Getting into a dry dock

[blackrose]

I'm supposed to go into a DIY drydock on the 27th of this month. I drove down there a few weeks ago to have a look and found that the gate couldn't be opened fully. I assumed that there was a log or branch stuck behind the gate. I emailed the person who runs the facility (it's now in private hands), and they replied to let me know that someone would go down there to have a look.

 

I went down again today and nothing has been done. The gate still doesn't open fully and it's really shallow on the other side so I'm really starting to wonder whether I'll actually be able to get my boat in there (12ft beam). I took a boat hook with me this time but I couldn't find anything down there. Judging by all the bubbles that were coming to the surface of the water as I tried to open the gate, it's just badly silted up.

 

I'm not sure what to do now. I'm trying to decide whether I should just cancel and get a refund or go down there on the day and try to get in? Trouble is if I'm going to cancel I need to cancel the grit-blaster as well and cancel the week off work that I've booked too. I can't leave that until I find that my boat won't fit in.

 

 

It looks wide enough but it's really shallow on the other side.

 

Edited May 18, 2014 by blackrose

[b0atman]

Well that is a problem with wide beams now a narrow boat would have no problem getting sorry couldn't miss the opportunity.

[grahame r]

Write to the owner telling him of your worries, if the proverbial hits the fan the balls in his court. If he cancels now he's still liable for cancellation fees etc.

[junior]

Get a narrowboat?

[Peter X]

While I'm guessing it ought to be up to the dry dock's owner to ensure the facility is fit for its purpose, would it be feasible to shift enough silt yourself to get the boat in? If the problem is only silt behind that gate preventing you from opening it fully, maybe some kind of rigid scoop like a metal kitchen ladle securely fixed to the end of a pole would be the right tool to move the offending silt? Are you up for a spot of DIY dredging?

 

As to whether it's too shallow, to state the obvious a first step would be to know the depth of your boat and ask the dry dock owner what depth he thinks he has, then if in doubt measure it. Would it make much difference to draught to turn up with water/diesel/pumpout tanks all low?

 

If you do get the gate open enough, you might want to take anything loose off your roof or trim that overhanging vegetation, looks like a weeping willow, as you edge cautiously in! That tree makes it look as if the place hasn't seen much traffic recently.

 

Sorry if I sound too much like an armchair expert here, I'm probably stronger on theory than practise!

[bizzard]

You could try extending with a lump of wood the handle of garden a spade to dig and scrape away silt from the gates recess. Or close the gate and reverse your boat up to the affected area and blast dredge it with your propeller until the gate opens fully. Or a Tirfor or even a ratchet strap winch tied to a tree or big stake driven heartily into the ground as an anchor point to winch that stubborn old gate and squeeze all the mud away so it opens fully. if it will open fully.

[blackrose]

Write to the owner telling him of your worries, if the proverbial hits the fan the balls in his court. If he cancels now he's still liable for cancellation fees etc.

 

I've already emailed the owners so in terms of liabilities for cancellation fees I should be ok if I take it down there and can't get in.

Get a narrowboat?

 

If living on a narrowboat was really my only option in life then I'd be so depressed I probably wouldn't even bother blacking it. I think I'd just let it rust through before topping myself...

 

Sorry, I couldn't resist!

While I'm guessing it ought to be up to the dry dock's owner to ensure the facility is fit for its purpose, would it be feasible to shift enough silt yourself to get the boat in? If the problem is only silt behind that gate preventing you from opening it fully, maybe some kind of rigid scoop like a metal kitchen ladle securely fixed to the end of a pole would be the right tool to move the offending silt? Are you up for a spot of DIY dredging?

 

As to whether it's too shallow, to state the obvious a first step would be to know the depth of your boat and ask the dry dock owner what depth he thinks he has, then if in doubt measure it. Would it make much difference to draught to turn up with water/diesel/pumpout tanks all low?

 

If you do get the gate open enough, you might want to take anything loose off your roof or trim that overhanging vegetation, looks like a weeping willow, as you edge cautiously in! That tree makes it look as if the place hasn't seen much traffic recently.

 

Sorry if I sound too much like an armchair expert here, I'm probably stronger on theory than practise!

 

A 9ft beam passenger boat just came out of the dry dock on Friday. I do agree though, the whole place is overgrown and it shows that all the owners really want to do is take the profits without spending anything on the site. Those overhanging willows are the least of my problems though.

