Exodus!

That’s it! Flood gates on the Aire and Calder, and the Calder and Hebble, have been unlocked and opened, the River Aire is now in the amber zone (proceed with caution) and still dropping, and Bank Doles Lock is operational. Nothing to stop us getting away from Selby, so that’s just what we did.

Yesterday I changed the  engine oil and filter, it was almost due and I needed something to do. This morning 15 litres of old oil went to the handy recycling centre just along from the basin, and 5 litres of new for the next oil change purchased on the way back. Then I sawed up several of our rooftop logs and split them. I worked up a sweat doing them by hand, but I didn’t think a chainsaw would have been appropriate on the busy path…

The chap on NB Anastasia had stopped for a chat on the way back from the shops, telling me he was heading off. I advised him to check up on the situation at Bank Doles, he did and found it was OK. So off he went.

We reversed back to the lock and the water tap, filled and emptied tanks as necessary, and set off at around 15:45. A bit of a late start for us, but we were only heading to West Haddlesey.

Bye, bye Selby Basin

Typically, after a warm and occasionally sunny morning, as soon as we set off it started to rain, but not enough to dampen the spirits raised by actually getting going after a week of enforced inactivity.

Bring me sunshine….
It took us just under two hours to cruise the 5¼ miles to the other end of the canal. We didn’t see another boat, but then this is a quiet waterway at the busiest of times. Oddly, for an out-of –the-way canal, there aren’t any “squatters”. But then again there aren’t that many places to set up home.  There’s a pontoon mooring for maybe four boats at Burn Bridge, next to the closed and forlorn Anchor Inn and the busy A19, room for one boat at the old wharf at Gateforth Landing, and space for three at a pinch at West Haddlesey just below the lock.

Gateforth Landing, where we stopped for a couple of days on the way down.
Of course, there’s plenty of room in Selby Basin and the other side of the swing bridge, but there’s a continuous C&RT presence there which would tend to put bank sitters off.

We arrived at the end of the canal, put up the aerial, and I took Meg for a short walk along the flood bank. There’s still quite a bit of standing water in the fields along the river, but the river level is well into the amber and dropping.

Flooded fields and Drax Power Station

West Haddlesey Flood Lock and the moorings below

It’s been OK in Selby, but it’s sure good to get back out into the fields (even if they are a bit damp). No traffic noise, no people tramping past the windows at all hours, and different dog walking opportunities. Brilliant!

Locks 0, miles 5¼