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Volockies


Mac of Cygnet

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2 hours ago, Midnight said:

Agreed I came up Atherstone flight recently single handed did every lock OK except for the top lock where one of the volockies decided opening both paddles fully was a good idea. I did ask him if he wanted me to show him how to do it properly but he didn't seem to be interested in my offer.

Hmmm well bearing in mind how slowly those locks fill, if you are not comfortable with both paddles fully opened, you need some coaching in how to operate your boat. I do hope we aren't ever coming up behind you! All this one-click-at-a-time paddle opening is a newish phenomenon. OK on some locks it might be a good idea, but the Coventry ones are very slow fillers. Absolutely nothing will happen if you open both paddles fully, except that you won't hold other people up for so long. I see it increasingly in some really slow filling locks from people who, frankly, aren't actually thinking about what they are doing, but just operating the lock "by rote". Grrrrrr

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15 minutes ago, nicknorman said:

Hmmm well bearing in mind how slowly those locks fill, if you are not comfortable with both paddles fully opened, you need some coaching in how to operate your boat. I do hope we aren't ever coming up behind you! All this one-click-at-a-time paddle opening is a newish phenomenon. OK on some locks it might be a good idea, but the Coventry ones are very slow fillers. Absolutely nothing will happen if you open both paddles fully, except that you won't hold other people up for so long. I see it increasingly in some really slow filling locks from people who, frankly, aren't actually thinking about what they are doing, but just operating the lock "by rote". Grrrrrr

Get yourself an "Atherston Wedge." :D 

 

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49 minutes ago, Arthur Marshall said:

I met a stack of vlockies last year, and every one of them asked me (I'm on my own) if I wanted their help and when I said yes, all checked with me if it was Ok to open each paddle.  I thought training must have improved.

Yes, I agree that the majority have the right attitude, and the training is probably not at fault, but some people just don't listen or think they know better.   Anyway, I've reported the incident, mainly for the sake of other boaters, especially singlehanders, and I'll post the reply, if any.

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4 hours ago, Midnight said:

Agreed I came up Atherstone flight recently single handed did every lock OK except for the top lock where one of the volockies decided opening both paddles fully was a good idea. I did ask him if he wanted me to show him how to do it properly but he didn't seem to be interested in my offer.

Always lots at Atherstone Top. That's where the teapot is!

But these days they are generally a good helpful, competent bunch of folks given up their time to help us.

And good company too if they follow you through the flight (or some of it!).

James

Edited by JamesWoolcock
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5 hours ago, WotEver said:

There are always some folk in all walks of life who decide to wear the 'I'm important' hat instead of the 'I'm helpful' one. 

Like CRT Volunteers wearing their uniform when not on, to or from duty.

Steering their own boats?

Working on charity boats or any other non CRT craft?

Or in one case having a holiday hire boat and then mooring on the strictly 'No Mooring' bend just before Hopton School Bridge on the Coventry Canal.

He moved after I had eventually managed to explained his error but then in the same CRT attire, glad handed every passing towpath walker for the rest of the afternoon telling them about his lock keeper duties on a nearby flight!

Not good. Not good at all.

James

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2 hours ago, nicknorman said:

Hmmm well bearing in mind how slowly those locks fill, if you are not comfortable with both paddles fully opened, you need some coaching in how to operate your boat. I do hope we aren't ever coming up behind you! All this one-click-at-a-time paddle opening is a newish phenomenon. OK on some locks it might be a good idea, but the Coventry ones are very slow fillers. Absolutely nothing will happen if you open both paddles fully, except that you won't hold other people up for so long. I see it increasingly in some really slow filling locks from people who, frankly, aren't actually thinking about what they are doing, but just operating the lock "by rote". Grrrrrr

Actually when he opened both paddles the boat lurched back them forward and bashed into the gate.

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8 hours ago, nicknorman said:

Hmmm well bearing in mind how slowly those locks fill, if you are not comfortable with both paddles fully opened, you need some coaching in how to operate your boat. I do hope we aren't ever coming up behind you! All this one-click-at-a-time paddle opening is a newish phenomenon. OK on some locks it might be a good idea, but the Coventry ones are very slow fillers. Absolutely nothing will happen if you open both paddles fully, except that you won't hold other people up for so long. I see it increasingly in some really slow filling locks from people who, frankly, aren't actually thinking about what they are doing, but just operating the lock "by rote". Grrrrrr

I expect you'll be hoping you never come up behind me then because that's how I do it too.

Not one click at a time but definitely no more than half way at first and then possibly winding back down a bit briefly if it seems necessary. 

