THIS time it is one of the two boats sharing Lock 41 that had lifted the coping stones, so once again Caen Hill Flight was closed to navigation just a few days after it was reopened after a gate was dislodged.
This happened yesterday morning (Tuesday) but luckily the coping stones were able to be moved away by engineers later in the day and the flight reopened, Alan Tilbury tells us.
Expected to be longer
However, it seems it was expected to be a longer job, as Canal & River Trust spokesman, Joe Coggins, was reported in a local newspaper today as stating:
"We worked as quickly as we could to get it reopened again but unfortunately it does take a bit of time. On Bank Holiday weekend in August you can usually expect dozens and dozens of boats to be going through but, unfortunately, for many that was put on hold, so people had to find alternative routes."
Perhaps Mr. Coggins is not too aware of the Kennet & Avon Canal, as the only alternative is by the Bristol Channel!
Selby Canal closed
Also yesterday Selby Canal was closed, that gives access from the Aire & Calder Navigation to the Ouse, with Selby Lock closed after damage to a tail gate made the lock inoperable, with nothing being known until Thursday when divers will be employed to investigate, Keith Gudgin tells us.
Selby Lock is very important for boaters as it is the way to and from York, cutting out the Humber Falls and lower Ouse, that the majority of boaters will not consider owing to its tidal difficulties.
Rochdale closed
On Sunday the Rochdale Canal was closed, as once again it is damage to a bottom gate—that of Kib Lock (89) in Manchester, that put the lock out of action, Keith Gudgin adds.
The damage is being assessed, but it is a lock where access is extremely difficult, and it is expected the waterway will be closed for the rest of the week at least.
Bad luck or lack of maintenance?
The people at CaRT are only too fond of telling us that it is a 200 years old system and that care must therefore be taken, and are blaming 'holidaymakers' for not taking that care, but it would seem that lack of maintenance can take a great deal of the blame, with loose coping stones and neglected gates causing the stoppages that are becoming the norm.