Hillmorton

[roland elsdon]

7 minutes ago, Rob-M said:

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.

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

 

We are now moored near the Cape.

 

No I'm in Italy just having done big bike race sitting watching Italian Grand Prix 

[Mike Todd]

7 hours ago, rowland al said:

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. 

I did encounter today in one wide beam flight a hire boater who wanted to draw right up before I had even made the boat fast. Tried to challenge why I only wanted the paddle on the boat side draw initially.

 

Two locks later a boater started to lift a gate paddle before anything else and was miffed when I was not best pleased, Again before I had made the boat safe. The  excuse given was that "we have been out four days now and never seen ground paddles before only gate paddles" I was not at all sure how they had come down the previous two locks which only have ground paddles!

 

I was generally a bit miffed so failed to notice that a boat which I thought had just come down the lock ahead had actually managed (not sure how) to turn in the mouth below the lock. I unjustifiably berated the next boat for wasting a turn when they had not. If you read this, sorry!

 

[DaveR]

Just through Hillmorton, absolute mayhem at the top end. Too many boats long term moored on the lock moorings. We were stacked back to bridge 72 in any available mooring space. One boater at the bridge to stop anyone trying to move up the line towards the lock. Took some organising to have 3 boats at a time move onto the available lock moorings but it worked fine.

 

The Lady Volockie was great, Helpful, chatty and full of information for other boaters who did not appreciate why one of the two locks was locked up. Just took a while to get through but all done in good spirit.

[rowland al]

6 minutes ago, DaveR said:

Just through Hillmorton, absolute mayhem at the top end. Too many boats long term moored on the lock moorings. 

Really, I wouldn’t have thought there was enough room on the lock moorings to have “too many boats” moored up long term. 

[MtB]

29 minutes ago, DaveR said:

The Lady Volockie was great, Helpful, chatty and full of information for other boaters who did not appreciate why one of the two locks was locked up.

 

And what reason was she giving, out of interest?

 

 

[rowland al]

21 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

And what reason was she giving, out of interest?

 

 

It seems the official answer is that it’s not so much about saving volumes of water, but more about giving the back pumps a chance to pump water back up. 

 

From this I’m beginning to wonder if it’s about saving the electricity bill?! What’s the Economy 7 rates these days?  

[MtB]

4 minutes ago, rowland al said:

It seems the official answer is that it’s not so much about saving volumes of water, but more about giving the back pumps a chance to pump water back up. 

 

From this I’m beginning to wonder if it’s about saving the electricity bill?! What’s the Economy 7 rates these days?  

 

Which is why I was asking what reason the lockie was giving out. The story seem to be changing.

[DaveR]

As previously noted the one lock operation is to allow the back pumps to keep up during the 24 hours., they can with one lock in operation but not two.  I must admit I do struggle with how two locks use more water than one - maybe the draw in a short time is the problem. Anyway, they are trying to keep the levels up above the locks as other flights are also drawing water from that pound to pump up to higher levels. One was the Napton flight - I forget the other.

 

The long term moorers on the lock flights were two boats & as noted there is not much room for lock moorings and when a couple of inconsiderate boaters moor where they are not supposed to then it makes life more difficult for others. The Lady Volockie said they tried to prevent this happening but obviously they are not successful.

 

 

[MtB]

28 minutes ago, DaveR said:

As previously noted the one lock operation is to allow the back pumps to keep up during the 24 hours., they can with one lock in operation but not two. 

 

 

Yes we know the real reason, but I keep asking specifically, what reason was the lady volly giving out. Water saving or coz the back pumps can't cope? Or something else?

 

 

Edited September 2, 2018 by Mike the Boilerman

[rowland al]

48 minutes ago, DaveR said:

 

 

The long term moorers on the lock flights were two boats & as noted there is not much room for lock moorings and when a couple of inconsiderate boaters moor where they are not supposed to then it makes life more difficult for others. The Lady Volockie said they tried to prevent this happening but obviously they are not successful.

