Clever technical knot required

I maintain my position that almost any "quick release" knot pulled tight enough to shift that tree will be too tight to release quickly enough to do any good in an emergency. I'm also of the opinion that it's far too dangerous to attempt to attach anything to the tree until the water drops.
 
Stemar said:
I maintain my position that almost any "quick release" knot pulled tight enough to shift that tree will be too tight to release quickly enough to do any good in an emergency. I'm also of the opinion that it's far too dangerous to attempt to attach anything to the tree until the water drops.
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Look up ‘Tug boat hitch’ or ‘Lighterman’s hitch. If snugged up correctly, it CANNOT jamb.
Tugboat hitch - Tom Cunliffe

As is obvious with its name, it’s used to attach tugs to ships and they occasionally need to be undone in an emergency and under load. (i admit they always have an axe and balks of timber on deck but that’s in case the apprentice deck hand ties the tug boat hitch wrong. )
 
From the photograph the tree has cleared the crest of the weir and is no longer a threat to the hydro scheme. In which case there seems to be no urgency to move it now, As others have said waiting for the flow to abate would seem to be the sensible thing to do. You would then have safe access to move it in your preferred way. If they are a problem I think the Environment Agency would have to accept this on Health and Safety grounds.

Alternatly you could take advice from "Mr Bean" or "Blaster Bates" with their elegant solutions..
 
The tree is jammed on the main weir. You can see that a branch about 10inches dia has bitten into the weir wall and dug a slot through concrete over the last couple of months.

The main mass of the principal trunk ("moot" in local parlance) is bearing down on the wall, and any chain saw activity will relaase a lot of force in a not very predictable way. Hence the need to secure the main tree to an immovable object on the far bank before we do anything.

It is the jamming of the tree that is causing much head scratching, and looking through the regulations. Its potential for snagging other trees leads us to think that Env Agncy has a potential flood creating problem and it is their job to clear it. We are also trying to see if the original owner of the tree is responsible for the damage, or whether it is an act of God. Being a foreseeable event (old tree, leaning over the river) , my view is that the owner should have felled and cleared it before it went walkies.

There is small chance for some time of the river going down enough to allow access along the main weir with a chainsaw. What cannot be seen is a "larinier" to the side of the power station. This is a critical piece of structure and must not be jammed by loose branches.


Watch this space. I might borrow a reindeer or two after Christmas...
 
I would already have dragged it out of there with a tractor and chain if it was important, or left it if not. I hope too much of your life is not spent agonising about who is legally responsible for random floating trees..
 
sarabande said:
It is the jamming of the tree that is causing much head scratching, and looking through the regulations. Its potential for snagging other trees leads us to think that Env Agncy has a potential flood creating problem and it is their job to clear it.
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I'd agree another tree or two that size getting caught on that one is likely to be a problem. But I'm not certain the is EA's issue. Firstly I suspect (don't know the geography) the place most affected will be your power plant... So it just became your problem. EA are only interested in big floods with risk to life / political seats.

Second, even if EA deems that you can now flood the whole. If Rees Mogg's Estate and that immediate action is required, they may consider the costs of that action sit with the weir owner rather than themselves. Await a bill for a very large crane...

sarabande said:
We are also trying to see if the original owner of the tree is responsible for the damage, or whether it is an act of God. Being a foreseeable event (old tree, leaning over the river) , my view is that the owner should have felled and cleared it before it went walkies
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You know who owned the tree?
I suspect the law is similar to error tiles falling off a house and damaging a car in the drive next door. I.e. you need to prove the owner was negligent. In the case of roof tiles you are expected to say "I warned them their error was in disrepair sand they did nothing about giving it." To which the immediate retort by the lawyers would be "you knew the roof was unsafe when you parked under it and still you choose to park there". So if expect you'd need to add show someone told the tree owner his tree was dangerous and the tree owner had reasonable time to act and did nothing. To which the tree owners lawyers will say... "You (or your predecessors) built the obstruction, without the obstruction this wouldn't be an issue. Tree was here first."



Watch this space. I might borrow a reindeer or two after Christmas...
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Please cover the whole operation with cameras. £250 on you've been framed! You tube gold.

I have no advice about knots. I'm not sure if the tug boat has a 50mm towball though.
 
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Fishermans for weed !!
sarabande said:
Watch this space. I might borrow a reindeer or two after Christmas...
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Have you considered consulting the Roya Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Reindeers if that is acceptable.?
You cannot just go hitching Rudolf up to a sodden tree just because Santa is not using him.
Have you considered how many reindeers needed, what knot to use (Reindeer hitch perhaps? We have had every other suggestion possible) What sort of rope ( recycled tinsel perhaps?) & how & where to tie the rope to the reindeers. & how to recover the reindeer from the stream if it all goes t..ts up. One can hardly call the environment agency & say " I've got a reindeer stuck up my weir" they will never believe you:confused:
 
john_morris_uk said:
Look up ‘Tug boat hitch’ or ‘Lighterman’s hitch. If snugged up correctly, it CANNOT jamb.
Tugboat hitch - Tom Cunliffe

As is obvious with its name, it’s used to attach tugs to ships and they occasionally need to be undone in an emergency and under load. (i admit they always have an axe and balks of timber on deck but that’s in case the apprentice deck hand ties the tug boat hitch wrong. )
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That's an interesting knot, but I wouldn't call it quick release in the way a highwayman's hitch is. It's a good, secure knot that you can undo, but not in a second, by pulling the working end
 
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