Possible escape plan for trapped Ripon boaters

THERE is the possibility that 'emergency passage' may be available for the trapped boaters at Ripon Marina.

Canal & River Trust state that emergency passage may be available for narrowboats using the unaffected gate only, with boaters asked to call 03030 404040 to ascertain what is available, Keith Gudgin reports.

Failed again

Though contractors repaired Oxclose Lock during last summer is has failed again, once more trapping the boaters at the marina at the dead-end waterway.

When the lock that connects the short Ripon Canal to the Ure failed, the inspection reported ‘two holes opened up at the bottom of the lock’.

However only one hole was repaired, that took two months, trapping the moorers during the summer months, but now, just five months later it has failed again.

Caused by a hole

And it is stated that the failure is caused by a hole, so was it the one not repaired during the first stoppage?

The question for those boaters stuck again at Ripon Marina is why—if as reported—there were two holes why were they not both repaired at the same time?

Was one ‘saved for later’ for the contractors to reap even more money from Canal & River Trust?

Why didn't the trust query?

And why didn’t the trust itself query the situation after its stoppage notice reported two holes, yet only one being repaired?

Whatsoever, we are of course now informed that engineers visited the site and are 'currently designing a repair'.  Yet it is admitted it 'will likely' be the same as last time, so why does a repair need designing?

All very strange.