Someone suggested to me that, given BWs track record, it could be that some office jobsworth ordered 4,000 bollards instead of 40. Then, BW had to think of an original use for all the bollards cluttering up their storage facilities which was also an excuse for the money the bollards cost. Of course more bollards at each lock mooring was out - not only was it useful to boaters but someone might ask - why now when you say you have no money. Then someone said they could cover their tracks by inventing a H&S issue and another suggested that few locks on narrow canal had bollards so there was room there for the spare ones. Problem of what to do with 3,960 bollards solved - bring on the profit sharing!
--- On Thu, 8/7/08, Michael Askin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: From: Michael Askin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [canals-list] Re: Bollards To: [email protected] Date: Thursday, August 7, 2008, 8:34 AM On 8/7/08, Phil Rushton <[EMAIL PROTECTED] pipex.com> wrote: <Some snippage> > I would think most boaters with GRP boats would not want to use > their engines to hold the boat against the gates or cill. Light GRP boats > do not ride cills/gates well. > > My guess would be from the H&S viewpoint that encouraging rope use by > > the less knowledgeable would cause as many risks to the unknowledgeable > > (boats getting hung up on ropes, trip hazards to gongoozlers) as it > > saves. > > Good point, but probably safer than other techniques that the novice might > use? My parents own a 30 ft steel narrowboat (with unprotected z-drive), on which we cruised many thousands of lock miles over a 34 year period and never once used a rope in a narrow lock. Some friends of ours used to own a 27?ft norman, and even when we were sharing a lock with them never used a rope. I've single handed both a 50ft and 60ft narrowboat both up and down narrow locks, and never used a rope (inside the lock) - there is a need, in some cases, for more bollards outside the lock. The only time a bollard would have been useful to me in a narrow lock was when I was helping to bow haul a butty up Tardebigge, and that would be mainly for strapping. I have managed to trip over a bollard before now - I was standing right next to it, and started off in the wrong direction. I've seen people with ropes in a narrow lock - they were a hazard to both themselves, and the boat. If I see anyone using these bollards in a poor manner I will be talking to them to disuade their use, though I've yet to see any so I don't know if there are any other problems with them. Cheers, Mike -- Michael Askin http://shoestring_ DOT_zapto_ DOT_org/ [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
