Napton - avoiding the flight on Wednesday???

[Jennifer McM]

Just wondering - a lady boater at a lock today said the Napton flight is out of bounds on Wednesday. She said there's a festival or something. Surely festivals are a weekend activity?

 

We maybe going up the Napton flight on Wednesday, or do we 'go for it' tomorrow to avoid being held up?

 

Nothing comes up on Google though. Wondering if anyone has heard of this - the woman was quite insistent. 

[Athy]

I too have heard of this, though not the reason.

I suspect that you like to travel leisurely, but you CAN get from Cropredy to Napton Bottom in a day - we have done so, and had the aching muscles and weatherbeaten aspect to prove it.

[Peter X]

Maybe not the same thing, but there are delays on Thursday according to this CRT notice:

https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notice/13119/napton-flight-oxford-canal

[David Mack]

And the flight is closed on Wednesday 23rd:

Notice Details

From Date:

23rd May 2018 at 08:00

To Date:

23rd May 2018 at 16:00 inclusive

Type:

Navigation Closure

Reason:

Inspection

Description:

Investigation works to Lock 9 chamber require the canal to be lowered between lock 9 and lock 8 for the day.

Please do not moor between lock 8 and lock 9 from Tuesday evening (22nd) when the canal will start to lowered in a controlled manner.

The lowered water level on Wednesday 23^rd will result in boats not being able to pass through the full Napton Lock flight on this day.

It is politely requested for boaters to wait downstream at lock 8 or upstream at lock 14 between 8am and 4pm on Wednesday 23^rd to prevent excess water movements on the lock flight.

The towpath shall remain open.

Location:

Oxford Canal

Starts At:

Lock 8, Napton Bottom Lock

Ends At:

Lock 14, Adkins Lock

[Peter X]

Ah, this'll be it! Napton is closed most of the day on Wednesday:

https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notice/13117/napton-lock-flight-oxford-canal

[dmr]

I really hope CaRT don't start closing bits of the system for "events", its the thin edge of a big wedge, and how long before fishermen start calling their Sunday fishing an "event".  I have been told a few times that the "canal ahead is closed for an event" by the wives/girlfriends of fishermen.

 

For most events CaRT say "navigation open but proceed with caution". I recall that the canal in Reading was closed for an event a little while ago. I will maybe forgive this as it can be a bit tricky down there.

 

...............Daver

[Dr Bob]

We are on our way back up and need to be in Napton by Thursday evening.  The restrictions on Thursday were known a few days back (apparently) but Closed Wednesday to lower the levels!!!!! They could have given us more than one full days warning. Looks like a 10 HR day tomorrow then, after today's ,7 hrs! This was meant to be a lesiurely criuse.

 

[matty40s]

It's daft doing it this week, there are lots of boats going to Crick Show and hire boaters getting back to bases......usual spot on timing by CRT.

[john6767]

39 minutes ago, matty40s said:

It's daft doing it this week, there are lots of boats going to Crick Show and hire boaters getting back to bases......usual spot on timing by CRT.

The choice of days seems wrong to me, Tuesday and Wednesday you would think would be better than Wednesday and Thursday.  At least they have avoided next week.

[roland elsdon]

We are already in the queue. It's huge. It will be bigger if the lock has got worse since we came up last week . We decided to get in on the carnage early.

[Jennifer McM]

3 hours ago, Athy said:

I too have heard of this, though not the reason.

I suspect that you like to travel leisurely, but you CAN get from Cropredy to Napton Bottom in a day - we have done so, and had the aching muscles and weatherbeaten aspect to prove it.

Crumbs, that's going some... 

 

We're moored up in Fenny tonight, luckily we're in no rush, and just might stay here as we don't want to become part of the problem. 

 

Thank you everyone for the replies, it was the word 'festival' that threw me. Somehow I never connected 'festival' to a CRT closure. 

 

 

[Dr Bob]

50 minutes ago, roland elsdon said:

We are already in the queue. It's huge. It will be bigger if the lock has got worse since we came up last week . We decided to get in on the carnage early.

How big is the queue? We are in Cropredy tonight and planning to try and get back down tomorrow. It's been very quiet on the south Oxford for the past week, but quite a bit about today.

[roland elsdon]

There is no queue. We are at lock 13. We left cropredy at 11.30 and tied here at 7pm after a slow run over the summit. As we passed marstondoles there were 4 boats one of whom was going on about getting up early to get through.  There were 2 other boats between both dumpers.  It will be a normal day. We stopped here so we coud more at bottom when all uphillers have left. You will be fine

Cropredy to napton used to be our new years day run. Its easy even in a restricted light winter day, and hand starting the lister with a hangover...

