RIPON MARINA TAKES THE RECORD, but a very bad record indeed.
Completely cut-off eight times
It's marina has been completely cut-off from the system eight times since 2022, and the current closure making it nine times, Keith Gudgin reports.
What cuts it off is the failure of Oxclose Lock 3 on the Ripon Canal, the only access to its marina.
This time we are told it is currently blocked with reeds. But not only that, for there has been a 'pollution incident' in the area, due to a diesel leak from an unknown source.
That means a boom is being secured around the area that they make passage for boats impossible, with the lock remaining closed until the pollutant has been absorbed or dispersed.
Record of stoppages
The record of stoppages on this lock that prevents any access to or from Ripon Marina—it was closed for six months from December 2021; more work in 2022 that closed it in February, April June; last year closed in June and August.
And now the current closure making it eight times the boaters have been stuck. So if you are a boater who makes regular trips, then Ripon Marina or Ripon Motorboat Club—with mooring on the canal—are certainly not for you.