Today is the big day

Published: Thursday, 12 January 2017

TODAY (Thursday 12th January) is the day that Canal & River Trust says that it is going to repair the broken paddle at Wood End Lock, [Trent & Mersey Canal] writes T. Lang.

All us boaters who have waited for the lock to slowly fill should be there to give the workers a clap when it is all finished and working again after so long.

No urgency to repair

I have a theory about the repairs of paddles, especially when I read of the one on the Stratford Canal being broken for at least four years, and it is if the broken paddle is in the sticks where there are no visitors (apologies to the idiot at CaRT who thinks there are 951 per mile per day, there isn't) then there is no urgency to repair.

The picture above is of the paddle at Wood End Lock, the one below of the paddle at Trent Lock.

The one at Trent Lock, that has two pubs and a tea room complete with large car parks was broken a while ago, but being directly opposite one of the the pubs, was repaired pretty quick.  I managed to get a photo of it and as can be seen it is only partly wrapped-up in yellow, not with black plastic covering all the paddle as in the case where it is not going to be repaired any time soon.

So as you cruise this season and see broken paddles, the covering will give you some idea when it is going to be repaired, and should it be well wrapped up, then it is going to be a long, long time.