THE REPAIR TO THE BROKEN PADDLE on the Foxton Flight has not been successful.
So the flight remains closed to navigation Keith Gudgin reports.
Red paddle
This is the red paddle on Lock 17 that failed on the 22nd December and closed the navigation.
As the red paddle is important in balancing the water in the lock by the use of side ponds and must be used before the white paddle.
The picture shows a red paddle.
And is why volunteers are used at the flight to make sure of this, especially new hirers who get confused with the extra paddle at the flight.
The trust tells the attempted repair was not successful and was unable to reattach the paddle to its rod, it being prevented owing to the high water level.
It will now require additional stop planks and work from a specialist team, as it cannot be completed by the local reactive team alone.
The trust is arranging the next steps somewhat urgently, but even then the lock will remain closed until at least the end of this week.
Lock keepers
In the days of British Waterways there were lock keepers working the locks, with a rather famous one, Crystal who was unforgiving should boaters work the paddles in the wrong order, her proclaiming:
"Red before white and you'll be alright. White before red and you'll wish you were dead!"
The picture of Crystal working the locks was taken as we passed through in 1998.