Adrian Stott wrote: > "Neil Arlidge" > <[email protected]> wrote: > >> Adrian Stott wrote: > >>> some of the locks on the Great Ouse are not that wide (the >>> narrowest is just over 3.1 m). Although EA has promised always to >>> achieve at least 4.3 m when it rebuilds any of its locks. >>> >>> Adrian >> >> Which is a lot of good when they only half rebuild a lock, like at >> St Neots. > > The deal is that any lock rebuilding work EA does where the scope of > the work is such that the dimensions of the lock could reasonably be > altered will done so that the affected dimensions are at least large > enough to accept craft with dimensions of 22 m (length) and 4.3 m > (beam). > > At St Neots, only the chamber size (width) was being altered (to allow > more boats to be handled per locking). The entrances/gates were not. > So the altered chamber is now >= 4.3 m wide (IIRC). Of course, a > vessel that wide won't be able to enter or leave the lock until the > entrances are widened. Frustrating in this instance, perhaps, but a > logical step in the right direction. And a *lot* better than when > that risibly small lock was built on the Little Ouse, which is what > led to the current policy. > > Adrian
The top gates are now the width of the new widened chamber, so half a step in the right direction. Look at Page 16 of: http://www.goba.org.uk/medialibrary/GOBAnews2005Su.pdf BTW, you better have a good moan at the Maidenhead Rivers Projet, they want to make the lock 60ft x 6ft 10in, the size of a "standard" narrowboat ;-) -- Neil Arlidge NB Earnest - Out of it. Wildernii Mini Me - Now back to being wheely good fun. TNC...The Wilderness Years... http://www.tuesdaynightclub.co.uk/tour.html
