Goole, concrete works to Went Aqueduct, New Junction Canal.
As we tucked into a bowl of porridge each this morning I sent off an email regarding my phone call last night. The phone call was as much for my benefit as Abi’s, as we’ve not worked together or even met. Shortly afterwards came back a reply from John, a contract would be forwarded to my agent soon. Marvellous!
This means I’ll be spending the next few months designing as we cruise and that we now have somewhere to aim for towards the end of the year, the South Oxford Canal. Dick Whittington will be my fourth Chippy Panto!
Frank gave me a lift to the station on his way back to Scarborough. Thank you again Frank, next time you visit hopefully we’ll be cruising and you can sit back and enjoy the scenery.
In Doncaster I picked up my glasses, at last! Before I got on a train to return I made sure I had a good walk around town to make sure they still fitted and didn’t hurt after half an hours worth of wear. I used my time hunting round for Tilly’s currently preferred cat food, but Whiskas seems to have a problem supplying food in gravy at the moment, I returned to the station with no cat food.
I’d seen others but none have been as compact
Back in Goole I popped into Boyes. There in their gardening section was a small pressurised garden pray bottle 1.5 litres, just the thing for the Wet and Forget. Then Asda came up trumps with Tilly’s food, so I had a heavy load to carry back to Oleanna.
Whilst I’d been out we’d had a Sainsburys delivery and Alastair had been to replace the starter alternator and water pump fan belt. It’s position in the engine bay making it a touch awkward to get at and Mick would rather someone with more experience fitted it. Well worth an hour of Alastair’s time.
Now all we needed was a cat, but she was busy somewhere being a thug no doubt!
One last trip this way
The afternoon was ticking by, all we needed was to top up the diesel tank and buy a bit more coal then we could leave. Tilly arrived back a bit after 4pm, the doors were closed, ropes untied and we pushed off to head for the diesel point at Boat House. Mick had already checked with Laird at Viking as to how much his diesel was, still £1.42, Boat House was £1.35.
We’d just caught the new owner before the pump was locked up for the day, 47 litres and 2 bags of coal, we were stocked up. No other reason for us to be in Goole, it was time to push off and wave farewell.
WB Lullabelle was on the paid for moorings outside Spicers Auction House, making use of the electricity. Wendy waved as we passed by, hope your planned trip over the Leeds Liverpool goes well, hopefully see you somewhere later this year or next.
Goodbye Goole see you maybe later in the year, maybe next year
Out through the caisson gates, facing the lowering sun. All very romantic!
The further we got the lower the sun got, dipping behind clouds as it went. We’d started off in t-shirts, had added jumpers within half an hour, then coats as the sun finally disappeared as we turned the 90 degrees at Breach Corner. Would we regret the stove being out?
We were finally on our way, southwards to new waters. It felt good to now have a purpose and not just be hanging around. Well we still need to be reunited with our cratch cover, but that is already finished, we just have to coincide with it in Thorne next week.
Setting
I put the finishing touches to a Quinoa Crust Quiche to celebrate our departure and getting a job.
Recipe the next time I make it
0 locks, 6.46 miles, 1 wind, 2 trains, 1 new pair glasses, 1 deli visit, 0 purchases, 2 boxes Tilly food, 1 spray bottle, 6 bottles wine, 20% off, 1 new belt, 47 litres, 2 bags coal, 1 fire out, 2 boaters and 1 cat heading off into the sunset.
Pollington Visitor Moorings to Goole, opposite the concrete works, again!
I know I need to wash the windows, but…!
Who stole the outside!?! It had been an alright outside in the end, but now someone had stolen it! Thankfully by the time we wanted to be on the move the sun had started to burn it’s way through the fog, however a layer of merk lingered all day.
There were rendezvous to be met back in Goole, we just hoped that there would be space for us where cars can pull up close.
Imperceptible Norf
Through the haze we could only just make out Drax Power Station.
A Kingfisher sat singing as we passed.
A deer sprang it’s way across the fields stopping to check on us before heading into the woods.
Someone was moving house on the M18.
Back in Goole there was actually a choice of spaces where we wanted to be. We pulled up in the first one. A van was pulled alongside one of the boats. Mick chatted to the chap who was from a covers company from Hull. Did they do repairs? Yes, they could resew the zips into the cratch cover for us, £25, but they’d have to take it away for a few days. Fortunately they will be working on a couple of boats in Thorne next week, so we will coincide with them there.
