Strangest lock experience yet.

[steelaway]

The strangest experience we have had was a steel boat refusing to share Lemonroyd Lick with us.

 

Now this lock is a huge mechanised lock and as we were descending we had roped up as far forward as possible in the lock. You could have got the Quern Mary behind us but they point blank refused to share the lock!

 

We were approaching the lock off the Trent at Trent Bridge, into the Nottingham cut, and as there was a NB already on the landing stage and the lock gate were open, I went straight in. The other boat owner came storming up the steps and said - 'I cant believe you stole my lock'.

I quietly explained it was a double lock and he would also fit in it!

 

Alex

[rubblequeen]

Arrived at a lock and wanting to descend I found to lock empty with both sets of gates closed. Checked for anyone wanting to come up - there was no one heading towards the lock and there was only a narrow boat tied up to the landing stage pointing away from the lock. A couple milling around doing something with their ropes, clearly just descended and heading off or so I thought.

 

I proceeded to fill the lock and half way through the guy comes rushing up shouting about how rude and it was his lock. I apologised and said that I had checked and I felt sure his boat was facing away and sorry if I had it wrong. No I hadn't he said that actually he was planning to reverse into the lock as he had gone through to moor for the night because it was quieter but really wanted to be back up into the town to go shopping.

 

How was I meant to guess that was his plan? Or do you always walk down and ask if they are planning to reverse in?

[nicknorman]

Is this a simple case of not wishing to knock any washers off, or something different?

Let's be clear, we are the washer josher kings of our marina. Any pretenders to the throne get torpedoed.

 

The gentleman in front has a Springer-type boat with an outboard. Although he has spent the last year or two refitting it, they do sometimes take it out but always turn left at Fazeley Jn so have 12 mils of lock-free to Fradley. But why they have never turned right at Fazeley, nor turned left out of the marina onto the B&F escapes me. But whatever, he is happy with his boat and its usage so it doesn't really matter.

[Rusty Shackleford]

OK. I will re-phrase the question. How will you get into a single lock, if you cannot get through the gap between a closed gate and the wall?

I can, but sometimes make contact from time to time, even the most proficient boater will. Gave a lock a good whack on a hire boat earlier this year when the wind/currents caught the boat. Not too worried about the boat paintwork, but some of the locks we use are heavily leaking from what can be considered boat striking wear. I don't mind opening both gates, it's all part of the fun and were doing our bit to preserve them.

[Chubby Chaser]

I was waiting in the pound above Barrow-on-Soar lock waiting for the boards to go down from red. Boat and butty came round the bend and both hit me. They went down to the lock and whilst remonstrating with them I pointed out the red board. I also mentioned I had spoken to British Waterways and they had said I should moor up. The person "in charge" of the pair said he had been boating for years and did not take the advice of girls in the office. Anyway, he had a guest on board and wanted to show him how to handle a pair. So.....the pair continued.

 

Through the lock they went and promptly got caught by the current from the left. Motor got through the bridge with some scraping - I think the engine room was damaged. The butty got stuck in the bridge hole and was not freed until the towing line snapped. There was the sound of timbers snapping as he went through.

 

Well done Narrowboat Trust. They just looked at me when I again pointed out the red boards. A case of enthusiasm being greater than ability.

[majorminor]

Here is a "cover all" post for this thread - feel free to copy/paste it as many times as the "long standing members", or budding thereof feel fit....

 

"As I post regularly on here - ergo - I am an EXPERT boater, and anyone who wants to do things differently must be a fool, and should be pitied, or merely ridiculed.

 

Recently, I did something or other on water, and someone disagreed with my actions, or simply misunderstood my wild gesturing, which was obviously indicating to any SANE person what I was doing.

 

This perfectly illustrates that the other person (not ME obviously) was, at the very least, a fool, or at worst, a total idiot.

 

Hopefully, they will eventually see the light, and join this happy band of like-minded EXPERT boaters, and then they too can cast aspersions at fellow boaters, just like we do. Happy days!!"

Edited November 11, 2013 by Grace & Favour
innapropriate language

[mark99]

Here is a "cover all" post for this thread - feel free to copy/paste it as many times as the "long standing members", or budding thereof feel fit....

 

"As I post regularly on here - ergo - I am an EXPERT boater, and anyone who wants to do things differently must be a fool, and should be pitied, or merely ridiculed.

 

Recently, I did something or other on water, and someone disagreed with my actions, or simply misunderstood my wild gesturing, which was obviously indicating to any SANE person what I was doing.

