YES, my friends, after 25 years we have departed Sawley Marina, having seen off three—or was it four?—owners in that time.
And I may add, very pleased to go. It being only the ease of travel to the marina on the M1 that kept us there so long.
I've already detailed the problems with access of being on a river, the noise and lack of facilities, so will say no more about those problems.
Just a picture showing the lack of anti-slip on its piers that the marina mistakenly boasts and makes it dangerous when frosty.
But the 'terrible six' broad locks have really done it for us, particularly Weston whose gates are virtually impossible to move and Swarkestone whose paddles need a very strong arm in addition to it gates..
The only one that is fairly normal is Stenson, that has had new gates, yet we noticed the bottom gates are still stopped from falling right back, as their doing so means they are not so difficult to move to close. But still have to move them both to get a narrowboat in.
The picture shows Derwent Mouth Lock top gates also virtually impossible to move now that a bridge has been fixed on to them.
Anyway, we are finished with them, now being moored elsewhere.
Where? Let's see how it goes and I'll let you know...
The floods
Boaters will have noticed the flood lock just through the bridge above Derwent Mouth Lock, which is to stop flood waters getting up into Shardlow. Needed when the water from the Derwent reservoirs are released in times of heavy downpours.
This was last used some 23 years ago after very heavy rain when the 'upright' construction of the dams was in danger of collapse so had their water released, it joining the already flooded Trent above Sawley and the flood so high that it sank three boats at the marina above Derwent Mouth Lock, four at Derby Boat Club but none at Sawley as the then British Waterways had staff on duty 24 hours a day saving them all, until it subsided.
The picture shows Sawley Lock submerged under the flooded Trent at that time, flooding the cottage. This picture was taken after the flood had receded, the lock gates all being totally submerged when it was at its height.
I
n the meantime there are lesser floods, with boats stupidly tied with ropes to their roofs unable to rise in the floods so then being filled with water (pictured) or sinking altogether.
But with all this about climate change and the forecast of heavier downpours, that flood lock could be needed again as water is released from those reservoirs, and with so few staff now on hand it could well be tragic indeed, so another reason for us to flee...
What damage?
All too often we are told stoppages are caused by 'damage', implying it is boaters who are to blame for structures failing.
As in fact it was in the case of the failure of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal Cowling Swing Bridge. CaRT having us believe the failure was 'due to the damage it has sustained'.
Yet it tells—'An inspection by engineers is required due to twisted and corroded beams under the bridge deck.'
Hardly 'damage', eh? It should tell its 'stoppage' creators that when they make up reasons/excuses they should make sure they don't contradict themselves!
Our Keith puts it in perspective when reporting the stoppage, he adding—'Perhaps if it had been maintained properly it wouldn't be twisted and corroded?
And that just about sums up the reason for most of the stoppages.
Making up a month?
Still on the Leeds & Liverpool it was way back on the 14th June that a cill failed on the tail gate of Lock 68 on the Wigan Flight, and I was amazed at the time it would take to repair, our being told it would take three weeks to replace.
But it had already taken three weeks up to last Tuesday and the job was still not done.
Mind you there were bits of things also being done that were cancelled during the winter works. To make up a month's work?
And here is my favourite 'cill' picture when a cill was reported broken. The pound drained the old cill removed with a new one inserted and the canal back in water in a day and a half. We were there waiting and no long queue of boats, just five! Those where the days, eh?
Mind you it was on the Atherstone Flight on the Coventry and a narrow lock. Now it takes 'three weeks' that in the Wigan case is going on for four!
Surely they should know
As to cills, surely they should know how to replace a cill, so why are we so often told that a 'method of repair' is required to be found before it can be replaced.
After all, they have replaced no few over the years, so you would think a 'method of repair' should have been discovered by now.
The impression this gives is that they don't really know what they are doing.
Victor Swift—telling tales for 23 years!