Time to deepen private channel

Refueler

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Over last few years - grass .. reeds ... lilly's .. silt have reduced my private mooring area and finally its time to call the big boy in ...

Excavator now working to deepen and alter channel. We should be able to deepen to about 3m except for the extreme entrance where his arm cannot reach. That's sorted by dragging chains / metalwork behind a boat repeatedly.

I will also reclaim a bit of land as the top curved section is too shallow and not much use .. so that will take most of the material from the rest of channels deepening. Hopefully to create a more straight line across and possibility to 'wall' and use as mooring edge.

Photos etc. to follow as work progresses. I may even send up my Video Drone to capture the work ......

7XZvS6om.jpg
 

Boathook

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So your new pontoon at the entrance is now redundant or will you use it in the mooring area. Must admit I would like a mooring like that but on the south coast near the Solent.
Luckily dreams don't cost money .....
 

Refueler

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The Pontoon ... interesting question. I still think of having it outside the channel - and could be still - as the guy is using spoil to fill in at end of that 'peninsular. That should reduce distance through the reeds from 7m to about 3m. Placing pontoon out there then with a 'bridge' would be much easier ... as well that pontoon could be pulled into the reeds - that will effectively kill of some of the reed. Wife of course wants a swim ladder fitted !
Other option is to use pontoon inside channel once we see what final looks like.

With most spoil going to be put on top of the reeds at top of channel - removing the curved section ... once the spil has dried, settled ... next year I will construct a slipway. Its no good this year because until the spoil settles - the concrete would just sink in and get covered.

I also have plans to rebuild the Boathouse that was lost a few years after I moved in. sadly it was too far gone and main framing was rotten. But it had two railway lines for hauling boats out ... where they are now ???? I had them but they've vanished !

Thinking about vanishing items .... someone broke into my Summer Mobile down near the boats ... stole my two Air Rifles ... both with good scopes ... a Chinese side lever with about 15lbs ... and my Baikal break barrel with about 12lb .... (Latvia has severe restriction on air gun power to max 7lb ... so no replacement possible here).

Costs ? I was lucky that I came out before EU arrived. Prices were cheap compared to UK etc. I could realise my dream of house on the river ... friend of my Father from Berlin Air Lift had a house on the river at Kingston upon Thames ... without the UK price tag.
But once EU arrived - value multiplied day after day .... until it was literally ballistic. Then 2007 Euro crash came ... but still then it was about 5x the price I paid ... and its been creeping up again slowly ... but I have to be careful because over here - they have a weekly 'rag' that details those who are more fortunate .... I therefore don't wish to increase value unnecessarily !
 

Refueler

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I am considering asking the pontoon maker about less wide pontoons ... present is 6m long and 2.4m wide. If he can make 6m long and 1m wide ... then I can create a line across at top of channel where spoil ends.... with 3 or 4 end to end.
 

Refueler

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Sorry. Misunderstood the title. Thought it was another surgical thread.


if you could persuade him to 'wade' in the digger you could get some great YouTube video.

We do have excavators here that cab and engine are about 4m up ... but they are EXPENSIVE to hire .. and usually only working the timber docks with finger grabs fitted instead of bucket. They need the height to see over the stacks. But can enter the water.
 

Refueler

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Wifes moaning .... they always do ....

Before this - water was about 1.4m but as you swam - you had reeds and lilly pads etc. She moaned.

Now its deepening to 2.5 - 3.0m and she moans that now she won't touch bottom and stand head above water !

Cannot win !!
 

Rappey

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If he can make 6m long and 1m wide
I have no idea what your pontoon is like but from the ones I've had experience with 1m wide pontoons don't stay upright on their own.

Wow! I'm very envious of your own little "boatyard" the rails sound interesting. Was there a trolley for it?
 

William_H

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Love the video Nigel. I wonder if and how long it will take for that pile of mud to harden and settle so excavator can sit on it. I guess a big risk to put excavator on it now.
Good luck with it all. Re wife, just fit her with a buoyancy vest. For me I prefer not to stand on bottom. Never know what is down there.
If the centre area of channel gets deep enough perhaps you can set up a bucket or drag line pulled from the shore (by car) to dredge the entrance, spoil going in to centre area. ol'will
 

Refueler

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The mud (spoil) will dry quickly actually ... its running 27 - 30C daytime here .....

I expect to leave it about 2 months then get a Bobcat in to push / level the ground. I can also ... shooooosh - council won't like it ... push some toward river and get a bit more reclaimed land !

I have a metal grid ... about 50cms square and some old chain to add to it ... dragged behind a boat - it should help to open up the entrance.

mBEWxpUm.jpg


I do have a length of heavy angle iron - but its too long and needs to be cut shorter ... too much for my home grinder. Will have a word with my pal who runs a metalworks.
 

Refueler

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I have no idea what your pontoon is like but from the ones I've had experience with 1m wide pontoons don't stay upright on their own.

Wow! I'm very envious of your own little "boatyard" the rails sound interesting. Was there a trolley for it?

Unfortunately - the trolley had long gone ... reckon someone pinched that before I bought the place. Pal of mine owns a metalworks ... so I am talking to him about a simple trolley to run on car wheels. Once I get the 'spoil' sorted and gradient at top end with concrete slip.

I know I am not only one with own mooring etc. - but think some may be interested in life with. It takes a bit of work to maintain - it also has its own problems. The 3 bridges at town - I have to lower mast to get under .... if I get a crane or truck in for the boats - the ground gets destroyed .... but in terms of pro / cons ... I think I'm on a winner !!
 

JumbleDuck

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Coo. Looks fun and impressive. SEPA would have an eppy (childhood term) if anyone tried to do that here without unbelievable amounts of paperwork.
 

WoodyP

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The EA requirements are to obtain a licence prior to the work. £50 plus Vat, simple method statement and off you go. Unless you are in an SSSI when you also need consent from Natural England.
 

Refueler

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The previous owner who dug the channel was fined on 'last day' of the dig ! Talk about shiesters ... they let him complete then slapped the fine on ...

Two years later - I bought the place and had all permissions for boat club etc in place.

I can actually have 2 channels as the border to next property had a joint channel that silted up - that has never been cancelled. This one was replacement for it to be completely inside this property.

But we do still have the old Soviet Rule ... public access up to 10m back from waterline. Technically I should provide a bridge across the entrance - then the main part in the 'garden' is then private. But because access is difficult anyway - no need ... Guy in next house along has a lifting walkway bridge for that reason.

If I had no channel and wanted to dig one .... I first create a sketch outline of narrow channel in from river opening out to basin. I am not allowed to have wide entrance. Note the public access rule is why. The council approve and then full project is submitted. Once accepted - you start digging. Cost ?? Probably about 50 Euros to Council ... and 100 - 200 to Project Designer. But the biggest cost is you need to have Tiopgraphic Survey ... about 400 euro as they insist on resurveying total property.
 

Refueler

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Episode 3 .... note that due to the slide nature of the spoil etc. it has been piled to dry and then later I will get in Bobcat to level it ...


Here you get to see the island left ...

Idea now is maybe pull the pontoon over that as it still has about 50cm water there ... then have catwalk to it ... I can then moor all 3 boats to it. Still trying to decide ....
 
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