Thursday 10 March 2016

WIGAN WHY

Thuresday 10th 

Today was quite a late start a we only had a few miles to go an two locks. We cruised into Wigan about 12.00 and moored below Henhurst lock. Yesterday I had an email from CRT answerewing my question about the stoppage on the Wigan flight which was it would be open "on or before the 11th so Noreen and I decided we would walk up and find out for ourselves lock 85 the first in the set seemed fine except for the tonns of rubbish I will have to watch the prop going through there the pound above had plenty of water but what worried me was I could see on the next lock a very large generatore climbing the lock rise came an almighty shock the pound was EMPTY. we aproahed the workforce with trepidation as being lunch time they were other wise engaged I aproached the gag and in a light hearted matter which is my ilk I ask " Anychance of bringing my boat through here tomorrow and the unanimous reply was "no xxxxxxxxxxxx chance mate nor next week iether being a little dimayed and not wanting to spend the rest of the day in the nick I decided to walk away and leave Noreen to get the finer details from the forman these were that they had finnished this job but before they could complete it they had to go and do another one further up the flight. to enable you to get to bet I will conense the following three hours. After some great efford we managed to find the new CRT Office which believe me is not easy to find here after some long and heated words we managed to get some sense out of some one it appears that when they say open on the 11th that means 24.00hrs midnight Now make me an old fuddy duddy but 24.00hrs or midnight on the 11th is actually the 12th as you cannot negotiate the locks after dark.
We now are told that even though the locks are repaired and job done it has to be handed over to the water crew who will ensure that the locks have water in them Now as we need water to navigate, it is my humbel opinion that without water the navigation is closed. I put all this to the person who enters stoppages on the internet and pointed out that he shoulkd not say the navigation ios open unless it has water in it????
Now we are told haveing made thge CRT talk to the contractors that it will be ready for navigation by 16.00 Tomorrow now as it takes roughly three hours to climb this flight we would be finnishing at top lock in the dark so we will not be starting the climb untill sparrow fart sat being three days into our quest we are already one day behind
Also in Wigan at the moment there are no water points the one that was at the CRT office has gone because CRT have moved so we have also lost the secure mooings and the water point at Henhurst lock the tap has been removed
I have said it before and will keep on saying it untill something gets sorted Wigan has the most fantastic canal heritage but it is  the worst kept and maintained in the country it is a disgrace CRT and Wigan Council should hang ther heads in shame .
Hopefully Sat we will get out of here.

God Bless
Big Al

No comments: