Victor asks—What's up with the paddles?

Published: Saturday, 20 July 2024

TIME and time again stoppages are put down to lock paddles failing.

There were six last month and now another six already this month.

Paddle1And another five failed back in May and another five in April, making 22 this 'season' and with our Keith telling he does not mention many of the 'quick-fix' paddle repairs, so it obviously could be many more.

The lock paddle systems are now in their 200th odd year, so surely, out in all weathers with a great deal of their parts submerged in water, they need regular attendance—maintenance—which from the picture, they are obviously not getting, so 22 stoppages.

We all now know it's wait until they break then repair.  And bugger the boaters.

He'll be lucky

Talking to a fella boater in the marina who was off on the Leicester Ring Saturday, clockwise, I warned of the stoppage at Radcliffe Lockthe first lock when on the Soar, that was out of action.

He reminding me that CaRT tells it will be open over the weekend it stating: We will attend site tomorrow [Friday] to implement extra safety measures and will make every endeavour to ensure it is operational over the weekend, but customer safety remains paramount.

RatcliffeGatesDon't believe what CaRT tells, was my answer, go anti clockwise instead. But no, off he has gone believing Ratcliffe Lock will be open as promised on the Sunday afternoon when he arrives.

But now Keith tells me it definitely will not be open over the weekend, as it has been impossible to secure the gate in its anchor, and as 'they' don't work weekends it remains well and truly closed, with the somewhat worrying notice: We are currently working on an alternative approach, which involves removing the balance beam.

His only hope is that it is not contractors involved otherwise a usual Monday to Friday job springs to mind! And he will be well and truly stuck!

No Ribble crossing

I see the Ribble Link fiasco is still ongoing, with a trial to get boats back off the Lancaster Canal, as the repairs are 'on hold'. And no further Ribble Link bookings taken.

It's a fiasco, for as a contributor, who knows about these things told us, CaRT working to reduce the leakage through a seal is not the problem, and with the lock being closed—and boaters stucksince June whilst the workers struggle. It really should be obvious by now the seal is indeed not the problem and to put it bluntly they are 'flogging a dead horse'. So get someone who knows what the problem really is...

The trial to get the boaters back is a two day effort rather that the usual one day, but no details are told.

Fiasco indeed.

I was surprised

Surprised indeed that the major IT outage that knocked millions of computers out, and grounded most of the worlds' airlines was on Microsoft systems.

Now that I cannot understand for Microsoft to me has always been a non-starter, as why have a system that then requires the buying of another program to safeguard it! It is just not safe, as proved, even with its commercial software.

floating pennywort lockWe use the safe Linux operating system, that not only does not require buying another program to safeguard it, and it's free!

Brought it out

The hot weather has certainly brought the duckweed out, which is growing like the clappers. yet I cannot see anything being done about it.

What a difference in the days of British Waterways when teams were set-up for the sole purpose of getting that and pennywort  out of the waterways.

Here's a picture we took of one of a team on our boat on the Grand Union in Leicester, but this was pennywort he was dragging out, but making sure we could get through and the wildlife in the canal could get some air.  A bit different now, eh?

Silly season

A tree down at Bridge 12 on the Middlewich Branch of the Shropshire Union Canal is partly blocking navigation.

Navigation will remain open for narrowboats. However, Canal & River Trust tell that wide beams will not be able to pass until the tree has been removed...

Victor Swift—telling tales for 24 years...

 

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