A near miss

[MtB]

12 minutes ago, rusty69 said:

Usually a pair of slippers, no locks. 

 

'Slippers' however, are presumably designed to slip. Hardly what we want.

Or was that your joke?

[midsmatt]

16 minutes ago, rusty69 said:

Usually a pair of slippers, no locks. 

Seems entirely sensible to me. 

[rusty69]

1 minute ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

'Slippers' however, are presumably designed to slip. Hardly what we want.

Or was that your joke?

Was suggesting I don't do locks in the wet, but inside with feat up, complete with slippers. 

[Dr Bob]

5 hours ago, rusty69 said:

It will depend what they sell for 

£275 a pair!! Like I said though good for lumpy boat racing.

5 hours ago, midsmatt said:

Thanks for the interesting reply. Looking at the price I agree they're not the cheapest set of boots on the market but if they last a good few years and keep your feet warm dry and most importantly well planted then the relative cost is negligible all said and done! 

I suppose that makes the following a bit of a bargain then...

.....and they do keep your feet warm and dry.

[rusty69]

9 hours ago, Dr Bob said:

275 a pair!! Like I said though good for lumpy boat racing.

Yeah, but the eBay ones in the link will go for less (probably) 

[Dr Bob]

4 hours ago, rusty69 said:

Yeah, but the eBay ones in the link will go for less (probably) 

I am finding these boots last about 6-7 years before they start falling apart - based on 3 sets of boots experience. Anyone bidding  on these would be advised to ask how old they are as it is not just usage that destroys them - the Polyurethane (I guess) soles do fall apart with time.

The pics though look as though they are not too old and the price new he is claiming looks like they may just be 1-2 years old. Looks a bargin at £75

[rusty69]

1 minute ago, Dr Bob said:

I am finding these boots last about 6-7 years before they start falling apart - based on 3 sets of boots experience. Anyone bidding  on these would be advised to ask how old they are as it is not just usage that destroys them - the Polyurethane (I guess) soles do fall apart with time.

The pics though look as though they are not too old and the price new he is claiming looks like they may just be 1-2 years old. Looks a bargin at £75

Suspect saltwater reduces lifespan considerably too

[sirweste]

21 hours ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

I often wonder how difficult it can be to jump the full width of a narrow lock. They are usually only about 8ft wide and with a short run up I'm sure that must be an easy leap. 

Trouble is, any misjudgment probably means landing really awkwardly right on the edge of the opposite side of the lock. 

On checking, the world record for long jump is 29ft+. 

 

I would imagine Nick can step over a lock without needing to jump...

I jump across half a double lock, one gate close the other open, though it's rare as I only ever open a single gate; but on occasion they have both been left open and be buggered if I'm walking all the way around! If I'm moored up at Ivinghoe do this quite a lot as the short pound top gates don't stay closed very well.

I tend to leave my boat in neutral slowly gliding out of a lock, then i's a bit of a run around to get the gate shut and jump back aboard before it's got too far into the cut.

[nicknorman]

5 minutes ago, sirweste said:

I jump across half a double lock, one gate close the other open, though it's rare as I only ever open a single gate; but on occasion they have both been left open and be buggered if I'm walking all the way around! If I'm moored up at Ivinghoe do this quite a lot as the short pound top gates don't stay closed very well.

Blimey, I don't feel so reckless stepping across half a narrow lock now!

[Rob-M]

I certainly wouldn't be jumping between gates on a wide lock. I have seen it done on Caen Hill.

I step between gates on a narrow lock as long as it isn't raining.

[zimzim]

Just a thought that springs to mind sometimes when observing folk doing locks.....

I see people with windlasses hooked into belts, or held in those special harnesses on their backs. Sometimes they have those quite large and heavy gear-assisted windlass devices.

Does it occur to anyone else that wearing this stuff around water is a bit like wearing diving weights? If/when I fall in, the last thing I want is heavy metal equipment attached to me.

[Dharl]

however by having the windlass hooked on means you have both hands free to climb ladders and to hold on to rails as you cross the gates....

 

 

Edited September 11, 2017 by Dharl
Dsylexic moment with missing words!

[Athy]

7 minutes ago, zimzim said:

Just a thought that springs to mind sometimes when observing folk doing locks.....

