Banging all night on the T&M

[MoominPapa]

Well, the kitchen drawers were, due to the extreme lean, due to the lowering water level.

 

Four am walks to the downstream lock seem to have become a feature of this year's boating (See Middlewich, passim) but I'm slightly mystified as to who would open all top and bottom gate paddles on Swarkestone lock. Stenson to Swarkestone is a long pound so it must have been running for some time to drop the foot or so it needed to make things bang around and wake me up. Maybe since pub throwing-out time? T'was rather atmospheric on the half-mile walk down to the lock, with mist rising off the surface of the canal, and a huge plume of steam coming out of the lock as the warm water cascaded out of the gate paddles through the cold night air.

 

A disadvantage of a deep draft I never really though about is that Melaleuca is something of a canary for such events, we lean sooner and further than shallower boats.

 

I called the CRT emergency number and let them know, and according to the first boat past, the message has got to the volockies at Stenson this morning. Certainly, the level is half way back up, enough to be able to push the boat out and regain an even keel.

 

Just though you'd all be interested in knowing what I was doing in the early hours.

 

MP.

 

[RLWP]

How different to the life of our own dear Queen

 

Richard

[MoominPapa]

How different to the life of our own dear Queen

 

Richard

I'm sure she has flunkies to do her nocturnal lock operation for her. Maybe it's an additional duty for the chap charged with emptying the buckets which are put under the toilet outlets of the royal train when it's occupied overnight in sidings. Apparently such duty does really exist!

 

MP.

[patty-ann]

What a pleasant night time stroll, just the time for ghouls n ghosts to swarm up through the mist..I can almost visualise the scene.

[pearley]

Thought all trains nowadays had holding tanks.

[dogless]

These early morning wanderings are becoming a habit with you.

Rumours will start !

Rog

[BruceinSanity]

I just thought it was MP boasting again .

 

Must say, I wouldn't have thought of Swarkestone as a target for mindless behaviour like that, but I suppose the houses aren't that far away. Just shows that you really can't predict where the problems might arise.

[Mick Poyser]

This was a problem at Swarkestone in the 80's, it did't happen very often, but it was always on a Saturday night and funnily enough always when there was a fishing match Sunday morning in the pound below the lock.

Some 30 years on It very unlikely to be the same people/person, but you never know.

[hughc]

Fishing matches seem to affect water levels in two different ways. If the level in the pound being fished is dropped then the fish are drawn out of the reeds. If the level in the pound above the match is lowered then fewer boats will pass through the match. In my experience match fishing on the Erewash results in Case 1 and I have known Case 2 to apply around stone on the T&M. Regards, HughC.

[Suzie_q]

At Weston lock in a queue while they let some water down. Level is probably 6 inches down below Weston but not a problem except for a canal time boat.

[MoominPapa]

Just walked down to Swarkestone Lock. No evidence of a fishing match in the pound below, but we didn't get there until well into the afternoon. Level in this pound now (just) back up to bywash weir level, but very little going down the bywash.

 

Thanks for the intelligence Suzie_q. Will definitely stick it out here 'till tomorrow now. Are you heading towards us?

 

MP.

[Suzie_q]

 

Thanks for the intelligence Suzie_q. Will definitely stick it out here 'till tomorrow now. Are you heading towards us?

 

MP.

Yes just at swarkstone now. Are you at bridge 15?

[MoominPapa]

Yes just at swarkstone now. Are you at bridge 15?

From the lock, go under bridge 15 and then round the corner.

 

MP.

[Suzie_q]

From the lock, go under bridge 15 and then round the corner.

 

MP.

Good to see you MP. Meant to say have you tried the swarkstone gardeners grill breakfast at the garden centre? Has become a tradition of ours on the way out of mercia.

 

Btw I supposidly nearly sank the grp cruiser who came through Weston lock with us. Or so he delighted in telling my friends who helped him through swarkstone. There was no reply when my friends waved to him as we passed him at the water point.

