open brigade' on here. Then I wouldn't have to get back off the boat when leaving a lock in order to shut gates. But until such time as that becomes standard practise, doing this would tip the balance unfairly in my favour. I'm not prepared to be that selfish.

 

Obviously, when the local rules say to leave gates open, that's entirely different.

Another point which was made to me by a regular holiday boater is that you shouldn't assume that there's an equal chance of the next boat coming in either direction. Hire bases tend to have fixed changeover days which means that on those days, there's a steady stream of boats all heading off the same way, and then coming back the same way a week later. I've never hired but I been the beneficiary of this when going against the flow, it just never occured to me before.

I can only do 1+greenie a day, so you didn't get one this time

[Rusty Shackleford]

There are many considerate boating issues that are guidance and not strictly 'rules'. I'm pretty sure that anybody who disregards minor issues as trivial and ignores them (usually for their own benefit) will also have some bee in their bonnet about something else. Dont close lock gates, going too fast, poor mooring practices, fishing in locks etc etc. Once those who start being selective on what is considered being lowly guidance, end up picking and choosing rules and laws as well.