Boat sunk on the North Oxford

[FirstRateFirstMate]

A boat is partially submerged and resting across the canal by the electricity sub-station between bridge four and Hawkesbury Junction on the North Oxford. It is the same boat that we saw on fire a few months ago. I'm not sure if it has been posted before but there is a picture attached.

[Mal in Somerset]

Looks like the same boat, from what I can tell!

[FirstRateFirstMate]

Here is a link to the original post about the boat fire

 

http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=82593

[Alway Swilby]

It was there when we came through last month.

[Athy]

So it has been there for the best part of a month and no one has moved it yet? Why not? Is it not obstructing the navigation?

[ditchcrawler]

So it has been there for the best part of a month and no one has moved it yet? Why not? Is it not obstructing the navigation?

Not if people are getting through

[Rose Narrowboats]

Removing it is not straightforward.

 

Apparently a request to bring a crane onto the adjacent land has rejected, and an attempt to raise it using floating plant on Friday was unsuccessful.

[Southern Star]

I was going to say that crane access might be difficult, we came across this boat while it was ablaze and the fire brigade could only gain access with a Land Rover, it's quite a way from the road.

 

Just to clarify for anybody wondering, the OP is my son who is boat-mad!

[FirstRateFirstMate]

It is situated down a small track by the electricity sub station. As far as I recall there are wires that hang low right above where is it making removal a difficulty at best

[Athy]

Removing it is not straightforward.

 

Apparently a request to bring a crane onto the adjacent land has rejected, and an attempt to raise it using floating plant on Friday was unsuccessful.

Ah, so someone has been addressing the problem. Good. Thanks for the info.

Not if people are getting through

That's one interpretation I suppose. But if its width is reduced by half, that means that one boat can get through but two, from opposite directions, cannot. Ergo, the navigation is obstructed. Think of a road when half of it is sealed off by plastic bollards - would you not consider that it was obstructed?

[mark99]

Ah, so someone has been addressing the problem. Good. Thanks for the info.

That's one interpretation I suppose. But if its width is reduced by half, that means that one boat can get through but two, from opposite directions, cannot. Ergo, the navigation is obstructed. Think of a road when half of it is sealed off by plastic bollards - would you not consider that it was obstructed?

 

A road yes because of mean traffic flow - a canal - no: same reason. Restricted perhaps.

Edited April 10, 2016 by mark99

[Athy]

Restricted perhaps.

Eh? Do you feel that "restricted" is different from "obstructed"?

[valrene9600]

Just give way to boat coming through no problem. If there is enough width for one boat to get through then it's just restricted, no different to a bridge hold. Give way to each other and live is good. Of course crt could tie a workboat across the canal and announce a stoppage but that would just be creating a drama out of nothing.

Happy boating and as you pass just think of the poor castard that lost his boat, that is dramatic.

[Tony Dunkley]

Removing it is not straightforward.

 

Apparently a request to bring a crane onto the adjacent land has rejected, and an attempt to raise it using floating plant on Friday was unsuccessful.

 

Obviously it can't be pumped out from where it's laying at the moment, but dragging a small boat like that in towards the towpath until the gunwhales come above the water's surface isn't difficult.

Bringing a crane in to do the job isn't necessary, and would be ludicrously expensive.

[patty-ann]

Maybe they haven't thought of simple solutions...

[saltysplash]

We had a burntout sunken cruiser on the Slough Arm last year which was there for several weeks. No road access etc. CRT eventually came down with a HIAB on a boat and removed it.

I think they lifted it bit by bit and cut it up in to smaller chunks to make removal easier.

[mark99]

Eh? Do you feel that "restricted" is different from "obstructed"?

 

Can't think got a mental blockage.

[Athy]

 

Can't think got a mental blockage.

Let's see if I can remember how to award a greeno...umm...er...ah yes, that's it.

[Alan de Enfield]

Eh? Do you feel that "restricted" is different from "obstructed"?

 

I do.

 

A restriction is a method of controlling actions - ie, a speed restriction, a height restriction, or a width restriction and is usually an 'official' notification of something, and most commonly applied to 'legal situations, ie Planning restrictions, restrictions to licencing hours etc etc.

 

An obstruction (Dictionary definition) is "something that obstructs, blocks, or closes up with an obstacle or obstacles; obstacle or hindrance:

Example : obstructions to navigation".

 

If you had a slightly swollen throat, you would have a restriction to eating, if it was totally blocked then it would be an obstruction.

Edited April 11, 2016 by Alan de Enfield

[Athy]

An interesting interpretation, thank you.

[billh]

 

Obviously it can't be pumped out from where it's laying at the moment, but dragging a small boat like that in towards the towpath until the gunwhales come above the water's surface isn't difficult.

Bringing a crane in to do the job isn't necessary, and would be ludicrously expensive.

I'm with you on that.

Lifting strops or chains can't be safely and reliably attached to a sunk boat and it would still need to be pumped out , otherwise the crane would need to be able to lift the boat and tons of water from probably a distance away.

Years ago we needed to lift an 18ton dredger ,not sunk, but crane access was poor, so the reach required a 200 ton crane.

Tirfor winches and a moderate sized pump should do the trick here, hired for not very much.

Bill

[Tony Dunkley]

I'm with you on that.

Lifting strops or chains can't be safely and reliably attached to a sunk boat and it would still need to be pumped out , otherwise the crane would need to be able to lift the boat and tons of water from probably a distance away.

Years ago we needed to lift an 18ton dredger ,not sunk, but crane access was poor, so the reach required a 200 ton crane.

Tirfor winches and a moderate sized pump should do the trick here, hired for not very much.

Bill

 

Spot on , Bill.

There is even a conveniently situated selection of trees and telegraph poles for the Tirfor.

[ditchcrawler]

I suppose a lot depends on how far down the hull is holed, how big, how much freeboard is left from the burn out and how deep the water is at the edge. Easy

[zenataomm]

I think in this case the boat sank due to water used to extinguish the fire not due to being holed.

If you check the site on Google Earth you'll notice that an "ash and clinker" road runs just the other side of the hedge towpath side which goes to the sub station (not the one shown on the right, there is another one on the left) that road is accessible off the Alderman's Green Road just before the converted pub (Elephant & Castle)

I guess that is the road the Fire Services were unable to get access to on the day.

 

Of course there are a lot of HT cables and pylons around, not clever for using cranes

Forgot to add Google Earth photo ..................

 

[Dave Payne]

There is another wooden boat just back up the Coventry at the Ashby junction, i think it had sunk last year and had been pulled back onto the bank and tied up, a notice has been put on it, its another potential fire waiting to happen....