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We were allowed to help this time, Mike working the paddles and gates on one side whilst the lock-keeper did the other side. Pauline takes the pictures.
Up we come – what a view!
John’s Brother Doug lives in Bingley and he managed to meet us at the top of the 5 rise for bacon sandwiches whilst we filled the water tank etc. Even if he did keep us waiting for 1&1/2 hours, but he did bring Libby to have a look.
Niece Libby thinks the steps make an excellent seat, whilst the stool doubles as a table.
The stove looks good too, just a shame we didn’t have English instructions on how to use it! Only after we had been home for a few weeks did we really get this one worked out. Just as well we had other heating, although the journey wasn’t too cold.
So the cruise continued, with only a small miss-hap, Mike slipping off the gunwale, but some deft handwork saw him clinging on to the handrail and only getting one foot soaked.
Cruising on through Silsden en-route to Skipton.
It was somewhere around here that we encountered more problems with electric swing bridges. This time someone else opened the bridge and allowed us to pass through, with them going towards Bingley. Looking back we saw that they couldn’t get the bridge to close beyond 45°. Mike & Pauline went back to investigate to find the bridge jammed and the barriers had kindly lifted telling the car drivers that all was OK !!!! Fortunately none were daft enough to try and be James Bond and jump the bridge. BW had already been called and with us unable to offer any further help on we went.
Our next encounter was a day boat, manoeuvring wildly making multiple turns. It didn’t take long to realise that they didn’t know what they were doing and we took a chance to overtake them and get on as we had arranged to meet Mike’s wife & children.
They were OK here on this wind free straight bit, but we didn’t wait to see their next pirouette.
Jane, Indy & Xavier met us at Snaygill, just before Skipton, giving the girls chance of a short cruise into Skipton whilst mum drove the car there and parked up.
That was a short day of 6.5 hours cruising, 8 locks and 13.25 miles.
Mike was most upset as he had wanted to get further on and even through the locks at Gargrave before departing. Another time maybe?
That gave us time then to explore Skipton market have fish & chips for tea with the girls.
Back to Betty for teas & coffees with us sat in the bow thoroughly relaxed whilst the girls, who love their dance classes practiced ballet on the roof. Xavy was working well at being quiet footed whilst Indy decided to demonstrate how ballet can be like tap dance if you try hard enough. Well everyone was enjoying themselves until :-
Splash !!!!
Mike, “she’s in”, shouts Jane.
John’s running to the stern for the life ring, Mike dives in.
Xavy successfully rescued, Mike realised he could stand up, but then regretted this as the muddy bottom was not pleasant to stand in.
Xavy had a hot shower, dad had a change of clothes and the following “investigation” showed that Indy had pushed her big sister off the roof! (Not realising what she was doing). There’ll be no more roof dancing then !
So Mike left us, but what a crew member he was and the bottle of whisky was little enough thanks from us, because we would not have got so far so quickly without him.
More socialising that evening, with Stuart (he’s the one that does all the nice paintwork for Ledgard Bridge!) joining us aboard because he lives in Skipton. A couple of bottles of red later and into the wee small hours we got to bed !
19th September 2004
0830 start, not so easy after last night, but we still felt we had to keep going as this was to be a long journey and we wanted to get through in the time we had. We’d originally planned to take two weeks over this but now had to fit the journey into 11 days or less, having waited for Betty to be beautifully finished. Whoever builds your boat, add on a lot to whatever completion date is given. Apparently that’s boat building!
So we left Skipton, passing through a couple of swing bridges well remembered by John from school days as these were often crossed either on the way to the train station or the games playing fields. It all seems so long ago !
Between Skipton & Gargrave.
John is doing the lock gates and paddles today (about time someone says). So through the 6 locks around Gargrave with a couple of hire boats early on the learning curve. Their tutor was keen on them using ropes in the locks and they were rather inventive with coat-hangers and other bits to catch and pull ropes when they couldn’t throw them up enough!
It was at one of these where Pauline got worried by Swans joining her in the lock. Fearing for their safety (or was that sanity) we carried on to find that in fact they knew exactly what they were doing as they were just hitching a ride up from one level to the next where their nesting/grazing ground was.
The hire boats stopped early for lunch in Gargrave, we carried on and reaching the locks at Bank Newton it started to rain, yet John said lets just do one more lock before lunch.
Only to find we were on a run of 6 locks with no chance of stopping in between. So we got wet & cold but with a lot of running to & fro between locks keeping one emptying whilst one was filling and lifting Betty we got through these six and pulled over for well earned and needed hot soup.
A few hours more cruising and three locks through Barnoldswick brought us to the Anchor Inn at Salterforth. This has also got us onto the summit pound of the L&L canal. Seems a good time & place to moor up we thought.
9 hours cruising, 15 locks and another 13 miles under our belts.
Very good pub grub here and collapse to bed.
20th September 2004
Not so early start, the weather is poor, heavy rain and very very windy as forecast. A short walk back got us to Lower Park marina, where more fenders, rope and padlocks for the bow lockers were bought. We wanted more fenders as we were picking up a few battle scars in the locks now and we wanted to protect Stuart’s work as much as possible.
Shortly we arrived at Foulridge tunnel. The last tunnel we had done was Blisworth 10 years ago!
Here we wait on the red light !
They’re still on red !
Half way through, looking back.
Exiting the Foulridge tunnel brought us out heading towards Barrowford locks, the start of the descent (it was all down from here to home, but still a long way and many locks to go!).
Exactly as it says on the tin!
Cruising in to Barrowford.
Time for lunch at the top – and it’s still windy, look at that flag!
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