 

This perfectly illustrates that the other person (not ME obviously) was, at the very least, a fool, or at worst, a total idiot.

 

Hopefully, they will eventually see the light, and join this happy band of like-minded EXPERT boaters, and then they too can cast aspersions at fellow boaters, just like we do. Happy days!!"

LOL that's a good post sir,

Edited November 11, 2013 by Grace & Favour
corrected the quoted post

[Barry]

No it isn't

[Guest]

LOL that's a good post sir,

Really?

 

Why?

[steven wilkinson]

There was a queue at Branston Lock last week, and me and a chap behind me worked the lock to get me up (as we had done for each other for the last couple of locks). The people waiting to go down just stood, holding on to their centre lines and watched!

Chap behind said something to the effect of 'they can go and jump if they think I am helping them, the lazy people' - and off he went back to his boat! Lunch time!

[Victor Vectis]

No it isn't

Wot he said.

[matty40s]

I was waiting in the pound above Barrow-on-Soar lock waiting for the boards to go down from red. Boat and butty came round the bend and both hit me. They went down to the lock and whilst remonstrating with them I pointed out the red board. I also mentioned I had spoken to British Waterways and they had said I should moor up. The person "in charge" of the pair said he had been boating for years and did not take the advice of girls in the office. Anyway, he had a guest on board and wanted to show him how to handle a pair. So.....the pair continued.

 

Through the lock they went and promptly got caught by the current from the left. Motor got through the bridge with some scraping - I think the engine room was damaged. The butty got stuck in the bridge hole and was not freed until the towing line snapped. There was the sound of timbers snapping as he went through.

 

Well done Narrowboat Trust. They just looked at me when I again pointed out the red boards. A case of enthusiasm being greater than ability.

strangely enough, the pair came past me today, and I couldn't believe how battered they looked, I did try to wave at the passing crew but they were intent on the pitch of forward movement along with mopping the butty roof.

I do have time for the NBT and appreciate that they are short of 365 day a year people that can crew a working pair. However, perhaps they should at times not pretend that volunteers are capable of the full tilt??

[mark99]

Really?

 

Why?

Lighten up.

 

If you really want to know, it made me nearly spit me drink out.

[Coelum Ruat]

Lighten up.

 

If you really want to know, it made me nearly spit me drink out.

 

Really?

 

Why?

[Alan Saunders]

Arrived at a lock and wanting to descend I found to lock empty with both sets of gates closed. Checked for anyone wanting to come up - there was no one heading towards the lock and there was only a narrow boat tied up to the landing stage pointing away from the lock. A couple milling around doing something with their ropes, clearly just descended and heading off or so I thought.

 

I proceeded to fill the lock and half way through the guy comes rushing up shouting about how rude and it was his lock. I apologised and said that I had checked and I felt sure his boat was facing away and sorry if I had it wrong. No I hadn't he said that actually he was planning to reverse into the lock as he had gone through to moor for the night because it was quieter but really wanted to be back up into the town to go shopping.

 

How was I meant to guess that was his plan? Or do you always walk down and ask if they are planning to reverse in?

I think we all get lazy (the slow pace of the canal?) and make asumptions - e.g. boats never reverse, everyone moors up before a lock.

 

I was slowly reversing, single handed, a breasted pair into a full wide lock (64, Church, Gt Bedyn, K&A) when two NBs arrived. I was doing rather well (i.e. better than usual) stern(s) in mouth.of lock and perfectly lined up. Boat to my right rams my bow and I am now in a total mess at an angle to the lock.

 

How could they know that I was 'going astern' or cut it so close if I wasn't? I should have given three (or more) short blasts on the horn but I did not forsee their action - most boaters would hold back untl they could easily pass emerging boat(s) - especially a wide-beam or breasted pair.

 

Lady in bow of offending boat did aplogise but steerer held it to be my fault! Otherwise, I say let's enjoy our canals and laugh off these minor incidents.

[Alan Saunders]

strangely enough, the pair came past me today, and I couldn't believe how battered they looked, I did try to wave at the passing crew but they were intent on the pitch of forward movement along with mopping the butty roof.

I do have time for the NBT and appreciate that they are short of 365 day a year people that can crew a working pair. However, perhaps they should at times not pretend that volunteers are capable of the full tilt??

I have a few tens of years on the canal and tidal waters but I could not captain a working pair. The NBT crews may have little perception of their speed nor the ability to look ahead and pre-empt problems. Going fast means working efficiently through locks and shallow pounds, not pressing on regardless.

