Working in Rivers/Lakes etc

[Parker]

I know this has come up before but just wanted peoples opinions on whats the best/safest way.

 

The reason I ask is that I was clearing a load of willow regen. from around the outside of a lake today. The lake used to be a gravel pit so very deep and shelves quickly. Most of the material was 1-2m from the bank which was fine but I couldn't reach the stuff further out.

 

Do you wear life jackets / bounancy aids?

 

Would it of been best to have a safety line?

 

Is chainsawing from a boat "safe" ?

 

Cheers in advance guys

 

Parker

[Charlieh]

self inflating life jacket from lifejackets.co.uk

 

hi-viz throw line on the bank,

 

if wearing waders, either thigh-highs not belted up or neoprene if using chest waders, the thigh ones you can kick off, the neoprenes are bouyant so wont drag you under, avoid cheap nylon chesties as if you fall in they will pull you down once full of water

 

if using a boat it needs to be the flat bottomed metal punt type, so you cant puncture it! and more stabile to work in, but this isnt advisible if they are small dia stuff any chance of using a pole saw, i have used my ht75 with the head under water, just wd-40 it well once your finished

[Highland Forestry]

We normally wear self inflating boyancy aids and if it's a steep bank use a harness/safety line, and if it's accessible we can use the chipper to winch stuff up from the waters edge rather than risking wet feet!!

[Stephen Blair]

pole pruner, simples.

[MattyF]

last time i chain sawed from a boat i under cut a branch with a push cut and tipped the boat over and went in head first much to the delight of my groundy! and much to the annoyance of me with a drowned ms200!

[Tom D]

How about a grappling hook?

[Charlieh]

winch is very handy so you can fell back up the bank even when the trees are over the water, especially on small stuff you can fell it then winch it up the bank and process it on nice solid ground,

 

 

bio oil as well!

 

and be prepared to cry if you slip and drop your saw

[Matt Butler]

got to get some big willows out of a lake tomorrow, we will be using a boat, long winch cable, and a fordson super major with Cooks winch sat on the bank!

[armchairarborist]

dropping saw in water is no fun, just try to turn it off first, dropped 200T in a stream and watched it roll down the rapids underwater, never seen laddo run so fast to retrieve it, drained it, flushed it, let it dry 2days and it still spat water out the exhaust..:thumbdown:oh and lost a chain-tooth, but runs fine now..

[Matt Butler]

dropping saw in water is no fun, just try to turn it off first, dropped 200T in a stream and watched it roll down the rapids underwater, never seen laddo run so fast to retrieve it, drained it, flushed it, let it dry 2days and it still spat water out the exhaust..:thumbdown:oh and lost a chain-tooth, but runs fine now..

 

A mate dropped ms 200t into the kennet and avon canal in mid-winter, after he dived in several times with no luck we had to revive him in the Land Rover with the heater on full bore, needless to say the saw is stilll where it fell