--- In [email protected], "Peter Stockdale" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > --- In [email protected], "Bob Wood" <bobdotwood@> wrote: > > I am relieved that I am not the only one who couldn't see the T+M > stoppage notice. > I can now see it and the Beeston excitement one as well. > > There are severe warning notices to boaters at B.I.L. re sticking out > bits, so it will be especially interesting to get the boaters view of > things ! >
I think this is caused by BW Regions not reporting stoppages to the centre. I am registered to receive all stoppage notices and when cruising up the Leicester GU/Soar was surprised to arrive at Kilby Bridge and find that there was a stoppage for a lock repair (lock 33?) as well as a red alert on the Soar. I called BW and spoke to the young lady who runs the stoppage reports and she told me that she had no record of these two stoppages. I told her that there were around 30 boats waiting at Kilby Bridge that knew otherwise and so she promised to call me back. Soon after, I received a call from Milton Keynes and I was informed that the reason the stoppage hadn't been reported was 'because Milton Keynes didn't report stoppages that would be a day or less'. I reminded the lady that wasn't really acceptable because people were making cruising decisions on the basis of stoppage reports. Later the young lady at the central stoppage called back and told me she had spoken to Newark and found that I was correct. Soon after, a stoppage notice was issued (now at least two days late). A couple of days later we heard through the grape vine that the Soar was open and proceeded up to Leicester under green to orange depending on where we were. We stopped in Mountsorrell for a couple of days then proceeded up to Loughborough and stayed overnight. Still no new stoppage notices but, again by towpath gossip, discovered that the next section was open and so we went up to Sawley. The lock keeper there told me he had opened Sawley the day before and the tidal Trent that morning. I think both those actions were taken without stoppage releases being issued. If this experience is typical it does make a mockery of the stoppage reporting system. I don't mind so much the occasional unreported short lock closure but not keeping boaters informed of red alerts seems bordering on the dangerous let alone being exceptionally inconvenient. Cheers Will Chapman Cheers Will
