Water levels on southern GU

[BlueStringPudding]

What a nightmare! This afternoon I survived the most frustrating grounding my boat's ever had. It was worse than than the time my boat pole snapped in a winding hole when aground on the Ashby! And we know how shallow that gets. Became grounded on masses of silt in the middle of the winding hole near bridge 110. (Not even at the outside edges - actually in the centre of the winding hole.) And we were just stuck. Boat pole sank into the silt and didn't help. Three of us on ropes and tiller but couldn't shift it. I only wanted to go empty me pootank!

 

Thanks to a very patient couple on another boat that came along (after goodness knows how long), my brother's muscles and Dad's rope work and navigation, and me taking over the tiller, we were finally pulled free of the silt and turned round

We were stuck for flipping ages.

 

When I'd asked CRT recently about the low water levels they largely blamed misuse of locks. However I was told today at the boatyard that CRT staff had accidentally left the flood gates open near the Grove and lowered the entire pound by 6 inches which meant nothing was flowing over into the pounds further north of Leighton. As that's the second person to tell me that I'm more inclined to believe that's what happened.

 

Anyway, rant over. Back at my mooring now. Shame the trip took nearly four hours instead of two.

Edited July 14, 2015 by BlueStringPudding

[sirweste]

Sounds fantastic. I was recently told that a pump at Slapton wasn't working and that's why levels were low there. So that means it'll be even lower now!

[Bettie Boo]

I know there's been low water problems between Winkwell & Raven's Lane locks for the past few days, seems to be much better today though

[GUMPY]

I know there's been low water problems between Winkwell & Raven's Lane locks for the past few days, seems to be much better today though

Its never low between lock 58 and 59, above Winkwell, unless the good people of Berko stop going to the toilet.

[Bettie Boo]

Its never low between lock 58 and 59, above Winkwell, unless the good people of Berko stop going to the toilet.

 

Sorry that was just me being lazy

 

I should have written: there were water level problems with "some" of the pounds between Winkwell & Raven's Lane locks

[GUMPY]

 

Sorry that was just me being lazy

 

I should have written: there were water level problems with "some" of the pounds between Winkwell & Raven's Lane locks

Nothing really unusual, 58 leaks so if the top gates are left open then pound drops if the river level is down. Same goes for the pound above the Riser except there is no river to fill it.

[John Williamson 1955]

If it's any consolation, the long pound from Cowley to Paddington is currently down about 3 inches from its normal level, which puts it 6 inches below the Winter peak. This is the same as it was at this time last year, when CRT were trying to blame it on leaky gates at Camden.

[jenlyn]

CRT will be along shortly with a power point presentation, that will fix it.

[NilesMI]

I've just travelled the length of the GU from Brum to Tring and whatever the technical/maintenance issues with CRT, I have to say that boaters have a part to play too. Far too many single boats taking the locks on their own, when waiting a while they could have paired up. Plus several occasions when boats going up/down didn't wait for a boat/boats coming the other way to pass and save a lockful of water.

 

I'll aways wait to share a lock flight when there are other boats about. Not only does it save wateer, but the number of freindly boaters you meet that way are one of the joys of canal boating. #sharealockwithafriendyouhaventmetyet

[Pykebird]

Saw you go past the other day, take five, Nice boat! We are low at Cosgrove, people are having trouble getting off the arm. Probably nothing to do with the large amount of back pumping into the "non" leaking Buckingham arm!!

[NilesMI]

HI WW.

 

Actually Cosgrove is a case in point. I reached the lock on my own and noticing the trip boat was moored went to enquire if they were locking down. "No", came the reply. "We'll be 10 minuites yet as some of the passengers are missing". So I just said; "No problem. I'll wait for you and if another boat comes along in the meantime, I'll share with them." They seemed genuinely surprised that I was prepared to wait as long as 10 minutes just to save a lock full of water.

 

As it turned out their passengers soon turned up,

 

Sorry to hear the pound is low and people are having trouble on the arm.