Frank arrived an hour or so later, just as a batch of chocolate chip cookies came out of the oven! Then he set to on the freezer drawer.
With three layers of ply beneath the drawer Frank used his router to cut out a large rectangle, this would allow more air to circulate around the bottom of the drawer, there were already three holes to help air come up from the bilges.
A couple of ply runners were added to the floor to lift the drawer up slightly. These had a layer of candle grease liberally applied to them. Then the front edge of the drawer had some gliss domes screwed on. This is so that when you pull the drawer out there is a frictionless surface that will slide across the floor rather than a hard edge of wood. Small recesses for the gliss domes were chiselled out of the bottom of the dinette so that everything slid back into place. All we needed now were longer screws to reattach the drawer handle.
Outside knitting, until it got too cold.
Inside a narrowboat isn’t such a good place for gongoozling someone at work. Mick followed Frank around with the vacuum cleaner, Tilly busied herself in the trees and friendly cover and I got a chair out and sat in the sunshine knitting.
An Indian Takeaway from Leaf Tandoori was picked up and enjoyed with a glass of wine and plenty of conversation. I held of on my second glass until after I’d had a telephone conversation with a Director about a possible show, it went well, hopefully tomorrow I’ll find out for sure if it went well enough.
This will be the last post before we move hosting sites. If all goes well this post will move along with the other 1239 posts (Mick’s already moved these) I’ve written over the last four or so years. Hopefully this blog will still appear on blog rolls and that we will have a blog roll that moves with the times again along with other benefits.
The recent storm has stopped Mark from flying his drone recently, but this morning he deemed the wind speed was just about okay to go flying again.
14/3/2021
The cofferdam looks like it has drained by itself again, although maybe not quite as low as it has done before.
The pictures today show where the leek happened that has now been mended.
25/2/2021
25/2/2021
These photos are from 25th February. In the bottom right hand corner where the pipes gently curve away from the bank there is a grassy gap showing where the cofferdam piling meets the existing piling and there is a bridge over the pump pipes.
7/3/2021
Then these from the 7th March. The area is much darker than before, this is because there is a hole there.
7/3/2021
It looks like you can see the back of the bank piling and then another layer of piling is close up to the pipes, you can see the corrugations in this second photo.
14/3/2021
Today the hole has now been filled with aggregate, the chalky surface quite obvious and there may also be more clay than before by the cofferdam piling.
14/3/2021
The second raft for the pumps to extract more water (at the western side) have been plumbed in, but there are no extra pipes at the eastern end.
14/3/2021
The level between the breach and Goole caisson is being kept about a foot lower than normal so that the level doesn’t over top the cofferdam. The removal of the top section of stop planks helps with this, draining any excess water that is pumped round the breach into the docks to help keep the level up there.
At some point this week we will be changing our website hosting. Readers shouldn’t notice anything different and those who get an email each time I post should still get one. I will do my best to inform you of the last post before we move, JUST IN CASE!
Where were we
2020. Betton Wood Bridge, Shropshire Union Canal. LINK
In my last post I got distracted by the blue tarpaulin at the western end of the cofferdam. I’m still not sure why this is there but a comment from David has confirmed that the leak last week, that filled the cofferdam up was at the eastern end. A void adjacent to the eastern end of the piling, on the south bank, allowed water to fill the dam back up. This was mended, but there seems there must be another leak somewhere as the cofferdam is still quite full, well it was a couple of days ago.
The extra raft at the western end is also most likely to increase the amount of water being pumped round the site, trying to keep up with water that is used at the docks.
It is thought that there are voids and leaks all along the aqueduct on the north bank, so not just one hole. The extent of these won’t be known until the cofferdam is fully drained. At the moment the best case scenario is that the canal will be closed for a couple of months, worst case until the end of the summer. But until the engineers can get a better look they obviously can’t really say.
It’s been two months since we last checked on Oleanna ourselves, others are doing a great job of checking her ropes when the levels alter, but today we paid an essential visit to her. Our Boat safety is booked soon and we knew of a few jobs that needed doing before hand.
Mick picked a hire car up from Beerhouse who are working out cheaper than Enterprise at the moment, £10 cheaper if you call them rather than booking online too. Not a pristine car, bumps and scrapes, but we weren’t bothered.
The trip over the Wolds was lovely, snowdrops filling the verges and reaching up into the woods. Daffodil leaves stretching up towards the sky, hopefully they will be in bloom the next time we do this drive, some of the roundabouts are spectacular.
