Napton Flight Closed - 05/05/14

[matty40s]

We were looking at buying a canal business a 'couple' of years ago, and on looking thru the accounts BW had certainly paid 'loss of income' to a considerable sum following (and during) one of the Mon & Brec breaches'.

 

It is (or was) apparently common practice for BW to pay compensation rather than it be recharged to BW by the affected business's insurers

 

The company accounts stated :

 

British Waterways made payments to operators for the season.

The rationale behind these payments as stated by BW was that we should be ‘neither better off or worse off than we would have been had we been able to trade’ during the period. The implementation of this policy was put into the hands of the Loss Adjusters who rather struggled to understand the nature of the business an based their evaluation generally on the previous trading period.

 

So -yes there is a route for compensation and it is pursued by the Hire Fleets and others.

 

Where there is blame there is a claim !!!

This may be the case where a hire base is stranded and can no longer sell holidays or honour bookings, BW making sure the company is still there after the breach is fixed.

However, Napton hire bases have a good choice of routes, even without the flight being operational so I do not think compensation would be applicable in this instance if the locks were forced to close.

Edited May 9, 2014 by matty40s

[ditchcrawler]

Force Majeur, Act of god,etc.

Not if you can show it was due to lack of maintenance.

[Peter X]

My brother and I went by there on Saturday 10th at 11:20, to fetch his boat to get it back to its marina berth. It was a windy and sometimes wet day, but it was nice for me to get out on a boat for the first time since January, even though the weather was worse...

Plastic sheeting covering bank, with CRT workboat in foreground

 

Closer view, showing damaged end of wall. When we came by at noon with the boat, we waited a while because CRT workmen were covering the exposed end of the wall with wooden shuttering to protect it, and their workboat was in the lock mouth for this work.

 

The paddle on the opposite gate from the damaged wall is taped in the down position to prevent it being used, perhaps because the wash from that paddle would point more directly at the damaged area.

[Peter X]

Footnote: CRT have now announced a provisional winter closure of locks 8 to 16, for the period 3 Nov to 19 Dec

http://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notice/844/napton-lock-8-to-marston-doles-lock-16

Description:

Replacement of top gates at Locks 8 and 12. Repair of bypass weirs at Locks 9 and 10. Repairs to lock gates to stop leaks and repairs to lock structures

[Bunny]

Can anyone tell me are there still restrictions on the Napton flight. Looking at going down Monday or Tuesday . Thanks . Bunny.

[Bones]

according to the signs on the towpath the restricted hours of passage are on going.

[Bunny]

Ok thanks. Bunny.

[David Schweizer]

Can anyone tell me are there still restrictions on the Napton flight. Looking at going down Monday or Tuesday . Thanks . Bunny.

 

Yes, something like only open between 8am and 6pm Monday to Saturday and 9am to 5pm Sundays. There is also Lock keeper assistance at the damaged lock.

[andy3196]

http://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notice/1072/napton-lock-8-to-lock-11-oxford-canal

[Scholar Gypsy]

Notice from CRT today:

 

Update on 22/07/2014:

 

Following additional control measures and ongoing monitoring we are now in a position to allow unrestricted use of Lock 10. Therefore Napton Locks are now fully open without restriction.

 

We will however continually review the situation and should the need arise we may need to reintroduce a restriction pending the permanent repairs this winter.

 

We would like to ask that all boats take particular care in this area to avoid impact with the approach walls.

 

[ditchcrawler]

Does that mean they have taken the near side paddle winding gear off

Edited July 22, 2014 by ditchcrawler

[pearley]

Does that mean they have taken the near side paddle winding gear off

Yes, only one bottom paddle operable. Came up yesterday.

[Swallowman]

Notice from CRT today:

 

Update on 22/07/2014:

 

Following additional control measures and ongoing monitoring we are now in a position to allow unrestricted use of Lock 10. Therefore Napton Locks are now fully open without restriction.

 

We will however continually review the situation and should the need arise we may need to reintroduce a restriction pending the permanent repairs this winter.

 

We would like to ask that all boats take particular care in this area to avoid impact with the approach walls.

 

What this actually means is that there is now no need for a lockie to supervise passage as people are being sensible about it. We went through in both directions last week and there was a lockie there on the way up reading his SUN (looking at the pictures ) and coming down three days later, no-one in sight apart from four elfin safety wallahs who came for a shufti.

Lockie told us on the way up that on the day it happened, a boat was approaching the lock as the offside approach wall just gently slid under the boat as it went into the lock; crew a bit shaken but not stirred. The wall is still there under water and the fabric cover is to prevent erosion of the bank as the lock is used.