Chloe

Here is the video links 1 and 2 Link 1 : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMBi2jfXjD4 Link 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNPjuq1E9cY

Totally agree with your points Matchpoint 005 and Mayalid, it does not really explain what the petition is about. I read on The Mersey Gateway Website that it was a petition set up to resolve the low levels of water that occurred a few weeks back which could have caused damage to fishing stock. Yes, it does say on https://www.facebook.com/westbankanglingclub/ site 'Please support our Canal on Spike Island from damaged boats, fish loss and environmental damage! We are petitioning for a meeting with ourselves (West Bank Angling Club), West Bank Boat Club, Merseylink and Halton Borough Council to resolve this. Help us to achieve 1,000 signatures. Please share!' Above the petition post, on their site somebody has taken even more pics and comments to show that Halton Council and other relevant bodies are not taking the situation seriously enough and are just throwing money at the problem.

On another thread, which I wrote before I knew about the petition. called 'The Sankey Canal v. low water levels' - I posted pics of the original reason for me putting the petition on here. Also, as I didn't know where I should post thread I put the petition in Waterways News and in general boating a bad mistake. On the thread called 'The Sankey Canal v. low water levels' Moomin Papa wrote 'have a "mole" in the Mersey Gateway organisation, and this is what I've learned about this: Merseylink have built a temporary damn across the canal, as your photos show. They maintain a pump which pumps water around the damn to keep the levels up in the Yacht Haven. Pumping has been reduced at the request of the council whilst the work on the lock was in progress. The lock work has now finished, so pumping can start again a full rate, except that there's a shortage of water the other side of the damn to pump. This is blamed on either Fiddlers Ferry reducing flow, or a leaky pound higher up. Nobody seems to know which. Cheers, MP.

Heartland, the access road will be removed.

To Mayalid and others who do not understand what or why they are signing this petition! I live on the Manchester Ship Canal opposite Spike Island, and have a clear view of this canal! Recently there was a v. low level of water in the Spike Island Marina causing boats to severely list. The water level in this marina has always been up and down, and some boats in the past have sunk due to a lack of water. The Widnes Sea Lock leaks like a sieve. Many boaters and anglers have complained about this, to all the councils who own this canal; but to no avail. This stretch is under the care of Halton Council. This particular event was caused by a mock up roadway across the St. Helens and Sankey Canal to carry building material to the new bridge -The Mersey Gateway Bridge - which effectively created a dam. They then installed a pump with a v. small pipe used to pump water into the rest of the canal, and the basin - but it was too small to have any effect. The building contractors denied causing the low water level, and the potential dead fish problem. The canal is normally fed by the power station; but when that closes water will leak like a sieve out of the sea lock - which will only make matters worse. There has been a recent survey of the sea lock and it needs repair. A grant of £32,000 has been given to carry out repair, according to the blog 'The Sankey Canal in 2014 and What the Future Might Hold'. Darrel Bate decided to set up a petition in the hope of getting the low level of water level sorted; as the contractors were denying that it was caused due to them building a dam across the canal. The dam is still in place. Hopefully we will get 1000 signatures, and Halton Council will hold them to account for any damage caused, and in the long run, due to the problem being highlighted, they will fix the lock gates as the problem will be sorted permanently.

The short answer is I don't know! The West Bank Angling Club are running the petition targeting Halton Borough Council. and Darrel Bate Mersey Gateway Contruction Face Book group (which I am part) of put it on, and I got an email to sign! Thought as we are a canal blog site I would put share it!

On the 2nd February I posted a piece of news ( in general boating) stating that The Sankey Canal had low water levels and boaters were concerned about the boats under threat at Spike Island Marina. Now there is petition to save the Sankey Canal by West Bank Angling Club. I have posted this also under waterways news. I just signed the petition: "Support our Canal on Spike Island" Will you join me in supporting this issue? http://www.thepetiti...n-spike-island/ Chloe

On the 2nd February I posted a piece of news ( in general boating) stating that The Sankey Canal had low water levels and boaters were concerned about the boats under threat at Spike Island Marina. Now there is petition to save the Sankey Canal by West Bank Angling Club. I just signed the petition: "Support our Canal on Spike Island" Will you join me in supporting this issue? http://www.thepetitionsite.com/315/175/396/support-our-canal-on-spike-island/ Chloe

If you look at this link you can see The Sankey in all it's glory http://This http://ourlocalvoice.co.uk/?page_id=1671 What the Future Might Hold. Linking the Locks http://www.sankeycanal.co.uk/#!linking-the-locks/ce21 About The Sankey Canal Restoration Society (SCARS) http://www.sankeycanal.co.uk/#!about/c10fk

I agree Andrew C it could be a problem for all the boats moored here when the power station closes down for good!