Spring spinging
The level in the docks still isn’t what it was when we first arrived in September, but today Oleanna was certainly afloat and not sat on the bottom. It was a big step down, no need for the booster block though.
Masked up we went to check in with Laird at the marina. No new news regarding the breach and our only possible escape route would be if we dig a tunnel.
Then it was time to get on with jobs.
A kitchen shelf made to measure, it just needs an extension for the starter battery
The battery terminals needed some form of covering, this is so that you can’t drop any tools on them. A piece of wood would do the job. An unused shelf from a kitchen cupboard had been brought with us. This proved to be the right size for the leisure batteries, but the starter still needs something. We took measurements and will look for either a piece just for the starter, or see if we have a slightly longer shelf that would cover all batteries in one go.
Mick started her up, first time, no grumbling. She was left to run, the leisure batteries already at 100% from the solar, but the bow thruster battery could do with a charge.
I measured up the poppers on the front door blinds. One is broken so needs replacing and I’m wanting to make us two new blinds for when the original ones get too tatty, due to our second mate! The poppers appear to be 12mm diameter, so I’ll need the press stud side and a die to fix them to the cloth. I’m hoping a costume friend may just have what I need to do this.
3003
The red grabrails are all looking very faded, apart from where I touched them up recently. Somehow the red mentioned in the boat bible isn’t the correct colour, but when we were last in Sheffield the painter there gave me a tin of the right colour. I’m wanting to get a new tin to have enough to do all the grabrail, plus this tin reacted strangely when applied.
Cratch rolled up
One place the Boat Safety will need to get to is the gas locker in the bow. Oleanna is on a short pontoon, moored stern in, so not the easiest place to get to. So next job was to wind. We’d chosen today to do this so as to avoid a named storm that is due tomorrow.
Untying all the ropes holding Oleanna to the pontoon took quite some time. The fender eyes on the gunnels are useful in such situations, but really awkward to get to when your boat is lower than the pontoon. Mick had to lie down and then lean over the edge to feed ropes back through the eyes. I could reach the bow rope from the cratch, but this took quite some feeding too.
Reversing
With the cratch cover rolled up both sides and the pram cover lowered we were ready to move her for the first time in six months. No chance of pushing off, she just drifted away from the pontoon and we were off!
Even though all we were doing was winding, just standing at the back felt good. The lady from the Dutch Barge two boats over waved to us as we pulled out of our mooring.
Winding in a marina can be dodgy. Usually the wind will pick up as soon as you want to turn and you end up being pushed towards lines of moored boats. We once got to meet a whole new section of boaters at Crick Marina doing this, everyone trying to give you a push in the right direction away from their boats!
A different view
Marinas have people who watch and the space required to manoeuvre is never luxurious, so the odds are always stacked against you. Mick brought Oleanna out, turned her into the gap almost opposite, then swung the stern round. A touch of bow thruster whist turning meant we kept away from other boats. Reverse, forwards, reverse and then an extra boost of power to finish the turn and we’d finished our handbrake turn and headed back to our mooring.
Only five minutes until we were back tied up, facing the other way. Then the rope tying started again, leaving enough slack we hope for varying levels, but tight enough that she won’t be blown all over the shop in the next storm. The plank that had been positioned to stop us drifting under the pontoon was leaned over a touch. The corner of the pontoon could possibly just catch the gunnel if the levels came back up. A Tilly fender was also added into the equation.
Labelled up, another on the door
After eating our pack up the next job was the fire extinguishers. Oleanna has three. The ones at the stern and bow are both in cupboards. When they were fitted we were warned that we’d need to label the cupboards for the boat safety. So big labels went inside the cupboards and smaller ones on the outside. Each fire extinguisher was turned upside down a few times before going back into position.
The third one has for sometime lived in the gap between the shower and bathroom door. This means it is near the centre of the boat, close to the multi-fuel stove and not in the way. We’d never got round to fixing it to the wall.
A quick check with our Bubble Carpenter Frank as we’d be screwing into laminate. Franks final words were ‘don’t mess it up!’ Small pilot holes were followed by slightly bigger ones then the bracket was screwed into position. Job done and not messed up.
Tilly’s paws absent
The CO alarms and heat sensors have all had their batteries removed whilst we’ve been off the boat, saves some poor neighbour having to live with a dying battery and the beep that accompanies it. Each detector was checked in turn and then the batteries removed again, these will go back in on the day of the test.