I do this because I am thinking about it, not because I'm not. And because my wife is fed up with having the boat move backwards and forwards repeatedly and crashing into the lock gates and I'm fed up with her revving like crazy to try and stop it. Once things settle down a bit I'll open both. I doubt if this adds more than a couple of minutes. If those two minutes are that important to the boater behind me then I can't help thinking they have chosen the wrong method of transportation.

 

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To clarify what others have said, volunteer lock keepers should always ask before offering assistance.  It should also have been made clear to them in their training that the boater is in charge when working through a lock, and they are there to "guide and assist", not to dictate.

This (and much more) was clarified in a personal meeting we had with the CRT regional manager, and CRT head of health and safety following a dangerous incident we were involved in at Hillmoton.

Some of the VLKs are very good - (the Watford ones already mentioned were doing a great job recently), but we are still encountering cases where they just wind paddles without asking, and it has been made very clear to us, (and should have been made clear to them!), that they should not be doing this.

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We always signal each other when to wind the paddle, wind half way brief pause and another quick signal from the helm. Most VLKs are happy with this a minority just assume they can proceed when we are in the lock despite all the training to the contrary. 

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10 hours ago, nicknorman said:

Hmmm well bearing in mind how slowly those locks fill, if you are not comfortable with both paddles fully opened, you need some coaching in how to operate your boat. I do hope we aren't ever coming up behind you! All this one-click-at-a-time paddle opening is a newish phenomenon. OK on some locks it might be a good idea, but the Coventry ones are very slow fillers. Absolutely nothing will happen if you open both paddles fully, except that you won't hold other people up for so long. I see it increasingly in some really slow filling locks from people who, frankly, aren't actually thinking about what they are doing, but just operating the lock "by rote". Grrrrrr

I agree with this, the atherstone flight is one of the tamest when fully opened i have used, the locks on the oxford are the other end of the spectrum.

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4 minutes ago, Dave Payne said:

I agree with this, the atherstone flight is one of the tamest when fully opened i have used, the locks on the oxford are the other end of the spectrum.

I have a simple rule of thumb.  If  Brindley built it, just be a bit careful.

Later builders seem to have learned a bit more about water flow and flights such as Bosley can be rapidly drawn with no adverse effect.

George

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We have just completed a three week trip from Stockton to Sharpness via the Worcester and Birmingham and Droitwich canals, returning via the Avon. This involved 223 locks including two transits of the Hatton flight, the complete Lapworth flight and the Tardebigge flight. We did not see a single volockie. I was beginning to wonder if they had become an endangered species.

Edited by billS
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12 hours ago, mark99 said:

I think at Hillm'tn they get fixated at "get the bastards through quick!"

...so that boaters may swiftly distance themselves from the ludicrous doggerel which some vandal carved into the balance beams while no one was looking. Can't fault their intentions.

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8 hours ago, Midnight said:

Actually when he opened both paddles the boat lurched back them forward and bashed into the gate.

As I said, you need some coaching in how to operate your boat.

Put it like this: we always open both top paddles fully and the boat never lurches or bashes into the gate. Why is that?

Edited by nicknorman
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11 hours ago, nicknorman said:

Hmmm well bearing in mind how slowly those locks fill, if you are not comfortable with both paddles fully opened, you need some coaching in how to operate your boat. I do hope we aren't ever coming up behind you! All this one-click-at-a-time paddle opening is a newish phenomenon. OK on some locks it might be a good idea, but the Coventry ones are very slow fillers. Absolutely nothing will happen if you open both paddles fully, except that you won't hold other people up for so long. I see it increasingly in some really slow filling locks from people who, frankly, aren't actually thinking about what they are doing, but just operating the lock "by rote". Grrrrrr

It pains me to say so, but I agree with you Nick!

:)

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I think the best experience we have had with volockies was going up Bosley earlier this year. We were met at the bottom (ie well away from their tea making facilities!) by a husband and wife team  and we and other boats on the flight had help right to the top. They were efficient, nice to chat to people and their help was much appreciated as neither of us was feeling particularly well.

haggis

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1 minute ago, nicknorman said:

As I said, you need some coaching in how to operate your boat.

I'm not too sure why you wish to provoke me, but to be honest I don't argue with idiots no matter how irritating.

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Just now, Midnight said:

I'm not too sure why you wish to provoke me, but to be honest I don't argue with idiots no matter how irritating.

I wish to provoke you because I want you to think about what you are doing. Partly for selfish reasons because I resent being stuck behind folk who seem to make a virtue out of doing everything as slowly as possible, but also for your own sake so that you day is not spoilt when someone carries out a perfectly normal action such as fully opening both top paddles on a Coventry canal lock.

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