Locks on the BCN

[Gillie]

Someone told us today that there is a 67ft lock on the BCN..

 

I thought they were all 72ft because of the working boats...?

 

Anyone know this lock and where it is??

 

Gillie

[Hairy-Neil]

I've personally been through every currently navigable lock on the BCN with a 70 footer, Union Canal Carriers' hire boat, Great Britain..... and I've pretty well done the rest with ex Grand Union boats Atlas & Leo or Nuneaton & Brighton at 71' 6" with the exception of The Crow, Brades, Garrison and Rushall flights.

[bottle]

Hi Gillie

 

Have a look here British Waterways craft dimensions (PDF document)

 

These are the 'official' dimensions

[Gillie]

Hi Gillie

 

Have a look here British Waterways craft dimensions (PDF document)

 

These are the 'official' dimensions

 

 

Yes ..I have seen this as researched lengths pretty thoroughly before buying my 70 ft boat...

 

I thought it was odd thats why I asked here..

 

The person we spoke to lives in warickshire and has just ordered a new 67 ft boat because of the 67 ft lock on the BCN ??!!

Edited May 18, 2007 by Gillie

[bottle]

Hi

 

I hope he is mistaken and BW are right.

[Dodgy Dave]

hi gillie,

 

i'm moored at Ocker Hill in Tipton.. its off the Walsall Canal which is part of the Northern BCN..

 

i might be wrong (i hope i'm not) but to my knowledge, none of the BCN locks are less than 70ft..

if it's been done recently as a result of a stoppage, BW haven't told us..

 

while my own boat is only 45ft, i've steered, locked or followed my neighbour's 70 footer through

virtually all of the main BCN locks including the Wolverhampton 21, Factory 3, Ryders Green 8,

Blowers Green (deepest on the BCN), Perry Barr 13, Minworth 3 & Curdworth 11, Garrison 5 and

Camp Hill 6.. and while i've only had my boat 3 years, they've been boating for 7 and 8 and i've never

heard them mention any locks on the local network they couldn't get through...

 

there's one lock on the Stratford that was rebuilt tight, but 70 footers can still squeeze through with care..

it's lock 15 on the Lapworth flight and the wording in the Nicholsons says:

 

"Due to rebuilding, the chamber of lock 15 on the Lapworth flight is now over 2ft shorter than the other locks.

Those in full-length boats should take extra care when descending"

 

it's over 2ft shorter than the other locks.. it doesn't mean that it's 2ft shorter than 70ft...

 

i'm just wondering if this chap or someone he knows has mis-read this and taken it literally.. either that or someone is

having a laugh at this poor chap's expense.. it would be one hell of an April Fool's wind-up to trick someone into having

their boat built 3ft short..

 

at the same time it would also be one hell of a wind up if BW were to suddenly create a 'Berlin Wall for 70 footers'

across the BCN by shaving 3ft off a lock smack bang in the heart of the network..

 

hope this helps anyway ;-)

 

best regards

 

Dodgy Dave of Ocker Hill

'i might be dead, but i'm still pretty' - Buffy the Vampire Slayer

 

Someone told us today that there is a 67ft lock on the BCN..

 

I thought they were all 72ft because of the working boats...?

 

Anyone know this lock and where it is??

 

Gillie

[Hairy-Neil]

it's over 2ft shorter than the other locks.. it doesn't mean that it's 2ft shorter than 70ft...

 

I've been through it both up and down in recent years with four different 71' 6" GUCCC boats. It needs no more than fenders lifting to pass through.

[Richard T]

Many years ago was involved with little Woolwich boat Auriga and went through most of the locks between the old and new main lines. Brades staircase is a little short but with all fenders off we got through. However we came to grief at Camp Hill top lock where the ehtrance /exit at the upper level has cast iron protection with a width of only 7ft 1inch. Auriga has speread a bit so we became firmly wedged on leaving the lock going up hill. It took BW with a tirfor winch to get us out, by means of being pulled back into the lock and then going out as fast as possible whilst rocking the boat to find the narrow bit on the hull!! Typically it was our last narrow lock on a trip from Macclesfield to Brauston.

[Gillie]

Thanks for the replies Guys..

 

I did wonder if he was wrong at the time..

but as you say ...hopefully he was having a 67ft boat anyway and not really wanting a full length boat!!

 

Anyway if I see him again will ask ..!!

[Hairy-Neil]

Nuneaton has this problem too.

 

The problem I've seen with many ex Grand Union boats is not so much that they've spread. More that the rubbing strakes around the bows have worn over the years and have been repaired by welding a new strake onto the remains of the worn out one, thus adding perhaps 1/2" to the beam dimension. They started out life at 7' 1/2" so will be marginal in some locks anyway, without this.

[Jim]

Many years ago was involved with little Woolwich boat Auriga and went through most of the locks between the old and new main lines. Brades staircase is a little short but with all fenders off we got through. However we came to grief at Camp Hill top lock where the ehtrance /exit at the upper level has cast iron protection with a width of only 7ft 1inch. Auriga has speread a bit so we became firmly wedged on leaving the lock going up hill. It took BW with a tirfor winch to get us out, by means of being pulled back into the lock and then going out as fast as possible whilst rocking the boat to find the narrow bit on the hull!! Typically it was our last narrow lock on a trip from Macclesfield to Brauston.

