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Liverpool Link - Self Operation


David Mack

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Good news just received from CRT should make the Liverpool Link easier.

Update on 10/04/2018:

GETTING TO LIVERPOOL YOUR WAY

As of Monday 16 April 2018, we will be launching a suite of improvements to deliver a full self-service experience for customers travelling towards Liverpool on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal and for those using the Liverpool Canal Link. Improvements to how the swing bridges and Stanley Locks are operated and changes to our web booking system make it easier than ever before to access Liverpool and the historic Liverpool South Docks.   

Leeds & Liverpool Canal improvements include:

  • Installation of road barriers and a new user pedestal will allow self-user operation at Bridge 9 (Handcock’s Swing Bridge).  Please note that use of the bridge will be restricted during peak traffic times and will be open for user operation from 9:30am to 2:00pm and 6pm to 7:30am daily (no assistance required).
  • Installation of new landing stages at Bridge 6 (Netherton Swing Bridge) will enable user operation.  We have also completed extensive site works to clear vegetation, install new fencing, pathways and signage across the site.  

Liverpool Canal Link improvements include:

  • Improvements to the Stanley Locks and paddles will facilitate user operation (roving lock keepers will be available for guidance)  
  • Changes to the passage times will allow unlimited boat movements during allocated windows (8:00am to 9:30am travelling out of Liverpool and 1pm to 4pm travelling into Liverpool daily except Tuesdays). Please note a web booking is still required for the Liverpool Canal Link and this can be made on the boat licensing pages on this link
  • Changes to the web booking system mean that you can now book your own pontoon mooring in Salthouse Dock
  • Installation of a pontoon landing stage in Princes Dock allows customers to safely access the lock for operation
  • Installation of a pontoon at the bottom of Stanley Lock Flight allows customers to safely access the locks for operation

Please let us know about your experience of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal and Liverpool Canal Link.  This can be done by e-mail to enquiries.northwest@canalrivertrust.org.uk  

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Er - if its going to be that easy now - will they be able to police the 7 boats in/out per day??  Yes I know you still need to book but will there be anyone to check?  Mind you I've never understood that policy as effectively the basin will never be full.  I was told that it was to reduce the number of times the bridges were opened as at least one is on a route to a large hospital but that can't be right if they are allowing crews toeffectively go when they want now.

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20 hours ago, pearley said:

Hopefully this will mean the Link will be open all year round in future. 

The answer to that is no, at least not yet, so closed from 1 November to 31March. Still no exnation why. 

 

11 minutes ago, larryjc said:

Er - if its going to be that easy now - will they be able to police the 7 boats in/out per day??  Yes I know you still need to book but will there be anyone to check?  Mind you I've never understood that policy as effectively the basin will never be full.  I was told that it was to reduce the number of times the bridges were opened as at least one is on a route to a large hospital but that can't be right if they are allowing crews toeffectively go when they want now.

What you don't want is two boats meeting in Sids Ditch with the seaward side sloping into the channel a narrowboat would struggle to get past a wide boat coming the other way. 

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28 minutes ago, pearley said:

The answer to that is no, at least not yet, so closed from 1 November to 31March. Still no exnation why. 

 

What you don't want is two boats meeting in Sids Ditch with the seaward side sloping into the channel a narrowboat would struggle to get past a wide boat coming the other way. 

It states outgoing in the morning and incoming in the afternoon so there should not be any problems.

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Understood but why the limit of 7 boats if its not to limit bridge opening?  When we were there last year I calculated that at least a quarter of the berths would always be empty.  To my mind CRT are missing a major trick here - one of the best places we have ever taken out boat.  Free electricity, free waste disposal , free berthing for 7 days and never full.  From a boaty perspective - great.  From a commercial perspective - utter madness. 

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15 minutes ago, larryjc said:

Understood but why the limit of 7 boats if its not to limit bridge opening?  When we were there last year I calculated that at least a quarter of the berths would always be empty.  To my mind CRT are missing a major trick here - one of the best places we have ever taken out boat.  Free electricity, free waste disposal , free berthing for 7 days and never full.  From a boaty perspective - great.  From a commercial perspective - utter madness. 

And why only 6 days a week

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2 hours ago, Pie Eater said:

It states outgoing in the morning and incoming in the afternoon so there should not be any problems.

I was responding to how it will be policed. Unless there is someone policing the boars at Stanley Docks, At some point a boater will try to descend into the docks when he shouldn't. 

1 hour ago, larryjc said:

Understood but why the limit of 7 boats if its not to limit bridge opening?  When we were there last year I calculated that at least a quarter of the berths would always be empty.  To my mind CRT are missing a major trick here - one of the best places we have ever taken out boat.  Free electricity, free waste disposal , free berthing for 7 days and never full.  From a boaty perspective - great.  From a commercial perspective - utter madness. 

I would agree with you. I've never understood why there isn't a charge like Llangollen, especially after they decided not to bother repairing the electricity card readers. I couldn't even guess how much the pontoons cost. 

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4 hours ago, larryjc said:

Er - if its going to be that easy now - will they be able to police the 7 boats in/out per day??  Yes I know you still need to book but will there be anyone to check?  Mind you I've never understood that policy as effectively the basin will never be full.  I was told that it was to reduce the number of times the bridges were opened as at least one is on a route to a large hospital but that can't be right if they are allowing crews toeffectively go when they want now.