Gordon Cank Update - Yesterday's survey of lock gates Widnes Lock, Sankey Canal Spike Island - Water level still dropping!

Thought I would post this local news story. A little background - Work started on the Mersey Gateway Project on 7 May 2014. In autumn 2017 a new six lane toll bridge over the Mersey between the towns of Runcorn and Widnes will open to relieve the congested and ageing Silver Jubilee Bridge. Both the new Mersey Gateway Bridge and the Silver Jubilee Bridge will be tolled, but they will be free for Halton residents to cross. http://www.merseygateway.co.uk/ This was reported on Facebook by Steven Wall, on the 31st January, in the Mersey Gateway Construction Forum https://www.facebook.com/groups/merseygatewayconstruction/ - note you have to join to become a member). "Can anyone help us at Spike Island Sankey Canal - we have no water in the canal boats are getting damaged no one is listening HELP! On the 1st of the February Gordan Cank posted more pictures taken of the canal at spike island on 31/1/2016, showing the low level of water and the amount of water flow entering from the Mersey Gateway Project, My view is that they are not pumping enough water in,. This putting the fish at risk of dying, the reason no fish have been seen dead is because the herons and cormorant are feeding and taking advantage of the low water level this needs sorting asap. Normally Fidlers Ferry Power Station pumps water into the canal but this appears not to be happening. Also the official view by the construction company is that they have not completed obstructed the waterway but as you can see from the attached photo's they have. Michael Gainey has sent emails to Granada Reports & Liverpool Echo and I assume people have contacted other relevant bodies.. See attached Photos to see problem.

Thanks for all the advice. We will consider everything that's been said. We are tempted to go with drilling a hole and using a verticle shear pin, if this would be seen as an acceptable engineering practice to a surveyor.

We have a Liverpool boat with an Izuzu engine with a problem The shaft has slid out of the split coupling. It did happen years ago when we picked something up on the prop. We have had a quote from a marina who have suggested it will cost about £600.00 (which we havn't got). Why can't we slide the shaft back into the coulpling and retighten everything. The mechanic has suggested that there is no bite in the split coupling and the end of the shaft is worn. He further suggests that all thiis needs replacing and it will have to come out the water.. My question is there an alternative way to solve the problem that is cheaper and acceptable. We do not want to codge it up!

My partner sent an e-mail to confirm opening dates. Nigel is still building it and it should be open early next year according to David Hall of Uplands Marina.

I would agree Paul, the market today has changed quite a bit and I don't think there are the boaters to fill both!! However, at the time they put in planning permission Uplands Marina run by Travel Reign was full and many people said they would move to their other marina when it was built.. Also the person who with the farmer was building Oakwood Marina, at Billlinge Flash had a waiting list. It has been such a long process they may make a loss like Tattenhall did when it first opened.

The people who owned Uplands marina, Anderton aka Travel Reign Noel Hawley, Dave Massey and Myers, had their plans passed at second attempt and despite objections for the close proximity of the other one at Billings Flash, Whatcroft this was also passed. Both marina owners know the score. Read this in the Chester Chronicle http://www.chesterchronicle.co.uk/news/chester-cheshire-news/150-boat-marina-to-be-recommended-5260003

The other new marina is Noel Hawley and Dave Massey of Wincham Wharf, Norhwich.

Sorry about the original post my computer was pasting links in duplicate but I didn't realize until I had posted it on a while. The date 1st of November was when the original article was put on the Marine Business website, so really is irrelevant to the post, sorry!! I haven't seen the marina yet but knew the guy who was originally building it!! Thought it was much further on than it is and thought it might be of interest to anyone who wanted to moor that end of T&M.

Oakwood Marina opening on the Trent and Mersey Canal, Northwich. I think it was going to be called Billinge Green (Flash) Marina. On the 1st of November 2007 in Boating Business: see below http://www.boatingbusiness.com/news101/industry-news/planning_permission_for_billinge_green_marina It was stated that despite opposition this Marina had been granted on a revised planning application by Ripple Developments for a 90-berth marina sited in the North Flash at Billinge Green, between Middlewich and Northwich on the Trent & Mersey Canal. Well construction should be finished and I think it's now open for business. See links below. http://www.oakwoodmarina.co.uk/ https://www.facebook.com/pages/Oakwood-Marina/666004100120772

My partner used to make tiller pins for boating friends. I would go to charity shops and pick brass objects up very cheaply and he would attach the pin to the base - by drilling a hole if their wasn't one already, and then attached the pin by soldering it.. The problem was, not the difficulty in making one yourself, but finding and buying the actual pins to make it worth your while. Nobody wants brass objects anymore so it they are still very cheap to get hold of. I would say if you have found the gnome then do it yourself, if you are handy. Follow Paul G's advice which will work. You Tube might also do videos. I think you can buy the screws from good DIY stores. My partner used to get his from Tool Station.