Scraping off the barnacles…

We have a little problem up here on the summit level of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. We’ve sprung a leak near Long Ing Bridge, and C&RT have lowered the water level about a foot in order to minimize water loss till they can find a little boy to put his finger in it…
It’s scheduled for repair Monday and Tuesday, but till then we’re struggling to get anywhere near the side to moor.

Yesterday morning we woke to the boat tipped at an angle, hard on the bottom. So after a bit of a struggle we got off and chugged around the corner to that plastic mooring pontoon I mentioned last time. There wasn’t a lot of point; after much huffing and puffing I did finally manage to find a spot deep enough for the fore-end, but that still left the stern 4 foot out from the bank. But we were at least floating… till this morning.

It was such a bright morning that we decided to up sticks, head through Foulridge Tunnel, and see if we could find a better spot above Barrowford Locks.

This fine looking chap obviously isn’t above consorting with the hoi-polloi, judging by the hybrid youngsters in front of him…

Foulridge Wharf

For a broad canal Foulridge Tunnel is unusual in that it’s one-way working. Like those narrow tunnels at the northern end of the Trent and Mersey Canal, this one is timed, southbound is on the hour up to 10 minutes after, northbound is on the half-hour up to 20 minutes to. It’s about a mile in length, so takes 15 to 20 minutes to transit. Unlike those on the T&M, however, the passage time compliance is encouraged by traffic lights!

Foulridge Tunnel, north end. It's just turned half-ten so we're on red.

We pulled onto the wharf to empty the loo tanks, and the gentleman off Ultima and Thule came for a chat. It was he that told me of the problem in Barnoldswick, and he’d spoken to C&RT who’d advised him against going through the tunnel till they’d re-established the water level. If you ran aground in there it wouldn’t be much fun, even with just a motor. But with a pair it’d be catastrophic…

I followed the advice too, reversing to the wide section at the end of the moorings and managed to turn around with much scraping of the base-plate and rattling of gravel on the prop. Then we returned to the moorings outside The Anchor at Salterforth. At least we’re almost in here.The stern is on the mud but only a foot out…

The result of tying up snugly before the water goes down… 



The tide’s out!

Back to Salterforth Bridge, it almost feels like home!

Just along here I caught a flash of blue as a kingfisher sped past, so I pointed the camera, pressed the button and hoped…

Not a good picture, but I got him!

It’s been a good day, some patchy sunshine but the wind has remained brisk. It’s spoiled itself now, we’re back to rain again. Still, it might put a bit more water in the cut...

Locks 0, miles 2