We might wash the ropes
After six months of sitting still Oleanna is showing it a touch, both inside and out. All the ropes are turning green, the cratch and pram cover could do with another spray of Wet and Forget. Inside the bathroom windows have been left ajar, the plastic frames now covered in a thick layer of dustyness. These got a good clean, sadly my faithful assistant wasn’t on hand to inspect them from the outside, leaving her stamp of approval on newly cleaned glass!
If only Oleanna 25 times bigger was so quick to clean
A sweep through and a tidy in the galley. The wine cellar emptied of the bottles we’d stocked up on for Christmas, this gives access to the Alde Boiler. Jobs done, just a couple of things to sort on the morning of the inspection.
Hello
Mick had chance to have a chat with Geoff. We’d been hoping to see if anyone else was plotting an escape. Apparently someone had approached either ABP (who run the docks) or C&RT to see if it would be possible to use the lock out onto the Ouse if half a dozen boats got together to share. Sadly this will not be allowed. So currently the only way out of Goole is on the back of a lorry.
Looking back towards the docks
Before heading for the house we turned left out of the marina and drove down to look at the caisson. Lisa had mentioned that the top metal stop plank had been removed the other weekend and that the gates had been opened.
Gates open a bit at the caisson
The area has had a tidy up since we first came to have a look back in December and sure enough the caisson gates are open a bit, red lights indicate that the navigation is closed and you certainly wouldn’t get a boat through the gap.
Across on the southern bank the top stop plank lay. Not just a foot/eighteen inches deep but around three foot. All the pumps and pipes have gone from here, most probably to the breach site.
The water in the docks was slightly lower than that in the cut, causing there to be a flow over the rest of the stop planks. I suspect the remaining planks are being left in to protect both the docks and the cut. Should the level drop on one side, there is still something to hold back the water. So unless a lot more water gets pumped round the breach site, Oleanna is likely to be at her highest right now.
Looking towards the breach 4 miles away
Here’s hoping the cofferdam can be emptied and work of a solution started soon.
No going anywhere
Back at the house Tilly was waiting in a window for us. Her plight of cat food pouches having hit the main stream media after she’d brought the situation to their attention this morning. Apparently the shortage is due to the increase in pet ownership during lockdown and pet food manufacturers are finding it hard to ramp up production to keep up with demand. Don’t worry Tilly you’ve still got another 60 pouches to go before we have a problem!
0 locks, 100 meters, 1 wind, 2 girlie button presses, 3 extinguishers, 5 signs, 1 piece of wood, 1 more needed, 3 down to 2, 1 water tank almost empty, 12mm popper, 3003, 1 plank jauntified, 2 tyre fenders, 2 ham butties, 0 milk, 3ft stop plank, 1 red light, 0 escape, 2 thank yous to David and Stuart, 1 cat staying out of the media hype, 2 months of pouches, 1 blog with all photos again.
Later this month we will be changing our website hosting. Readers shouldn’t notice anything different and those who get an email each time I post should still get one. I will do my best to inform you of the last post before we move, JUST IN CASE!
Mark has been back to the breach site this morning.
As reported the level is up in the cofferdam again.
From C&RTs update it sounded like the eastern/downstream end of the cofferdam had given way. But from this photo it suggests it was actually the western/upstream end as a blue tarp has been added where the piling meets the bank.
Where the pipes pump the water out from the western end (I don’t know what to call them) another raft has appeared. It looks like they are planning on extending the existing pipes to this new raft, so as to suck water out further away from the piling. Maybe this is what caused the problem.
Down in the drain below you can see water is escaping again. This suggests that the hole is in the side not the base of this section. The water drained down to a level last time and then was needing pumps to completely empty the cofferdam.
The water level is now higher therefore draining into the drain again. I wonder how long it takes for it to empty itself?
These two photos were taken about ten days ago when the level was lower. The blue tarp and bags of aggregate still in position from before Christmas, helping to stem the flow of water.
Here you can see the water is being pumped out from the drain into the Dutch River.
This was the caisson gates and stop planks at Goole a couple of weeks ago, pumps working hard there.
Viking Marina at the same time. Hello Oleanna!
Goole Boathouse Marina
Thank you once again to Mark for the great photos. Even though there have been problems at the site it is good to see how things are first hand.
Later this month we will be changing our website hosting. Readers shouldn’t notice anything different and those who get an email each time I post should still get one. I will do my best to inform you of the last post before we move, JUST IN CASE!
