Very compelling story…. I can still remember the first time I went through one of the locks on the Ohio River.
Dave | Homepage | April 30, 2005, 2:31 pm | #

Sorry to hear about your day. I don't know what you could have done different to stop that happening in the lock. Why can't you close the guillotine gate like you would a paddle when things go awry ? We have no experience with those kind of G gates. Can you not close them again ?

It was a bit mean about the farmers wife but I suppose she had a bad experience with previous boaters.

We had a similar experience on the Llangollen once at the end of the summer. Every local we came across had an issue with boaters. We had an argument with a moored boat about wash and then we got wrongly accused of mooring outside a lock cottage. The lady who lived there thought we were to blame because she saw us speaking to the real culprit. I guess they were just up to the gunwhales with boaters taking liberties all summer and were very over sensitive.
Never mind, chin-up. You came out the other side, wiser for the experience. You could have just retired to a cottage and been bored out of your mind !!!
Mark | April 30, 2005, 6:13 pm | #

Dave,

I guess those locks are massive?

Mark,

The problem with guillotine locks is that to totally raise or lower them takes almost 200 turns on a big wheel!

On normal locks, its just a matter of 'dropping' paddles shut instantly, with these Vic had already turned the wheel probably 30 times just to raise it a foot.... it won't just drop if you let go the wheel, you have to wind it down! He is a super guy, but there is no way he would have been able to wind the wheel 30 times in the opposite direction in a matter of seconds.

Yes tis a pity a minority of narrowboat crews spoil it for the rest, and that is just what is happening. I tend to try and be as understanding as I can, normally I would have moved on in that situation, but it was very late and I was exhausted with the trials of the day.
Sue | Homepage | May 1, 2005, 11:29 am | #

Sounds very frightening. Hope he trip is more relaxing from now on.

We have some discussions on the Ownerships webboard referenced in the link - where I've found some web pictures of the lock.
Peter Scott | Homepage | May 3, 2005, 11:25 am | #

Peter,

Thanks for that, yes I have been over and had a look at the pics ... there really should be warnings on a poster at the locks, it is very dangerous. We were very lucky
Sue | Homepage | May 9, 2005, 11:43 pm | #