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Caen Locks

scrabble

By scrabble
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ditchcrawler Veteran II

ditchcrawlerDonate to Canal World

Posted
Posted

Jeeze I watching narrowboat vids on youtube and came across this

 

 

forgot all about those locks, i did them years ago when my old man hired us a boat for the week smile.png

Yes and if the steerers hopped off and closed the gates it would save the others a bit of work (that is just from the still, not wasting BB allocation watching the boats go down) Unless there is something unusual to see.

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matty40s Veteran II

matty40s

Posted
Posted

can't believe they got from top to bottom in less than three minutes,

thats bowlo0cks that vid is.

It took me 3 hours single handing from bottom to top last year.......would have been 15 minutes less but for the idiots who set 4 locks in advance and then didn't close paddles after they had ;left.

 

nice vid though.

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Athy Veteran II

AthyDonate to Canal World

Posted
Posted

Can't remember about the bridges, but one tip from my memory of doing the flight some years ago: don't count them! "Oh, only another 23 to go" would not be an encouraging thought. As you're going through one, just think about the next one, then the next, and so on.

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DaveC Proficient

DaveC

Posted
Posted

We'll be doing this in the next couple of weeks....I think the plan is I'll do half the locks and Dave will do the other half. Just hoping it's not too busy and we hate holding up other people. Do all the locks in the flight have that little bridge at one end of the lock?

 

Yes

 

 

Dave

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phill Collaborator

phill

Posted
Posted

We'll be doing this in the next couple of weeks....I think the plan is I'll do half the locks and Dave will do the other half. Just hoping it's not too busy and we hate holding up other people. Do all the locks in the flight have that little bridge at one end of the lock?

With a widebeam the way is for the steerer to do the off side and the crew the towpath side and don't leave a lock until the next one is ready. If there's only the two of you it's daft for the steerer to just do the boat.

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Alanji Proficient

Alanji

Posted
Posted

I came down on Sunday, breasted up so 3 of us - all 3, including the steerer worked the locks together. Locks are emptied at night and open at 8 am so going down best to wait a while for boats coming up (I think most Foxhangers hires start Friday and Saturday). We started at 0930 and after having to set the first few locks the rest were nearly all set for us. Just under 4 hours from top of Caen hill flight to Foxhangers, including quite a wait because boats coming up had set locks too far ahead (gave me time for a sanni and cuppa though). Really enjoyable and my first experience of steering breasted up.

There is one lock (38?) where you have to untie and go in singly because the entrance and exit are too narrow for two boats. Also had to untie to get round a hire boat which was having difficulty manoeuvring.

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ditchcrawler Veteran II

ditchcrawlerDonate to Canal World

Posted
Posted

 

There is one lock (38?) where you have to untie and go in singly because the entrance and exit are too narrow for two boats. Also had to untie to get round a hire boat which was having difficulty manoeuvring.

That is what we were told, but we forgot which lock they said and didn't see the sign until we were through, we were breasted to a hire boat and didn't touch the side.

 

Also coming up, moor overnight at the bottom, they unlock about quarter to eight and all the locks are empty ready for a good run up, Diana was able to open the next 4 bottom gates as I came up one lock. whizzed along

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Bettie Boo Experienced

Bettie Boo

Posted
Posted

Well I'm "ok"(ish) now taking the boat into locks and working the tiller in the lock, still haven't tried taking her out of the lock and onto the landing for Dave to get back on. But, we've got another 9 locks to go before we reach the summit. My goal is by the time we start going down that I'll be comfortable in exiting the lock and landing her for Dave to jump back on.

 

Thanks for all the advice about Caen Hill flight. Really great tip about the timing for coming back upcheers.gif

 

I really can't stress enough, just how much I loath the locks on the K&A, I'd love to meet the bright spark who thought those silly stirrups on the top gates would be a better design than the nice wide steps they have on the GU. Yes the GU locks take a bit more muscle, to open & close the paddles and the gates in most cases are much heavier - but at least you can safely get from one side to the other! There's my moan for the day.judge.gif

 

On the bright side, it is getting much prettier now, there is much more to look at other than swamp; and starting to meet some really lovely people again. Fred & Bernice who moored in front of us last night, and then this morning as we were both setting off at the same time so we suggested they go first so not to get stuck behind us. Long story short, Fred lost his windless in the lock and we tried to retrieve it for him with our sea magnet to no avail. But he was such a nice man and I think appreciative of our attempt to help, he opened at least 1 bottom paddle for us on the next 8 locks :) We actually meet loads of really nice people today. The couple from the Wessex Rose, now that's a massive boat!!, but they were very nice and easy to chat to, and no problem at all for the two of our boats to pass each other. Also meet another Canadian couple over from Winnepeg, they have their own narrow boat over here and along with a British couple on their own boat have come down from Cropredy on the Oxford, then non tidal Thames and are heading for Bristol before heading back to the GU and up to Cropredy that way. I think I've meet more Canadians on the cut since we left Braunston in late July than I have in the 15 years I've been hereclapping.gif

 

The plan was to moor for a couple of days in Great Bedwyn, but alas there were no available moorings. So we're moored up just before the Crofton Locks and depending on the weather tomorrow, either stay here if it rains or stop off at Crofton for water and a good mooch around and then maybe on to Wootton Rivers.

