Jump to content

Hillmorton


roland elsdon

Featured Posts

4 minutes ago, rowland al said:

Maybe device dependant? I’m using an older iPhone. 

 

Quite often you get different settings for mobile devices, maybe that constant isn’t shared between mobile and laptop devices. 

 

Nope, Ive checked this in the past. Mine is 24 hours on the old PC, on the Mac, on my iPhone and on my Android phone. All the same.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

To give credit where it is due.......

 

Took a cheeky mooring last night (Tawny Owl's!) just above Hatton Top Lock.

 

Went in at 08:00. Did the first few locks solo and picked up a vlockie by their hut as he arrived. He set ahead and I closed up until halfway down when his mate arrived then one set ahead while the other closed up.

 

Out of Bottom Lock at 11:10.

 

They worked exactly as we do when we have a crew of two (Little Else) or three (Madcat, usually)

 

Excellent service. I was grateful for their help and thanked both vlockies profusely

  • Greenie 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

47 minutes ago, Victor Vectis said:

To give credit where it is due.......

 

Took a cheeky mooring last night (Tawny Owl's!) just above Hatton Top Lock.

 

Went in at 08:00. Did the first few locks solo and picked up a vlockie by their hut as he arrived. He set ahead and I closed up until halfway down when his mate arrived then one set ahead while the other closed up.

 

Out of Bottom Lock at 11:10.

 

They worked exactly as we do when we have a crew of two (Little Else) or three (Madcat, usually)

 

Excellent service. I was grateful for their help and thanked both vlockies profusely

That's how volockies should work setting and closing none of this taking charge malarky.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Came down Curdworth yesterday. It’s the first time I’ve specifically been asked if we would like help. I said yes of course and he radioed his colleagues ahead to that effect. Perhaps they been told to modify their approach in case they encounter the grumpy control freak brigade.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Victor Vectis said:

To give credit where it is due.......

 

Took a cheeky mooring last night (Tawny Owl's!) just above Hatton Top Lock.

 

Went in at 08:00. Did the first few locks solo and picked up a vlockie by their hut as he arrived. He set ahead and I closed up until halfway down when his mate arrived then one set ahead while the other closed up.

 

Out of Bottom Lock at 11:10.

 

They worked exactly as we do when we have a crew of two (Little Else) or three (Madcat, usually)

 

Excellent service. I was grateful for their help and thanked both vlockies profusely

 

Don't think you are meant to abuse the volockies by picking them up by their huts ?

  • Greenie 1
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Victor Vectis said:

To give credit where it is due.......

 

Took a cheeky mooring last night (Tawny Owl's!) just above Hatton Top Lock.

 

Went in at 08:00. Did the first few locks solo and picked up a vlockie by their hut as he arrived. He set ahead and I closed up until halfway down when his mate arrived then one set ahead while the other closed up.

 

Out of Bottom Lock at 11:10.

 

They worked exactly as we do when we have a crew of two (Little Else) or three (Madcat, usually)

 

Excellent service. I was grateful for their help and thanked both vlockies profusely

 

This is all very pleasing to hear. Far better than being told ‘stay on you boat’.  Thanks vollies, in case you are reading!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

20 hours ago, cuthound said:

 

Don't think you are meant to abuse the volockies by picking them up by their huts ?

It could just be a smelling pizztake!

 

ETA Forgot to say in previous post that the vlockie asked if I wanted any help.

 

 

Edited by Victor Vectis
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just come through, (uphill, 2 boats) - took a long while.

Volly only on bottom lock, tow-path side locks chained up throughout the flight.

Pointless uphill queuing after bottom lock, which isn't saving water, because uphill traffic is not being matched by downhill traffic.

A degree of canal rage noted at one point, as people were incapable of forming a queue without hitting each other.  (If you are going to reverse very rapidly out of a lock mouth, it's a good idea to look and see whether there is another boat behind you first).

