Lifted gate off its hinges

AFTER talking to CaRT employees and several local boaters, Stewart Downs writes.

It appears that a pair of boats were working up lock 24 when one of the boats, that did not have a bow fender, caught its front bow under the lock beam and lifted the gate off its hinges. This is possible on some of these locks as the vertical metal planking leaves a gap for a bow without a fender to fit into the gap (see photograph).

Several options

If this is the case (only CaRT would know) there are several options to stop a repeat of the accident.

1. Fit gate fender boards over the gap and prevent the bow (with or without bow fender fitted) from lodging under the lock beam.

2. Do not allow boats to use the locks without bow fenders.

3. Fit warning signs to the lock beams (a few hundred blue signs would not go amiss).

Block the gap

I am sure that there are other options. But the best option is to block off the gap and physically stop the bow from lodging under the lock beam. I accept that this would incur considerable cost to complete all of the locks on the flight but this would be offset by the cost of repairing the lock three times in 10 years.

Estimated cost in 2010 was £45,000, and if you times this by three and a bit for inflation then you are talking about £150,000 in today's money, minimum. This would go a long way to paying for the top fender boards.

CaRT unlikely to act

The old saying that 'prevention is better than cure' is still valid today. However CaRT are unlikely to act as they do not believe in regular maintenance, let alone preventing accidents. Just look at the number of boat sinkings every year and still CaRT will not fit warning signs on the danger of lock cills.

On a positive note all credit should go to CaRT for a speedy repair and a special mention to Kevin, long standing BW/CaRT employee, who worked very hard to fix the lock, along with a small team of full-time staff. (Photographs by Stewart Downs.)