Jump to content

Southcote lock K& A closed

JV44

By JV44
in Stoppages

 Share

Featured Posts

JV44 Contributor

JV44

Posted
Posted

We came through this morning and it was fine but have heard that some has hit a gate resulting in crt padlocking the lock with no one to look at it till after the bank holiday

No idea of state of damage but it is due to be replaced in the winter closures so this could be out of action for a while and assuming they don't place notices lower down that is a fair track up the canal to go back down just a heads up Steve

Link to comment
Share on other sites
nipper Proficient

nipper

Posted
Posted (edited)

Ah!

 

A friend of a friend stoppage?

 

I had a phone yesterday to advise that the caller had a "friend " stuck who was advised by crt that it would be a minimum of days not hours before the damage was repaired.

Paul

Ah!

 

Would that friend of yours be the same friend of your friend that had a message from someone they knew that had heard of the stoppage that JV44 knows?

 

Apart from frustrating me on my cruise of the south of England.

If this is true, then there will be an awful lot of boaters that wont be able to get back to civilisation for a long while!

I have had no success in reaching the Blakes Lock lock keeper as yet!

Nipper

Edited by nipper
Link to comment
Share on other sites
JV44 Contributor

JV44

Posted
  • Author
Posted

After hearing from friends off the island who walked down yesterday both Fobney and Southcote padlocked and cart are sending someone to look at it Tuesday but the boats are starting to back up at cunning man and I would guess prison loop below the Oracle

No idea of timescale but guess cart will have more idea after Tuesday Steve

Link to comment
Share on other sites
nipper Proficient

nipper

Posted
Posted (edited)

Thank you Steve for the update.

 

I have also learned that there is now not a lockie at Blakes Lock.

 

At least I have my Environment Agency licence up untill Thursday evening.

 

Happy days!

 

Nipper

Edited by nipper
Link to comment
Share on other sites
JV44 Contributor

JV44

Posted
  • Author
Posted

We needed to get back up to the island really but looks like we are stuck out for a while to , Goring this evening nice pub meal and ale

You could always try heading up through Blakes and see if there are any spaces on the prison loop biit to get yourself out of paying for more time on the Thames

They will have to relax the 24 hour mooring thing there in these circumstances I would have thought

Have since heard it is the beam that fixes to the pivot that is broke so doesn't sound like an easy fix if that is the case ,we may scrounge a lift to go and have a look see tomorrow if we can to see for ourselves and will update then Steve

Link to comment
Share on other sites
MtB Veteran II

MtBDonate to Canal World

Posted
Posted

We needed to get back up to the island really but looks like we are stuck out for a while to , Goring this evening nice pub meal and ale

You could always try heading up through Blakes and see if there are any spaces on the prison loop biit to get yourself out of paying for more time on the Thames

They will have to relax the 24 hour mooring thing there in these circumstances I would have thought

Have since heard it is the beam that fixes to the pivot that is broke so doesn't sound like an easy fix if that is the case ,we may scrounge a lift to go and have a look see tomorrow if we can to see for ourselves and will update then Steve

 

 

Swerving off topic, the 24 hour signs there say they belong to Reading Borough Council, not CRT.

 

I wonder what enforcement happens there, and on what basis in law...

Link to comment
Share on other sites
MtB Veteran II

MtBDonate to Canal World

Posted
Posted

I have never seen one there

 

 

I have. The last time I saw him was in about 2005.

 

He used to burst out of his house and bollock me for not opening both gates if he caught me, despite each gate being a good nine feet wide. He did this even if he was off duty.

 

He did not seem a man happy in his work...

Link to comment
Share on other sites
JV44 Contributor

JV44

Posted
  • Author
Posted

We are up and down through there a lot each year and in eight years think we have seen a Locky on maybe a dozen times

EA and CART don't seem to talk to each other about stuff like this which doesn't help

Link to comment
Share on other sites
nipper Proficient

nipper

Posted
Posted (edited)

Whilst I'm a little peeved at having to wait to continue my passages, It dos emphasise that CART will send staff to put out fires, so to speak, on prominent bits of the system, but show complete lack of interest on others!

 

Lets face it, 4 days to send a team to repair a gate?

We have known about this since JV44 started this thread, but there is not a mention of it in the stoppages from CART and with it occurring at the start of a Bank Holiday, I would find it very hard to defend CART, as is my usual stance when c..p happens.

 

Yesterday, whist heading Reading way in the rain, I came across two narrow boats heading back to their moorings on The Kennet and Avon, who had heard not a thing about what lies ahead of them.

