Heading upstream we once arrived in the centre of Guildford with the river so
high we could not get under the bridge. We tied up to a lamp-post, the front
end being pushed in by the flow but due to that flow the back only (finally)
came in very fast and under full power - luckily there was a second lamppost to
tie the back rope too. We noticed the rope marks on the posts for years
afterwards when passing the spot.
On another trip when the upper Avon still had trees for some balance beams,
but neither Avon's had flood warning systems, heading upstream we found
ourselves stopped under Pershore bridge with the engine running flat out. We
finally used the bridge roof to push the boat through - and not before time for
as we came out a tree-trunk flashed past us into the bridge-hole.
I could go on but looking back we were amazingly blase about boating in
fast streams in those days with not a soul around to help if we got into
trouble. And, of course, as we learned on the job something could have gone
wrong in the blink of an eye in such conditions. This fact was made clear to us
one evening when, after starting from Worcester, we found ourselves alone on a
swollen Severn with, as we found later, the various keepers letting us through
after hours to get us off the river. It took 6 hours to reach the haven of
Stourport where the keeper had the bottom lock ready for us to dive in. The
look on his face was enough!
Nowadays we are a little wiser. And, as for the potential dangers of fast
flowing streams, one only has to see the cross-flows on the Llangollen to
realise how instantly dangerous the power of water can be even to the most
experienced boater.
David Cragg
David Cragg
Michael Askin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
On 3/7/07, BARRY HOLLAND <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> the lockie again advised me not to travel but a Goring mooring [?] was my
> intention. A very strong flow all the way was intensified at Goring where
> Tony, on the boat in front, took my centre line but when I tied the back, the
> boat attempted to turn back downstream and nearly sunk before the line
> snapped and I had to leap aboard, untie the back, re-start the engine and
> roar off downstream and turn about.
I am always amazed at the lack a knowledge about tying up in a flow.
Always tie the upstream part of the boat first, or else the flow will
drag the boat out again. As a regular single hander on strong tidal
rivers, I manage OK because I know what I'm doing!
Mike
--
Michael Askin
http://shoestring_DOT_zapto_DOT_org/
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