What would you do?

[boatone]

As most of you probably know, the EA recently extended the availability of out of hours power to cover 24/7 when locks are unattended.

The EA state that boaters use the locks during these periods "at their own risk" and provide telephone assistance via the National Help Line number which is advertised at locks. However, they make no commitment to attend and assist if a boat gets trapped in a lock due to system failure.

It also appears that fail-safe to hand-winding is not possible if OOP is in operation so if the system trips for any reason hand-winding is not an option and only attendance by skilled staff can resolve the issue.

So, late at night you are trapped in a lock and MAY have to wait until 0900 the following morning to be released. What would you do?

 

[Brayman]

Refuse to pay the overnight mooring charge.

 

[apollo]

Turn my stereo up to full pelt, i bet someone shows up to tell me to turn it down!!

 

[No Regrets]

Open a bottle or two

 

[thames cruiser]

Isn't being stuck in a lock overnight inherintly unsafe? I'd be tempted to call the fire brigade!

But more seriously, am I missing something here, or has someone managed to approve the purchase and deployment of a totally "NOT FIT FOR PURPOSE" set of systems? The idea that Public Power operation (is that what 'OOP' is?) removes the hand winding failsafe appears to me to be an unbelievable display of planning incompentence!

All three suggestions above seem wholly appropriate to me

 

[apollo]

But more seriously, am I missing something here, or has someone managed to approve the purchase and deployment of a totally "NOT FIT FOR PURPOSE" set of systems? The idea that Public Power operation (is that what 'OOP' is?) removes the hand winding failsafe appears to me to be an unbelievable display of planning incompentence!

Precisely!

 

[Ramage]

Open a bottle or two

Only if you want Brayman to turn up muttering DRINK!!, FECK!!, GIRLS!!

 

[boatone]

..... idea that Public Power operation (is that what 'OOP' is?)....

Dont think there is an agreed acronym - s'pose OHP - Out of Hours Power - might be better. For some starnge reason my weird mind keeps coming up with OOP which might be Out of 'Ours Power if you think like I do

 

[teddington_lock]

Isn't being stuck in a lock overnight inherintly unsafe? I'd be tempted to call the fire brigade!

And what would they do ? start chopping off rams and gates ? unlikely that they would even attend.

Now if you were to set your boat on fire , that might help.

Turn my stereo up to full pelt, i bet someone shows up to tell me to turn it down!!

That's nice , disturb the lock keeper , he'll appreciate that.

 

[peterb]

I know little about canal operation (I'm a sea sailor) but isn't the problem one of possible vandalism? Manual control of lock sluices gives the possibility of sluices being left open at both ends of the lock, with resultant excessive water usage. Manual control might help the lock user, but possibly at the expense of users grounding?

 

[rosssavage]

Get out my security bit set, undo the cover on the pedestal. Hook up my gennie to the power input to the system. Bypass the failed component and resume operation. Failing that, replumb the hydraulics to enable manual operation. Send the EA my bill for fixing their lock...

 

[No Regrets]

Only if you want Brayman to turn up muttering DRINK!!, FECK!!, GIRLS!!

Even Brayman can't sniff out spirits from over 300 yards, lets keep it real!

Mind you, he does patrol that towpath down by Tesco's Reading quite a bit, checking out the empties...

 

[Ramage]

Maybe, but he has really acute hearing. A pop of a cork or the sound of a beer can being opened is guaranteed to attract him....

 

[oldgit]

Think there is some some sort interlock sysytem will prevents this ?

 

[TrueBlue]

I know little about canal operation (I'm a sea sailor) but isn't the problem one of possible vandalism? Manual control of lock sluices gives the possibility of sluices being left open at both ends of the lock, with resultant excessive water usage. Manual control might help the lock user, but possibly at the expense of users grounding?

"Funny" you should say that, AFAIK that's precisely what happened.

Most peculiar in that the (P)OOPs system has been in use for several years now an I've never heard of that type of incident before. Remember that the locks below Boveney have had OOP for many years with handwinding available when the power goes off. Anyone know if there have been any incidents of the River being "emptied".

The upgrade to the round top pedestals have been a most welcome improvement only spoilt by EA not bothering to ask boaters what they thought about its operation.

An overkill of safety considerations has spoilt the elegant simplicity of the system,which is a shame.

One the system has locked out it's a pig for the lockie to reset (as I have seen at first hand) and that may be one of the reasons why EA wont attend.

BW have a number of self operated power locks and they don't have a problem (do they?)

 

[boatone]

That's nice , disturb the lock keeper , he'll appreciate that.

If things continue in the direction they currently seem to be going, it might be more likely to be a tenant that would be disturbed rather than a lock keeper.

Interesting that no-one has suggested that they might actually try and contact the lock keeper ?

This was a serious question. I am aware of at least one incident where a commercial boat was trapped in a lock overnight and was not released until EA staff arrived the next morning.

 

[Captain Coochie]

I got stuck in old windsor lock over night a few years back . I called the number on the lock keeper hut and after a while i got put through to someone that could help . A 24 hour Locksmith We both had a gigle about the situation and i spent the night in the lock .

 

[rosssavage]

It's happened to me on at least two occasions I can think of. In both instances, we were rescued by the attendant lock keepers. Once in Boulters, the other time Bell Weir. Chap at Bell Weir was in the bath at the time , but came out as soon as he was decent. Boulters was there within ten minutes of phoning an EA number I'm not sure I still have...

Seriously, if I needed to get home, I'd fix it. Usually one of the prox switch targets out of line with the switch, bit of ferrous material held near the switch to fool it and if you're careful with the sequencing it'll work. Usually.

Please, DO NOT TRY THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Alpha22]

We have powered gates on the Gt Ouse. They are almost all user operated. Only one lock has a lock keeper and that is only operated when he is on duty.

The gates are protected with trips, but in the unusual event of one tripping, they auto reset after a short period. Failing that you are at the mercy of the 24h call centre.

Thankfully only one end of the lock is powered, that being the guillotine gate, the other end is the conventional manual 'V' gates with hand wound sluice gates. (Called 'slackers' locally). So in the event of a failure of the powered gate, you can generally get out of the unpowered end, depending on what failed and when. Otherwise, I guess you would be stuck until the EA or one of it's contractors came to fix the gate. Who knows how long that could take at night??? Most likely next morning I would guess.

 

[dash300]

It's happened to me on at least two occasions I can think of. In both instances, we were rescued by the attendant lock keepers. Once in Boulters, the other time Bell Weir. Chap at Bell Weir was in the bath at the time , but came out as soon as he was decent. Boulters was there within ten minutes of phoning an EA number I'm not sure I still have.
Seriously, if I needed to get home, I'd fix it. Usually one of the prox switch targets out of line with the switch, bit of ferrous material held near the switch to fool it and if you're careful with the sequencing it'll work. Usually.

Please, DO NOT TRY THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2 Plugs in this post alone!!

Me thinks you are pushing the advertising rules on this site a little too far!
You already have a business link attached to each of your posts. I do not feel that the forum should be used for touting ones business, nice chap that I am sure you are.