 

I simply can't find the words to describe how much I've thoroughly enjoyed the last 8 weeks, and looking forward to the next 8 :)

 

Oh!!! and a perfect way to end the day......20 minutes after we moored up (& Dave finished watering all the outdoor plants) a massive thunder & lighting storm has started passing overhead. I love being in the boat when it's raining hard outsidecloud9.gif

 

Sorry....what was the topic?smiley_offtopic.gif

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ditchcrawler Veteran II

ditchcrawlerDonate to Canal World

Posted
Posted

Well I'm "ok"(ish) now taking the boat into locks and working the tiller in the lock, still haven't tried taking her out of the lock and onto the landing for Dave to get back on. But, we've got another 9 locks to go before we reach the summit. My goal is by the time we start going down that I'll be comfortable in exiting the lock and landing her for Dave to jump back on.

 

Thanks for all the advice about Caen Hill flight. Really great tip about the timing for coming back upcheers.gif

 

I really can't stress enough, just how much I loath the locks on the K&A, I'd love to meet the bright spark who thought those silly stirrups on the top gates would be a better design than the nice wide steps they have on the GU. Yes the GU locks take a bit more muscle, to open & close the paddles and the gates in most cases are much heavier - but at least you can safely get from one side to the other! There's my moan for the day.judge.gif

 

On the bright side, it is getting much prettier now, there is much more to look at other than swamp; and starting to meet some really lovely people again. Fred & Bernice who moored in front of us last night, and then this morning as we were both setting off at the same time so we suggested they go first so not to get stuck behind us. Long story short, Fred lost his windless in the lock and we tried to retrieve it for him with our sea magnet to no avail. But he was such a nice man and I think appreciative of our attempt to help, he opened at least 1 bottom paddle for us on the next 8 locks smile.png We actually meet loads of really nice people today. The couple from the Wessex Rose, now that's a massive boat!!, but they were very nice and easy to chat to, and no problem at all for the two of our boats to pass each other. Also meet another Canadian couple over from Winnepeg, they have their own narrow boat over here and along with a British couple on their own boat have come down from Cropredy on the Oxford, then non tidal Thames and are heading for Bristol before heading back to the GU and up to Cropredy that way. I think I've meet more Canadians on the cut since we left Braunston in late July than I have in the 15 years I've been hereclapping.gif

 

The plan was to moor for a couple of days in Great Bedwyn, but alas there were no available moorings. So we're moored up just before the Crofton Locks and depending on the weather tomorrow, either stay here if it rains or stop off at Crofton for water and a good mooch around and then maybe on to Wootton Rivers.

 

I simply can't find the words to describe how much I've thoroughly enjoyed the last 8 weeks, and looking forward to the next 8 smile.png

 

Oh!!! and a perfect way to end the day......20 minutes after we moored up (& Dave finished watering all the outdoor plants) a massive thunder & lighting storm has started passing overhead. I love being in the boat when it's raining hard outsidecloud9.gif

 

Sorry....what was the topic?smiley_offtopic.gif

That would be Ken and Claudia from Canada and Pat and Sheila with dogs from the UK

 

When doing the Caen Hill flight just go from one lock to the next and don't pull in to pick up Dave.

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Bettie Boo Experienced

Bettie Boo

Posted
Posted

That would be Ken and Claudia from Canada and Pat and Sheila with dogs from the UK

 

When doing the Caen Hill flight just go from one lock to the next and don't pull in to pick up Dave.

Again, both couple were really nice people.....if & when you are speaking to them again DC, please tell them Canadian Betty on the wide red boat says Hi and thank you :)

 

Yup that's the plan for Cane Hill, but I still need to get comfortable at either holding the boat just outside a lock, or onto the landing for the rest of the locks. Believe it or not yesterday was the busiest day we've encountered in the past 2 months, there was activity at every lock save one between Hungerford and Bedwyn. I get easily distracted and know better than practice a new maneuver (for me) with anyone other than Dave around. And even he forgets sometimes to just tell me the movements I need to make and not try to explain the "whys and why nots" at the time if I'm getting stressy :)

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