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Can't cruise as they've closed a lock!


Boisdevie

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4 hours ago, rgreg said:

As this is a planned winter closure CRT could argue that you should have checked before making your journey. 

Of course the counter argument could be that CRT, when issuing a licence, don't at the time inform you that it is your obligation to check for closures. There isn't any legal obligation to own a computer, tablet or smartphone on which to check for closures or even to go to a public library to access one. 

Try parking in London these days; unless you own a credit card and a mobile phone you simply cannot park your car even though these items were not issued with your driving licence.

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7 hours ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

Not a helpful comment. That will be no help at all to the OP. 

CRT don't send out emails warning about the planned closures. The emails only tell us about the emergency, unplanned and otherwise unannounced stoppages.

True, but if you are signed up you'll get the rather tedious Boaters Update emails twice a month, which include info about the stoppage programme and a run down of stoppages in the month ahead.

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7 hours ago, Bewildered said:

Of course the counter argument could be that CRT, when issuing a licence, don't at the time inform you that it is your obligation to check for closures. There isn't any legal obligation to own a computer, tablet or smartphone on which to check for closures or even to go to a public library to access one. 

Try parking in London these days; unless you own a credit card and a mobile phone you simply cannot park your car even though these items were not issued with your driving licence.

Of course there's no obligation to check for closures, just to move at least every 14 days, which may mean having to turn around if you encounter one unexpectedly.

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11 hours ago, Boisdevie said:

And this is relevant to my post in what way exactly? Are you suggesting that I am doing this deliberately? FYI I have only been a NB owner since June this year and simply didn't realise that they shut locks for weeks at a time.

Ignorance is not really an excuse though.

CRT publish their list of planned stoppages every year. It is up to you to work your cruising around them.

Sorry it isn't the answer you were looking for

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9 hours ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

Not a helpful comment. That will be no help at all to the OP. 

CRT don't send out emails warning about the planned closures. The emails only tell us about the emergency, unplanned and otherwise unannounced stoppages.

Across the Birmingham area CRT post forthcoming stoppages on every notice board, updated fortnightly. Is this done elsewhere? 

Edited by pearley
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On 08/11/2017 at 09:20, pearley said:

Across the Birmingham area CRT post forthcoming stoppages on every notice board, updated fortnightly. Is this do? ne elsewhere

 

Yes.

Planned stoppages are certainly posted on the notice boards here on the K&A. Fairly sure I've seen them on the Oxford too. 

On 08/11/2017 at 07:35, BruceinSanity said:

True, but if you are signed up you'll get the rather tedious Boaters Update emails twice a month, which include info about the stoppage programme and a run down of stoppages in the month ahead.

 

This is a good point.

The "Boater Update" emails I get though, I find faintly patronising and rather tedious to read, so I have to admit, I don't. Read them that is. 

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The OP does get some sympathy from me for not knowing about the stoppages.  I suspect many new boaters get caught out, and some experienced ones too.  My sympathy does wear a little thin with the response to the mistake though.  Unless, you're trapped in a pound by two closures, either side of you, you can still cruise.  This is what you signed up to when you became a continuous cruiser.  As a lifestyle it has some major benefits but it can also be a total pain.  This is why some many liveaboards have a home mooring.  We pay a mooring fees so that we don't have to deal with the awkward aspects of continuous cruising.  It's also why many continuous cruisers take a CRT winter mooring - to avoid the stoppages.  

For future reference, the winter stoppages programme is usually published by June and can be viewed here: https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notices/winter/

You should also be looking on the stoppages website at least weekly for updates, as emergency stoppages can come up any time of year.  Often it's the emergency closure which take the longest to resolve.  This was the Dutton breach on the T&M in 2012 https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/news-and-views/news/trent-and-mersey-canal-re-opens-today it closed the canal for best part of a year!  (5 years ago - blimey - time flies).

 

 

9 minutes ago, pearley said:

Across the Birmingham area CRT post forthcoming stoppages on every notice board, updated fortnightly. Is this done elsewhere? 