 

I think I'm just going to go down the day before and try to get in. If I can't then I'll email the owners explaining the situation, telling them that nothing was done since my previous email and asking for a full refund. Then I'll have to cancel the grit-blaster and turn up for work on Tuesday and cancel the week off (Monday is a bank holiday).

 

That just leaves 500 quids worth of twin pack epoxy sitting in my bedroom that I've got no storage space for!

Edited May 18, 2014 by blackrose

[Paul C]

What does the 2nd cheapest dry dock in the area cost?

[blackrose]

What does the 2nd cheapest dry dock in the area cost?

 

There isn't another one in the area. The next option is a slipway without any cover which is a day away, and the next drydock is a good 3 days away. It probably costs around the same but I'm not sure if they let you do gritblasting.

I'm thinking of trying to reverse my boat in - the idea being that the bow has less draught and it might squeeze over the shallows on the opposite bank. Also, it will mean an easier escape when I come out.

Edited May 18, 2014 by blackrose

[boots]

Is it feasible to empty it to be able to see what the issue is before you try and get the boat in?

[blackrose]

Is it feasible to empty it to be able to see what the issue is before you try and get the boat in?

 

I've already seen the dock empty. I could go and empty it now if I wanted to, but the issue isn't in the dry dock, it's outside the gate.

 

The 3 blokes on the passenger boat who were in there last week took spades with them because they knew what to expect. They said they spent the first half day shovelling silt into one end of the dock!

Edited May 18, 2014 by blackrose

[b0atman]

I suppose that silt is all the used grit blast that has been left by previous boaters .

Got a wide beam and still complaining about storage ?

[blackrose]

I suppose that silt is all the used grit blast that has been left by previous boaters .

Got a wide beam and still complaining about storage ?

 

No, not many boats are grit blasted down there. The silt is from the flooding that happens here every winter.

 

My widebeam has plenty of living space, but it doesn't have much more storage space than the average narrowboat.

Edited May 18, 2014 by blackrose

[David Mack]

I suppose that silt is all the used grit blast that has been left by previous boaters .

Got a wide beam and still complaining about storage ?

 

Is this is the dry dock at Harvington? It is the old lock chamber which became redundant when they built the new lock some years ago.I imagine that it fills with silt from the river all the time.

[blackrose]

 

Is this is the dry dock at Harvington? It is the old lock chamber which became redundant when they built the new lock some years ago.I imagine that it fills with silt from the river all the time.

 

That's the one.

[matty40s]

When I came through last April, they were not sure it would be used again as after 6 months closed because of the serious flooding, it was virtually full of silt, the entrance too.

[IanM]

We used it 20 years ago and the entrance was silted up then!

[David Mack]

I seem to recall that part of the justification for building the new lock was that the old one kept getting silted up.

[blackrose]

Well if this week's forecast of heavy rain materialises I might have to postpone the plan because the dock could be flooded.

[David Mack]

Well if this week's forecast of heavy rain materialises I might have to postpone the plan because the dock could be flooded.

 

But if the river is up, perhaps you can float in above all that silt?

[Robbo]

 

The 3 blokes on the passenger boat who were in there last week took spades with them because they knew what to expect. They said they spent the first half day shovelling silt into one end of the dock!

 

When in the dock, get ya whisk up and give the water a good stir to get the silt in the water, this will then drain away when you empty it.

[blackrose]

 

But if the river is up, perhaps you can float in above all that silt?

Perhaps, yes. I thought that might help, but I'd want to think I could get out afterwards. If the river goes down while I'm in there I might end up stuck inside!

[blackrose]

 

When in the dock, get ya whisk up and give the water a good stir to get the silt in the water, this will then drain away when you empty it.

I plan to reverse in and blow some of that silt out the dock before I shut The gate.

[craftycarper]

I plan to reverse in and blow some of that silt out the dock before I shut The gate.

. Just a thought but if you filled and emptied the dock a few times before attempting to put you boat in would that not clear a lot of the silt ?

[blackrose]

. Just a thought but if you filled and emptied the dock a few times before attempting to put you boat in would that not clear a lot of the silt ?

I don't know, but it would probably just drag more silt in from outside. I doubt it would clear the stuff behind the gate but if I find I can't get in I'll give it a try.

 

Spiinning the prop in the dock before emptying It probably wouldn't work to clear the silt because silt is heavy and the single drain at the bottom of the opposite end of the dock isn't very big. Much smaller than a lock gate sluice. So the silt wouldn't stay in suspension long enough.

Edited May 20, 2014 by blackrose