[I know this is a long time ago - I'm trying to catch up!] On Thu, 11 Jan 2007 22:04:02 -0000, Brian wrote:
>Sorry but not quite true. Napton top has a bywash but if you leave the top >gate open Harnser will go aground because without the back pumps on the >flow through the bottom gate will be faster than coming in from Marston >Doles. I agree with what you say on rivers, but we as experienced boaters >should take great care what we should suggest to people with far less >experience. > >And this is from someone who whole heartedly believes that the convention >should be to leave all gates open unless there is a known problem, but >until the convention changes I will close up unless instructed otherwise >and that includes the south GU Ive just finished re-reading the wonderful "Windlass in my Belt". It seems from this that in the late 50s, when traffic on the Oxford was very light, it was usual to leave the gates open /except/ on Napton and Clayton where you shut the top gates even when leaving having gone up. The idea was that you could cope with an empty pound in the flights, but an empty summit was a different matter entirely! -- On-line canal route planner: http://www.canalplan.org.uk (Waterways World site of the month, April 2001) My Reply-To address *is* valid, though likely to die soon