There appears to be very good volumes of water being back-pumped up the locks, but is  impossible to guess if it could match total usage by locking throughout a busy day,

Link to comment
Share on other sites

24 minutes ago, alan_fincher said:

Just come through, (uphill, 2 boats) - took a long while.

Volly only on bottom lock, tow-path side locks chained up throughout the flight.

Pointless uphill queuing after bottom lock, which isn't saving water, because uphill traffic is not being matched by downhill traffic.

A degree of canal rage noted at one point, as people were incapable of forming a queue without hitting each other.  (If you are going to reverse very rapidly out of a lock mouth, it's a good idea to look and see whether there is another boat behind you first).

There appears to be very good volumes of water being back-pumped up the locks, but is  impossible to guess if it could match total usage by locking throughout a busy day,

What! There is loads of space below the bottom locks! The vllockies are always there, its the brew hut.

Last time through, going down, waiting for me to fill the offside bottom lock, ( rest chained ) missus stepped off with the center line, and slid gracefully into the water. The vlockies were just walking off home but they kindly pulled her out, and then worked the lock for us.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Haven't seen dramatic shortage of water from Hillmorton to Braunston,to Calcutt, to Warwick and new back at Calcutt.

i understand the Summit above Napton is low and possible issues, but I have to ask, is the summit ever 'full'?

 

The limited closing of the Hillmorton flight seems to be a bit of over reaction. When we came up a couple of weeks ago the volockies opened the other side as there were queues at the bottom. The middle pound was a little low so Mr Volockie let some water down, not even a Lock full did the trick. Sensible actions I reckon.

came up the Stockton flight midday today. No volockies in evidence but there was the pleasing sight of a ground crew, volunteers, scraping and painting the locks and 'de-weeding' the off side at locks. Appeared they were doing a very good job. They operated the Lock they were 'doing'. As a footnote. Saw Red Dwarf opposite The Boat thirst refresher place. Strict instruction to carry on, look straight ahead, do not deviate. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Nightwatch said:

Haven't seen dramatic shortage of water from Hillmorton to Braunston,to Calcutt, to Warwick and new back at Calcutt.

i understand the Summit above Napton is low and possible issues, but I have to ask, is the summit ever 'full'?

 

The limited closing of the Hillmorton flight seems to be a bit of over reaction. When we came up a couple of weeks ago the volockies opened the other side as there were queues at the bottom. The middle pound was a little low so Mr Volockie let some water down, not even a Lock full did the trick. Sensible actions I reckon.

came up the Stockton flight midday today. No volockies in evidence but there was the pleasing sight of a ground crew, volunteers, scraping and painting the locks and 'de-weeding' the off side at locks. Appeared they were doing a very good job. They operated the Lock they were 'doing'. As a footnote. Saw Red Dwarf opposite The Boat thirst refresher place. Strict instruction to carry on, look straight ahead, do not deviate. 

On the summit now, it is about 8 inches off, but certainly at this time of year you would expect it to be low, if not quite as low as that.  So all in all right now it seems a storm in a tea cup.  The restrictions are not impacting boat traffic, we passed 4 Calcutt and a couple of Black Proce boats coming down presumably to return in the morning, as well as a couple of boats from Calcutt marina.  So everyone is still going up to the summit and back.  The only volenteers on the flight  were both  on one lock, and they even turned the lock on us, so to official CRT line is obviously waste as much water as you like, cynical me........

Link to comment
Share on other sites

21 hours ago, alan_fincher said:

There appears to be very good volumes of water being back-pumped up the locks, but is  impossible to guess if it could match total usage by locking throughout a busy day,

The back pumps were working a  Calcutt too.

 

Good to see you yesterday. Couldn't stop though, sorry. I'm on a bit of a mission to get to Glascote by Monday morning.

Besides, there wasn't anywhere to moor.

17 hours ago, Nightwatch said:

Saw Red Dwarf opposite The Boat thirst refresher place. Strict instruction to carry on, look straight ahead, do not deviate. 

Oi!

 

Point of order Mr Chairman.

We're named after a place on Anglesey, not a TV show.

