hurleston rebuild suspended

[dor]

from CRT:

 

Update on 01/02/2019:

Our planned works to rebuild the lock walls at Hurleston Lock 4 have been problematic and we have not made the progress on site that we had expected; it has also become clear that the work programme would need to be significantly longer than anticipated, with works likely to run until the end of May at least. Given the impact this would have on customers wishing to use the locks in the spring and early summer, we have suspended works and are cancelling the project this winter. We will be re-opening the lock from 22^nd February. The works will be deferred to next winter’s stoppage season and will restart in November 2019.  We will use the time until then to review and re-plan the works.

 

We understand the concern regarding this lock, and the number of boats which have had difficulties in passing through it over recent years.  We have not taken the decision to defer the work lightly.  We have consulted a range of users including hire-boat operators and other key customers and have concluded that an extended closure would cause significant disruption which we could not justify. We do not believe that the lock shows any signs of worsening significantly but will continue to monitor it through 2019, with our lock-keepers available to assist any boats that get into difficulties using it.

 

We are committed to completing the repairs to Hurleston Lock 4 and apologise to those customers who are unable to use the Llangollen this year because of the deferral.

[DHutch]

A shame, but seem reasonable to me.

 

 

Daniel

[frangar]

CRT really need some better contractors & civil engineers....anyone who has been through in the last few years could have seen it needed more than a bit of repointing......

[Boat&Bikes]

What is the problem? Went through last year without problems. Width thing? 

[reg]

Sometimes calling a halt and having a rethink is the best decision. I'm sure with knowledge gained at this attempt that a better job will be done next time around. 

Prefer this action to a possible open ended job which could a have serious seasonal impact. 

Hope they can make the first lock more single handed friendly whilst they are at it. 

3 minutes ago, ianali said:

What is the problem? Went through last year without problems. Width thing? 

Yes. 

[BruceinSanity]

6 minutes ago, ianali said:

What is the problem? Went through last year without problems. Width thing? 

Towpath side wall has moved, so the lock is a bare 6’ 10” AIUI.

[Steve_C]

Was there any reason why this work was not scheduled for a November start then should the job be bigger than first thought there would have been a bit of wiggle room?

[BEngo]

Sensible decision  but one that should not have been necessary.  The adage  PPPPPPP springs to mind.

CRT really need to get some client side Project  Management rather than allowing Kier to be  in control.  It would save them both money and embarrassment.

N

[haza]

im with you reg on this one ,,,they have been fluffing about with hurleston locks for as long as i can remember ,.its not much fun when people get stuck in them ,maybe a long rethink will in the long run, sort this problem  out for another couple hundred years 

[jonesthenuke]

1 hour ago, BEngo said:

Sensible decision  but one that should not have been necessary.  The adage  PPPPPPP springs to mind.

CRT really need to get some client side Project  Management rather than allowing Kier to be  in control.  It would save them both money and embarrassment.

N

I completely agree. The scope of work must have been defined in advance, so it looks like they were delayed starting and rather than admit it they have punted the job out for another year.

 

[dor]

It was already put off from last year.  You would think they knew what they had to do by now.

[Tim Lewis]

14 hours ago, reg said:

Sometimes calling a halt and having a rethink is the best decision. I'm sure with knowledge gained at this attempt that a better job will be done next time around. 

Prefer this action to a possible open ended job which could a have serious seasonal impact. 

Hope they can make the first lock more single handed friendly whilst they are at it. 

 

 

Works to lock 1 are continuing I believe 

[Horace42]

16 hours ago, BEngo said:

Sensible decision  but one that should not have been necessary.  The adage  PPPPPPP springs to mind.

CRT really need to get some client side Project  Management rather than allowing Kier to be  in control.  It would save them both money and embarrassment.

N

.......and also the acronym could be the factors the contract managers give priority to in decision making....

.........' Potential Pay, Pension, Perks, Privileges and Promotion in Personal Pay Packages ' ..... that must be got right above all else.... (give or take a P).

 

 

 

 

[reg]

4 hours ago, Tim Lewis said:

 

Works to lock 1 are continuing I believe 

Thanks for that. 

You don't happen to know if they are doing anything to make it easier for single handed to go up lock one do you? 

 

[Arthur Marshall]

2 hours ago, reg said:

Thanks for that. 

You don't happen to know if they are doing anything to make it easier for single handed to go up lock one do you? 

 

I don't remember it being a problem, just a bit of a weird angle and a bit far from the landing.

[dor]

22 hours ago, reg said:

Thanks for that. 

You don't happen to know if they are doing anything to make it easier for single handed to go up lock one do you? 

 

Did you mean lock four or lock one.  The bottom lock, the first on the canal, is lock 4, often mistakenly (quite understandably) referred to as lock 1.  Never had a problem singling up or down Hurleston - just a bit further to walk doing the bottom lock.

[Keeping Up]

Just be sure to do what the signs tell you!

 

[reg]

6 hours ago, dor said:

Did you mean lock four or lock one.  The bottom lock, the first on the canal, is lock 4, often mistakenly (quite understandably) referred to as lock 1.  Never had a problem singling up or down Hurleston - just a bit further to walk doing the bottom lock.

Your right it was lock 4 I meant, always thought of it as lock 1 but now I know. 