Thank you Mike from Alchemy for bringing the notice below to our attention last night. Stoppage notices go to Mick and he hadn’t checked his emails for a while.
Notice Alert
Aire & Calder Navigation Main Line Location: Goole Docks Starts At: Goole Visitor Moorings Ends At: Goole Visitor Moorings
Friday 5 March 2021 16:15 until further notice
Type: Advice Reason: Information
Original message:
Skippers of all craft are advised that due to restricted water levels caused by the breach at New Bridge on the Aire & Calder Navigation Associated British Ports (ABP) are restricting passage at Ocean Lock Goole to commercial use only for the foreseeable future. Skippers of all craft are advise to bear this in mind when planning passage on the Derwent, Ouse, Humber, Trent and other connecting waterways.
This notice means that our escape route is now blocked. We always knew this was a possibility and sadly it is now a reality. Currently our only way out from Goole is on the back of a lorry.
Our hoped for departure date is still a way off, so there is still chance that the situation may change. But our giddiness of last week has been dampened somewhat!
Yesterday levels in the docks were low again. Apparently water had been flowing over the stop planks at the caisson last weekend, the top plank having been removed. Maybe this was because the eastern/downstream side of the cofferdam had water overflowing it.
Thank you Don for the link to this footage taken last Sunday. The cofferdam filling back up nicely. Mark Penn had also reported a week earlier that the level on the western/upstream side had been doing similar.
I’ve just noticed that C&RT have also updated their website with the following. It explains what has been happening in better detail than the snippets we’ve been getting on stoppage notices. Information is better than speculation.
Update 05/03/2021
Our initial actions when the breach occurred on the 20 December were to make the site safe and prevent further release of water from the canal which would have caused further issues for both boaters and local residents. We managed to make the site safe within a few days and added to these temporary measures over the next few weeks to stabilise the repair.
Since that point, our efforts have focussed on managing water levels for boats whilst preparing for the permanent works. We closed Goole caission and pumped water into Goole Dock and although this helped to some extent it proved challenging. This could be because there is a leak in the dock or it could be because there is a problem with the caisson or even a combination of the two.
In order to both see the damage to the bed of the canal and provide working space for a temporary repair we then installed a cofferdam and this was completed towards the end of February. This is essentially two lines of sheet piles across the canal with pumps in place to send the water across the piles.
Once these pumps were in place, to provide a continuity of water, we were able to take the water out of the cofferdam and start our inspection. Unfortunately the bank on the south side of the canal, where the piles of the cofferdam nearest the dock connected to it, suffered damage and so the cofferdam started to fill up again. We have almost completed the repair of this damage and can start to take the water out of the cofferdam again.
All these challenges have made it difficult to maintain a steady water level but we can assure you we are doing all we can to ensure this is the case.
At this stage our engineers estimate the permanent repair project will take several months to complete, though as we learn more about the cause of the problem, we will be able to refine this estimate. Until complete the navigation will unfortunately be closed at the breach site.
We apologise for the effects of the breach on the Aire & Calder and we appreciate how frustrating this must be. Please be assured we are doing all we can to resolve this problem.
A problem with the seal at the breach site has resulted in an inflow of water from the downstream end that our contractors are currently attending to.
Downstream water level fluctuations are expected to continue whilst this is addressed, and further dewatering of the breach site is planned for w/c 8th March 2021.
Maybe they’ve been waiting to see how the cofferdam would hold up before fully dewatering the breach site. Maybe the chap who reported the cofferdam being full again earlier this week was correct.
Meanwhile here in Scarborough a folding crate has been brought back out of storage and items that need to head back to Oleanna are gradually being added. We have a boat safety inspection booked in a few weeks time, before this we need to do a couple of jobs onboard. Here’s hoping we don’t have to clamber down off the pontoon again to get onboard.
The breach site has now been dewatered to provide access for inspection and investigation works to be carried out and to allow repairs to commence.
Until then we will continue to manage water levels.
Further updates will be provided when we have further informaiton.
Well one report by email a week ago, another from here and there and then the C&RT website gets an update.
Update 01/03/2021
The cofferdam has now been installed. Next week we expect to be able to dewater the site and carry out a fish rescue (while pumping water out, any fish trapped between the walls will be rescued and relocated back into the canal). Shortly after this, we will conduct our first detailed site investigation with our principal engineer, to assess the damage and decide on the repair programme to be undertaken. It will take several months for the repair programme to complete and will can share more details on timescales after the site inspection.