I see people with windlasses hooked into belts, or held in those special harnesses on their backs. Sometimes they have those quite large and heavy gear-assisted windlass devices.

Does it occur to anyone else that wearing this stuff around water is a bit like wearing diving weights? If/when I fall in, the last thing I want is heavy metal equipment attached to me.

Do you take your coat off and put it over your arm when stepping on to a weighing machine? A windlass weighs the same whether you stick it in your belt or in a holster or grasp it in your hand (and I suspect that most people's instinct, if they were to slip, would be to hold on tightly to it rather than let it go). Some windlasses, in any case (no pun intended) are very light in weight, being made of aluminium or similar; there must be a gap in the market for a plastic model, but I have not yet knowingly seen one.

2 minutes ago, Dharl said:

however by having the windlass hooked on means you have both hands free to climb ladders and to hold on to rails as you cross the gates....

 

 

Yes.

[zimzim]

2 minutes ago, Athy said:

I suspect that most people's instinct, if they were to slip, would be to hold on tightly to it rather than let it go

Blimey - not mine! It's 'goodbye windlass' when I fall in. Bouyancy would be an instant priority.

 

[Athy]

32 minutes ago, zimzim said:

Blimey - not mine! It's 'goodbye windlass' when I fall in. Bouyancy would be an instant priority.

 

Do you do it often?

[zimzim]

Thankfully not. The only times I have been 'in' it was just a question of standing up.

I take the point about having both hands free.

The thought only came about having recently met at a lock a very slightly built lady-of-some-years who was pottering about with a pretty serious (and heavy-looking) ratchet device strapped to her back. It occurred to me that if she fell in, she was going straight to the bottom!

[Athy]

8 minutes ago, zimzim said:

Thankfully not. The only times I have been 'in' it was just a question of standing up.

I take the point about having both hands free.

The thought only came about having recently met at a lock a very slightly built lady-of-some-years who was pottering about with a pretty serious (and heavy-looking) ratchet device strapped to her back. It occurred to me that if she fell in, she was going straight to the bottom!

Yes, you have a point. As I have not (yet) fallen in from the side, I am not sure what I'd do, hang on to the windlass or let it go.

[nicknorman]

When I fell into the Thames with a mooring hammer in one hand and a stake in the other, I did keep hold of them both, but then it wasn't very deep and I'm quite tall. Boy was it muddy though!

23 minutes ago, zimzim said:

Thankfully not. The only times I have been 'in' it was just a question of standing up.

I take the point about having both hands free.

The thought only came about having recently met at a lock a very slightly built lady-of-some-years who was pottering about with a pretty serious (and heavy-looking) ratchet device strapped to her back. It occurred to me that if she fell in, she was going straight to the bottom!

I think there are pros and cons. Yes it is nice to have both hands free but not if the holster-attached windlass (out of sight) catches on something just as you are crossing.

[haggis]

When I fell in I was clutching a windlass and anti vandal key and I kept hold of both 

I seemed to go down for ever and the water was a lovely green colour. 

I don't use a windlass holder as I have seen them catch on the rail when crossing a gate and thought that might make me fall in - again 

Haggis 

[midsmatt]

Blimey.... it's starting to sound like an army assault course with live fire would be easier to traverse. I've never considered a fraction of the implications being put forward! I'm not keen on locks as it is but this is certainly my becoming my least favourite thread of late! 


Still following it mind 

[bizzard]

Last time I fell in someone threw me a bar of soap.

[rusty69]

3 minutes ago, bizzard said:

Last time I fell in someone threw me a bar of soap.

Was it lifebuoy? 

Edited September 11, 2017 by rusty69

[bizzard]

3 minutes ago, rusty69 said:

Was it lifebuoy? 

Let me hold your Palm Olive....... Not on your Lifeuoy.

[rusty69]

1 minute ago, bizzard said:

Let me hold your Palm Olive....... Not on your Lifeuoy.

Could be worse, they could chuck you a tub of butter.......... 

Edited September 11, 2017 by rusty69

[WotEver]

6 hours ago, zimzim said:

Blimey - not mine! It's 'goodbye windlass' when I fall in. Bouyancy would be an instant priority.

When I fell into a lock on the Avon I kept tight hold of the windlass and still managed to swim over to the ladder to get out.