 

Then again, we all make mistakes! One time, I was approaching Hanham Lock (K&A), there is a RH bend before the lock wth a big weir on the left. According to the timetable the lock would be open; it was open, at both ends! Full astern brought the skippers of (fibreglass) boats moored below the lock on deck. I eventually moored up a few hundred yards downstream.

 

The Lock-Keeper informed me that he had just forced the gates and I did not have to stop there to get a Bristol Harbour Licence .

Not a girl in the office (many girls are better navigators than I am), common sense which is gained through experience which, hopefully, the NBT crews are obtaining.

 

Alan

[Guest]

Lighten up.

 

If you really want to know, it made me nearly spit me drink out.

 

Well it was neither humorous nor does it represent what is being said in the gist of the the thread so I'm not sure why it made you spit anything, each to their own I suppose.

Edited November 11, 2013 by The Dog House

[David Schweizer]

Here is a "cover all" post for this thread - feel free to copy/paste it as many times as the "long standing members", or budding thereof feel fit....

 

"As I post regularly on here - ergo - I am an EXPERT boater, and anyone who wants to do things differently must be a fool, and should be pitied, or merely ridiculed.

 

Recently, I did something or other on water, and someone disagreed with my actions, or simply misunderstood my wild gesturing, which was obviously indicating to any SANE person what I was doing.

 

This perfectly illustrates that the other person (not ME obviously) was, at the very least, a fool, or at worst, a total idiot.

 

Hopefully, they will eventually see the light, and join this happy band of like-minded EXPERT boaters, and then they too can cast aspersions at fellow boaters, just like we do. Happy days!!"

 

 

 

Interesting. Many of your posts on other threads seem to sit neatly alongside one or more of the above sentences.

Edited November 11, 2013 by David Schweizer
correction of quoted text

[mayalld]

 

That is fine Mike, I was not going to raise it myself, but spelling is only one burden of having a Central European surname, you should hear some of the attempts at pronouncing it!

 

Trust me, you don't need a Central European surname for that.

 

Mayall is hardly the worlds most difficult surname, and at least a couple of well known individuals have it as a surname, but you wouldn't believe the variations in spelling and pronunciation that we get.

[Athy]

Now that you mention it - are you related to John and his son Gaz?

[mayalld]

Now that you mention it - are you related to John and his son Gaz?

 

If you look at the distribution of the name historically, it is fairly clear that it is (almost certainly) a single origin surname (although the Gloucestershire contingent is a bit of an oddity), but extremely difficult to unravel who is who.

[David Schweizer]

 

If you look at the distribution of the name historically, it is fairly clear that it is (almost certainly) a single origin surname (although the Gloucestershire contingent is a bit of an oddity), but extremely difficult to unravel who is who.

 

You mean your lot aren't ?

Edited November 11, 2013 by David Schweizer

[mayalld]

 

You mean your lot aren't ?

 

We are the ORIGINALS though!

 

John Mayall's father Murray was born in Saddleworth, and then he seems to connect back into generations of Mayalls, all called John, Robert and Miles, so he will be related, if only we could unravel the tangled web of Mayalls who had no imagination naming their kids!

[David Schweizer]

Lots of Mayalls here in Wiltshire going back to the early 16th century mainly around Steeple Ashston, Melksham and Bradford on Avon. (both former Mill towns). The earliest ones I can find in Saddleworth were born in the 1820's, although the name can be found earlier in York but only some fifty years earlier.

 

It seems your family may not have originated in the north, but in Wiltshire, which warrants further research, In the 18th century many people from Witshire, moved to Yorkshire to work in the developing wool industry, which was rapidly declining in Wiltshire

[mayalld]

Lots of Mayalls here in Wiltshire going back to the early 16th century mainly around Steeple Ashston, Melksham and Bradford on Avon. (both former Mill towns). The earliest ones I can find in Saddleworth were born in the 1820's, although the name can be found earlier in York but only some fifty years earlier.

 

It seems your family may not have originated in the north, but in Wiltshire, which warrants further research, In the 18th century many people from Witshire, moved to Yorkshire to work in the developing wool industry, which was rapidly declining in Wiltshire

 

But that it were so simple!

 

Saddleworth is a strange place, on the edge of the West Riding, and its church was historically a perpetual curacy, so many of the records appear as Rochdale.

 

In any case, the presumed origin of the family up here is in Lees (near Oldham), just over in Lancashire.

 

To date, whether a branch moved one way or the other (or whether there are actually 2 different families) is unclear.