Floodgates raised at Ipswich

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alandalus11

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Has anyone else had this happen to them or is this unusual. After a long sail to Ipswich this weekend we called up to be let into the lock. We were told the flood gates had to be raised because of a higher than normal tide and we couldn't get in for 2 hours and would need to wait on the waiting pontoon. There was little or no free flow. Other boats arrived and ended up going elsewhere. We have never experienced this at Ipswich before and come through at high water many times. I also don't understand why the lock couldn't be used as despite keeping the water IN it also keeps the water OUT or am I missing something. We ended up leaving early on Sunday in case we got trapped.
 
Each lock opening will potentially let more water into the basin, but how significant this is I couldn’t say. I haven’t heard of this happening, but I only go there occasionally.
 
The gate is part of a scheme that involved raising flood defences to stop flooding. The lock is lower than these. I have been locked out and in at Grimsby when high tides prevented opening the gates.
 
WoodyP said:
The gate is part of a scheme that involved raising flood defences to stop flooding. The lock is lower than these. I have been locked out and in at Grimsby when high tides prevented opening the gates.
Click to expand...
I may be wrong here but I was under the impression the flood defences were across the New Cut leading to Debbage Marina to the left of the lock gates so would not affect the lock gates themselves. If the defences were across the lock gates then I would understand why.
 
But if the level in the basin was allowed to rise, it would allow the excess water to bypass the flood gate and back into the Orwell /Gipping. We have to assume that whoever wrote the flood plan knows best.
 
I was working for the EA when it was built. Not my project but despite what some may think there are a number of people who do know what they are doing. Me, I know nothing ?
 
Cannot comment on Ipswich. When I first launched Concerto in 2014 on a spring tide and moved to Chatham Marina, I could not enter the lock as the water level was too high. I had to wait for the level to drop before entering. I asked in the marina office and they said the river level was higher than the inner lock gates, so it would flood into the main basin and cause further problems due to the raised level.
 
We had a very good tide one night last week but the weekend was fine, so what are they on about.... I was at woodbridge over the tide in question and it didn't do anything special there
 
Surely traditional lock gates are built in a way that they will only hold water back one way - the higher level needs to be in the direction the V points when the gates are closed so that the oressure forces the gates closed. Any significant pressure difference in the opposite direction forces the lock gates open. The message you got that the flood gates (not lock gates) were raised refers to prevent the lock gates being subjected to reverse pressure - an increasingly frequent threat as the east side of England continues to drop, as it has done since the end of the last ice age, and the sea level rises.

Peter.
 
I don't know what the EA use to predict big tides/flooding but it isn't the usually very reliable NTSLF surge predictor - they seem to be on another planet. One day last week they put out a warning about the risk of flooding/seawalls being topped etc. in Clacton, Brightlingea, Mersea areas due to the combination of spring tides and weather conditions. The astro tide prediction for the day in question at B'sea was 5.2m (about midrange for a spring, they are normally in the 5.0 to 5.4m range) and the NTSLF's surge prediction for Felixstowe at around the time of HW was -0.2. Exactly as predicted we saw 5.2-0.2=5.0m at HW, a long way from topping any seawalls or flooding. This happens quite often. At other times the tide has topped the prom but the EA haven't warned because the don't seem to look at the surge predictor.
 
We often see the floodgate gate closed here at Whisstock's in Woodbridge when the tide comes nowhere near reaching the top of the quay, it is also left closed for ages after a Spring tide. It is operated by the Town Council, but on instruction from the EA. The Town Clerk says that they have to do what they are told.
 
Thanks Peter for the explanation but as far as I'm aware the flood defenses are to the left of the lock gates closing of entry to Debbage and the river Gipping. That would still leave the lock gates open to any reverse pressure from the Orwell side. I couldn't find anything on the ABP website concerning access through the locks at high water springs and even the marina manager was surprised at the temporary lock closure.
 
Mmm. Just had my query answered. Learn something every day. In addition to the flood defences to the River Gipping there is a sluice gate within the lock that is closed when the tide height reaches more than 4.4 mtrs. This is an agreement the port has with the EA. Apparently this is becoming more and more frequent at springs.
 