No. It's pretty hit and miss depending on area.  Like many CRT things.

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Usual harsh comments on here from the usual crowd...

I got caught out by the winter closures a couple of years ago, my first winter, had to reverse a good way and go back up some locks in reverse to wind.

5 weeks though is not to bad, just stay there for two weeks, then go back a mile or so for two weeks then go back to the lock for a week, you might get a mail from CRT, but if you then carry on after the lock is open and put some distance in, you will be fine.

  • Greenie 1
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Before the advent of mobile phones and computers CRT's predecessors BW used to put their stoppages list on the TV teletext pages.

I don't recall people complaining that they couldn't receive them because they didn't have added to a suitable TV on board.

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7 minutes ago, cuthound said:

Before the advent of mobile phones and computers CRT's predecessors BW used to put their stoppages list on the TV teletext pages.

I don't recall people complaining that they couldn't receive them because they didn't have added to a suitable TV on board.

Really?  I never knew that!  Did Bamber Boozler do all the updates?

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Last year,about this time we were at Burscough on the L&L canal. Unfortunately, I had a couple of stays in Southport hospital. I informed CRT of my situation. We didn't receive authority to stay put nor did they decline my request to 'hang about'.

Our intention was to travel up the Rufford Branch and go on Lancaster Canal. The Rufford Branch was due for closure just after Christmas, so if we had leap frogged the closure we couldn't get onto the Ribble until Easter,which was April. We decided not to get stuck on the Rufford Arm.

Then we thought about Liverpool. Yes,we could have ventured towards Liverpool, but then again it would be months in the area before we could transit into Liverpool.

In addition, there was the ever changing situation,as mentioned previously, of the extended closure of the Bridgewater. 

So, we decided to forget Liverpool and the Lancaster and get South of the Bridgewater before closure.

Chapter two. We are now in the Devizes area of the K&A Canal. There is presently a stoppage at the top of the main flight of locks. We left Devizes and are in the sticks waiting for the 'window' to do the flight and a few miles towards Bath on the weekend commencing 17th November. Closures commence again on the 20th November.

You can avoid stoppages if you really need and want to. Just use your noddle.

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Quote

My sympathy does wear a little thin with the response to the mistake though.  Unless, you're trapped in a pound by two closures, either side of you, you can still cruise.  

Yes, of course I can cruise in the opposite direction back the way I came. But that's not the direction I want to go and every mile the wrong way in effect takes me two miles the wrong way. This costs me my time and fuel. Now yes, my ignorance is no excluse and I've learned a lesson. But frankly some of the comments to my genuine question I found quite insulting in their insinuations.

  • Greenie 1
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On 08/11/2017 at 09:40, Dave Payne said:

Usual harsh comments on here from the usual crowd...

I got caught out by the winter closures a couple of years ago, my first winter, had to reverse a good way and go back up some locks in reverse to wind.

 

Yes but can you not see the difference?

You saw your mistake, sucked it up and dealt with it. The OP comes on here complaining about his costing him time and money.

 

 

Edit to change her into him!

Edited by Mike the Boilerman
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11 minutes ago, Boisdevie said:

Yes, of course I can cruise in the opposite direction back the way I came. But that's not the direction I want to go and every mile the wrong way in effect takes me two miles the wrong way. This costs me my time and fuel. Now yes, my ignorance is no excluse and I've learned a lesson. But frankly some of the comments to my genuine question I found quite insulting in their insinuations.

Welcome to continuous cruising.  Sometimes life's like that.

12 minutes ago, Boisdevie said:

Yes, of course I can cruise in the opposite direction back the way I came. But that's not the direction I want to go and every mile the wrong way in effect takes me two miles the wrong way. This costs me my time and fuel. Now yes, my ignorance is no excluse and I've learned a lesson. But frankly some of the comments to my genuine question I found quite insulting in their insinuations.

