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Lift bridge


Dottyshirl

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Please forgive me if I am being more Dotty than usual .... On the peak forest canal there is a lift bridge, you approach and there are mooring bollards on the left, you get off the boat and cross the bridge as the lifting mechanism is on the other side of the canal, you lift the bridge .... How do you get back on the boat if you are a single-handed boater ? There is also a swing bridge with the mechanism on the other side of the canal ......

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Please forgive me if I am being more Dotty than usual .... On the peak forest canal there is a lift bridge, you approach and there are mooring bollards on the left, you get off the boat and cross the bridge as the lifting mechanism is on the other side of the canal, you lift the bridge .... How do you get back on the boat if you are a single-handed boater ? There is also a swing bridge with the mechanism on the other side of the canal ......

Although I've not done that canal, I suspect the answer from those who have will be "moor on the right" or "put the boat in the narrows by the bridge and take off a line from the front".

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Please forgive me if I am being more Dotty than usual .... On the peak forest canal there is a lift bridge, you approach and there are mooring bollards on the left, you get off the boat and cross the bridge as the lifting mechanism is on the other side of the canal, you lift the bridge .... How do you get back on the boat if you are a single-handed boater ? There is also a swing bridge with the mechanism on the other side of the canal ......

 

They are nearly all that way - lifts to the off side with the mechanism there as well

 

If you do a forum search for lift bridge, you'll find quite a lot of threads with different solutions to this.

 

I prefer using ropes myself

 

Richard

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There are moorings for both lift bridges & swing bridges so you moor one side; open bridge, pull boat through; moor & lower bridge after getting then on your way

Dotty was asking about doing it single handed though.

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There are moorings for both lift bridges & swing bridges so you moor one side; open bridge, pull boat through; moor & lower bridge after getting then on your way

The problem being that the moorings are towpath side, and the bridge opertaing mechanism is on the offside, so once you have raised the bridge, you need to cross the canal on the now lifted/ swung bridge to get onto your boat to move it. It's a problem often mentioned on the forum....

 

ETA Unless you're lucky enough to have more than one person on the boat. I gather DS operates hers on her own.

Edited by John Williamson 1955
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Please forgive me if I am being more Dotty than usual .... On the peak forest canal there is a lift bridge, you approach and there are mooring bollards on the left, you get off the boat and cross the bridge as the lifting mechanism is on the other side of the canal, you lift the bridge .... How do you get back on the boat if you are a single-handed boater ? There is also a swing bridge with the mechanism on the other side of the canal ......

Hi Dottyshirl, yes as everyone else has said, they are a pain. The only pleasure I have ever got from one is when it blocks an impatient car driver. In that situation I recommend slowing down a bit, but try to avoid eye contact unless you can do a better poker face than I can!

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If its the one near Furness Vale there is small mooring on the operating side, tie up. open up, sail through, moor up on the same side, lower bridge i have seen it but not tried it yet on my own. Not had my boat long .

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My boat is 62ft and very heavy to get moving, it just puzzles me how I do it, please don't stress yourselves, I think I would go in the local pub, ply someone with drink and they would help me ........ No that would not work I would just end up staying in the pub too long and still go back to boat alone lol x

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image_zps7f2321e9.jpg

 

This small mooring is on the other side of the bridge, I (in theory) am still stuck on the mechanism/offside with my boat not yet through the bridge, so this mooring would be great to open the bridge to pass from the other side but I would still be moored with a boat that I have brought through the bridge where I could not then get back to the mechanism to drop it ...

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image_zps7f2321e9.jpg

 

This small mooring is on the other side of the bridge, I (in theory) am still stuck on the mechanism/offside with my boat not yet through the bridge, so this mooring would be great to open the bridge to pass from the other side but I would still be moored with a boat that I have brought through the bridge where I could not then get back to the mechanism to drop it ...

 

You mean there's a non-towpath side mooring only on one side of the bridge?

 

There's a REALLY good reason why the mechanism is on the non-towpath side - its so the horse's towing line doesn't get snagged. The reason its remained (mostly), is historical. After all, its not like everyone is inconvenienced, and for the most part, there's a landing spot either side of the bridge on non-towpath side. In fact, we use these even when NOT singlehanding when there's 2 of us, just to save a bit of a walk etc.

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Get *really* cheeky and ask a motorist to give you a hand once you've got the bridge up....

Meaning I would have to ask him to drive my boat..... Or carry me over the canal ha ha yet me and the car driver would probably be on the same side of the canal looking at me boat on the other side ha ha

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With a bit of clambering about you can get off and on the boat on both sides of that particular bridge. If you find a windlass lying about in the undergrowth, it's MINE. Some other lift and swing bridges elsewhere (eg South Oxford & Leeds & Liverpool ) are rather harder singlehanded, but all possible.

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Meaning I would have to ask him to drive my boat..... Or carry me over the canal ha ha yet me and the car driver would probably be on the same side of the canal looking at me boat on the other side ha ha

 

Has it honestly not twigged or are you being mischievous? You'd moor on towpath side, wind the bridge up a bit (so the car is blocked, but you can get back to the boat), then ask the motorist to wind it up (make sure you're on the correct side - so you can get back to the boat!), you drive the boat though, then get the motorist to wind it down again. Of course, it would only work if the motorist was approaching from the side of the mechanism, otherwise there is no incentive for them to stop and help you.

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This small mooring is on the other side of the bridge, I (in theory) am still stuck on the mechanism/offside with my boat not yet through the bridge, so this mooring would be great to open the bridge to pass from the other side but I would still be moored with a boat that I have brought through the bridge where I could not then get back to the mechanism to drop it ...

Whilst the upstream mooring by the mechanism is more obvious, there is also an offside bollard on the downstream end.

 

If there is no offside bollard, then;

 

 

Place stern line onto roof with end towards middle of boat

Nose up to the bridge and step off with centre line

Tie bow line to bridge rail loosely to stop boat escaping

Raise bridge and untie and use the bow line to pull the boat into bridge hole

As boat passes through, pick up stern line from roof

Once the boat is through, stop using stern rope and tie to bridge rail loosely

Lower bridge

Pull boat back with stern rope and reboard

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Has it honestly not twigged or are you being mischievous? You'd moor on towpath side, wind the bridge up a bit (so the car is blocked, but you can get back to the boat), then ask the motorist to wind it up (make sure you're on the correct side - so you can get back to the boat!), you drive the boat though, then get the motorist to wind it down again. Of course, it would only work if the motorist was approaching from the side of the mechanism, otherwise there is no incentive for them to stop and help you.

 

Ha ha ha oh you little tinker ...... So I clamber out of the cut because I always fall in, I get the motorist to do the deed ... He then he launches the windlass back to me, which causes me severe head wound AND I end up in the cut yet again ..... Some plan man x

Oh Dog House where has your humility gone ? Grandad x

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Whilst the upstream mooring by the mechanism is more obvious, there is also an offside bollard on the downstream end.

If there is no offside bollard, then;

Place stern line onto roof with end towards middle of boat

Nose up to the bridge and step off with centre line

Tie bow line to bridge rail loosely to stop boat escaping

Raise bridge and untie and use the bow line to pull the boat into bridge hole

As boat passes through, pick up stern line from roof

Once the boat is through, stop using stern rope and tie to bridge rail loosely

Lower bridge

Pull boat back with stern rope and reboard

Thanks x

I didn't mention a car or motorist did I?

You need to pay attention.

Don't be so grumpy for goodness sake !!! Edited by FadeToScarlet
Remove swearing.
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