>
> Last Tuesday I helped out with the Canal Trust trip boat in
Retford. This
> was certainly an eventful trip with a cargo of Primary School
children. Below
> for your enjoyment is my brief log:
> Tuesday 24th June 2008
> 09:30 According to plan, load children and set off westwards into
first lock
> (Town Lock - 25 metres distant). Bottom lock gate, towpath side,
will not
> close due to an obstruction.
> 09:35 Contact British Waterways for lock repair. Reverse out of
lock turn
> boat around at adjacent turning point, head east to turning
point (winding
> hole), consider but dismiss continuing to Hop Pole pub winding
hole in case
> boats are moored there preventing turning being possible.
> 09:40 collide with sunken supermarket trolley under bridge
(pedigree Aldi),
> disentangle boat from same and proceed 400 metres to winding hole.
> 09:50 disperse angry fishermen from winding hole and turn boat,
return
> towards Town Lock, avoiding aforementioned submerged trolley
(colliding with
> bridge in the process), negotiate red washing-up bowl and other
floating flotsam.
>
> 10:00 arrive back at Town Lock, BW maintenance workers had arrived
and freed
> the gate so we entered lock and filled it.
> 10:10 Emerge after uneventful locking to find upper pound 60cm
below normal
> level. Skipper explained situation to school teacher and suggest
that rather
> than do two return trips the students be swapped over at the
halfway point
> and each group only do a one direction cruise as progress would be
very slow
> through the mud. Imagine how well this was received!
> 10:20 Begin slow slither over mud to next lock (me steering for
this
> section). Use of full engine power needed to get through exit of
River Ryton
> aqueduct.
> 10:35 Manoeuvre past three moored working-type boats stopped on a
tight
> shallow bend.
> 10:50 Skipper takes over helm on approach to next lock. Because of
shallow
> water, set two crew off from nose of boat at lock landing, keeping
stern
> afloat in 'deeper' water (to little avail).
> 10:55 I remain on board with skipper and am put in charge of boat
pole. Use
> boat pole to get off mud bank. Members of crew previously landed
set lock for
> boat.
> 11:00 Discover insufficient depth of water to enter lock over
silted up
> bywash outfall - Open top paddles to flush down more water to
increase depth in
> pound.
> 11:15 Liberal use of boat pole, foul language and full engine
power enable
> us to get into the lock.
> 11:20 Lock through. Change over passengers, proceed to winding
hole (100
> metres) ahead just above Worksop Road bridge (ample depth of water
here of
> course - Sod's Law applies to the waterways as we know), wind, and
return to lock.
> I take over lock duties and remain on the towpath for the return
journey.
> 11.35 Proceed back to Retford. Run aground at bend where working
boats are
> moored. Use of boat pole and ropes are necessary to free NB Seth
Ellis.
> Proceed back to Retford Town Lock with minimal of incident (except
for unplanned
> grounding in the aqueduct) on the way.
> 11:55 Unload passengers. Waterways maintenance worker appears with
wet,
> battered and muddy shopping trolley, some rope, half a dozen dirty
bottles and a
> washing-up bowl (red). He indicates that his previous venture into
the murky
> depths hereabouts uncovered 11 Aldi trolleys all chained together.
A £1.00
> coin had been used repeatedly to remove the trolleys from the
canal, one by
> one.
> 12:05 Depart for home.
> Trip Statistics:
> Actual: distance travelled: 1.25 mile approx.
> locks: 2
> time taken: 2 hours 25 minutes
> average speed: 1.34 lock-miles per hour
> Plan: distance: 2 miles
> locks: 4
> time allowed: 2 hours
> planned average speed: 3 lock-miles per hour.
>
>
Great stuff, I'm not sure whether congratulations or sympathies are
the order of the day, but most importantly which tiller pin was in
use??????
John
