Working a Swing Bridge alone.

[DHutch]

Sadly, I think the Banbury stick is no longer useable on the South Oxford, since the lift bridge at Heyford was electrified. Here was my most recent trip in 2013

 

So, as a single hander, how do you get the stick into place? By lifting the bridge from the towpath side?

 

 

Daniel

[Scholar Gypsy]

So, as a single hander, how do you get the stick into place? My lifting the bridge from the towpath side?

 

 

Daniel

 

I gather that this bridge has yet to be converted, so the following may still be relevant. What I did was:

 

• attach a rope (a few metres) to the pointy end of my boathook (Banbury stick), using a clovehitch
• lift the bridge from the towpath side
• hold it up with the Banbury stick, with the pointy end down (on a nice smooth bit of concrete) and the other end holding the bridge up, ideally between some beams
• lay the rope so you can pick it up as you steer the boat through
• once the boat is clear of the bridge, give a tug on the rope to pull the bottom end sideways. The stick then falls in the water and you recover it (if you are any good at tying clovehitches).

 

The alternative is of course to forget the rope, and stop the boat and go back and recover the stick, and lower the bridge by hand.

[DHutch]

• attach a rope (a few metres) to the pointy end of my boathook (Banbury stick), using a clovehitch
• lift the bridge from the towpath side
• hold it up with the Banbury stick, with the pointy end down (on a nice smooth bit of concrete) and the other end holding the bridge up, ideally between some beams
• lay the rope so you can pick it up as you steer the boat through
• once the boat is clear of the bridge, give a tug on the rope to pull the bottom end sideways. The stick then falls in the water and you recover it (if you are any good at tying clovehitches).

Sounds fair.

 

Obviously if the bridge is well balanced enough to lift from the towpath site, its likely to fall at a speed thats safe not to cause damage, and visa versa.

 

 

Thanks

 

Daniel

[GreyLady]

So as a single boater do I need a pole to prop a lift bridge up or are the gear and ratchets pretty reliable ?

 

 

That pole looked like a toothpick compared to the lift bridge.

Edited March 22, 2016 by GreyLady

[ditchcrawler]

So as a single boater do I need a pole to prop a lift bridge up or are the gear and ratchets pretty reliable ?

 

 

That pole looked like a toothpick compared to the lift bridge.

Are there any lift bridges in the area you are going to be cruising for the first year or so?

[GreyLady]

Are there any lift bridges in the area you are going to be cruising for the first year or so?

Yep their is one on the wrong side of the tow path I am 99% sure.

 

Most of the time I will be with me dad but he won't be on the boat everyday and he likes his caravan in the summer.

 

He said today 'just wait for another boat to come through and ask them if you can seek under' job sorted. ☺

[MtB]

Even better, moor up for a day next to that lift bridge and sit out on the towpath watching how each boater coming along manages it.

 

A few will be single handers, and some of them will be old hands at it and breeze through. Watch and learn. Then copy!

[GreyLady]

Even better, moor up for a day next to that lift bridge and sit out on the towpath watching how each boater coming along manages it.

 

A few will be single handers, and some of them will be old hands at it and breeze through. Watch and learn. Then copy!

That's a good idea and hopefully in the summer I would not have to wait long either.

 

It's very quite at the moment

 

I am buzzing with excitement.

 

Cheers Mike