?

 

Yes, I passed you twice yesterday.

I was quite impressed with 'The Boat'. 4 interesting, ie NOT Gloom Bar etc, on the wickets and the food looked good too.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

29 minutes ago, Victor Vectis said:

Came through Hillmorton this morning.

No queue and no problems.

As we passed in opposite directions this morning, I was going to say much the same thing. There was just a single lock keeper who stayed at the bottom lock. Her played it by the book, unlike a boater from a boat coming down who (a) started to draw without asking and (b) then failed to pay attention to what was happening despite staying at a paddle with is windlass in hand. If boaters are allowed to criticise the lock keepers then they should expect to follow the same standards.

 

The 'other' crew member chatted to the lock keeper - he seemed to think that this week has been quieter than last week when at times it was manic with queues of up to fifteen boats. Both this time and last week we felt that the lock keepers are feeling they have been given a hard time by boaters without much justification. There are exceptions but mostly they are older people wanting to 'lend a hand' and had hoped that they had left hassle behind when hey retired from work! Today's experience was just how the system is supposed to be.

 

However, there was a long procession of boats that passed us between the locks and Braunston, in most cases much less than ten minutes apart. Since the cycle time on the locks, if everyone does things properly and smoothly, is around 12 minutes, there must have been a build up by lunch time, unless some stopped early.

 

We did not find out why, if there was a good reason, but when we arrived at the middle lock the top gate was open and no one in sight. We emptied it because we could not see a boat arrival imminent. As it happened, we were being followed by a hire boater with not a lot of experience (but very keen to learn) - we chatted whilst both used the very slow water points below the lock and they were surprised when I said that one of CaRT's arguments for overnight lock up is because of the frequency of late night unsupervised boaters leaving paddles and/or gates open. The way in which water was unnecessarily being lost through the bottom gates was an immediate visual lesson. (It is no use countering by saying that the gates should be maintained to a non-leaking standard - they never have and never will be. Make the best of life as it is!)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 30/08/2018 at 17:05, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

This is all very pleasing to hear. Far better than being told ‘stay on you boat’.  Thanks vollies, in case you are reading!

Make your mind up. Either you want help or you don't. In my eyes setting the locks ahead is helping.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On ‎27‎/‎08‎/‎2018 at 07:30, rowland al said:

 

I have to say that I’ve never come across this kind of attitude from anyone on the cut in reality. Maybe internet forums are a good thing after all! Quite sad actually. 

Perhaps what you encounter is that typical Britishness, which dictates that;

 

  • We apologise when somebody barges into us.
  • We mustn't tell anybody that we are good at what we do.
  • If somebody holds a door open for us, we must go through it and thank them even if we weren't actually going that way.

I want to work my own locks, and surely the volunteers understand that, because they want to work locks.

 

I do not want to have to go out of my way to arrange for this to happen. I want those who would take over to ask, rather than me have to go to the trouble of attracting their attention and stopping them.

 

I want them to accept with good grace that it's my choice if I accept help or not.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Nick D said:

Make your mind up. Either you want help or you don't. In my eyes setting the locks ahead is helping.

 

My mind IS made up. Help is fine. Setting ahead counts as 'help' in my book.

 

Interfering with the lock that contains my boat and that I'm operating is not 'help'. It is unwelcome interference. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

with regard to the volunteers at hillmorton feeling got at that's a shame. However if there is anything they need to learn its that boat owners havedifferent views on 'help'.

So ask before you assume. Find out what is the nature of the help you can give , is turning locks ahead, or directly working the boat.

just because you have never seen the boat before doesn't mean the owner hasn't been through there X times before

not all boats behave the same nor owners. Some enjoy paying to work the locks it's part of boating.

Dont feel you are an expert.

