Friday, July 13, 2018

Taking advantage of the fine weather.

While we’ve been moored out in the sticks I’ve been busy. The right side gunwale is now repainted, as are the counter bands.DSCF4571
I’ve also worked my way around the cabin, scraping out the few rust pockets that have appeared, rust-curing and repainting.
Inside I’ve removed and refitted the splashbacks in the galley.

It’s been fairly quiet here, 6 or 8 boats going past each day, mostly hire boats out of Skipton or Silsden. A few towpath walkers, runners and cyclists too. The swans are insistent, I had my arm resting on the edge of the open hatch at the dinette and got pecked. Needless to say they didn’t get fed! The ducks did well out of the swan’s bad behaviour.

So today, with everything back together, we intended to turn around half a mile further on and head back to Barnoldswick. That was until we woke at 7, saw the rain, and decided to stay put instead! A month ago it wouldn’t have bothered us, I guess we’ve been spoiled…DSCF4572
Shouldn’t complain though. Everywhere is desperately in need of it. Fields, gardens and the reservoirs are all going to benefit.

CRT have issued a couple of new updates regarding the locks around the summit level where we are. There are already restrictions on lock opening hours, but from Monday these will be tightened still further to attempt to save water. Barrowford, Greenberfield, Bank Newton and Gargrave Locks will only be usable between 10:00 and 16:00, and from the end of the month, if nothing changes, the locks above Wigan all the way to Skipton will be padlocked for the foreseeable future, effectively closing the canal up here. And from today boat movements will be limited at Bingley Five Rise too, normally well supplied with water. Downhill boats will be able to use the locks in the morning, uphill in the afternoon.

This is going to affect our plans somewhat, we’ll no longer be able to hang around here for the next three weeks. But it’s likely to be a worse problem for the hire bases at Skipton and Silsden.

It’s supposed to be dry again over the weekend, but turning more unsettled through next week.

No comments: