FOAK - canals

In between jumping into canals, I've been pondering about towpaths. Most
canals, and all the ones around here, only have a towpath on one side. This
begs the question of how, in the days of horse drawn boats, did they pass
each other? I suppose you could slacken off the ropes on one boat, lifting
them up and letting the other boat pass underneath - but it seems like a
lot of trouble, especially if the canal is busy. Maybe there used to be a
path on each side but it doesn't look like there was and there certainly
isn't under any of the bridges.

Any one know and/or care?

 

Err, that's exactly what they used to do. Lift the rope that is. Some
busy sections of canal have towpaths either side, but not many. Even
at their peak, the canals weren't ever so busy that it became
impractical to pass other barges by simply lifting the rope on one
barge. Think how many boats you can get through a lock in an hour and
there's your peak usage.

ISTR (from some canal museum school trip thing when I was about 10)
that some barges have a pivoted mast to lift the rope and facilitate
this process, but that was nearly 30 years ago so ICBW.

 

How disappointing, I was hoping for something elaborate involving swiming
horses or really tall horses going one way and shetland ponies going the
other.

 

I know, but don't particularly care

Turnover bridges:
http://www.localhistory.scit.wlv.ac.uk/articles/Pendeford/Canals.htm

The bridge is smoothly contoured so as not to snag the rope. The towpath
climbs gradually up one side of the bridge, across the canal, then back down
the other side and under the arch. Provided the horse is far enough in
front of the barge the rope doesn't need to be unhitched

 

You're the aspiring comedy writer, why don't you just make some funny
shit up and then post a reply to yourself?

FWIW, the I'd go with the Shetland/Shire Horse rather than the Sea
Horses. Remember, good comedy has to be believable.

HTH

 

flashgorman wrote

Yes/no.

 

i remember fishing was good under the bridges at our local canal [1]
mostly when raining as the fish were under the bridge keeping dry.

[1] Grantham canal

Vass

 

That's for negotiating junctions, not for passing other boats.

 

How do the Shetland pony powered barges _full_of_Shire_horses_ get
under the rope of the approaching Shire Horse-powered barges full of
Shetlands? Eh?

 

Clearly the shire horse barges must run along the deeper side of the
canal.

 

I can't see all of Simon's post so he may have covered it, but there
are also bridges built in two halves, with a little (rope-width) gap
in the middle. Cunning geezers them Victorians.

 

What about some shetland ponies delivering a cargo of giraffes?

 

Submarine barge, obviously.

 

Nah, flat-packed giraffes. Explains why canal barges are so long.

 

You've never wondered what a periscope was _really_ for?

 

Knowing a little about the depth of canals, I don't think that your
suggestion would float. Giraffes would also make bridges a bit tricky
without a lot of synconised ducking.

 

For the Jolly Roger?

 

Who on earth would be stupid enough to transport ducks by barge?

 

It was common practice to transport racing ducks by barge in order for them
to arrive refreshed. They used to relax on small seats, known as ducking
stools.

 

On many canals there are little ramps every so often to help horses
who've fallen in get out.