Victor wonders if it's a ship or a ghost...

Published: Sunday, 12 June 2022

THE sum total of two stoppage notices and 10 updates from CaRT show that the Weaver is a 'no-go' area for ships.

SteamshipWeaverSo though it is another interesting mysterious conundrum on the Weaver navigation, it's great to see the 1903 steam ship Daniel (Danny) Adamson down on the river, reports David Collins.

But is it there or is it a Ghost ship?

As not only is it able to pass through Sutton Bridge as previously mentioned as out of action, but to get to the Anderton Boat Lift it's also able to mysteriously pass Winnigton Bridge which according to CaRT can't be swung.

Is it a stoppage or not that Sutton Bridge, Winnington Bridge and Hay Hurst Bridge all have restriction notices on them... but obviously not for ghost ships...

Ridiculous request

A little trip up onto the Trent & Mersey at Derwent Month during the week gave us the most ridiculous request ever from a hire boater.

DerwentMouthJuly20 400We were tying-up under the trees away from the lock having just come up when the boater, approaching the lock going down, shouted—"Are you going down?"

Obviously can't tell which way a boat is facing!

You can tell it's the start of the season when newbies are certainly not 'with it', as previously approaching Derwent Mouth Lock to go up there were two narrowboats coming down, and even though the lock was over half empty the ground paddles were still only half-way up!

Coming down, with the boats at the front of the lock there is absolutely no other movement whatsoever as the water leaves the lock, so why paddles half-way. Nervous hardly covers it.

Trust you like the 'pretty' picture of the lockall about keeping foliage for the insects don't you know...?

The bounce

Going back to the lock later to take a walk over the new top lock gangway into the fields there was another who certainly was not into those broad locks, as coming up with a narrowboat he slammed the bottom offside gate shut behind the boat and strolled to the top gates to open the paddles, to find—of coursethe bottom gate was open!

Proving the lad was new to the game he tried it again but this time haring back to the open the top gate paddles, but alas too lateit was again open!

At this stage most boaters half open a top gate paddle to keep the damned thing closed, then close it, but really there is no need, as when the gate is closed there is a little bounce-back, it then continuing to open.  The trick is to close the gate, then hold it closed for a couple of seconds, and hey! presto!it stays shut!

Admit it

So in the stoppage notice concerning the closure of the Aire & Calder CaRT admits one set of gates was operating on only one sluice, and as that failed—and the lock kaput!

It then telling after the repair that 'the lock is operational but due to a further update, the lock is operating on only one sluice at the moment'.

lemonroyd2And had the sense to repair that one too, but as many boaters must be asking why not repair a paddle when it fails rather than leaving it until they both fail then causing such distress to boaters?

Now comes another

Anyway that one is done, so then comes another on the Aire & Calder with Keith reporting that Lemonroyd is out of action with a fault with the SCADA unit, whatever that is.

Here's a picture of our boat using it way back in 2002, but we certainly would not like to risk it now under the present regime of maintenance!  Though I understand this time the repair was fairly quickly attended to.

Victor Swift