icescream tugboat

[Hylander]

My poor finger goes quite white when cold but it has yet to drop off (joke)  it has been some years so is healed nicely.  

 

When we do go on the Lancaster Canal I certainly will take photos as had a lovely new camera from Father Christmas.

 

I hope you finger has now healed.        They say as you get older you get wiser - I have my doubts as I do the daftest things at times.  

[CooWee]

Ouch! Hylander, I winced when I read that, it must have been excruciatingly painful.  I rarely do the ropes because Lisa doesn't like to helm, but on the rare occasions that I do, I use the round turn and two half-hitches as the knot of choice, it means there is no pressure on the knot.  What happened to your wedding ring?

 

When you do get up here and if you fancy a visit by either we or me give a heads up, same goes for anyone else.

 

"They say as you get older you get wiser - I have my doubts as I do the daftest things at times."

You're not alone!

 

I've sent you a PM by the way, nothing urgent, just a quick query.

 

Keith

[Hylander]

Believe it or not I still have the wedding ring, of course afterwards I realised why the Doctor said it had to come off , because of course your fingers swell so.     So yes I am still wearing it.        The Doctor wasnt very happy with me but he did a good job.           I forgot to add that flying through the air and landing on your cheek bone of your face does nothing for your pride.      It certainly attracted a lot of gongoozerlers.

 

 

Looking at this photo - I just hope we dont end up like this when we get to the Lancaster Canal.

 

Thank you for your post.

 

M

 

 

[ranworthbreeze]

Hi M,

Thank you for posting the picture, this happens from time to time in locks, but in most cases can be avoided before before the boat sinks.

If in a lock you have to be aware of the cill and make shure that you are far enough forward away from the cill, the person at the helm should be looking for any problems and hangups, these can be protruding bricks or stonework.

Any issues the helmsmen should sound the horn to alert the crew to drop all the paddles on the bottom gate. Once the situation is evaluated the water should be let into the lock from the upper paddles slowly.

We once were sharing a lock on the Leed & Liverpool Canal when the other boat got caught, we adopted the above and prevented the above picture happening.

I have seen pictures of boats sharing locks where one boat is on top of the other one, where the only course of action is to refloat one of the boats and take it out of the lock to the upper side. The other boat then has to be recovered, not a great task if out in sticks.

More instruction is given by most of the yards on the canals these days, which is better for any novices or people who have not been on the canals for several years.

Regards

Alan

[SueH]

Something similar to this happened on Bath Deep Lock (Kennet & Avon Canal), a Sally Boat got caught on the cill.  The canal was closed for quite a long time while they organised its retrieval.  We did see it in use again a few months later, seemingly none the worse for wear!

 

There is nothing better than gongoozling on the canals especially near to the locks.  There are two on the K&A less then 10 minutes from our bungalow, not to mention a swing bridge.

 

We did a fortnight on the K&A a little while back and did the Caen Hill flight up and back - an itneresting experience.  Six hours up Five and a Half back.

 

Hope any trip you take on the canal system works well.  It certainly makes you appreciate the broads and lack of locks!

 

SueH

[CooWee]

"gongoozerlers." ay! - presumably onlookers?

 

I can see why you recommend single locks initially, Alan, wise advice which I will take if the need arises.

 

On that Dales trip, I mentioned a place called Horton, I should have said Hornby.

 

I too recently did an inelegant plummet, at a place called Hanging Rock, Victoria, just before I set off back home.  I tripped up over a step going to the loo, went down like a falling telegraph pole on to concrete with stones in it, upshot is cut forehead, bit the tip of my tongue, skinned my knees and felt very silly.  A kind lady put something like iodine on the wound, that's what hurt the most.  The result of all this was to turn up at back home with a bruised and cut forehead, a black eye, I lost a tooth and to compound it all I had a tattoo on my forearm.  "I didn't realise I had married a navvy," was the greeting.  Sorry totally off thread, but I do appreciate how Hylander felt.

 

Keith