Is there an easy way to use a Calder & Hebble spike?

[PeterF]

Travelled part way up Calder & Hebble for the first time at the weekend. I had no trouble using the spike to open paddles, the trouble was lowering them which seemed to need 3 arms and if not careful worried me about getting bodily bits in the way if the spike whipped round whilst lowering the paddle and holding the ratchet clear. When lowering them I inserted spike, took pressure off the ratchet (or pawl or whatever it is called), lifted the ratchet by hand, rotated the spike 90°, put the ratchet back in and moved the spike round one slot and continued.

 

Is this the right way to do it or is there an easier way.

 

Peter.

[exboater]

Well I always used to release the safety catch with the spike in the slot, then while holding the paddle timber with one hand, quickly pulled the spike out with the other and gently lowered the paddle, holding it firmly in the process.....worked for me!

 

Richard.

[PeterF]

Richard,

 

Thanks for that, will give it a try. First attempts worried me because I was bending down or squatting and I kept thinking my head was the closet part to the top of the spike if I got things wrong. But then that is the hardest part of me and I did not want to break the spike.

 

Peter.

[Badger_1]

Came down the calder & Hebble a couple of months ago from the Halifax arm where a BW worker showed me to just pull it out fast and let the paddle slam down shut.

 

Seemed strange to me but thats what we did all the way to the Huddersfield Broad and it worked for us.

[MartinClark]

That's correct - just pull the spike out quickly.

 

The paddles don't fall all that quickly and it doesn't damage them - it's how they were intended to be closed.

[Adam]

ye dont use one at all all the locks on the calder and hebble i hae been on have the normal windlass things it might make the lock fll up slower but if you think the time it takes you to oopen one o them

[John Orentas]

I've only been up there once but I thought that the system worked brilliantly, found myself thinking of all those years spent winding a windlass with so little effect. Yes I think the 'let it drop' method is the recommended one, there is an element of damping in the mechanism and being made of timber the paddle tends to float and so does not fall with it's full weight.

[Dr Bradley]

It's much quicker using the side paddles, then, as said pull out and let them drop. Everyone does itl.

[ChrisK]

My mooring is in Salterhebble Lower Basin, so I use these locks regularly.

 

You can't get trough some of the locks without a handspike - for instance Salterhebble Top Lock needs a handspike for both top gate paddles and both ground paddles. Some of the others locks are similar.

 

As everybody else says just drop them. Sometimes you even have to push them down using the handspike as a battering ram!

[MartinClark]

all the locks on the calder and hebble i hae been on have the normal windlass things

As ChriK says, there are some locks that it is not possible to get through in either one or both directions if you haven't got a hand spike.

 

I was going to make a list of which locks these were and add it to my site, but I keep forgetting to take notes! Does anyone remember which locks definitely need a hand spike?

[RichardH]

I provided quite alot of this data to Waterscape a couple of years ago they updated to the rather useful boaters guides

 

http://www.waterscape.com/pdf/pdf.php?file...Download+guide+

[MartinClark]

I provided quite alot of this data to Waterscape a couple of years ago they updated to the rather useful boaters guides

http://www.waterscape.com/pdf/pdf.php?file...Download+guide+

 

Thanks, Richard. I hadn't seen that.

 

However, it doesn't specify which locks it is impossible to get through without a handspike - many of those listed could be managed with a windlasss if a handspike is not available!

 

It also says that Lock 3 Salterhebble Bottom Lock requires a handspike. However, that lock is the Guillotine Lock. It has hydraulic gate paddles on the head gates but looking at photos, doesn't appear to have any ground paddles, so a BW key required rather than a handspike!

[ChrisK]

This picture is of the Bottom Lock, which does not require a handspike. The top lock does, the middle has one hydraulic paddle on the right hand gate (going down). Most of the lower gates on the navigation have rack and pinion gear which is very heavy and a long sweep windlass is useful.

[ChrisK]

In an emergency,you can use a mooring spike to turn the handspike mechanism

[MartinClark]

This picture is of the Bottom Lock, which does not require a handspike.

I thought that was what I said? I was pointing out that Waterscape had got it wrong.

[Adam]

ye dnt use em

[PeterF]

Well, I have just completed my first cruise up to Sowerby bridge after posing this original question and letting them drop appears to work better than trying to wind them down one notch at a time. Many thanks to those of you who have answered. Approaching a lock never sure if we needed a spike, long windlass for the older geared meachanisms or short windlass for hydraulic or BWB key for Slaterhebble bottom lock. In the end an excellent cruise and cant wait to go further inland later in the year.

[allybsc]

We are intending to do the Calder & Hebble in the summer, where can one purchase one of these spikes? I'm assuming they are heavy so an online chandlers would prove expensive postage wise. Ta.

[DHutch]

From what i know (little, never even seen one, but will need one this year) they are avlable from a fair number of the local marinas. but can also be made fairly easly from a lenght of suitable timber.

 

 

Daniel

[allybsc]

From what i know (little, never even seen one, but will need one this year) they are avlable from a fair number of the local marinas. but can also be made fairly easly from a lenght of suitable timber.

Daniel

 

Cheers Dan...but I don't know what they look like, maybe mooring spike will do

[PeterF]

We are intending to do the Calder & Hebble in the summer, where can one purchase one of these spikes? I'm assuming they are heavy so an online chandlers would prove expensive postage wise. Ta.

Hi,

 

See the following page for some photos. This is from a site covering all of the pennine waterways and is an excellent site.

 

Calder & Hebble spikes

 

Our boat came with a home made one about 3-4ft long, the linked site has the dimensions required to fit the gear. It was made from hard wood but it had knots in it and it broke on a very stiff paddle, so we bought one from Sowerby bridge. The new one is from very dense hard wood and is surprisingly heavy for wood, I was wondering if it was one of those uncommon woods that sinks in water it felt so heavy. Just be careful with your selection of wood if you make your own, some of the paddles are very stiff.

 

Peter

Edited April 22, 2007 by PeterF

[Chertsey]

Cheers Dan...but I don't know what they look like, maybe mooring spike will do

 

Mine looks like a sort of flattened baseball bat ... but I only got it (at Aspley Wharf Marina in Huddersfield) after we got back - we used a length of 2x2 someone had kindly left lying around. I used to keep the handspike next to the bed though ...