A high spring tide will overtop the quay side in the wet dock on the flour mill side without surge protection. There is indeed a third set of gates in the Prince Phillip Lock angled to protect inundation from the sea. The normal gates are angled to keep water in the Wet Dock. I have not seen the the Debbages gate up, but then I don't go that way much these days! I kept my boat in there when the Haven Marina opened, and the lock flood gates were rarely closed, The flood gate thing does seem to happen more regularly as they were closed for an hour or so according to the lock control, a couple of weeks ago. Still it's not a major issue unless you're in a hurry, but I'm happier to be at Foxes. The quadrant type gates seen at Shotley, Eastbourne, etc can hold water pressure from either direction.
 
I'm not sure how trained the guy in the lock in Ipswich is well the one we got on sat any way.
Seen to want to throw orders at people.
As new comers he first went off at us like no tomorrow about not calling up before the Orwell bridge .
He then asked 20 question where we going, have we got a berth, how long we staying for , it just when on and on ,
All a totally waste of time , as when we ask about what pontoon we should moor too and what we need to do, the reply was " I don't know anything about that or who operate what I'm just the lock keeper. "
So why all the question .
In the end we did say try channel 80 .
Not sure why he even locks us in as once we left the lock he opened both gates for the iner boat to free flow.
It didn't stop there , as we entered we sew the Haven harbour pontoon on the port and when to moor on it , then he starting calling us while we was trying to moor, unable to get to the vhf as we was both busy I could hear him saying not to moor there but go pass the dog leg , so why on earth didn't he tell us be before .
Weeks before we just navigate 115 bridges and locks and not once did we get all that lark .
 
sailaboutvic said:
I'm not sure how trained the guy in the lock in Ipswich is well the one we got on sat any way.
Seen to want to throw orders at people.
As new comers he first went off at us like no tomorrow about not calling up before the Orwell bridge .
He then asked 20 question where we going, have we got a berth, how long we staying for , it just when on and on ,
All a totally waste of time , as when we ask about what pontoon we should moor too and what we need to do, the reply was " I don't know anything about that or who operate what I'm just the lock keeper. "
So why all the question .
In the end we did say try channel 80 .
Not sure why he even locks us in as once we left the lock he opened both gates for the iner boat to free flow.
It didn't stop there , as we entered we sew the Haven harbour pontoon on the port and when to moor on it , then he starting calling us while we was trying to moor, unable to get to the vhf as we was both busy I could hear him saying not to moor there but go pass the dog leg , so why on earth didn't he tell us be before .
Weeks before we just navigate 115 bridges and locks and not once did we get all that lark .
Click to expand...

Most of the lock keepers are fine, but one of them is rude and unhelpful. Sounds like you got the latter.

The lock is separate to the two marinas behind it, The Haven Marina (also owned by ABP) and Neptune marina. So you just use the lock to get in/out and deal with one of the marinas separately.
 
sailaboutvic said:
I'm not sure how trained the guy in the lock in Ipswich is well the one we got on sat any way.
Seen to want to throw orders at people.
As new comers he first went off at us like no tomorrow about not calling up before the Orwell bridge .
He then asked 20 question where we going, have we got a berth, how long we staying for , it just when on and on ,
All a totally waste of time , as when we ask about what pontoon we should moor too and what we need to do, the reply was " I don't know anything about that or who operate what I'm just the lock keeper. "
So why all the question .
In the end we did say try channel 80 .
Not sure why he even locks us in as once we left the lock he opened both gates for the iner boat to free flow.
It didn't stop there , as we entered we sew the Haven harbour pontoon on the port and when to moor on it , then he starting calling us while we was trying to moor, unable to get to the vhf as we was both busy I could hear him saying not to moor there but go pass the dog leg , so why on earth didn't he tell us be before .
Weeks before we just navigate 115 bridges and locks and not once did we get all that lark .
Click to expand...
I can’t say that I have ever had a problem at Ipswich, in fact the lock keeper is usually quite cheerful, but maybe you chose the wrong day. As for the Haven, he was possibly trying to be helpful because it would have been much better for you to have rounded the corner to be nearer the office and where visitors are normally berthed.
 
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