If you perceive travelling on your boat as a waste of your time, then I have concerns about your suitability to canal life.  That's not meant as an insult.

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17 minutes ago, Boisdevie said:

Yes, of course I can cruise in the opposite direction back the way I came. But that's not the direction I want to go and every mile the wrong way in effect takes me two miles the wrong way. This costs me my time and fuel. Now yes, my ignorance is no excluse and I've learned a lesson. But frankly some of the comments to my genuine question I found quite insulting in their insinuations.

Without wishing to be unduly harsh (and I accept that this does seem to have come as a surprise to you);

Yes you will be travelling in the opposite direction to the direction you intended, but unless your intention is that when the 5 week stoppage is over you will be travelling considerable distances to get back on track with you original plan to be somewhere, it isn't costing you time and money. You will be moving just as you would have been moving if the lock was open.

To be slightly critical, didn't you do at least a bit of research in advance of getting the boat? I also believe that as a new continuous cruiser, CRT will have sent you some information when you got the licence.

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Talking of Butlers!!

On another site I visit, discussions have been taking place of serving on the Royal Yot! and how everything had to be cleaned and polished every day. Especially when Liz and pals were due onboard. 

My ficticious Butler died years ago due to a hard life keeping Nightwatch spice and span. (My excuse for the present state of Nightwatch)

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1 hour ago, Dave Payne said:

Usual harsh comments on here from the usual crowd...

I got caught out by the winter closures a couple of years ago, my first winter, had to reverse a good way and go back up some locks in reverse to wind.

5 weeks though is not to bad, just stay there for two weeks, then go back a mile or so for two weeks then go back to the lock for a week, you might get a mail from CRT, but if you then carry on after the lock is open and put some distance in, you will be fine.

I got caught at the bottom of Farmers Bridge, not to bad as the canal was due to open the next day, a call to BW confirmed this so we walked up the flight expecting to see things being made ready for the morning, what we found was the pound near the top empty of water but full of erected scaffolding, speaking to the Foreman he very much doubted if the canal would be open in a fortnight let alone 18 hours time. This was back in 2003 and we were heading for Tipton so had to turn down Aston but with no water coming down Farmers Bridge levels were low and I had to pull out friends out of the top lock  backward and then remove the crap before we could go via the Tame Valley, I always checked the stoppages after that.

CNV00020small.jpg

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15 hours ago, dmr said:

Carry on into Liverpool, over the Mersey, in at Ellesmere port, down to Chester then all the way down to Norbury wharf to replenish the diesel :D

...............Dave

 

Dave, I remember we had a very pleasant time by Appley Lock, lock 91. How's your chess coming on? 

To the OP, it's a nice spot by that lock and only half an hour walk to Parbold for supplies. So I'd spend a fortnight there, then go back to the previous lock where you can fill with water, stay for fortnight, then back to 91 for a week. It's a half hour cruise between locks so no big deal on fuel. 

Both locks have a small arm either side where you can sit out of the way. 

Use your free time to catch up on further stoppages. Enjoy. 

  • Greenie 1
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My relaxed view, if it was me,  I would moor up somewhere convenient with access to service facilities - and stay there 14 days at least - and then until moved on by CRT - which could be soon if I had picked a popular spot that prevents other boaters from mooring there.  I will soon get reported (probably by boaters caught by the stoppage).

However, it is unlikely to be busy, as most boaters would have avoided the area knowing about the lock closures by doing there homework before setting out. 

Mind you, I might not get moved on. Some public moorings have financial penalties for over-staying - and sending you a bill could be a useful income to CRT for not forcing you to move. 

 

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2 hours ago, Boisdevie said:

Yes, of course I can cruise in the opposite direction back the way I came. But that's not the direction I want to go and every mile the wrong way in effect takes me two miles the wrong way. This costs me my time and fuel. Now yes, my ignorance is no excluse and I've learned a lesson. But frankly some of the comments to my genuine question I found quite insulting in their insinuations.

So what are your plans when you do finally arrive at the Rufford Branch?

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