Tugging of Four Locks

So today I lead a short tour of the Bow Back Rivers and their towpaths, or as many of them we could reach given the final day of the International Para Athletics competition.

2 hours.

The Hanwell

This was a bit different. Normally we move boats from point to point, just so they'll be in the place where they will be easily used. This time we were going to be actually USING the boat (gasp!)

RE and myself picked up Hanwell from Bow Free Wharf (near Bow roundabout) where P, the engineer, had just finished work on her generator, which had shorted due to an eaten-through cable. Then he patched up her exhaust. Then he put the water pipes for her (Italian?!) toilet back in place.

Some wags have suggested that "The Unwell" might be a better name for this craft, but P assured me that most of the work boats share similar problems.

We took her up through Old Ford Locks to meet with the volunteers from Thames21 who were preparing to launch some floating weed-beds. We tied a weed-bed pontoon to each side of the Hanwell and puttered up to Mabley Green, where some gentle manoeuvring had us put two volunteers ashore and the first weed-beds in place.

Then we returned and did a second run, this time with three and a half weed-beds secured around the boat, turning a 10' wide workboat into a 19' wide assemblage for the mile long run past the moored boats at East Wick.

We squeezed gently through.

Then we finished off by turning West towards Bow and slotted The Hanwell nicely into the operational mooring at Bow Wharf.

4 hours.

Griffin

Griffin is a short (35'?) narrowboat with a lovely little Lister Petter two-pot engine. RE and I were tasked with moving her from Packet Boat Marina near Uxbridge to Brentford above the gauging lock.

We had a little trouble starting her until I realised that the battery isolator switch had two 'ON' positions and I needed to turn it a bit further than I thought.

We burbled happily down the Hanwell flight, unassisted by volunteer lock keepers, but still making good time.

At Brentford we tried mooring in the secure spot in the old warehouse, but this is locked with a mul-t-lock cylinder that neither my M1 or RE's M3 would work - so we shifted her to a slightly less secure spot and I cycled home. This was the furthest point West that I've ridden my bike home from.

6 hours.

Straw Chicanery

On this Friday I went to take part in a Share the Space event at Ladbroke Grove Sainsburys.

TFL have provided a lot of money for towpath improvements in West London as part of their Quietways initiative. The Trust have welcomed this and are trying to make the towpath a better place for people to cycle considerately, easily and peacefully with the other towpath users.

On the way I went through Coal Drops Yard and over the new bridge at Camley Street in St. Pancras.

DE, DV, DS and I then spent our time accosting cyclists from the safety of a straw bale chicane and cheerfully sending them on their way with a leaflet about the towpath improvements and a reminder of our towpath code.


2 hours.

Tottenham and South

This towpath patrol set off from Tottenham Locks with RE and SD we also met NS, a new volunteer out with us for the first time.

Rubbish, as always, featured heavily on our path. We report this whenever we come across it.

At Millfields Park the towpath canal edge covings are constantly coming loose and posing a hazard.

This overflowing bin at Craven Park Road is a magnet for flytipping too.

After the patrol we met with SW and AN to discuss the engineering and operating procedures for the nascent Carpenters Road Lock. I shared some of my experience of being on a boat that broke down in the park and being unable to tow the boat out because of closed towpaths.

3.5 hours.

Second Sunday

This was one of my scheduled walk towpath ranger patrols and I was accompanied from Limehouse marina by TP, a regular on some of these walks.

As ever, rubbish was a popular concern. And rubbish attracts more rubbish, and more, and more.

LW & P setting off for the Thames from Limehouse on the fuel boat.

This large craft got the buoys set out to mark proposed moorings tangled in its prop.

2 hours.

Fixing Jena's Ills

So RE and I had to pick up Jena from Kings Cross and deliver her to Three Mills.

Following her over-heating episode, her head gasket had been replaced, and as I happened to have the part when I arrived I installed a new drain plug for her skin tank.

RE noticed that her starboard forward engine mount was very loose, and tightened it up with a wrench. Jena's engine vibrates like a washing machine full of cement at tick-over, so this might have been part of the cause, apparently she'll be having her engine mounts examined before she moves again.

She also got a few knocks at Kings Cross, more scratches into her paintwork. This is looking a bit poor now and as she'll be starring at the East London Waterways Festival. She'll be getting touched up very soon!

With a very thorough check over (we're a bit paranoid about her greasy bits) we set off towards Hackney.

At the Hertford Union there were contractors smoothing new concrete into place on the path beside the locks. Something was muttered about making it easier to cycle on(!)

At lock 2 the tail-towpath paddle gear's safety catch no longer engages properly. Someone has attempted a repair to the wheel, and the filed down parts no longer engage with the pawl. Had to report this, before someone loses their teeth on a spinning windlass.

Eventually we set Jena aside at Three Mills. Next she goes to Enfield to have her paint touched up!

8 hours.

Fire, fire.

This was scheduled to be a patrol along the Hertford Union, but as I arrived near Victoria Park there was a more pressing need for us.

The building on the right of frame was alight and burned until 2pm.

KD, TP and myself stationed ourselves at Old Ford Lock 8 and worked to dissuade towpath users from approaching the scene. Below the lock a PCSO was stopping anyone from going further and the LFB also wanted no-one on the canal below there.

Nevertheless some towpath users were very miffed they couldn't continue their journey past the flaming building and under the falling bricks. We soaked up their displeasure as calmly and assertively as we could. KD and TP proved to be stars at managing the situation.

Nevertheless some boats were still approaching the junction from the Hertford Union end, and we tried to move them through as fast as possible.

As the fire died down, the LFB were seriously worried about the potential of the building collapsing into the towpath and canal. We rang our weekend emergency contact to come down and (at the LFB's request) padlock the locks around the junction.

I had to leave after three hours, and arranged for TP to take over as lead volunteer on the scene, staying in contact with the police, LFB and the Trust.

3 unexpected hours.