I've only speed read the CaRT info but it sounds like in and out can only be done at certain quite limited times of the day. It sounds like they will still be working the very last lock (Mann Island) so can control who goes in and out. I think there is still has no lock landing below this lock and its also (sort of) semi tidal and possibly a transition from CaRT to Peel controlled waters so will probably always need supervision. Passage through this lock also requires the gate into Albert dock to be open.

..........Dave

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On 10/04/2018 at 16:29, David Mack said:

 

  • Changes to the passage times will allow unlimited boat movements during allocated windows (8:00am to 9:30am travelling out of Liverpool and 1pm to 4pm travelling into Liverpool daily except Tuesdays). Please note a web booking is still required for the Liverpool Canal Link and this can be made on the boat licensing pages on this link
  •  

So there is still to be an embargo on movements in and out of the link on Tuesdays ? That is a shame. We tried to get a hireboat to do The Link. The nearest we could find was Claymore at Preston Brook. Using Canalplan we worked out it could be done in a week. The only problem was that being a Fri-Fri hire it meant we would arrive in Liverpool on Mon, and have to leave on Tue to get back by Friday. Even with a Sat-Sat hire, we'd still have arrived in Liverpool on Tues and still not be able to access The Link. We ended up going to the top of the Huddersfield Narrow (Wool Rd) instead, but Liverpool os still on our 'to do list'...

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28 minutes ago, Pete of Ebor said:

So there is still to be an embargo on movements in and out of the link on Tuesdays ? That is a shame. We tried to get a hireboat to do The Link. The nearest we could find was Claymore at Preston Brook. Using Canalplan we worked out it could be done in a week. The only problem was that being a Fri-Fri hire it meant we would arrive in Liverpool on Mon, and have to leave on Tue to get back by Friday. Even with a Sat-Sat hire, we'd still have arrived in Liverpool on Tues and still not be able to access The Link. We ended up going to the top of the Huddersfield Narrow (Wool Rd) instead, but Liverpool os still on our 'to do list'...

http://canalboatcruises.co.uk/hire-and-holidays/cruise-routes/

lists Liverpool as a one week cruise route, and I know many people do manage it.

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20 hours ago, pearley said:

The 7th day is supposed to be for maintenance. Does it really need that much? 

 

19 hours ago, Mac of Cygnet said:

It's because CRT think they are God. :)

No, they know they're not that good. God was satisfied after six days that his work didn't need maintenance and took the 7th day off. He would have gone down the pub, but Adam and Eve had only been created the day before and hadn't had the time to brew any beer.

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18 minutes ago, Peter X said:

 

No, they know they're not that good. God was satisfied after six days that his work didn't need maintenance and took the 7th day off. He would have gone down the pub, but Adam and Eve had only been created the day before and hadn't had the time to brew any beer.

Then why didn't God create beer while he was at it? He must have made the little yeasties for a reason!

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We've just come into Salthouse today for a weeks stay whilst we visit family and do general touristy things. I was speaking to one of the volunteer lock keepers who pretty much confirmed what's been publicised (as you'd expect) but went onto say some questions put forward from the team who actually operate the bridges and locks remain unanswered so things are a bit hazy.

We had assistance when passing down through Stanley, but pretty much worked through to Mann Island on our own where we waited inside the lock for CRT to give us the nod to continue. All pontoons etc as stated are already in place so very easy for your lock wheeler to jump off/on at Stanley Locks, Princes and Mann Island.

I think if the new system works as it should it will be a vast improvement and make it alot easier to access. Having to stop at Melling or Litherland (convenient for Tescos) was always a bit of an inconvenience generally. I know for sure it's cut our trip time down into Liverpool drastically.

As for the Tuesday thing, a maintenance window makes sense as what currently happens at the Anderton boat lift. They could do adhoc maintenance as and when needed but communicating this to boaters would be a nightmare so alot easier to say no to Tuesday from the word go.

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Apart from the usual maintenance of locks, I'd say none really.

Apart from the gate from Canning into Albert Dock, that's pretty important as it holds all the water in place for Albert, Salthouse, Brunswick etc.

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9 minutes ago, larryjc said:

Probably no harder than any other part of the network - its just locks and swing bridges.

Well I've done the rest of the L&L singlehanded, and the swingbridges with controls on the 'wrong' side were a bit problematic!  Also if one or more of the bridges is on a busy road, a singlehander will be holding a lot more traffic up.

  • Greenie 1
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On 11/04/2018 at 12:50, larryjc said:

Er - if its going to be that easy now - will they be able to police the 7 boats in/out per day??  Yes I know you still need to book but will there be anyone to check?  Mind you I've never understood that policy as effectively the basin will never be full.  I was told that it was to reduce the number of times the bridges were opened as at least one is on a route to a large hospital but that can't be right if they are allowing crews toeffectively go when they want now.

When i went one boat was turned back as had not booked pleading ignorance and yes all jetties where occupied that night .

7 minutes ago, Mac of Cygnet said:

Well I've done the rest of the L&L singlehanded, and the swingbridges with controls on the 'wrong' side were a bit problematic!  Also if one or more of the bridges is on a busy road, a singlehander will be holding a lot more traffic up.

I am same and I would expect that the CRT management for that area has not even considered this.

 

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