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Post by duncan on Aug 22, 2021 21:31:33 GMT
Today's news, which is just about everyday life on the mooring and not intended to be a gripping read. I took the old inverter isolator switch apart, firstly to see what was inside it and secondly to see if it could be repaired to keep as a spare. This is in the "On" position and resistance should be 0.0 or thereabouts. On closer examination, the mechanical track that the key pin moves along to energise the circuit was worn out and/or the key surround had deformed with age/ heat, so into the bin that went. You need one of those 3D printer thingies, make new bits
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Post by quaysider on Aug 23, 2021 6:09:57 GMT
Ellis ended yesterday at Polesworth... we'd have gone further but got stuck in a queue of 7 boats going up Glascote locks (the first of which took 30 mins ffs)... eventually, I dispatched the bosun to either beat someone up or help them - his choice. Oddly (for him) he chose the latter as a preference and eventually we all got moving again.
I'm quite liking this canal but they DO all talk funny. A NICE funny but funny none the less. The plan had been to try a couple of nights as visitors in Fazeley Mill but when I phoned, they had no space due to broken down boats etc. We'll try again on the way back up Mid September.
Obviously, we're now ahead of schedule but will go up the first couple of Atherstone locks this morning and then stay there until Wed - when we'll get into Rogers noisey (but hopefully empty of boaters) pound to re-stock and prep for Thursdays arrival. Having now looked at the map, I realise I've not left much time to go up the Ashby and back as it's only a 5 night trip. Oh well... hence forward I suppose.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 23, 2021 7:22:44 GMT
From the top of Atherstone it's lock free so easy cruising quaysiderGlascote and Atherstone locks are slow fillers, but the plus side is you can just whack the paddles up. They were of course built to operate with side ponds which are now abandoned, maybe that's why they're so slow. It does get a little frustrating when some folks fill those locks one turn at a time ... really not necessary ... and we always expect a queue at Glascote ... it's one of those bottle neck places like Colwich on the T&M. How's the electric violin going ... thrown it out of the window yet ? Rog
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Post by Jim on Aug 23, 2021 7:50:12 GMT
We love audio books. Have read many Stephen King books but not Shawshank or indeed Green Mile. Rog I've been searching for my fav book in audio format, Where's Wally?
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Post by mrbeacham on Aug 23, 2021 8:00:33 GMT
We love audio books. Have read many Stephen King books but not Shawshank or indeed Green Mile. Rog I've been searching for my fav book in audio format, Where's Wally? He is posting pointless stuff in the Covid threads old chap.
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Post by Mr Stabby on Aug 23, 2021 8:21:21 GMT
Back to work today. Slipped straight back in to it, like I'd never been away. Sat in The Stockyard at the mo because I'm not due to load, just around the corner, until 10:30. So will toss it off for an hour or so here. Not sure how much work they have, will ask later. Need three days' work to pay for the mooring and then a couple of weeks to pay for the CB125. Anything else after that can go into the 2022 cruising fund. Here's my mighty juggernaut.
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Post by Telemachus on Aug 23, 2021 8:42:05 GMT
Cov canal used to have gate paddles, which I think is the main reason why they’re slow fillers, rather than the side pond thing. Yes you can whack the top paddles up. But so can you on most other narrow locks if you know what you’re doing, well unless you’re single-handing maybe. The “one click wonders” as I call them, do so because they are incompetent and consequently scared.
Glascote bottom lock is particularly slow because there seems to be a perpetual problem with one of the paddles, it’s either completely blocked or partially blocked and hence very slow, ever since we moved into FMM 10 years ago.
