See some funny sights on the canals

[scrabble]

Been down to a private farm mooring where my friends boat he is restoring is kept.

 

There is a small length of canal as you come out of the mooring and then further down is a really pointless lock and then literally 300ft down another one, we walked down to pick up some bits of broken tree to chuck in the woodburner and some hippy looking guy in a tiny boat must have been one of those 20-25ft he had drained the small section of the canal, his boat was sat at the bottom of it and hes quickly going round the edges/waterline with a roller and some black paint, he didnt seem bothered by our presence and his boat looked like it was gonna tip over, surely you cant do that? lol

[larryjc]

Pointless lock?? Are you saying the water level doesn't change? Otherwise there is definitely a point. And the fact that you hippy type managed to drain a pound means there must be a level change.

 

As for deliberately draining a pound to paint your boat - pretty sure CRT would have something to say about it - what canal are you talking about?

[Sir Nibble]

Can he do this? Yes he can and the fact he has is rather proof of this. Similarly, can you open a paddle and re water the pound?

[craftycarper]

Can he do this? Yes he can and the fact he has is rather proof of this. Similarly, can you open a paddle and re water the pound?

. Exactly what I thought he's just done it so the op has answered his own question ,

[Sir Nibble]

I still think it might be fun to take a windlass and fire the starting gun on a mud run!

[Sanddancer]

I think i know this place used to moor there

[Peter X]

To be precise, the man can drain a pound and paint his boat, but may not do so without permission from the authority for the waterway, which may or may not be CRT, we don't yet know the location. Probably there would be exceptions for emergencies, but these wouldn't include painting a boat.

 

The OP, or anyone wishing to navigate that stretch, can and may open the necessary paddles to refill the pound, unless the waterway authority has legally decided otherwise e.g. to do maintenance work, and if in doubt should phone them to check.

If the OP does open the paddles he might wish not to reveal to the man painting the boat that it was him...

[Peter X]

The OP's comment that the boat looked as if it was about to tip over raised a question which has puzzled me for a while, as follows:

 

When a boat settles on the bottom as a pound dries out, or when stranded in a river or tidal waters by a low water level, how much risk is there that the angle will be so steep that when the water returns the boat will flood and sink rather than floating back to a good angle? I guess it's going to depend on various factors, such as the hull shape, any keel, the slope and material of the bottom, and how far above the normal waterline any openings are, but is it generally safe for a typical narrowboat on most canals for example, and how do you judge it?

[NigelMoore]

The danger is real enough, and I have seen several ‘ordinary’ fibreglass cruisers sunk following stranding on a slope when the river drained down.

 

When my friend’s narrowboat ended up in the same position on the Thames, there was a very real possibility of it tipping over altogether as the tide went out, because an old diesel tank had made its way under her boat and got caught on the edge.

 

She was woken by the sound of breaking glass as items fell of the shelf, and rang me as it was happening [around 0400 hrs!]. Fortunately I was near enough to get out there quickly and prop it up before the water went out altogether, shoving blocks under the lower edge to keep that side from dropping further. She was tied to the adjacent boat and was starting to pull the substantial bollards from the decking.

 

It would certainly have sunk on the next incoming tide, so I went around sealing off all hull openings and taping up the doors. She successfully re-floated and I was able to haul out the offending tank as she rose, but it was a close call. If I had not sealed all openings the boat would definitely have filled up.

 

 

It made the news in the local paper.

[John V]

boats stranded by the tide frequently have a heavy list, surprisingly a large percentage successfully "pickup" as the tide rises even from some extreme angles. When there is doubt it is usually possible to artificially "raise" the freeboard on the low side with a tarp or plastic sheet of some sort to give the bit of extra help that may be needed.

 

 

cross posted with Nigel....perfect example!

 

 

ETA......you would need to be confident of your bottom thickness with all the junk at that mooring!!!

Edited September 13, 2014 by John V

[DeanS]

we woke up on the summit of the Pennines with the boat leaning at a VERY steep angle.......luckily it just bobbed back up when the pound filled.

[NigelMoore]

ETA......you would need to be confident of your bottom thickness with all the junk at that mooring!!!

 

The actual mooring bed was gravel, the junk was strewn around from of old, acting in part as bolstering the campshedding, but some if it resulting from the tide bringing up flotsam from a recently burnt out hulk at the Watermans - whence the old diesel tank originated from that caused the problem -

 

http://www.richmondandtwickenhamtimes.co.uk/archive/2005/05/20/598892.PLA___s_boat_excuse_is____stupid_and_irrelevant___/

 

I will never understand how the neutrally buoyant tank reached 'uphill' to where it jammed under the boat, the boat being flanked by huge houseboats situated far further out.

[ditchcrawler]

Been down to a private farm mooring where my friends boat he is restoring is kept.

 

There is a small length of canal as you come out of the mooring and then further down is a really pointless lock and then literally 300ft down another one, we walked down to pick up some bits of broken tree to chuck in the woodburner and some hippy looking guy in a tiny boat must have been one of those 20-25ft he had drained the small section of the canal, his boat was sat at the bottom of it and hes quickly going round the edges/waterline with a roller and some black paint, he didnt seem bothered by our presence and his boat looked like it was gonna tip over, surely you cant do that? lol

Sounds a handy spot to sort the blacking out, where is it please.

[Delta9]

Do you know he drained the pound? It may have been drained by someone else and he just jumped at the chance to sort out his blacking.

[GillianOlcay]

 

http://www.richmondandtwickenhamtimes.co.uk/archive/2005/05/20/598892.PLA___s_boat_excuse_is____stupid_and_irrelevant___/

 

The journalist took liberties translating my comments. I don't wear nighties.

 

I still have shivers thinking about that morning.