Recovering a winch handle

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Quandary

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Today it was a nice alloy Harken, probably close to £100, but as a canal 'pilot' I get to witness a variety of handles fall into the water, it invariably happens in the lock and the precise point at which it goes in is easily remembered, however the water is deep and murky, the stone lining is black and the lock bottoms are curved like the hull of a ship.
Seems a shame that because they are alloy or bronze the sea searcher magnet will not lift them, anybody got any other ideas or should they just be left to rest in peace? The canal used to use the magnet to recover steel lock keys which clutter the locks close to the gates.
 
As a youngster I recall Archie “Baldy” McDermott? the (sealock keeper)Recovering my fathers silver cigarette case from the sea lock with long rake designed for the purpose
Don’t think it did the cigarettes much good though
 
Well if it was my handle I would be tempted to get in the water dive down and try to grope for it. Now I know UK types are not so fond of getting in the water with a mask and snorkel. Certainly not pleasant. I tend to be a bit bloody minded about loosing things. So 3 weeks ago it was time to haul the little boat home for the winter at the local club ramp. A 6 mm pin with the little locking plate that swings sideways was lost off the bow while dropping the mast. I had a fair idea where and so when the boat was home and stowed I went back with swimmers on and mask and snorkel. It was in about 2 m of fortunately clear water so I found it on the second foray. Yes the water was clear.
Now to find the handle in the lock one might need a wet suit to cope with cold water and lead weight belt to allow diving. Depending on depth one might need a SCUBA tank etc or hookah. Now to cope with no visibility you need to drop a rope with a heavy weight on the end at the best guess position. Diver can use this line to pull himself down and once on the bottom start to grope around in a circle. A piece of rope also attached to the weight can be used to guide the diver in a circle that is larger in increments. Just a thought ol'will
 
William_H said:
Now to find the handle in the lock one might need a wet suit to cope with cold water and lead weight belt to allow diving. Depending on depth one might need a SCUBA tank etc or hookah. Now to cope with no visibility you need to drop a rope with a heavy weight on the end at the best guess position. Diver can use this line to pull himself down and once on the bottom start to grope around in a circle. A piece of rope also attached to the weight can be used to guide the diver in a circle that is larger in increments. Just a thought ol'will
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Someone could put chairs out on the lockside, and sell tickets for the entertainment, and popcorn, to defray the cost of getting a diver in. ;)
 
Now to find the handle in the lock one might need a wet suit to cope with cold water and lead weight belt to allow diving. Depending on depth one might need a SCUBA tank etc or hookah. Now to cope with no visibility you need to drop a rope with a heavy weight on the end at the best guess position. Diver can use this line to pull himself down and once on the bottom start to grope around in a circle. A piece of rope also attached to the weight can be used to guide the diver in a circle that is larger in increments. Just a thought ol'will[/QUOTE]

Mmmmm! I think I would pay £1,000 not to have to go through this experience. Bottom of a deep, cold, muddy, Scottish lock in no visibility. It would take more that £100 to get me to do it!

Getting a stainless pin in warm shallow water - not a problem I’d keep going for hours.
 
I'm building my 43 ft f/g yacht which has a deep keel for internal ballast. Every-time I lose a tool, drill bit etc down the bottom of the yacht I use a speaker magnet on the end of a string to retrieve the item if it is magnetic. For non-magnetic items I have a vacuum cleaner (which I found on the rubbish tip) with a long tube and I can suck the item and bring it up

Maybe if you had a powerful pump with the inlet on the end of a light pipe you could suck the handle and bring it up? I wonder if there is a $15 (eBay) GoPro type camera which could be used to locate the handle in the first place?
 
After 1700 on Saturday close both lock gates. Get ba couple of buckets and start bailing the lock.
I think you will still have until 0800 Monday morning to empty the lock and pick up your winch handle and other items.
 
When I worked as a skipper on corporate gigs I used to tell my guests that winch handles were actually sentient beings who’s only desire in life is to live at the bottom of the sea.
Nothing I have yet seen has convinced me that I was wrong.
 
Quandary said:
Today it was a nice alloy Harken, probably close to £100, but as a canal 'pilot' I get to witness a variety of handles fall into the water, it invariably happens in the lock and the precise point at which it goes in is easily remembered, however the water is deep and murky, the stone lining is black and the lock bottoms are curved like the hull of a ship.
Seems a shame that because they are alloy or bronze the sea searcher magnet will not lift them, anybody got any other ideas or should they just be left to rest in peace? The canal used to use the magnet to recover steel lock keys which clutter the locks close to the gates.
Click to expand...

Surely a man with your abilities should be able to empty the lock completely, and the reach below it, to retrieve the aforementioned item. Then "run water" to refill them.
You keep telling us the canal is poorly staffed - so nobody would notice.;)
 
I have one winch handle that has been overboard 3 times now.
Yes its a floating one. I am no 98 lb weakling and i do like to crank things on, but it has suprised me with its strength. I also have all metal winch handles in case of needing absolute full power, but they dont see much use.

On one occasion I was solo coming out of a completely sheltered bay where i had spent the night. I had just raised main and jib while puttering under motor - and then dropped the handle OB.
As my boat has an open transom, the easiest retrieval for me was to go into reverse and back up to it while kneeling down in the cockpit.
Having scooped up the handle, I stood up to find a tourist boat with scores of passengers a few meters away! The skipper had clearly seen a boat under full sail motoring backwards with no one in sight and wondered what was going on.

I have a landing net for the occasional fishing we do. It works better than a boat hook for picking up floating winch handles and hats....
 
William_H said:
Well if it was my handle I would be tempted to get in the water dive down and try to grope for it. Now I know UK types are not so fond of getting in the water with a mask and snorkel. Certainly not pleasant. I tend to be a bit bloody minded about loosing things. So 3 weeks ago it was time to haul the little boat home for the winter at the local club ramp. A 6 mm pin with the little locking plate that swings sideways was lost off the bow while dropping the mast. I had a fair idea where and so when the boat was home and stowed I went back with swimmers on and mask and snorkel. It was in about 2 m of fortunately clear water so I found it on the second foray. Yes the water was clear.
Now to find the handle in the lock one might need a wet suit to cope with cold water and lead weight belt to allow diving. Depending on depth one might need a SCUBA tank etc or hookah. Now to cope with no visibility you need to drop a rope with a heavy weight on the end at the best guess position. Diver can use this line to pull himself down and once on the bottom start to grope around in a circle. A piece of rope also attached to the weight can be used to guide the diver in a circle that is larger in increments. Just a thought ol'will
Click to expand...

Wet suit! He's from Scotland all he needs is a pair of speedos!
 
Drag for them. I am sure you could come up with suitable drag paraphernalia to dredge the canal deeps. Apart from the small child suggestion all the rest of the ideas are far too much trouble.
 
coopec said:
Not sure what you are getting at exactly.
Do you mean bribing some 14 year old boys to dive for them and pay them a dollar for each one recovered? :cool:
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Only reason I take my Daughter and her friend to the boat , to go dive for dropped items and cleaning the bilges , their small hands do the trick , I tell them if they dont we will sink:D
 
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