Canal Crossroads - who has 'Right of Way'?

[b0atman]

see my lights are more disabled friendly

[Sabcat]

I also don't have any kind of horn and never have had.

[Peter X]

While I wouldn't want to see canals getting cluttered up with too many signs, maybe this is one case where it's worth putting something up if a junction is difficult to spot?

 

As BruceInSanity says, it's common sense where possible to have a crew member at the front as lookout going into a blind junction or bridge hole, it's one of the things I do when on my brother's boat.

[magpie patrick]

While I wouldn't want to see canals getting cluttered up with too many signs, maybe this is one case where it's worth putting something up if a junction is difficult to spot?

 

As BruceInSanity says, it's common sense where possible to have a crew member at the front as lookout going into a blind junction or bridge hole, it's one of the things I do when on my brother's boat.

 

No, please, no, not ever. Lets all have some fun joking about it, lets observe the comparative rarity of it (how many true cross-roads are there on the canals?) but please lets leave warning signs for really serious risks

[Alan de Enfield]

 

No, please, no, not ever. Lets all have some fun joking about it, lets observe the comparative rarity of it (how many true cross-roads are there on the canals?) but please lets leave warning signs for really serious risks

 

Such as

 

"£25 fine for overstaying"

[Wanderer Vagabond]

 

Such as

 

"£25 fine for overstaying"

Isn't that on the board that is already there to tell you that you've found the Visitor Mooring?

 

Just to add that I'm not suggesting any warning signs of any sort for the junction since this removes people's responsibility to take care. The rationale behind that is at locations where there may be some risk, if there is no warning sign CRT would get the blame for any incident. Since this bit of canal seems to have worked OK since 1827 I don't see any reason to change it now.

Edited March 7, 2015 by Wanderer Vagabond

[Wanderer Vagabond]

Whats wrong with flashing tunnel lights like people do with car headlights.

Not really sure that would address the issue here since the boats you are likely to hit are at right angles to where you are and out of sight. There is also the uncertainty of what you mean by flashing your lights since it can mean either 'come on through' or 'I'm coming through'. With cars and the highway code flashing headlights is supposed to be used to indicate to another road user that you are there precisely because of this ambiguity.

[Paul C]

 

But at a canal crossroads ( junction) you are not crossing a 'narrow channel' - it is two 'channels' joining.

 

The channels don't "join" - there is one narrow channel which is the BCN mainline, another narrow channel which is the Soho Loop which ends at Rotton Park Jn and another narrow channel which is the Ickenfield Port Loop which also ends at Rotton Park Junction. Think of it as a crossroads with 2 minor roads meeting a major road; or a minor road crossing the major road:

 

[Wanderer Vagabond]

 

The channels don't "join" - there is one narrow channel which is the BCN mainline, another narrow channel which is the Soho Loop which ends at Rotton Park Jn and another narrow channel which is the Ickenfield Port Loop which also ends at Rotton Park Junction. Think of it as a crossroads with 2 minor roads meeting a major road; or a minor road crossing the major road:

 

I think that if you look at the history of the BCN the Icknield Loop/Soho Loop is the route of the Old Main Line before the New Main Line was cut so they are not really a 'minor' and 'major' canal, they both carry equal 'priority' since the Old Main Line still continues on through Smethwick locks up and over the NML. I think that the safest bet is just to treat it as an uncontrolled junction and keep a look out for other traffic.