Piper Narrowboat ramming a lock gate

[ChimneyChain]

Does anyone know how much if any damage was caused to the gates??

 

Darren

[Laurence Hogg]

Does anyone know how much if any damage was caused to the gates??

 

Darren

 

A boat of that size and weight isn't going to much damage to the gate, more likely itself, It hit on the striking board although hitting in the vee would have been more effective. I cannot see any paddle other than on the gates that is raised.

[Wanderer Vagabond]

 

Totally agree Darren, it certainly looks like there is a leak and the only way out is to use that method, I have had to do this many times in the past not only on CRT waterways but places like the Rochdale in Manchester, his crew seems to be a bit slow off the mark pushing but I don't see anything wrong IF the lock was leaking, that's down to CRT maintenance.

Having passed through that lock last Tuesday the bottom gate isn't leaking, what the muppet steering the boat failed to notice was that the side paddle wasn't closed hence the lock was never going to fill. Whilst I accept that the particular type of paddle isn't very easy to see from a distance whether it is open or closed it doesn't take much that much intelligence to physically check (although clearly more intelligence than that of the offending boater).

 

I would also suggest that ramming gates for any reason is pretty stupid. Yes, I have put the bows to the V on some of the locks on the Kennet and Avon then increased engine revs to put pressure on the gate to overcome leaky paddles, but it it leaks to the degree that 'ramming' would be necessary I would suggest a phone call to CRT would be a better option. Those who are willing to ram lock gates lose any rights to complain about poor maintenance of the system after all why bother maintaining it if people are willing to ram the infrastructure with their boats!

[Sabcat]

Those who are willing to ram lock gates lose any rights to complain about poor maintenance of the system after all why bother maintaining it if people are willing to ram the infrastructure with their boats!

 

 

So much this.

 

[dor]

 

Totally agree Darren, it certainly looks like there is a leak and the only way out is to use that method, I have had to do this many times in the past not only on CRT waterways but places like the Rochdale in Manchester, his crew seems to be a bit slow off the mark pushing but I don't see anything wrong IF the lock was leaking, that's down to CRT maintenance.

 

Mr Hogg,

 

There used to be a time when I found your input into this forum both informative and interesting. Regrettably it has become clear that over the last few weeks or months you have become obsessed with knocking C&RT at every opportunity. Often making yourself look rather stupid in the process.

 

This thread and your posts are a classic example. Paddle left open? Every one else can see it except you but you continue trying to blame C&RT for their lack of maintenance rather than an idiot in control of a boat when he clearly should never have progressed beyond a pond yacht.

 

There is another site that delights on trying to decry C&RT (often wrongly) at every opportunity. Perhaps you should move there.

[Robbo]

The bywash on this lock goes into the lock so has 4 paddles for emptying. 2 are ground paddles. Only 2 paddles for filling. I've had no problem with this lock so it must have been user error by leaving a paddle up.

 

Edit

actually may have 4 for filling as well, just done the lock yesterday and my memory escapes me!

Edited July 5, 2015 by Robbo

[Wanderer Vagabond]

The bywash on this lock goes into the lock so has 4 paddles for emptying. 2 are ground paddles. Only 2 paddles for filling. I've had no problem with this lock so it must have been user error by leaving a paddle up.

 

Edit

actually may have 4 for filling as well, just done the lock yesterday and my memory escapes me!

I will admit that I didn't originally notice that one of the paddles was still open when I went through this lock to go to Leeds Basin but then when the lock doesn't fill commonsense suggests that one looks for a reason why, which is what I did. Apparently with the bywashes running into the lock as you indicate it causes the water to flow over the bottom lock gates (designed to allow this). It is to reduce this that the paddle is apparently left partly open. The only issue with these paddles is they are of the 'bottle jack' enclosed type so it isn't always clear whether it is open or closed until you try to wind it. All that however is no excuse for the muppet ramming the gates, if there was an issue with the lock he is only just outside the CRT office FFS!!!