And a 3 ft 3 draft

[Dr Bob]

9 minutes ago, roland elsdon said:

There is no queue. We are at lock 13. We left cropredy at 11.30 and tied here at 7pm after a slow run over the summit. As we passed marstondoles there were 4 boats one of whom was going on about getting up early to get through.  There were 2 other boats between both dumpers.  It will be a normal day. We stopped here so we coud more at bottom when all uphillers have left. You will be fine

Cropredy to napton used to be our new years day run. Its easy even in a restricted light winter day, and hand starting the lister with a hangover...

And a 3 ft 3 draft

Thanks Roland, now don't go getting stuck in lock 9! 

We were thinking about mooring at the bottom tomorrow night but it sounds like it may be busy. Good meal in the Pub tonight though. What great weather for boating! Half the day with the brolly up as a sun shade.

[alan_fincher]

"The towpath shall remain open?"

What's wrong with the word will?

 

I would love to think this inspection has something to do with the fact that the chamber walls have moved so much that boats like ours can no longer get in, and hence that the Southern Oxford is out of bounds to us.

 

However, if it does, it seems a very odd time of year to do it, so maybe this is for a different issue?

[Captain Pegg]

1 hour ago, Jennifer McM said:

Crumbs, that's going some... 

 

We're moored up in Fenny tonight, luckily we're in no rush, and just might stay here as we don't want to become part of the problem. 

 

Thank you everyone for the replies, it was the word 'festival' that threw me. Somehow I never connected 'festival' to a CRT closure. 

 

 

Really? 16 miles and 18 locks. Pretty standard day.

 

JP

3 minutes ago, alan_fincher said:

"The towpath shall remain open?"

What's wrong with the word will?

 

I would love to think this inspection has something to do with the fact that the chamber walls have moved so much that boats like ours can no longer get in, and hence that the Southern Oxford is out of bounds to us.

 

However, if it does, it seems a very odd time of year to do it, so maybe this is for a different issue?

It's an instruction to the towpath.

 

I figured it was being done cos you got stuck.

 

JP

[Dr Bob]

3 minutes ago, alan_fincher said:

 

I would love to think this inspection has something to do with the fact that the chamber walls have moved so much that boats like ours can no longer get in, and hence that the Southern Oxford is out of bounds to us.

 

However, if it does, it seems a very odd time of year to do it, so maybe this is for a different issue?

The south oxford has been very quiet over the past two weeks so maybe it was 'sort of' planned, but the Napton flight was shut for 3 months so it sounds like someone got stuck and complained hence a rapid response. All for that but give people at least 48 hrs notice!!!!! I do hope Roland doesn't get stuck in lock 9 with his fat boat.

[Jennifer McM]

2 minutes ago, Captain Pegg said:

Really? 16 miles and 18 locks. Pretty standard day.

 

JP

?Not in my world it isn't 

[alan_fincher]

5 minutes ago, Captain Pegg said:

I figured it was being done cos you got stuck.

I don't think we have that much influence.

Lots of "full width", (as opposed to modern 6' 10" width), narrow boats now get stuck, and have been for some time - nothing has been done so far!

[WotEver]

31 minutes ago, alan_fincher said:

"The towpath shall remain open?"

What's wrong with the word will?

I would suggest that they were grammatically incorrect. Shall is usually reserved for the first person only, as in “I shall be there at 8pm”. ‘Will’ is used for third person - it or they for instance. 

 

Perhaps that nice Mr @Athy would care to adjudicate. 

[Athy]

46 minutes ago, WotEver said:

I would suggest that they were grammatically incorrect. Shall is usually reserved for the first person only, as in “I shall be there at 8pm”. ‘Will’ is used for third person - it or they for instance. 

 

Perhaps that nice Mr @Athy would care to adjudicate. 

Why have you awarded me a @? I shall be offended.

 

No, they were not grammatically incorrect, though "will" would more commonly be used in this context.

1 hour ago, Jennifer McM said:

?Not in my world it isn't 

Give it a go. Apart from squeezing through the Fenny Endless Moorings it's a varied, attractive and exhilarating run.

[Guest]

32 minutes ago, Athy said:

Why have you awarded me a @? I shall be offended.

If you prefix a forum users name with @ they (depending on their notification settings) are notified they have been mentioned, it's a means of drawing their attention to a post.

[Athy]

7 hours ago, MJG said:

If you prefix a forum users name with @ they (depending on their notification settings) are notified they have been mentioned, it's a means of drawing their attention to a post.

Thanks, I didn't know that.

I find that I'm notified if, for example, someone replies to one of my posts, even if they don't append the @. Mysterious, this technology lark.

[Westyman]

I am at top of Napton now. Boat passed on way down at 6am. We’re off very soon too

[Athy]

15 minutes ago, Westyman said:

I am at top of Napton now. Boat passed on way down at 6am. 

Blimey, was it 'Cyan'?