Are the locks getting worse or am I just getting older?

[starman]

It's only three years since we were last on the Leeds Liverpool but some of the locks seem horrendously hard work.

In the past couple of days we've done the Blackburn and Johnsons flights. Both had gates that couldn't be opened fully or shut without a hernia and substantial top gate leaks too - Starwoman got a regular soaking on the counter.

Are they worse or am I just getting weaker? I rather hope it's the latter - gives me an excuse to eat more steaks and go slower.

 

BTW my suffering is as nothing compared to the ultra marathon runners on the towpath today doing Liverpool Leeds NON STOP!

[LoneWolf]

both

[pearley]

Came up the Rochdale 9 last Saturday and thought they were in as bad condition as when we first cruised them in 1980.

 

But then it was raining and we are 36 years older.

[Grebe]

I'm well out of lock-wheeling practice but spent last Friday (19th) helping John and Fiona Slee on Epiphany down the Rufford Branch in the rain.

 

Those locks were really hard work even for wide locks. Heavy leaky....

 

From Parbold to Rufford we only saw one other boat moving and that was on the main line.

[ValandPete]

We have been up and down the Wigan flight in the past few weeks. Coming down was really hard work, top gates leaking really badly. Some gates can't be opened by one person. Paddles and some handcuff locks not working. Will be writing to CRT.

 

Used to enjoy doing this flight but not any more. They were always physically hard work but doable. I don't think my husband, altho older, has lost that much strength!

 

Val

[zenataomm]

The tea leaves tell me you are not getting older.

So you must blame lack of C&RT maintenance.

 

Good night.

[MtB]

Is this one of those northern canals evryone here raves about?

[starman]

Is this one of those northern canals evryone here raves about?

At the risk of antagonising Lancastrians, the Yorkshire side is lovely.

[Murflynn]

yes.

[Laurie Booth]

This summer we gave up doing the south Stratford canal due to the locks being so hard.

[matty40s]

I am not old yet and the locks ARE getting worse, across a very wide sphere of CRT navigations.

[Peter-Bullfinch]

This summer we have gone from Liverpool to Leeds including the Rufford Branch a couple of times. Onto the Huddersfield canals and around via the Macclesfield and Trent and Mersey. That's over 250 locks and loads of swing bridges. My wife prefers to do the locks but I get off too to help. Many were really heavy and we struggled with a few. We are well on in our sixties now....but I can think back to other visits when we were much younger and stronger.....and we found some locks and bridges really hard work then.

I feel more of us should jot down difficult lock gear, swing bridges, silted up bits, dangerous infrastructure and non working facilities and send these notes to the various local offices. Otherwise the Trust can argue that they haven't had complaints and in their eyes all is well.

We keep a little notebook by the steering position otherwise by the end of the day we have forgotten!