Not quite sure if this report is a week or so behind. Yesterday a local reported that the cofferdam was full again. Full as in up to the top? Or full to where it had naturally drained down to, as shown in the last photos? Quite unlikely to have filled all the way back up unless the cofferdam had given way, or the breach had been mended. It’s a bit like my version of 2 meters compared to someone elses!
Sadly no new photos to share that would help confirm such things. We shall wait for more information, but Ocean Lock in the docks is looking even more likely for our escape route.
One thing now ticked off the list, Mick has had his first jab. Hooray!! We’re wondering if we’ll have to return to Scarborough for our second jabs or will we be able to get them done elsewhere?
If we were still fulltime liveaboards we’d be able to go to the nearest GP surgery. Here is guidance from C&RT. Liveaboard Continuous Cruiser boater? Had your Covid-19 vaccine invite but not the actual appointment? Not had anything? Find your nearest GP and use this form http://ow.ly/sWb650DDnza to register with them. You are entitled to register, don’t accept no as an answer.
0 locks, 0 miles, 1 story here, 1 here, 1 more over here, 1st jab, 3 tests for my nephew, 9th March school return date, 1 mended camera, Act 1 and 2 drawn up, 4 options for the joust.
Blimey the end of February already! Spring is certainly springing. Here in Scarborough the sun has been out for a few days and flowers are blooming in the woods and along the cliffs to the sea.
Fewer layers required
With the announcement last Monday regarding the roadmap out of lockdown the world feels a lot more positive. On Monday and Tuesday we allowed ourselves to get a bit boating giddy, planning our escape from Goole. Mick even put our first destination into canal plan to work out how many hours cruising we’d need to do a day.
One escape route would mean we’d be needing to doing just over 2 hours a day, the other just under, although we’d most probably end up doing several days worth in one as there would be nowhere to moor up on the river sections. But this is all easy and would have us reaching our destination towards the end of June. All very exciting, we just have to hope that ABP let us out through the lock onto the Ouse or that the repair on the Aire and Calder is far easier than all the engineering suggests.
We are going to keep our first destination this year a surprise for you until we are on our way. But on Monday and Tuesday this week things started to slot into place quite nicely, we just have to hope that the Governments roadmap, (without dates!) follows the dates Mr Johnson mentioned. We will continue to abide by the rules, just hope everyone else does their part. There is also a long list of jobs to do here along with lots of work.
Sneaky peek at panto
According to various sources regarding the Aire and Calder Breach the piling forming the cofferdam was finished five days early. The area is virtually dry and decisions on a permanent repair would be made by the end of this week. Equipment has been heading to site all week and initial thoughts are that there is no problem with the culvert under the canal.
Repairs continue on the Calder Hebble at the Figure of Three Locks near Dewsbury. This was just about totally wiped out in floods at the beginning of last year. The repairs have taken into account the possibility of future flooding, the towpath has been reinforced and the spillway should now be capable of carrying flood water away. I’ve come across a couple of videos of the works.
https://fb.watch/3X9yJx9k2o/
This was a route we’d been planning on taking last year as I had a show that would start in Huddersfield and then tour to York. The gap between performances allowed enough time for us to travel between the two theatres, however the damage caused here altered our plans, then the show was cancelled.
Sun on the catwalk
Cancelled isn’t really the right word, as this week Dark Horse have been in touch and are wanting to bring the show out of hibernation. It will need designing in the next few months and some costume work before the summer even though it won’t be performed until early next year. Another reason for hoping the roadmap out of lockdown keeps going in the right direction.
Hello Oleanna!
Reports from Viking Marina in Goole suggest levels are coming back up. Mid week the caisson gates were seen open, but the metal stop planks were still in place with the pumps running full pelt around them. This weekend we’ve had reports from Lisa and Al that the metal stop planks may now have been removed. With the cofferdam now stopping any more water from escaping I suspect the caisson gates and stop planks are no longer required. Opening them up here means that as the locks in Goole docks are used there will now be another four miles worth of water to draw from. The navigation still remains closed, the red lights still showing at the caisson.
0 locks, 0 miles, 3, 1 set of gates, 1 lot of stop planks, 13 guns, 27 houses, 1 white card approved, 1 white card to be costed, 1 commission finished, 1 plan coming together, 1 roadmap, 0 dates, 1 cat going solo more, 1 new show, 3 more months photoless, 1 long list of jobs, 2 giddy boaters, 1 neighbours cat with cream paws, 1 smug boat cat.
