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party boat crashes into, damages small lock

(27 posts)

Started 1 year ago by Alferd Packer
Latest reply from Mondoman

Alferd Packer

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http://blogs.seattletimes.com/today/2012/06/boat-strikes-small-lock/
ugh.

from: http://www.seattlepartyboat.com/

The Spirit of 76 is Seattle's floating party venue. No matter what you are celebrating, social or business, we can accommodate up to 150 of your friends, family or colleagues.
[...]

Posted 1 year ago #
Alferd Packer

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So who pays for the repair?

Posted 1 year ago #
onederfullone

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ACofE.

At least it's budgeted, you know.

Posted 1 year ago #
Apple

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ACofE... and then, cost of repair established, likely makes a claim against the party boat's insurer.

Posted 1 year ago #
onederfullone

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It will make it to court in two, maybe three years. Cost of litigation twice what repairs will cost.

win-win. Somebody's kids are lawyers ;-)

Posted 1 year ago #
Cate

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Does this mean we can't walk across (or take bikes across) until it is repaired? Anyone know?

Posted 1 year ago #
FrozenSunshine

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You can still walk across - we did so tonight, on our way to watch the Sea Lion playing around near the fish ladder.

Posted 1 year ago #
Cate

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Thanks Frozen Sunshine. I can go on my planned bike route tomorrow after all.

Posted 1 year ago #
shelley

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I was just there tonight. As FrozenSunshine says, you can still walk across. The only difference is you can't walk across the gate on the west end of the small lock.

Posted 1 year ago #
great idea

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on a related note, I noticed a while back they closed access to the East end of the big lock. there are times recently when it was that eastern-most lock that was closed with one of the downstream ones (or both) open to allow boat access.

this effectively cuts off your ability to get across the Locks on foot or bike. it's usually only a 15 or 20 minute delay, but if you time it poorly, could make you late for something or another.

are they ever opening up that East end big Lock?

Posted 1 year ago #
Cheese

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Exactly GI: I took another route to downtown on my bike today just for that reason. Earlier this spring I had a 30 minute wait as I got to the locks right when the big lock was opening. Yes it was raining. Yes I was miserable. No I didn't know it would be 30 minutes as every boat came out of the woodwork (seaweed?)...

When I saw the small lock was impassable for boats and IF they haven't opened up access to all the big lock - then my bike/running routes are not gonna include the locks!

Posted 1 year ago #
Cheese

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Anyone know if the small lock open for boats yet?

I've been avoiding the locks for my bike commuting, but while running I noticed last week that the pedestrians are still blocked on the big lock - so if the small lock is still busted, that means more long waits than usual for peds/bikes to cross.

Posted 11 months ago #
great idea

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they are using the small lock, but you still can't cross along the western-most gate (the busted one).

twice in the past week, I was stuck for ~ 15 minutes while waiting for boats to load into the small lock (since the lock you can cross was open for them to load).
lucky I gave myself enough time for my downtown meeting!

Posted 11 months ago #
Cheese

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Thanks GI! Though after today's ride in I should have taken the locks and gambled on waiting anyway. On my alternate route I almost got hit three times! Each time if I hadn't anticipated and read the situation (SUV going wrong way around traffic circle, Jeep not noticing if traffic was clear and turning into my lane, car not stopping at stop sign and using bike lane as further stoppage distance), I could have been a statistic. I've never had so many near misses in one ride.

...and cue the bike blamers/haters in 3..2..1 and GO!

Posted 11 months ago #
Cheese

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Took a chance on my commuting route through the locks today and the big lock looks like it is fully passable for foot traffic on all three pedestrian walkways! Yahoo!

Unfortunately the small lock walkway is still being worked on.

Posted 11 months ago #
Mondoman

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Yay, glad to hear the end of the big lock won't be permanently closed for the public.

Posted 11 months ago #
Pastafarian

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The far east walkway of the large locks has been open for awhile now. They coated the walkway in rubber matting and stuck on a new gate opening/closing signal system.

Posted 11 months ago #
VeganBiker

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Cheese - stay safe out there and more power to you for riding to work!

Posted 11 months ago #
great idea

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I'm impressed Cheese that you have the patience to cross the Locks on your bike this time of year.
there's sooooo many tourists down there, although probably not until you're long gone.

for some reason, they seem partiucularly clueless as well about such simple courtesies as 'staying to your right' as they cross.

Posted 11 months ago #
VeganBiker

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I second that "impressed-ness"! I rode down to the Olympic Sculpture park with my trailer on Saturday around 9 AM and on the return trip after 1 PM I chose to ride over the Ballard Bridge because of the crowds at the locks, and riding the bridge with a trailer is a pain!

Posted 11 months ago #
miss julie

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I was there today and heard "Friday." Not sure if that's when repairs start or if that is when it will be open. We had to wait to get across today.

Posted 11 months ago #
Cheese

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GI: Re: Patience for clogging tourists: Yes, I do have patience for them - I try to think what I would be like if was at the locks for the first time. One time I was particularly crabby after a bad crossing and right then a Chinese tourist wanted a picture taken with her and me in front of the locks - wanted a "Seattle Picture" HA!! Got me over that crabbiness.

Though I do approach my patience limit with the ones who don't even try to move with their fore-arms on one rail and their butt almost at the other rail...

Posted 11 months ago #
Dweezil

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I am down at the locks every weekend and it takes a huge amount of restraint when people just stop on the walkways, totally oblivious to the 50 people waiting behind them. Sometimes the lock employees ask people to clear the walkway, but I think they REALLY need a sign posted: "NO STOPPING ALLOWED ON THIS WALKWAY".

Posted 11 months ago #
Cheese

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Dweezil - I think a trained mountain goat would work wonders. It would butt the tourists along and when the goats are hungry they can eat the plentiful grass all around the park and save money on mowing.

The downside would be that all the beautiful flowers would be eaten. But, hey, goats!

Posted 11 months ago #
Dweezil

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Haha sounds like Northwest Profile #80-A, "goat clearing walkway guy".

Posted 11 months ago #
Ernie

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When I get annoyed at the crowds at the locks I always think about the various trips I've taken, and the times that I've been "that guy", on vacation and in the way of locals going about their business.

If you put yourself in the shoes of someone who is in Seattle for the first time, think about how cool the locks are as a place to visit. I think it's great that we have an awesome tourist trap in our neighborhood.

Posted 11 months ago #
Mondoman

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I'm with Ernie, but I do like the mountain goat butting us all along. Maybe the Locks staff would need a goat-herding dog to herd the goats that herd the people that plant their butts and block the walkways... I think I see a song here!

You know, the problems would be solved if they just doubled the width of the walkways; even just widening the one walkway on each lock just across from the dam/admin building would take care of much of the problem, as those are the ones that people usually bunch up on.

Posted 11 months ago #