IanM

I certainly wouldn't call what's being built for the Oldbury Brook an aqueduct.

Yesterday at Napton there seemed to be more boats going up than down. Today I would say it’s 75% in the down direction.

Saying that though, I've just looked on a manufacturer's website and they say "Travel Lift". https://www.boatlift.it/en/product-travel

I've always known them as Travel Hoists and even have heard the term mentioned in a meeting just the other day.

https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notices/0197d9fd-2888-726c-b46f-2174920c40be

I've currently got a drawing open which I'm referring to for work and although it is a dock structure and not a canal one it is spelt 'cill'. Edited to add: Although there isn't a date on it I believe it was drawn around 1910-1920.

https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notices/0197def7-b1c1-7000-9b5c-d94bdac4f947

As per my post earlier. Reversing from the Rugby direction requires the butty stern to be maneuvered into the bridge hole from the 'main' canal whereas reversing from the Napton direction the butty stern is already pointing in the right direction and just needs to be the correct side of the triangle. Add to that the moored boats, services and slight bend in the Rugby direction it's a lot easier from the Napton way as there's nothing but canal bank to hit on either side if the wind decides to play up.

Whilst it would work with single motors, doing it with a pair would definitely be more open to it going wrong as you're having to reverse the butty off the main canal as it were so will need to get the stern under the bridge. The existing arrangement means that the pair are pretty much straight and as long as the butty's stern is in the correct side of the triangle it will head in the right direction. Probably.

That was taken in 2018. Both Aubrey and Alice who are pictured with him have both passed away now.

Indeed. Taking one of the cross straps off and letting the bow of the butty run up the left side of the motor's counter means the ass end of the butty is more inclined to head towards Rugby rather than the tree opposite.

No, it's a 3 point turn thing at the turn. Unless you're short and can whiz it round just past the Boat House.

Indeed, the ones coming from the turn just need hold back a little to allow the stern of the boats coming the other way to straighten up but apart from that there is room as long as each boat knows there is another coming and can position accordingly. Some of the issues I've noticed is the marshals expecting boats to just stop straight away when asked which isn't that easy especially when towing.

Certainly the last few years for the opening parade they've let the boats out of the arm to go up to the turn and join on behind the 'opening' boats as @Stroudwater1 said. For the Saturday morning parade they didn't have a marshal on the A45 bridge which meant everything just jammed up. Also the marshals at other points weren't wearing hi-viz which meant steerers couldn't pick out who to take instruction from.

What’s a duck hatch?