At a lock today...

[system 4-50]

 

 

Really? I generally find the paddles (at the far end at least) need to be down already, before I can enter the lock!

Just keeping you on your toes...

[ditchcrawler]

 

 

Really? I generally find the paddles (at the far end at least) need to be down already, before I can enter the lock!

I couldn't work it out ether but thought it was something to do with his sense of humour so ignored it

[Bettie Boo]

Where have you ever seen a turtle in a British waterway?

 

Last summer on the Paddington arm

[Bettie Boo]

 

 

. Got any evidence that your veg peelings actually get eaten? I'd rather not see old vegetables floating about rotting in the cut for three months thank you.

 

Well Dave uses frozen corn kennels for bait (he thaws it first) and the fishes love that so I figure they are bound to lourve my chopped up carrot, spud peelings and the bottoms of my asparagus sticks and chopped up cabbage bits

[Athy]

 

Last summer on the Paddington arm

Not a terrapin, are you sure?

[Jamm]

Does a double handed crew actually need help at a lock? On rare occasions when I'm not single handed it's sheer luxury. Sounds like the guy who closed the gate on you is playing the victim.

[Jim Riley]

 

Well Dave uses frozen corn kennels for bait

Fishing for dogfish?

[MtB]

Fishing for dogfish?

Lol, good spot!

[Athy]

Greeno for Jim!

Does a double handed crew actually need help at a lock?

Where available, it is certainly welcome. We are such a crew, and one stays on the boat at locks, leaving the other to operate them. Help is especially appreciated in opening and closing the double bottom gates - we don't do death-defying leaps, though recently I have experimented with pushing the far gate open with the boathook.

[MtB]

Greeno for Jim!

Where available, it is certainly welcome. We are such a crew, and one stays on the boat at locks, leaving the other to operate them. Help is especially appreciated in opening and closing the double bottom gates - we don't do death-defying leaps, though recently I have experimented with pushing the far gate open with the boathook.

 

 

You and your technology! We'll make a technofile of you yet. GO ATHY!!!!

 

[spadefoot]

Greeno for Jim!

Where available, it is certainly welcome. We are such a crew, and one stays on the boat at locks, leaving the other to operate them. Help is especially appreciated in opening and closing the double bottom gates - we don't do death-defying leaps, though recently I have experimented with pushing the far gate open with the boathook.

The other day, as I was cycling past Towney lock, I could see a woman struggling to open the bottom gates. "Do you need some help there?" "Oh, please" she said. So I got off my bike, walked to the other end of the lock & called down to the lemon on the tiller "oi mate, your missus wants a hand with the work" .

Then I got on with my day.

[Athy]

The other day, as I was cycling past Towney lock, I could see a woman struggling to open the bottom gates. "Do you need some help there?" "Oh, please" she said. So I got off my bike, walked to the other end of the lock & called down to the lemon on the tiller "oi mate, your missus wants a hand with the work" .

Then I got on with my day.

Were your parents married?

 

 

You and your technology! We'll make a technofile of you yet. GO ATHY!!!!

 

TechnoPHILE actually

We'll make a literate person out of you yet. GO BOILY!!!!!

[MtB]

Were your parents married?

TechnoPHILE actually

We'll make a literate person out of you yet. GO BOILY!!!!!

 

 

Lol, I could see it wasn't right when I typed it but thought I'd hand you some ammunition.

 

I'd lurve to be as literate as what you are... keep up the training, thanks!

 

GO MOI..!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Athy]

 

 

 

 

I'd lurve to be as literate as what you are... keep up the training, thanks!

 

 

I'll try me best to learn you more, innit.

[ditchcrawler]

The other day, as I was cycling past Towney lock, I could see a woman struggling to open the bottom gates. "Do you need some help there?" "Oh, please" she said. So I got off my bike, walked to the other end of the lock & called down to the lemon on the tiller "oi mate, your missus wants a hand with the work" .

Then I got on with my day.

I have often thought that but never said it.

[MtB]

First, suggest this to the woman struggling. I BET she says she wouldn't steer the boat into a lock for all the tea in China.

 

This is why he is over there on the tiller. She prefers to work the lock.