 

 

So now you say these inconsiderate boaters are not moored up on the lock moorings but in the lock flight. 

 

There are some permanent moorings on the off tow path side if that’s what you mean. Or are you referring to the 14 day moorings above the top lock. 

Edited September 2, 2018 by rowland al

[mayalld]

21 hours ago, rowland al said:

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. 

As I have a 58' boat and seldom go onto broad waterways, the issue of sharing locks seldom arises.

 

Other boaters seeking to help are welcome to do so if they want to set the lock or close up. Those seeking to interfere whilst the boat is in the lock are asked not to. If that fails, they are told not to.

[Rob-M]

We came through Hillmorton today, no locks were chained closed although there was a sign on a beam stating one lock was closed to save water but we used it anyway.

Two volockies on the bottom lock, one walked off as we entered the lock and the other said "I've got this one" as I walked towards the paddle. I continued walking towards him and told him I would do it so he walked off to his hut and left us to it. If he had asked if I would like him to do the paddle and the gate I would have said yes and got back on the counter.

There was a lady struggling with the paddles on the middle lock and I'm sure she would have appreciated some help from the volockies.

[matty40s]

On 02/09/2018 at 19:16, rowland al said:

So now you say these inconsiderate boaters are not moored up on the lock moorings but in the lock flight. 

 

There are some permanent moorings on the off tow path side if that’s what you mean. Or are you referring to the 14 day moorings above the top lock. 

There is at least one share boat hands over at Hillmorton and invariably moors opposite the cafe, on the only bollards,  the boatyard tends to use the opposite lock landing as it's private overspill mooring. This sometimes means there is nowhere for single handers to get off with a line if the lock gates are shut. 

[Nightwatch]

11 minutes ago, matty40s said:

There is at least one share boat hands over at Hillmorton and invariably moors opposite the cafe, on the only bollards,  the boatyard tends to use the opposite lock landing as it's private overspill mooring. This sometimes means there is nowhere for single handers to get off with a line if the lock gates are shut. 

Yes, i have experience this. Waned to stop to use the elsan, to save a walk back, nowhere to tie up. Second in command had to hold the centre line. We survived.

[Rob-M]

2 hours ago, matty40s said:

There is at least one share boat hands over at Hillmorton and invariably moors opposite the cafe, on the only bollards,  the boatyard tends to use the opposite lock landing as it's private overspill mooring. This sometimes means there is nowhere for single handers to get off with a line if the lock gates are shut. 

Put the bows against the gate and walk down the gunnels.

[matty40s]

8 minutes ago, Rob-M said:

Put the bows against the gate and walk down the gunnels.

you and me know this Rob, others may not know this or struggle, especially if they open the gate pushing their boat so it floats backwards so they cant get on again....

[rowland al]

3 hours ago, matty40s said:

There is at least one share boat hands over at Hillmorton and invariably moors opposite the cafe, on the only bollards,  the boatyard tends to use the opposite lock landing as it's private overspill mooring. This sometimes means there is nowhere for single handers to get off with a line if the lock gates are shut. 

Yes, the way I see it is that if a boat IS moored inconsiderately, and there is nobody on it to talk to, it becomes fair play as a landing platform. ? 

[furnessvale]

1 hour ago, matty40s said:

you and me know this Rob, others may not know this or struggle, especially if they open the gate pushing their boat so it floats backwards so they cant get on again....

Always take the bow line with you.

 

George

[roland elsdon]

21 minutes ago, furnessvale said:

Always take the bow line with you.

 

George

Watched mayflower a 40 foot boat rotate in the eddies under camden double locks after being put on the gate , backflush pulled her off gate.. took a while to retrieve

[WotEver]

32 minutes ago, rowland al said:

Yes, the way I see it is that if a boat IS moored inconsiderately, and there is nobody on it to talk to, it becomes fair play as a landing platform. ? 

Works best on a muddy day...