Michael Askin wrote:
> Do you not have a 'Banbury Pole'? I've never used one, but it sounds a
> little safer than a screw!
Not a lot safer! You also have the problem that you have to lift the
bridge from the 'wrong' side before you can get your pole in place. I
have in the past used something similar to prop the bridge open while
passing through, but it slipped as I was nearly through. Fortunately I
was sufficiently close to be able to hold the bridge up from underneath
until the boat was clear. Not an experience I wish to repeat!
A lift bridges have to be one of the most dangerous pieces of
infrastructure there is on the system for single handers. Most places,
BW stick stupid safety railings in the way where there is little real
danger. Here we have in effect a dangerous structure which with very
little effort on BW's part could be made much safer, yet they don't
bother. What will it take? A bridge dropping on and wrecking a boat?
A fatality? The official line is of course that you shouldn't be single
handing. When will they realise that there are a number of boaters out
there who have to single hand because they have no crew.
Terry Streeter
NB Arun - Oxford
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