----- Original Message ----- From: "nbquidditch" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, October 06, 2008 4:37 PM Subject: [canals-list] Re: Bollards - installation suspended
--- In [email protected], "Steve Haywood" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > I remember when you first started singlehanded Will and were asking for > advice, that nudging the gate is what I and others did advise; and it's what > I would do in my 20 ton, 58' boat. > Indeed - what was that, around 5 years ago? I have found it to be sound advice and I am grateful for you and others for sharing it. > But it doesn't work with lighter and smaller craft, and I think it says much > about the contemporary use of the canals that there has been such outrage > about the insrtallation of the third bollard. Small boats are much more > vulnerable to being sucked forward and pushed back which happens in a narrow [snip] DO you know I have asked this questions several times on various news groups/lists etc. and this is the first answer I have received. So thanks are again due. When I get the opportunity to raise this at a meeting in the future I will do so. I believe it important that we get a proper balance on these issues. CHeers Will When I challenged the BW technical director (Jim Stirling) about the bollards he mentioned that BW were of the opinion that short boats (particularly GRP ones) were more at risk of surging in locks and that was one of the reasons they were being installed. In his view if there was a risk to any of their customers, it should be addressed. I am sure I posted this ages ago when the subject of these bollards first came up but various owners of short boats said they didn't have a problem. At that point, I had no experience of short boats in a lock so kept quiet but we have since taken gamebird (26 feet) on the four counties ring. Iain just sat her at the back of every lock (no ropes) and she didn't move an inch - and I didn't "baby" the paddles! I suppose though, if she had been forward she would have been prone to surging but would a rope round a bollard have stopped her? I don't know. Ann
