Aston flight boat jammed

[ditchcrawler]

 

Have you ever actually been at a lock when something goes wrong??????

 

.............Dave

.

Firstly my reply was to PB who questioned if things go quickly

 

Yes on more than one occasion. I once cilled a hire boat but was able to get away with it. After that I paid a lot more attention when working locks.

Since then I have intervened on several occasions when things have gone pear shaped, Whether they would have ended in disaster had I not been there I don't know. They range from ropes trapped round bollards including a Dutch barge going up in a lock in France with a center rope jammed round a fixed bollard in the side of a lock. Several boats going up a GU lock with the back one trapped in the bottom gate. Whenever I am boating and at a lock I have my windlass at hand and watch whats happening. Lots of people watch the Buffalo or chat.

[mark99]

I wonder whether the boat was tied, maybe to a centre line from the roof, which tightened and tipped the boat as it rose in the lock?

 

It seems a logical cause for an otherwise unlikely event.

 

Tim

Does not need tie-ing to achieve this either.

 

A rope wrapped a couple of loose turns around a bollard can be pulled tight, the top turn trapping the bottom turn. See it done.

[DeanS]

I have had numerous near misses. I had a tv aerial bracket bolted onto the side of the boat. It only stuck out an inch, and I thought that since it's at roof height, it would never be problem. Wrong. It got caught in a gap under a protruding brick.

 

I had tied the centre rope loosely around a mushroom shaped bollard next to a lock...slipping the rope out as the boat lifted...mainly trying to stop the boat from being smashed across to one side going up the Bingley locks. The rope went from my hand...round the bollard clockwise, and from the six o clock position, went up to the boat roof....but the angle of the rope going upwards was steep enough to pin the rope so I couldn't release it...and the boat began to tilt....

 

These things happen so quickly, and it's not always clear what steps to take at the time. I was lucky that the centre rope snapped.

 

I'm now much wiser, but these things continue to catch me, however cautious I think I'm being.

 

I would say that every boater should have a pen knife on their belt, as a permanent tool to cut ropes .

[dmr]

.

Firstly my reply was to PB who questioned if things go quickly

 

Yes on more than one occasion. I once cilled a hire boat but was able to get away with it. After that I paid a lot more attention when working locks.

Since then I have intervened on several occasions when things have gone pear shaped, Whether they would have ended in disaster had I not been there I don't know. They range from ropes trapped round bollards including a Dutch barge going up in a lock in France with a center rope jammed round a fixed bollard in the side of a lock. Several boats going up a GU lock with the back one trapped in the bottom gate. Whenever I am boating and at a lock I have my windlass at hand and watch whats happening. Lots of people watch the Buffalo or chat.

 

I Always keep my Windlass in hand, the only exception is putting it down if I need to catch a rope.

It can be difficult to keep an eye on everything, especially if there on onlookers asking questions. If something goes wrong the first sign is often that the boat stops rising/falling and its not always easy to spot this till it gets significant. The real issue for me is the many locks where it is not possible to drop the paddles. A couple of the K&A locks have gearboxes that take 50 turns end to end!!!!!

My biggest surprise was Hurleston, at the time I had no idea that our boat was a bit fat but even so I decide to take this lock really slowly, we had both top paddles open only about a third with an experienced local helping. Once we realised the boat had stopped rising we closed both paddles but even so we were down to only a couple of inches of freeboard at the back!

Many of the BCN locks fill and empty really quickly. I would also think that with the lock almost full many boaters would take their eye off the boat and be getting ready to open the gate.

It could have been us! Our gunnel has a very square profile toward the back, am now temped to get out the angle grinder.

...........Dave

 

............Dave

[headjog]

My girl Claire was bringing Copper Jewel through there this morning & had to divert via the Digbeth branch. I haven't heard from her since then, so if anyone clocks her on her way towards Minworth, let me know will ya? I'm holding the baby- literally!

[nicknorman]

I had a couple of texts from Claire yesterday asking about mooring places etc. I am sure if there was any bother she would have texted me, it's probably just that it takes longer via Ashted and she is probably around Curdworth by now. I am just kicking myself that I forgot to mention that Aston was closed - I knew it but didn't put 2 and 2 together, but hopefully she had found of elsewhere before being surprised at Aston Jn.

[headjog]

Hi Nick, yes, Claire saw a CART volunteer named Tony, just before the 13 Birmingham locks, who told her which way to take past the problem area. He jumped on board & showed her two volunteer lock wheelers 'how to'. Anyway, as he lived in Minworth, she offered him a lift home aboard, which he seemed to enjoy, and he helped them through the Digbeth lot as well. She got as far as planned - it just took her a couple of hours longer. She got back around 7.30ish.

[Dave_P]

Update: CaRT had planned to free the boat yesterday and turned up in force in the morning to do so. However, by lunchtime they had disappeared. They needed a different part or something like that. I think they're starting to realise that this may be a more difficult job than they'd first expected. Getting the flight reopened by Friday is looking doubtful.

[Giggetty]

I have great sympathy for his predicament. Last year we were held up here by loose bricks, presumably from the lock wall,, falling and jamming open the bottom gates so that the chamber could not be filled. It took CRT staff three hours poking with kebs to get us on our way again. Is there a maintenance issue here?

 

I understand that they are bringing in a crane now.

[OldGoldy]

I have great sympathy for his predicament. Last year we were held up here by loose bricks, presumably from the lock wall,, falling and jamming open the bottom gates so that the chamber could not be filled. It took CRT staff three hours poking with kebs to get us on our way again. Is there a maintenance issue here?

 

I understand that they are bringing in a crane now.

 

Hmmm. Will be interesting to know how they are going to get slings/steel ropes around the hull, in the right places!

[Mike Tee]

As the crane rumbles on to site, the ground will vibrate, the lock wall start to crumble and the boat will gracefully slip into the water and be on their way. Meanwhile the crane will have toppled into the canal and this time C&RT will paint a number on it and refer to it as a permanent marker.

[deckhand]

Nice to see him back on the water )

[Dave_P]

Boat's here finally. All is well. Hopefully the lock will go back together ok.

[ditchcrawler]

So how did they get it out without dropping it?

[IanM]

I imagine the crane was to lift the coping stones off the lockside, not the boat out of the lock.

[Dave_P]

I imagine the crane was to lift the coping stones off the lockside, not the boat out of the lock.

That's right.

[ditchcrawler]

That's right.

So did they then fill the lock and float it out?

[Dave_P]

So did they then fill the lock and float it out?

Not quite sure but i think so. It came up the rest of the flight with no further mishaps.