Edited July 10, 2016 by Mike the Boilerman

[spadefoot]

I suspect that a lot of couples enjoy the separation of the demarcation. Don't get me wrong, I'll help out as much as the next chap and I do understand that some people don't like helming. What I don't understand is how a bloke can watch his wife struggle while he stands or sits at the tiller, pretending to be doing something vital.

[nicknorman]

What I don't understand is how a bloke can watch his wife struggle while he stands or sits at the tiller, pretending to be doing something vital.

This seems quite sexist. Why shouldn't a woman do manual work? If she is struggling then she needs to struggle more so as to build up her strength. It's not as though "struggling" is likely to damage her. And if she doesn't like it, she'll probably just not do it, unless the skipper had her in chains and was plying the whip? But perhaps you are just worried about her getting dirty grease on her pretty frock?

Edited July 10, 2016 by nicknorman

[ditchcrawler]

I understand there was a chap volunteering at shade House lock a couple of weeks back and demanding money. I didn't see him but was told by the volunteer at the bottom lock who was on his phone to the volunteer who had just arrived at the top.

[spadefoot]

This seems quite sexist. Why shouldn't a woman do manual work? If she is struggling then she needs to struggle more so as to build up her strength. It's not as though "struggling" is likely to damage her. And if she doesn't like it, she'll probably just not do it, unless the skipper had her in chains and was plying the whip? But perhaps you are just worried about her getting dirty grease on her pretty frock?

If it makes you feel better, I could change "bloke" & "wife" for "bigger bloke" & "smaller bloke".

My point is, there is absolutely no need for anyone to be at the helm, in a lock.

Mind you, some of those windlass wielding gels is damn fit, even with a saucy splash of grease on 'em, & it's much nicer to chat them up while hubby is pre-occupied, polishing his nails on the back deck.

[rasputin]

The other day, as I was cycling past Towney lock, I could see a woman struggling to open the bottom gates. "Do you need some help there?" "Oh, please" she said. So I got off my bike, walked to the other end of the lock & called down to the lemon on the tiller "oi mate, your missus wants a hand with the work" .

Then I got on with my day.

So, If i was single handing, and someone said, "you stay on the boat, I'll do the lock", Then you come along on your bike and your offer of help is accepted, You are then going to shout down some grief to me for being a lazy git.

 

I think you need to stop offering help.

[haggis]

When we boat, our preference is for Iain to street the boat and I work the locks BUT he actually gets off the boat and does as much or the paddle winding and gate opening and closing as I do! This includes dropping the off side paddle on narrow locks. It always amuses me when the boat sails out of the lock with the steerer clutching the tiller and the lock wheeler has to go round/over and drop the paddle. Where does the steerer think the boat is going to go when it is leaving a lock only slightly wider than itself?

 

haggis

Edited July 10, 2016 by haggis

[ditchcrawler]

So, If i was single handing, and someone said, "you stay on the boat, I'll do the lock", Then you come along on your bike and your offer of help is accepted, You are then going to shout down some grief to me for being a lazy git.

 

I think you need to stop offering help.

If someone says that to me unless I know them I still get off the boat even if its an official Volocky. If things go wrong you cant do anything sat on the boat.

[MtB]

If someone says that to me unless I know them I still get off the boat even if its an official Volocky. If things go wrong you cant do anything sat on the boat.

 

 

When someone says to me 'stay on the boat' I get off the boat particularly if they are a volocky.

 

The persistent anecdotes here about occasional volockies with an unpleasant combination of arrogance and incompetence makes this essential in my view.

 

As you say, if things go wrong you are least able to do anything about it if you are at the tiller.

[spadefoot]

So, If i was single handing, and someone said, "you stay on the boat, I'll do the lock", Then you come along on your bike and your offer of help is accepted, You are then going to shout down some grief to me for being a lazy git.

 

I think you need to stop offering help.

If you're single-handing & hearing voices, you need professional help. I'd be rubbish at it.

I should point out that I don't patrol the towpaths looking for people to help or abuse. If I'm out & about, I'll probably stop & chat, like people do. Maybe I'll swing a gate & close up after them. Maybe I won't.

Also, I'll only give someone grief if I reckon they can't get up a lock-ladder in a hurry. (or if they've got a really silly boat).

If you go back & read it again, you might see that I was having a mildly sarky dig at another poster, I was bored with turtles.