John P

Having had my booked passage down the Anderton Lift delayed, due to a fault, I did notice that the trip boat was then given priority. Can't say it worried me. It was giving enjoyment to the general public, and (I assume) making money for CaRT

"Good as new" would appear to be somewhat "post truth" . I was up and down the flight last week and the bottom gates on lock 3 were leaking very severely in the cill area. Word was that it would take 4 strong people to open the top gate. I was single handed, so after waiting (a long time!) for levels to "equalise" I had to use the boat to pull or push the gate open. I met some CART employees who told me the fault was scheduled for fixing in five weeks' time. Meanwhile be prepared to use plenty of muscle or boat power.

Hi Folks, I'm planning to take the daughter's family on a weeks trip on Solong starting from Audlem (overwater marina) on Good Friday. The plan is to go to Ellesmere Port and return. I've done the Run to Chester several times, including once last Autumn, but it's several years since I ventured further to Ellesmere Port. Under normal circumstances, I'm pretty confident that I have the timings right for this but it's school holiday time and, perhaps more significant, there is a boaters gathering at the museum. Does anyone with experience of this event know how much this will clog up the route, especially beyond Chester and at the boat museum itself. I was planning to overnight at Stoake for the part of the cruise beyond Chester, so as to make use of the Bunbury Arms but the crew have found out about Cheshire Oaks and are agitating for eating at one of the outlets there. I can see that the canal runs close but there appear to be some pretty serious roads between the two. What is the best way to get there (where do you moor and is there a footpath somewhere).?

Can't comment on the Masons arms. Can't remember anything bad about the beer in the Swan, but can't remember anything good about it iether. Pub was a bit dark and depressing.

Good idea. I got grief from my crew when on the C&H/A&C because I didn't know which locks need the spike. They didn't like carrying around a big lump of timber when they didn't need to.

I recently took Solong from Leeds to a Wigan, visiting many of the pubs mentioned and would concur with the suggestions made so far. In addition I would recommend the Beer Engine in Skipton. It's a micro pub so no food. If you are hungry, get yourself a pie from stainforths! What they do have, however is a changing selection of 5real ales and one real cider on tap and in good condition. If you moor in Leeds basin, the Grove is near the canal (opposite side to the station). good beer and folk singers! I wouldn't say that the fisherman's inn was the best of the bunch mentioned so far but Dowley Gap is the nearest decent overnight mooring to the Bingley 3 rise on the Leeds side, so worth considering when planning your journey. Gargrave is indeed, dire.

Whatever about non-boaters using the toilet facilities, people driving up and dumping their domestic rubbish in CRT Skips really annoys me!

I did this stretch single handed last year with no problems and I'm of a similar age to B0atman. Did the same stretch lat week (April 8th : this time with a crew). both Forge and Newlay Locks are manned. The Lockie for Newlay cycled past as we left Leeds basin at 8am and advised us not to stop till we reached Forge because of gangs of children on their school holidays. I fact the only kids we saw were with their parents and mainly interested in feeding the duckies. Speeding Lycra louts seemed to be the only problem. The improved towpath appears to have encouraged them. One lock keeper at Forge says he parks his car across the towpath to slow them down. If you need to stop on this stretch, I recommend the mooring at Rodley, by the Rodley Barge (bridge 217). One other thing. It is logistically impossible for a single hander to operate the electric swing bridge (214) at Apperly. You will either need to wait for another boat or enlist the help of a friendly and reliable passer by!

Notice Details "From Date: 3rd November 2014 at 08:00 To Date: 28th November 2014 at 17:00 inclusive Type:Navigation ClosureReason:MaintenanceDescription: Both pairs of gates will be lifted out and improvement work will be undertaken to ease the operation of the gates. The works will include new lightweight oak planking and improved flotation tanks to the bottom gates. Repairs to cills, paddles and gearing will also be undertaken. These works will run concurrently with the Thornes lock stoppage to minimise disruption to users. " Great news! One of the hardest locks to operate in a region known for its hard locks, especially when single handed. I like the idea of lightweight planking and flotation tanks.

Remember sharing a lock a few years ago with a small boat called "meinza pint".

Good luck with your search. I think that if there was a significant risk of inter human transfer via urine, both the NHs and US CDC (centre for Disease Control) would issue a warning to health workers, who may well come into contact with a patient 's urine. Are you concerned about the health of the "piss -takers" mentioned in other threads?

Re: human to human transfer of Leptospirosis (Wiels disease). I tried to find a peer reviewed article, but my access to journals now I have retired is limited (unless I care to pay for the privilege ). The best I can come up with is the NHS.uk website. Under "leptospirosis - causes": "Human to human transmission of infection is extremely rare, but it is thought that it may be possible during sex or by an infected mother passing it on to her baby while breastfeeding."

. Urine should be sterile. If there is something alive in yours, you have a problem!

I agree. A friend joined us on the recent trip and they let him park his Beamer there for a couple of days.

Absolutely correct. It was trying to blow me into the lock. Crew were still on the way from the swing bridge, so I tried to stuff the bows into the towpath edge and swing on that. No chance. Couldn't get the angle and had to wait until the crew could secure the bow rope.

