Ham Mill lock gets its landing
stage
by: David M.
Just getting workbarge Samson up to Ham Mill is an interesting
challenge. The barge fits nicely into
our double-width locks, but to get our papyrus raft KonTiki aka Plastic Pig
through as well (to save time, and precious water) requires some
ingenuity. It will fit sideways at the
top of the lock but not down in the taper, so we have come to lifting it with
the Hiab onto the barge. In the case of
Bowbridge Lock, it won’t fit under the bridge, so a pirouette is needed during
the bridge-to-lock transition.
With the bund above Griffin Lock removed, there is just about enough
width and draft to get through, with a bit more help from the Hiab in
self-propulsion mode. What a versatile
piece of kit this is!
The Ham Mill landing stage was relatively straightforward, with about
70cm depth to dig out below towpath level, but still needed backplates to
retain the towpath behind the back piles, which involved cutting a number of 4mm-thick
steel plates lengthways down the middle.
Some digging-out of the bank was required, the profile sloping down
from the towpath side. We have used more
of the industrial felt material to deter weed growth, though this is hard to
fit, and we’ll seek a more practical solution in future.
The wooden frames went on without a hitch, Armco too. We have decided for this landing stage to fit
the green Fibregrid deck on top of the Armco, making a neater finish especially
where the deck cranks down to the lower canoe level. Bollards were cemented in, and an extra pile
and Armco fender fitted at each end. We
made a platform with a step down for access, but it is not high enough to
justify a set of railings, and actually gives a convenient access point for
higher boat decks.