[Robbo]

I will admit that I didn't originally notice that one of the paddles was still open when I went through this lock to go to Leeds Basin but then when the lock doesn't fill commonsense suggests that one looks for a reason why, which is what I did. Apparently with the bywashes running into the lock as you indicate it causes the water to flow over the bottom lock gates (designed to allow this). It is to reduce this that the paddle is apparently left partly open. The only issue with these paddles is they are of the 'bottle jack' enclosed type so it isn't always clear whether it is open or closed until you try to wind it. All that however is no excuse for the muppet ramming the gates, if there was an issue with the lock he is only just outside the CRT office FFS!!!

The bottle jack types also have a white painted line so you can see when closed, however they are on the opposite side to where you stand to operate them, but not from the boat!

[Wanderer Vagabond]

The bottle jack types also have a white painted line so you can see when closed, however they are on the opposite side to where you stand to operate them, but not from the boat!

Yes, but as I recall the paint on the right hand side one going down has pretty much gone so it's not easy to be sure that it's closed (unless you do the sensible thing and try to close it!). Perhaps I'm a bit biased because I'm not a big fan of that sort of paddle, give me a paddle with a raised arm every time, you know where you are with them!

[Psycloud]

We had an accident today causing us to ram a lock gate as we approached the lock someone was already in amd saw us so they opened the other gate allowing us to cruise straight in, as my wife approached she eased off the throttle and drifted in then gave a burst of reverse to come to a halt, unfortunately as she did the gear change cable snapped meaning that the boat stayed in forward gear as she pulled the morse lever back effectively increasing the boat speed not slowing it down - as much as i tried to prevent the boat hitting the gates by pulling on the center line it was unavoidable.

 

Thankfully we have a couple of tyres hanging each side of the bow either side of the front button which will have cushioned the blow a little but it was a horrible experience What are the chances of the gear cable snapping just one journey after the throttle cable?

[bassplayer]

We had an accident today causing us to ram a lock gate as we approached the lock someone was already in amd saw us so they opened the other gate allowing us to cruise straight in, as my wife approached she eased off the throttle and drifted in then gave a burst of reverse to come to a halt, unfortunately as she did the gear change cable snapped meaning that the boat stayed in forward gear as she pulled the morse lever back effectively increasing the boat speed not slowing it down - as much as i tried to prevent the boat hitting the gates by pulling on the center line it was unavoidable.

Thankfully we have a couple of tyres hanging each side of the bow either side of the front button which will have cushioned the blow a little but it was a horrible experience What are the chances of the gear cable snapping just one journey after the throttle cable?

Ouch...everyone's nightmare. I'm glad you were Ok.

[Wanderer Vagabond]

We had an accident today causing us to ram a lock gate as we approached the lock someone was already in amd saw us so they opened the other gate allowing us to cruise straight in, as my wife approached she eased off the throttle and drifted in then gave a burst of reverse to come to a halt, unfortunately as she did the gear change cable snapped meaning that the boat stayed in forward gear as she pulled the morse lever back effectively increasing the boat speed not slowing it down - as much as i tried to prevent the boat hitting the gates by pulling on the center line it was unavoidable.

 

Thankfully we have a couple of tyres hanging each side of the bow either side of the front button which will have cushioned the blow a little but it was a horrible experience What are the chances of the gear cable snapping just one journey after the throttle cable?

Glad no harm was done and it is very much everyone's nightmare. Isn't it amazing how when it goes wrong it always seems to do it at the worst moment since had you been going up in a lock all that would have happened would have been you would have rammed the cill, not too much opportunity for disaster but to ram the gates going down there is always the danger of gate failure and sudden and catastrophic emptying of the lock.

 

Everyone has their own methods and what I habitually do in locks now is get the bows in then knock it into neutral and drift towards the bottom gate only after having drifted for several feet do I put it in reverse to stop the boat. My hope is that if anything fails (throttle/gear) I'm then going slow enough to wrap a rope around a bollard and stop and hopefully if the gear cable fails all it would mean is that I wouldn't get into reverse rather than not getting out of forward drive.

[Laurence Hogg]

 

Mr Hogg,

 

There used to be a time when I found your input into this forum both informative and interesting. Regrettably it has become clear that over the last few weeks or months you have become obsessed with knocking C&RT at every opportunity. Often making yourself look rather stupid in the process.

 

This thread and your posts are a classic example. Paddle left open? Every one else can see it except you but you continue trying to blame C&RT for their lack of maintenance rather than an idiot in control of a boat when he clearly should never have progressed beyond a pond yacht.

 

There is another site that delights on trying to decry C&RT (often wrongly) at every opportunity. Perhaps you should move there.

Actually Narrowboat world is telling some real truths nowadays, you should go and look. CRT need to get their act together BIG time unless we want to be back with DEFRA or worse - think about it.

[Wanderer Vagabond]

Actually Narrowboat world is telling some real truths nowadays, you should go and look. CRT need to get their act together BIG time unless we want to be back with DEFRA or worse - think about it.

When did the DEFRA Grant end? I thought we were still with DEFRA.

[Sabcat]

We had an accident today causing us to ram a lock gate as we approached the lock someone was already in amd saw us so they opened the other gate allowing us to cruise straight in, as my wife approached she eased off the throttle and drifted in then gave a burst of reverse to come to a halt, unfortunately as she did the gear change cable snapped meaning that the boat stayed in forward gear as she pulled the morse lever back effectively increasing the boat speed not slowing it down - as much as i tried to prevent the boat hitting the gates by pulling on the center line it was unavoidable.

 

Thankfully we have a couple of tyres hanging each side of the bow either side of the front button which will have cushioned the blow a little but it was a horrible experience What are the chances of the gear cable snapping just one journey after the throttle cable?

 

That's no fun at all, like you say though, an accident. It doesn't compare to the idiocy of the utter tool who rammed a lock gate on purpose.

[Psycloud]

Glad no harm was done and it is very much everyone's nightmare. Isn't it amazing how when it goes wrong it always seems to do it at the worst moment since had you been going up in a lock all that would have happened would have been you would have rammed the cill, not too much opportunity for disaster but to ram the gates going down there is always the danger of gate failure and sudden and catastrophic emptying of the lock.

 

 

We were going up but it's the shallowist lock on the system so we did bump the gates not the very low cill :/

[Ray T]

Actually Narrowboat world is telling some real truths nowadays, you should go and look. CRT need to get their act together BIG time unless we want to be back with DEFRA or worse - think about it.

 

Narrowboat World? There is no right of reply on that site, even The Sun has that!

 

I once wrote to them, I received a thank you email with "I am sorry but we are unable to print your comments for copyright reasons". Why? Because I quoted a section of COLREGS.

Edited July 7, 2015 by Ray T

[Pluto]

The bywash on this lock goes into the lock so has 4 paddles for emptying. 2 are ground paddles. Only 2 paddles for filling. I've had no problem with this lock so it must have been user error by leaving a paddle up.

 

Edit

actually may have 4 for filling as well, just done the lock yesterday and my memory escapes me!

The lock cottage's outside loo also used to empty into the lock. Perhaps someone flushed at the wrong moment.

[Ray T]

From October Canal Boat:

 

 

[TheBiscuits]

See that is why you need to regulate safety features on all boats.

The standard requirements of a pile of firewood, a bike and a solar panel on the cabin roof would stop all these shiny marina boaters breaking the locks and stopping the rest of us cruising.

[magnetman]

I wonder if CRT can get the £80,000 back from the person who damaged the lock in Wigan?

 

£80k for lock gates? Something fishy going on

[kris88]

It was probably Chantelle who came up with the £80,000 figure, she's only the manager and would have no idea of the cost.

Regards kris

[Guest]

I wonder if CRT can get the £80,000 back from the person who damaged the lock in Wigan?

 

£80k for lock gates? Something fishy going on

 

I think it is badly written. I think it refers to the total cost of gates due for replacement this winter on a particular region, section or canal (or maybe the whole system but this seems less likely)

[Jerra]

 

I think it is badly written. I think it refers to the total cost of gates due for replacement this winter on a particular region, section or canal (or maybe the whole system but this seems less likely)

That is how I read it as well.

[magnetman]

Fair point yes that's what they meant. Still I wonder if they can claim off the boater for damage to the steel lock gate mentioned. I suppose if it wasn't youtubed there is no direct evidence so nothing can be done?

 

Paint examination maybe

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