"En route stopped at the sail through fish and chip shop moored in the canal in the centre of Clydebank shopping centre. You really do stop at the drive thru window, order and pay then motor on to moor. They bring the food you and it was delicious!" Wow, what a great idea! Any chance that this will catch on!

As the OP I think I should let you know of my experiences in Dragon/Ogre country. Had a couple of days to spare on the Leeds to Sowerby Bridge transit so we decided to go to to Selby and back. Now this isn't chintzy/ Home Counties cruising, but it was worth the effort. A mix of river (meandering mightily in parts) canal cuts, and at the end the Selby canal quite isolated but charming and not overgrown as was suggested. It was fascinating to see the large power stations in an otherwise featureless landscape seem to revolve round us as we negotiated the bends in the river. Lunch stop on the way out was Beale. Limited mooring on the lock approach and nothing in the village except two pubs. The one nearest to the canal (the hungry fox) looked like a "food led family pub" but was a great disappointment. No food at Sunday lunchtime and no real ale on the pumps. Only about 5 people there when we went in. They went as did we shortly afterwards to go to the Jenny Wren- scruffier, but hopping and doing a good Line in toasted sandwiches to be washed down with a pint of scruff. They were also doing Sunday lunches as a take away. Looked like a great community service. Pressed onwards through the water skiing area (!) and though the canal to Selby basin. High winds made things difficult with nothing to shield from their effect on some stretches. It made it difficult to wind at Selby basin. If the local moorer on the other side of the basin who was gesticulating and shouting as I was winding reads this please note that I couldn't hear a word you were saying. If you were offering advice, thanks. I probably looked as if I could use it. If you were moaning I can't understand why. The wind was making larger waves that I was and though I was revving the engine it was only 5 in the evening and Solong does have a hospital silencer. Anyhow, maybe a cool and windy Sunday night isnt the best time to explore Selby, but apart from the minster (very impressive) and the railway swing bridge across the Ouse , there didn't seem to be much else, or a big selection of eateries. I'm afraid we ended up in 'spoons! Stopped at the Nelson (nearest pub to the basin) for a drink. A friendly local with a good pint of ale (Scruffs again) but quite lively. I'm sure the couple grappling on the floor were doing it for a joke. Selby boat services did an excellent and cheap pump out next morning and would have sold me diesel if they hadn't been awaiting delivery. Stopped for lunch at Knottingly but didn't go ashore. The canal side is pleasant and well maintained with several possible moorings. Last night on the section was at Cassleford. Nice walk into town by the river and over the new pedestrian bridge but the town itself seems very depressed. Hard time finding somewhere to eat and ended up in Wetherspoons (again!). Unfortunately, it seems to have had a "tesco effect" with several other local pubs closed down. The nearest pub to the moorings (the griffin) needs your support. Only the landlord and his missus were drinking there when we visited.

Brighouse 'spoons is within crawling distance of the canal. It's a good one, too!

I had a punt on the K and A in the late 60's when I was a postgrad student at Bath University. Kept it outside the George at Bathampton. I have happy memories of loading up with home brewed beer and punting down to Sydney Gardens. No licence, but this was long before restoration.

I would certainly agree with this, a least on the Leeds to Saltaire section . The K and A gave me a couple of "brown trouser" moments when single handing: hovering at the traffic lights when travelling upstream through Reading and heading downstream through Woolhampton lock and swing bridge when here was a bit of a flow on the Kennet.

Thanks for the Information , folks. Hope to check it out in May. Will let you know how I get on

I will be taking Solong from Sowerby Bridge to Leeds next month. I have six days to get there which is more than enough, so I was thinking of making a diversion. There are several routes diverging to the East of Castleford, but is there anything worth seeing/visiting for a pint, or are they just for "canal tickers"?

Slow down folks! Firstly they are not going to "pile the rubbish on the towpath". There will be an exhibition of the works in Picadilly Place on May 22nd. Secondly, how can you criticise these works of art before you have seem them!

Sam and Janet......... As in "Sam and Janet evening you may see a stranger"

You will always meet a few unpleasant people, whether on the internet, out and about or on the cut. More often, though it is a failure to communicate that blows a simple situation into perceived "nastiness" which is remembered far longer than all our pleasnt experiences. I will aways raise my hand and smile at passing boaters and walkers unless they are avoiding eye contact. Solong has a "hospital " silencer and appears very quiet to others, but standing over the engine when steering (semi trad) it is noisy. If you just wave back at me, OK, but if you talk to me without raising your voice, I can't hear you. I have two choices: say "pardon" or smile and pretend I understand. If the former, it is likely that I still wont hear you and you will start to get frustrated. If the latter, you may be asking me a specific question and will consider me stupid or obstructive. Failure to communicate in action! Of course if you are giving me the usual "Solong" jokes (Solong, its been good to know ya, etc), the smile might slip slightly before I can catch it. Incidently if you get a different response from the steerer, it might not be me. Solong is a shared ownership boat..............are you all still my friends?