Also, just as an aside, I have had no messages from CART at all about stoppages anywhere on the whole system. which really seems to indicate that perhaps they have all had the weekend off, leaving the system to look after itself!

 

This "unofficial" stoppage seems to be the result of a boater damaging the lock gate "again". And does suggest that the lock gate was a little "on the tender side", indicating to me that lack of maintenance is again at the forefront. It does seem that CART cannot hope to maintain the system at the present rate without starting, or thinking about closing down some of the lesser used canal sections.

 

Oh, i do hope i am wrong.

 

Nipper

Edited by nipper
Link to comment
Share on other sites
MtB Veteran II

MtBDonate to Canal World

Posted
Posted

Thank goodness the status of the K&A was upgraded from "Remainder" to "Cruiseway" just before the demise of BW.

 

CRT are legally obliged to maintain Cruiseways but can abandon remainder waterways on a whim, as I understand it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
nipper Proficient

nipper

Posted
Posted

This damaged gate, although it's only a guess by my part, has all the hallmarks of the Buckby flight damaged gate.

 

Surely CART have access to "L" section steel plates, or if not, it cannot take that long to get them cut out and fixed as a gusset both sides of he damaged section.

 

I suspect the same will happen here as at Buckby and assisted passages will be the norm till November, then the whole lot can be fixed at the same time!

 

So, long waiting times are probably ahead, as is happening at Buckby.

 

I really don't want to get on a canal and find that in a months time i cannot get off of it!

 

Maybe I should cut and run up to the Midlands, skirting the top of the Grand Union at The Buckby Flight and getting up past Norton Junction before the stoppages on the Southern Oxford.

 

Hell, there seems to be an endless stoppage everywhere i look on the map!

 

Oh the trials and tribulations of a proper Constant Cruiser! cheers.gif

 

Nipper

Link to comment
Share on other sites
JV44 Contributor

JV44

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Throwing my hat into the guesstimating ring the lock has always been a pain going up and as the bottom ones leak so bad often it gets to that annoying not quite full stage and seems to stay there for an age so suspect someone has used boat as an opener before waiting long enough

SWMBO went back to the island to pick up our motor and had a walk down to see and it doesn't look terrible in the pics but gate is jammed and wants a L plate bolted on

How long is a piece of string I guess time wise

As a bonus sat at Goring catching big Perch

Link to comment
Share on other sites
nipper Proficient

nipper

Posted
Posted

Thanks JV44.

 

I past Goring a couple of hours ago and the lockie did mentioned the stoppage, others above Goring didn't know anything, but then, it's not there waterway!

 

If CART have spare L SECTION plates, and lets face i,t they have had a few days to find some, perhaps a day would suffice for the repair.

 

Happy fishing.

 

Nipper

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Neil2 Veteran

Neil2

Posted
Posted

I can testify that CRT have not taken the weekend off. Earlier today a couple of guys drove down to one of the locks above Hungerford sat in their van in the pouring rain watched us go through then drove off again.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
JV44 Contributor

JV44

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Thanks JV44.

 

I past Goring a couple of hours ago and the lockie did mentioned the stoppage, others above Goring didn't know anything, but then, it's not there waterway!

 

If CART have spare L SECTION plates, and lets face i,t they have had a few days to find some, perhaps a day would suffice for the repair.

 

Happy fishing.

 

Nipper

You must of passed us moored on the wall then narrow boat with 2 red kayaks on top ,I made a point of speaking to the Locky to tell him to warn others heading down

Hope you manage to get up the Kennet without to much delay /hassle

Link to comment
Share on other sites
nipper Proficient

nipper

Posted
Posted (edited)

To be honest I missed you as I was probably looking at a couple of boats that came down river with us yesterday.

I'm bunkering up at Better Boats in the morning and also having a bit of welding done by them too.

 

Then I'll try to get alongside the long term/sorry the Tesco mooring to do a bit of shopping as it seems ages since we did a shop!

 

Then I'll probably bumble about till Thursday when the licence runs out and see what's happening with the lock.

 

If it is still closed , then I'll make tracks either back up to Oxford and the canal or down to London and the Grand Union!

 

Don't really matter either way!

 

Nipper

Edited by nipper
Link to comment
Share on other sites
nipper Proficient

nipper

Posted
Posted (edited)

CRT have investigated the lock this morning, and the plan is to have it open by Thursday lunchtime. Unlike Buckby, the damaged gate will be usable as normal.

 

 

Thanks Tim.

 

Now all is nearly right with our boating world cheers.gif

Now all we need is for boat yards to keep their promises and it would be perfict!!

 

Nipper

Edited by nipper
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.