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Post by Telemachus on Aug 23, 2021 8:56:20 GMT
… The plan had been to try a couple of nights as visitors in Fazeley Mill but when I phoned, they had no space due to broken down boats etc. We'll try again on the way back up Mid September. Obviously, we're now ahead of schedule but will go up the first couple of Atherstone locks this morning and then stay there until Wed - when we'll get into Rogers noisey (but hopefully empty of boaters) pound to re-stock and prep for Thursdays arrival. Having now looked at the map, I realise I've not left much time to go up the Ashby and back as it's only a 5 night trip. Oh well... hence forward I suppose. Yes unfortunately the battery boiling boat parked right across from us is taking your space. Personally I would rather have a ginger poof moored opposite, than a boat with boiling batteries and the battery vent outlet point at our boat waiting to spray boiling sulphuric acid all over it. Although it’s a close call. The Ashby can easily be traversed in 2 days, so 5 days is plenty for a round trip from Atherstone top. It is a rather slow /shallow in places, especially if the level is down a bit, gets faster /deeper for the last bit after shackerstone. My top tips: 1/ nice tranquil moorings offside at Sutton Cheney just after the services on fixed pontoons. Walkable to the battlefield, but it is just a field so not particularly exciting unless fields are your thing. 2/ you will see endless adverts for Spinneybank farm shop, but it’s a massive disappointment, a tiny shed with no stock. There is a better farm shop (although still rather small) a short walk west from the bridge at Stoke Golding ie 2 bridges further on. Plus, nice young man running it rather than old farmer’s wifey, which is a bonus! 3/ Moorings just south of the tunnel is a better bet than those right at the end, plus within easy staggering distance of the pub, which is quite nice. 4/ Shackerstone train station thingy is only open at weekends
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Post by Deleted on Aug 23, 2021 8:58:02 GMT
Didn't know they had gate paddles Telemachus How far back ? I remember the first time we did Atherstone locks the side pond on the town lock was still in operation and we used to use it. A few years ago we arrived to discover it was padlocked up ... unsure why. Rog
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Post by Telemachus on Aug 23, 2021 9:04:43 GMT
Didn't know they had gate paddles Telemachus How far back ? I remember the first time we did Atherstone locks the side pond on the town lock was still in operation and we used to use it. A few years ago we arrived to discover it was padlocked up ... unsure why. Rog Not sure, but before my time! A gate paddle is obviously associated with the top gate and so when top gates get replaced (many, many times over the life of the canal) they might or might not decide to include a gate paddle. Well that’s what I’m told, could be hearsay. Side ponds are for saving water, I don’t think they would have much effect on lock filling speed because you only use them for the first 1/2 of the fill when the flow is reasonable anyway. It is the second half that’s takes forever. I suspect the side ponds were removed because people didn’t know how to use them and they were just a maintenance burden. And of course if one lock has working side pond and ones further down don’t, it means not enough water coming down to feed the operation of the lower locks, so you have to run water down which negates the whole point.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 23, 2021 9:09:51 GMT
Gate paddles are on the bottom gates.
If the top gates have paddles on them they are correctly called "centre paddles".
Otherwise it would cause problems.
Ground paddles, centre paddles and gate paddles.
That's Grand Union terminology anyway.
You have to have a different term for each pair of paddles otherwise confusion will arise.
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Post by Jim on Aug 23, 2021 9:16:11 GMT
Gate paddles are on the bottom gates. If the top gates have paddles on them they are correctly called "centre paddles". Otherwise it would cause problems. Ground paddles, centre paddles and gate paddles. That's Grand Union terminology anyway. You have to have a different term for each pair of paddles otherwise confusion will arise. top gate paddles and bottom or tail gate paddles. Job sorted.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 23, 2021 9:17:29 GMT
Someone will still get confused. They need to have completely different descriptions.
Anyway as I said I am quoting Grand Union terminology and just trying to keep up the old traditions. Not important and a bit of an anorakish detail 99.9% of people would not be remotely interested in anyway !
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Post by Telemachus on Aug 23, 2021 9:26:05 GMT
Never heard the term “Centre paddles” and it sounds more suited to paddles controlling the side ponds. But of course the grand Union may well have its own terminology, there is plenty of regional variation in such things.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 23, 2021 9:48:00 GMT
The side pond paddles are side paddles.
It was an old school BW chap who told me these details. Also a few other interesting things about the way the canal is built.
One of the ones which really flustered a few on canalworld was the windows in the paddles. Square holes cut in (wooden) paddles to run water through in order to maintain levels below when there is no bywash and specially when the next lock down is deeper.
People don't believe that there would be holes cut in the paddles but there were.
Not allowed with composite materials but when they were wood it was no problem.
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