Edited August 16, 2015 by Suzie_q

[MoominPapa]

Good to see you MP. Meant to say have you tried the swarkstone gardeners grill breakfast at the garden centre? Has become a tradition of ours on the way out of mercia.

And you. Haven't tried the GC for food, but I severely tempted.....

 

Btw I supposidly neatly sank the grp cruiser who came through Weston lock with us. Or so he delighted in telling my friends who helped him through swarkstone. There was no reply when my friends waved to him as we passed him at the water point.

It was still floating nicely when it came past us.

 

MP.

Edited August 16, 2015 by MoominPapa

[ditchcrawler]

Well, the kitchen drawers were, due to the extreme lean, due to the lowering water level.

 

Four am walks to the downstream lock seem to have become a feature of this year's boating (See Middlewich, passim) but I'm slightly mystified as to who would open all top and bottom gate paddles on Swarkestone lock. Stenson to Swarkestone is a long pound so it must have been running for some time to drop the foot or so it needed to make things bang around and wake me up. Maybe since pub throwing-out time? T'was rather atmospheric on the half-mile walk down to the lock, with mist rising off the surface of the canal, and a huge plume of steam coming out of the lock as the warm water cascaded out of the gate paddles through the cold night air.

 

A disadvantage of a deep draft I never really though about is that Melaleuca is something of a canary for such events, we lean sooner and further than shallower boats.

 

I called the CRT emergency number and let them know, and according to the first boat past, the message has got to the volockies at Stenson this morning. Certainly, the level is half way back up, enough to be able to push the boat out and regain an even keel.

 

Just though you'd all be interested in knowing what I was doing in the early hours.

 

MP.

 

I expect we will read somewhere that a boat made a mistake and drained the pound again

[MoominPapa]

I expect we will read somewhere that a boat made a mistake and drained the pound again

I've tried, and I can't find any way to construe this as boater error. The only way a boat passing through could have left the lock in that state is if they'd not been aware of the open top-gate paddles, emptied the lock with them open, somehow managed to get a level to open the bottom gates and not noticed the cataracts flooding into the emptying lock. Even given that, they would have closed the bottom paddles on leaving. I found the lock with all gate paddles (top and bottom) wide open,

 

I think it's much more likely that the paddles where opened by someone who didn't have a windlass (and couldn't therefore open the hydraulic ground paddles) but who could open the gate paddles by turning the shafts in the gate paddle-gear.

 

MP.

[FadeToScarlet]

Have you been listening to Kenneth Williams again?

[MoominPapa]

Have you been listening to Kenneth Williams again?

Oooh, matron!

 

MP.

[Victor Vectis]

Fishing matches seem to affect water levels in two different ways. If the level in the pound being fished is dropped then the fish are drawn out of the reeds. If the level in the pound above the match is lowered then fewer boats will pass through the match. In my experience match fishing on the Erewash results in Case 1 and I have known Case 2 to apply around stone on the T&M. Regards, HughC.

Fishing matches are evil and must be destroyed!

[FidoDido]

Came down from Stenson to Weston las night, and didn't notice the level was terrible (but definitely down quite a bit - The by washes were dry), but going below Weston to Aston, it was down nearly a foot - had to crawl along at tick over all the way back to Shardlow. By wash above Shardlow lock still not flowing now - same at Derwent Mouth Lock. Presume Trent is not feeding much at Wychnor, and taking a long time to get here!!

[Best Mate]

We stopped at Wychnor last night, no problem with flow there. Might be an overflow gate has been opened further down.

[Suzie_q]

Came down from Stenson to Weston las night, and didn't notice the level was terrible (but definitely down quite a bit - The by washes were dry), but going below Weston to Aston, it was down nearly a foot - had to crawl along at tick over all the way back to Shardlow. By wash above Shardlow lock still not flowing now - same at Derwent Mouth Lock. Presume Trent is not feeding much at Wychnor, and taking a long time to get here!!

Weston to Ashton was the worst bit on Sunday but then we were queued up at Weston while CRT let some water down.

[FidoDido]

levels back to normal now