It had to happen one day. Most locks on this canal are left open as boaters leave them. It then only takes one paddle to be left slightly open or a 'yob' to lift it and overnight water escapes.
We first noticed a problem when the TV picture went off. The aerial had turned round as the boat started to lean over. It was dark, about nine, when it happened. Things got worse. Cupboards opened and the contents started falling out. The water level had gone down a foot. That is a lot of water in a mile between locks. By the time we had loosened off the ropes the boat was almost grounded. It was hard work trying to push the boats off.
A man rushed by from another boat heading for the lock half a mile away. He returned and reported that 3 paddles were up. He had managed to drop two but without a 'windie' he could not drop the third due to the water pressure. So Ann & Sue went off in the dark with a torch and a 'windie'. Water had been flooding over the edge below the lock and the pumping station was working flat out.
By now the boats were starting to shift as the water level came back up. We moored along side No Problem and S n V put a plank out to keep away from the edge.
No comments:
Post a Comment