Bartimaeus

We were very pleased with our progress yesterday, but in the heat it seemed unnecessary to continue through the rest of the spaced out locks, and in any case the Radford Bottom Lock was closed after 3pm.  This morning was cooler, as forecast, so we decided to set off reasonably early.  Clare and Bryn did a quick forage to get milk, the only essential we were low on.  We set off just behind another boat, having agreed as they passed to join them in the locks.

We'd gone through one lock with them when there were concerned noises from other boaters on the towpath.  I checked my email and confirmed that there was indeed an alert from Canal and River Trust (CRT): Radford Bottom Lock was damaged and would not be repaired until (at least) Monday.

A short discussion ensued, but almost everyone decided that carrying on was a reasonable choice.  These locks are very manageable with a second capable crew, so we made easy progress.  One of the pounds looked particularly low, but both drivers managed not to run on to the beach.

A few locks before the bottom there was a water point, so I decided to fully heed the CRT advice and fill our water tank.  I had to wait a short while as another boater was filling her tank too.  Meanwhile Clare and Bryn had carried on to help our lock companions through the next lock.

Once the water was full, I came forward and they worked me and Bartimaeus through too.  These double locks were built in the 1930s alongside the single locks they replaced.  On this section, the single locks have since been replaced by pumps which push water back up the canal, so I didn't feel too guilty about us running the double lock twice.

We moored up at a suitable spot before the penultimate lock. We are going to be here for a day or two so it was better to choose a good spot than to get close to the lock.  I heard, and then we all saw, a kingfisher from the boat later on, vindicating the choice of mooring spot.

After we'd had some lunch, I couldn't resist going forward to look at the damaged lock.  On approach it was obvious that something was wrong, even without the red and white warning tape.

On closer inspection it was easy to see the damage, and to guess the probable cause.  The beam has been lifted up from the top of the gate.  This almost certainly happened when the nose of a boat rising in the lock got caught under the beam.  As the lock filled, the buoyancy of the boat will have lifted the gate.  This gate is clearly in need of some maintenance, but in any case was not able to support its own weight.

The gate is still functioning adequately when closed.  My suspicion is that if the lock was filled, the other gate could be operated safely, and the lock would still be usable by narrowboats - but not wide boats.  Clearly someone at CRT has done a risk assessment and come to a different conclusion.

Our plan to continue through the Hatton Flight before we return to Edinburgh next week will now need to be rethought.  I am particularly keen to get through this lock, as it is the edge of the closures announced earlier this week.  If we don't get through it by Monday next week, we may not be able to get through for a considerable time - not ideal.

We walked on along the towpath to scope out our options if we do manage to get through early next week.  Exactly what we do will depend very much on how quickly the lock gets fixed.