 

This has reminded me that we had similar trouble at Camp Hill Top Lock back in the early 1970s when crewing on "Gardenia" which for those who don't remember was a working boat ballasted to resemble a partly-loaded craft and loaned to various waterway societies to operate as part of the "Keep the Channel Clear" campaign. As we struggled to get through, an "old-timer" appeared at the lock side and asked us if it was a "Grand Union" boat, as they often had trouble there!

Edited May 21, 2007 by Jim

[Dodgy Dave]

hi richard,

 

funny you should mention 'Auriga'... she's spent an awful lot of time on our Visitor/BW Workboat moorings near the entrance to our arm..

she's been here a good few months now but did move briefly to take part in the BCN Cleanup back in March...

 

i don't know much about the old workboats but i did notice 'Auriga' has got chains across her hold with big versions of the threaded hook link

thingy's that you use on fenders.. presumably to stop her spreading more...

 

best regards

 

Dodgy Dave of Ocker Hill

"I might be dead, but i'm still pretty" - Buffy the Vampire Slayer

 

Many years ago was involved with little Woolwich boat Auriga and went through most of the locks between the old and new main lines. Brades staircase is a little short but with all fenders off we got through. However we came to grief at Camp Hill top lock where the ehtrance /exit at the upper level has cast iron protection with a width of only 7ft 1inch. Auriga has speread a bit so we became firmly wedged on leaving the lock going up hill. It took BW with a tirfor winch to get us out, by means of being pulled back into the lock and then going out as fast as possible whilst rocking the boat to find the narrow bit on the hull!! Typically it was our last narrow lock on a trip from Macclesfield to Brauston.

[Richard T]

hi richard,

 

funny you should mention 'Auriga'... she's spent an awful lot of time on our Visitor/BW Workboat moorings near the entrance to our arm..

she's been here a good few months now but did move briefly to take part in the BCN Cleanup back in March...

 

i don't know much about the old workboats but i did notice 'Auriga' has got chains across her hold with big versions of the threaded hook link

thingy's that you use on fenders.. presumably to stop her spreading more...

 

best regards

 

Dodgy Dave of Ocker Hill

"I might be dead, but i'm still pretty" - Buffy the Vampire Slayer

 

 

Nice to know where Auriga is. Just been boating round Birmingham and Ocker Hill was a bit we missed on account of Walsall locks being U/S. At the time we were involved with her Ed Mortimer was sort of hiring her from Macclesfield Marina> Steve Jackson was also involved - Steve now runs the converted josher Camel, which takes me full circle as this was the first canal boat I ever went on when she was the length boat at Loughborough yard when BW had one there.

Boating round the bits of Birmingham was fun - are the natives always that unfriendly in Walsall (one broken window)!! But surprised by how nice the Tame valley and the bits round Brownhills and Aldridge are. Strangley held up by queues at Rushall locks - how often does that happen?

[fender]

I think some people think there are too many locks on the BCN.

 

Here's a link to a 'trial' program (not initiated by BW obviously) that aims to cut down the time taken to traverse Farmers bridge

 

Edited May 23, 2007 by fender

[grunders]

I think some people think there are too many locks on the BCN.

 

Here's a link to a 'trial' program (not initiated by BW obviously) that aims to cut down the time taken to traverse Farmers bridge

 

 

 

 

I hope he had a valid licence for that wakeboard!!

[AJLintern]

He almost received a Darwin Award courtesy of that not inconspicuous looking bridge that was in his flight path

[Dodgy Dave]

hi richard,

 

we very rarely have any hassle with the natives as we're mostly pretty native ourselves...

 

of course it helps that i look like a gangster rapper or night club bouncer on a day off..

plus when we group cruise as the 'Ocker Hill Mob' we've usually got 2 large german shepherds

in tow... all it really takes is 'Alright lads, how's it goin' and that's usually enough to disarm them

and keep things sweet...

 

but being at the bottom of the Ryders 8 flight does mean any trip has to be planned with military

precision as one or more pounds are usually drained... but no, very rarely do we get any trouble

on the move.. i've only been bricked once in my 3 years of boating, and it was a cheap shot from a

bridge on the Tame Valley..i stopped the boat dead, put my hoodie up and virtually offered out the

whole of Hill Top out for a rumble..!!!

 

p.s. Auriga is currently in British Waterways Transport colours... has been for the last couple of years ;-)

 

best regards

 

Dodgy Dave of Ocker Hill

"I might be dead, but i'm still pretty" - Buffy the Vampire Slayer

 

Nice to know where Auriga is. Just been boating round Birmingham and Ocker Hill was a bit we missed on account of Walsall locks being U/S. At the time we were involved with her Ed Mortimer was sort of hiring her from Macclesfield Marina> Steve Jackson was also involved - Steve now runs the converted josher Camel, which takes me full circle as this was the first canal boat I ever went on when she was the length boat at Loughborough yard when BW had one there.

Boating round the bits of Birmingham was fun - are the natives always that unfriendly in Walsall (one broken window)!! But surprised by how nice the Tame valley and the bits round Brownhills and Aldridge are. Strangley held up by queues at Rushall locks - how often does that happen?