Been a while since I last did it but seem to remember that the only ladder is at the far end. 

Found approach entrance at the bottom was to wide to walk it in so had to drive it in. 

This meant to get to the front end I had to walk through the boat and onto the well deck, to difficult with my layout to walk full length of boat roof and drop down into well deck, once at the well deck found invariable that the boat had moved backwards putting ladder out of easy reach. Only option was to hook the ladder with boat hook and pull it forward. Befor entering the lock I had to remember to lay one of the centre ropes so that I could get hold of it when at the front. 

With boat pulled forward and rope in hand I could then ascend the ladder. 

Be interested in others single handed technique for this lock. 

 

As its been a while since I did the above I am  assuming that there is still only one ladder at the far end, is this still true? 

[MHS]

More relevant for single handers on the Hurleston flight is the fact some gates regularly swing open when you want them shut. Others swing shut when you want them open.

 

Single handing, I got a bollocking in December from a crt maintenance guy for (very gently) nudging the bottom gates open with my bows. He couldn’t understand that I had no easy other option and ranted about crt byelaws banning the act. 

[roland elsdon]

3 hours ago, reg said:

Your right it was lock 4 I meant, always thought of it as lock 1 but now I know. 

Been a while since I last did it but seem to remember that the only ladder is at the far end. 

Found approach entrance at the bottom was to wide to walk it in so had to drive it in. 

This meant to get to the front end I had to walk through the boat and onto the well deck, to difficult with my layout to walk full length of boat roof and drop down into well deck, once at the well deck found invariable that the boat had moved backwards putting ladder out of easy reach. Only option was to hook the ladder with boat hook and pull it forward. Befor entering the lock I had to remember to lay one of the centre ropes so that I could get hold of it when at the front. 

With boat pulled forward and rope in hand I could then ascend the ladder. 

Be interested in others single handed technique for this lock. 

 

As its been a while since I did the above I am  assuming that there is still only one ladder at the far end, is this still true? 

Different problem to us.

remove all windlasses from onlookers

fiddle levels 

work way in

avoid experts apart from lovely leople living in lockhouse who are absolute experts.

empty and deserted and left to our own devices is fine.

havent been up for 4 years because with people ‘helping ‘ we inevitably get stuck and then the moaning starts.

[Horace42]

16 hours ago, MHS said:

More relevant for single handers on the Hurleston flight is the fact some gates regularly swing open when you want them shut. Others swing shut when you want them open.

 

Single handing, I got a bollocking in December from a crt maintenance guy for (very gently) nudging the bottom gates open with my bows. He couldn’t understand that I had no easy other option and ranted about crt byelaws banning the act. 

In this day and age I agree it is bad practice and something I avoid doing, except sometime gates are stiff, or too heavy, or off balance, and need a nudge. Where perhaps more so for those who are single handed, but I imagine in the old days it would have been normal practice for working boats to use ropes and horses and the momentum of the boat to open and shut gates without worrying too much about the delicacy and finesse of lock operation.

[MHS]

2 hours ago, Horace42 said:

In this day and age I agree it is bad practice and something I avoid doing, except sometime gates are stiff, or too heavy, or off balance, and need a nudge. Where perhaps more so for those who are single handed, but I imagine in the old days it would have been normal practice for working boats to use ropes and horses and the momentum of the boat to open and shut gates without worrying too much about the delicacy and finesse of lock operation.

I had walked up, opened the gates, returned to the boat and watched them close in the wind.

I then repeated the same, watching them close again before deciding to nudge them open. 

If you can suggest an alternative method, I will happily try it. 

 

 

[Ray T]

11 minutes ago, MHS said:

I had walked up, opened the gates, returned to the boat and watched them close in the wind.

I then repeated the same, watching them close again before deciding to nudge them open. 

If you can suggest an alternative method, I will happily try it. 

 

I take it this manoeuvre is going up?

If so tie the open gate rail to the paddle gear pedestal, if possible?

Bit of a faf but I can't think of another way.

 

 

[furnessvale]

20 hours ago, MHS said:

More relevant for single handers on the Hurleston flight is the fact some gates regularly swing open when you want them shut. Others swing shut when you want them open.

 

Single handing, I got a bollocking in December from a crt maintenance guy for (very gently) nudging the bottom gates open with my bows. He couldn’t understand that I had no easy other option and ranted about crt byelaws banning the act. 

GENTLY pushing gates open with the bows does LESS damage to them than swinging on the balance beam.

 

A push from the boat is against a steel protector plate and it is in the centre of the height of the gate.  The balance beam is attached to the extreme top of the gate and in many cases you can actually see the frame of the gate twisting as you push.

 

George

[Horace42]

41 minutes ago, MHS said:

I had walked up, opened the gates, returned to the boat and watched them close in the wind.

I then repeated the same, watching them close again before deciding to nudge them open. 

If you can suggest an alternative method, I will happily try it. 

 

 

No better at coming up with a solution. In fact, even with some artistic nudging and roping, opening sluices to assist in moving heavy unbalanced lock gates, and the tail end of flooding, also with heavy bridges on the K and A a few years ago that were physically demanding (and too tough for two of us at our advancing years, even waiting for passers-by to assist, we gave up and abandoned our trip to Bristol - and turned back at Newbury.