Pump-out Cards and Lack of Lockies

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Teddy

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Just returned from a 3 week cruise and found that no pump-out cards were available anywhere. Lockies reported travelling to locks to collect the few remaining cards remaining. They report that they are no longer being made by the current supplier. I suppose they are blaming Covid for that as well. Mind you, even if you find a spare card on Ebay or somewhere you would be hard pushed to find a working pump-out anyway! How long can this incompetence continue?

Incidentally, apparently one of the reasons you are not seeing a lot of the resident lockies is because they were allowed to carry over leave from last year, not that they actually did much last year. In idle chit chat with a lockie I commented that I had heard that some had to use up to 45 days this year. The answer was that some 50 days to use up and the breakdown was explained to me.

Happy boating.
 
I have heard - and it may be wrong - Abingdon pump out is not available not because it is broken, but because they don't have cards to sell. The duty keeper has to sell a pump out and manually turn on the machine for the customer...

The lack of cards being printed has been known since the beginning of the year, probably even longer, yet nothing has been done.

It would be great to have a contactless payment on the pumpout machine itself, like the train ticket machines, that wouldn't involve interrupting the keeper in his duties and wouldn't need us to carry cards for out of hours use.

It just gets worse...
 
Teddy said:
Incidentally, apparently one of the reasons you are not seeing a lot of the resident lockies is because they were allowed to carry over leave from last year, not that they actually did much last year. In idle chit chat with a lockie I commented that I had heard that some had to use up to 45 days this year. The answer was that some 50 days to use up and the breakdown was explained to me.

Happy boating.
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Sad but probably true as they would have sat behind their Heras fencing (how much!) and not taken any holiday. Between them ,the very weak management, and the very strong unions it is all too easy to insist that they take last years holiday and and most of this years in July / August and September. (Patch at Hambledon always took Henley fortnight off! It is not a new phenomenon!)

Even sadder is that neither LWKs or Managers seem willing to give the boater customers the service they pay for. The Consultation says we pay 52% of the navigation costs - they assess that we should pay 58% - hence the modest 4% increase proposed for next year.

Don't rush to pay - EA don't have a cash flow issue - they are a government ALB.
 
Out of interest, how much is a pump out at one of the EAs river stations.
Being based in Penton Hook I’ve never used an EA one, but have used them at other marinas and was shocked at the price.
 
Mark26 said:
Out of interest, how much is a pump out at one of the EAs river stations.
Being based in Penton Hook I’ve never used an EA one, but have used them at other marinas and was shocked at the price.
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£11 last year but it’s quite time limited. If Kris Cruisers at Datchet aren’t on a changeover day they charge £19 but that is for one of their staff to do it with a good rinse and blue porta pak included - “full service pump-out”
 
Scapegoat said:
£11 last year but it’s quite time limited.
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Not quite sure about time limited as this year I used up my 2 spare cards purchased in May 2019 (at £11) and they both worked fine. I was lucky to have found pump-outs that worked. I just can't get any replacements unless anyone knows any different.
 
Thank you.
I paid the same (£19) at better boating in Reading recently, and wished I’d asked before he done it. ?

We normally pay £9 as a freedom berthing member at PH, I’m not sure if it’s the same price for Otium members?

I have no gauge on mine, and all my grey water also goes into the tank as well, so it always seems very expensive when we watch all the washing up, and shower water being pumped out.
 
We were hoping to pump out at Abingdon but due to being "out of order" we got stiffed £25 at the place just below the bridge.

Only saving grace to having to pay £25 was th chap did it for us but I still felt like they "took the pis#" both physically and financially
 
It is now run by Av boats which offer day boats for hire, but also pump out for £25 and water for £5 and fuel at £1.28 - no gas though. The main chandlery building is now a cafe.
 
Freeman30 said:
It is now run by Av boats which offer day boats for hire, but also pump out for £25 and water for £5 and fuel at £1.28 - no gas though. The main chandlery building is now a cafe.
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Did I notice that Salters are still using it as their pier?
 
I saw them land passengers on the jetty that took a long time to disperse due to queues for the loos, but the steamer did not stay there long after a very skillful turnround and mooring..
 
Yes I met one of the steamers at Sandford earlier this afternoon on its way back to Oxford.

Looked like a day trip but someone told me they only do private hire now rather than regular runs.

Maybe Oxford - Abingdon is still scheduled.
 
It got me wondering if the boats are at risk. They are such lovely boats but when the Mapledurham became economically unviable Salters preferred to cut it up rather than hand it to a preservation society.

It would be a shame of any more of them were lost but is there the work for them?

Saw one this morning on the move near Nuneham that was nice. They look great when shifting well. So graceful.
 
Any news on the pumpout situation? Abingdon unavailable until further notice, so too Boveney along with the perpetual Mapledurham.
 
Word is that EA are close to a solution for the pumpout which will use an electronic card type system. The paper cards have been a problem since way back when and the manufacturers decision to cease production appears to have finally triggered action.
Occasional reports that small stashes of cards turn up[ in lock office drawers etc.
Also expecting to hear that the water point issue may be moving forward.
 
I was in Teddington lock just over a week ago And although they don’t have a pump out in situ the lock keeper did have a huge wad of pump out cards available
 
Cards are good, but if you need to credit them i suspect we will still need to trouble the keeper. I would prefer contactless payment on the pump, then it can be used anytime and by any visitor.

Water points i have got used to, especially as they have all been modified with tape. I hope the new solution isn't a step sideways rather than forward. Be great to return to bulk supplies but i suppose the regulations that saw their demise is still applicable.

Nice to be out and about, was busy at Thames court but otherwise quiet... Be even quieter when the rain comes in.
 
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