TheBiscuits

I use Chris Clegg's Canal Time map for quick planning. As it's double sided I have two mounted side by side so I can just glance at them. Canal Time Map Probably the best journey planning guide - the four diagrammatic maps show the whole system, with places 2, 6, 8 and 10 hours apart Size A4, double sided £4.00 https://www.canalbookshop.co.uk/other maps.html

I don't think they could pull a plough very well

At the risk of veering back on topic, I spotted this one yesterday. I wonder if they run an Italian restaurant in Wigan

Absolutely right. 45 foot boat, so we have had the gates closed and the paddles open before the boat has completely stopped.

Treat yourself and go via the Walsall and Tame Valley ...

Then you must have turned it off in your preferences at some point, or the email address you have set is obsolete.

How many locks do you think he built on his original canal?

Officially three, but we argued for two as MrsBiscuit was mostly looking after our (then) 2 year old, BobBiscuit. Sue wouldn't accept that, but agreed that a toddler is much more of a hindrance than a help! She did agree not to count Bob as a full crew member. Most of the actual work on the challenge was @Duck-n-Dive and me, and I was very pleased he was there when I fell in at the bottom of the Crow and couldn't climb out ... Yes, if I'm singlehanding I allow an extra couple of minutes per lock, but I still don't usually tie up. I was taught by an old working boatman that if the boat isn't moving you're losing time and money. I don't rush around locks, but I'm usually already in the next position for efficient working. It's more to do with thinking ahead than running - I'm built for comfort not speed!

I plan for 6 minutes standalone, 5 in a flight ... Tying up and untying again wastes 5 minutes per lock. On last year's BCN challenge we were averaging 4 minutes per lock, but that's not sustainable for a long run. 24 hours was long enough at that pace!

The mines still provide a lot of the water, you can tell by the colour of it from about Boothstown to Barton. All the "spare" water from Poolstock bottom lock and Duke's Lock on the Rochdale feeds the Bridgewater. In the case of the Rochdale, there is often so much water running over the gates it's difficult to open them - I have seen 6 or 7 inches flowing over the headgates. We once needed 2 big blokes on offset long throw windlasses on the capstan on Duke's Lock to crack the tailgates the critical quarter inch to make a level. It looked like Niagara Falls! Sadly we don't have a picture, but here's the top of the Rochdale 9 on the same day. By the time @Duck-n-Dive and I had dumped 8 more lockfulls of water down the nine it was even more impressive.

Or ask the fuel boat to swap your gas bottles - all of them will - and buy fuel in 10kg sacks not 25kg. Getting them to do the locks might be a bit much to ask though!

Ok, I'll bite ...

Massively so. When we were on there in June, the Rochdale 9 was drained for maintenance and Barton tank jammed open for 25 hours. Castlefield Basin was down a foot overnight, and when they managed to get the aqueduct back in position the levels were about 9" lower on the Manchester side so they couldn't open the water gates for ages. I've often said I'd like to be in the tank when they swing it, but probably not for more than a day ...