I first started taking a pair of boats through hillmorton in 1984. I've done it single handed  with both boats in the snow, I've also been through there single handed whilst on crutches. ( motor only!) That doesn't make me an expert merely experienced. I've had the butty hung on on the towpath side  middle lock several times, I've had the motor hung up on the middle inside lock as well,  I've had the chimneys off on the centre bridge all on my own without help.  grand unions can catch on those locks. Bwb / crt change stuff complacency is dangerous.

What I am saying is I can mess up on my own without someone to distract me, or do something un expected , when and I say when a volunteer is involved in a boat sinking, and it will happen the proverbial will hit the metaphorical.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 20/08/2018 at 22:00, alan_fincher said:

The trouble with Braunston volunteers is what your post has just said.

 

I don't doubt they are courteous and follow the guidelines, but if there are two of them on, they are both invariably at the bottom lock.

 

Overall this does very little to help anybody get through the other 5 locks, particularly as the pounds towards the top are regularly a foot or more down below proper level.

 

If their actual sphere of operation included walking the flight, and particularly controlling water levels, then they would be an enormous asset.  Just glued to the bottom lock, with little idea of what is going on at the other five they are adding very little to the smooth operation of the flight, are they?

 

Note:  This is not a criticism of the individuals, (assuming that's what they have been told to do), but does rather make t look like a CRT publicity exercise with little useful overall benefit.

On more than one occasion I have seen a volunteer locky at Braunston walking the flight and running water down as necessary.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

31 minutes ago, monkeyhanger said:

On more than one occasion I have seen a volunteer locky at Braunston walking the flight and running water down as necessary.

Fair enough.

We have just come up Braunston on a Saturday in August, so you would think the busiest time.  No trace of any "volly" at any lock, and  the top two pounds down by a foot or more.

 

No "volleys" at Buckby either, by the way.

 

The only volunteers we have seen travelling from Weedon on the GU to Shardlow on the T&M, and back (via the Coventry), were Hillmorton (both directions), Atherstone (one direction) & Stenson (one direction, but no less than three of them).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I know many of the posts here are about vlockies but I’m wondering how some of you deal with fellow boaters and crews meeting you, or joining you in locks and ‘help out’? 

 

I can honestly say after many years of cruusing the system, that nobody has ever specifically asked us not to help them, so I can only imagine I’ve never met those on here at locks. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A few years ago two long narrowboats tried to share Southmill lock on the Stort, ''13' wide. I had to use a Tirfor to get them apart. Cart put notices on all the Stort locks about saving water during the heatwave. One of the instructions on the lists was for boats to share the locks, very clever.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I had a shiny boat refuse to share Hatton with me after I had waited for him, opened the offside gate etc for him. He then had 21 steps to do alone. His poor wife the look she gave him was worth a picture. To make it worse we caught a delightful Dutch family on a hire boat, 3 looks down, who boated like professionals, ( they owned a yacht and peniche) . Think he didn't like old boats, or maybe shiny brass work.

Course people with 80 year old boats bang them around scratch them etc for fun.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

No volockies at Hatton this afternoon, arrived at top lock at 12:00 where there was a boat waiting to share with somebody as they were older and didn't want to work the flight on their own. They would have been grateful for a volunteer to help them. Instead they had the benefit of mrs-m setting all the locks ahead and me opening and closing paddles and gates on our side. There was a chugger below the cafe who thought it would be a good idea to tempt us to become a friend whilst we were working the lock, he got a short reply to go away especially when he said we should have closed the gates at the previous lock. I pointed to the two boats coming up and suggested he leave lock operations to those of us who know what we are doing.

8 minutes ago, roland elsdon said:

I had a shiny boat refuse to share Hatton with me after I had waited for him, opened the offside gate etc for him. He then had 21 steps to do alone. His poor wife the look she gave him was worth a picture. To make it worse we caught a delightful Dutch family on a hire boat, 3 looks down, who boated like professionals, ( they owned a yacht and peniche) . Think he didn't like old boats, or maybe shiny brass work.

Course people with 80 year old boats bang them around scratch them etc for fun.

Did you go up Hatton today...? We must have passed you if it was this afternoon.

 

We are now moored near the Cape.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.