Three week solo east.

[Rob774]

Hello everybody, I should be out on the cut enjoying the cracking weather but being an idiot I’ve managed to lock the boat keys in the boat, and I haven’t got the heart to start attacking things with hammers and chisels tonight. So I’m here to say hello to other boaters and hopefully get some advice on not being an idiot amongst other things.

 

The first thing is I’m moving onto the boat at the end of this month and then I’ll have three weeks of living afloat. I’m based near Adlington on the Leeds Liverpool and I would like to spend the three weeks sailing towards Leeds and back. I have done a solo practice run through the locks at Whittle Springs and I’m somewhat confident that locks are manageable, but I’ve been warned about swing bridges being hard work. I’m not sure about how far I can get before turning round either.

 

Any advice and tips about the journey, even nice pubs and supplies shops would be nice too. As an aside I came through Wigan last November and felt the need for armed guards. Do I need to fit Oerliken cannons to get through Blackburn?

 

Thanks in advance for any reply.

[denboy]

you will find this very useful for planing trips

http://www2.mihalis.net/canal/cgi-bin/index.cgi

 

just put in were you startwere you want to go and were you want to end up and it will calculate it for you

[Rob774]

Thanks Denis i'll check it out.

[Stonker]

Hello everybody, I should be out on the cut enjoying the cracking weather but being an idiot I’ve managed to lock the boat keys in the boat, and I haven’t got the heart to start attacking things with hammers and chisels tonight. So I’m here to say hello to other boaters and hopefully get some advice on not being an idiot amongst other things.

 

The first thing is I’m moving onto the boat at the end of this month and then I’ll have three weeks of living afloat. I’m based near Adlington on the Leeds Liverpool and I would like to spend the three weeks sailing towards Leeds and back. I have done a solo practice run through the locks at Whittle Springs and I’m somewhat confident that locks are manageable, but I’ve been warned about swing bridges being hard work. I’m not sure about how far I can get before turning round either.

 

Any advice and tips about the journey, even nice pubs and supplies shops would be nice too. As an aside I came through Wigan last November and felt the need for armed guards. Do I need to fit Oerliken cannons to get through Blackburn?

 

Thanks in advance for any reply.

 

The swing bridges will be the big issue with you being solo, especially the ones that are operated electrically as you will get a queue of very impatient drivers who will just sit in their cars, vans and buses looking daggers at you and even hurling abuse at times if you hold them up for 10 minutes. I would advise you to get the latest canal guide to identify these swing bridges and make sure you are travelling in convoy with someone when you get to them. Have plenty of beer on board as rewards for these people. There are other threads about how to tackle swing bridges single handed, have a search for them.

 

We've never had trouble at Blackburn or Wigan, even in school holidays, but they do have a reputation. Whether that's justified, I don't know from personal experience, but we've travelled the Leeds and Liverpool in both directions every year for the last 4 years in the summer without any trouble. We do tend to try and do these flights early in the morning so maybe the troublesome people are still in bed then.

 

Once again on flights like these it will be much easier if you can find someone to travel with, especially if they are prepared to breast up so you can work the locks while one of their crew steers both boats through the flight. Last year we met two single handers who were doing this and they took turns locking and steering, they were on their way back down Wigan having come up a couple of weeks previously.

 

Going all the way to Leeds and back might be a bit ambitious for a single-hander. It's beautiful countryside up top on the L&L over as far as Bingley but Skipton and back might be more realistic and Skipton is always worth staying in for a day or two. I can recommend the hot pork pies from the shop above Bridge 3 on the Springs Branch in Skipton. Eating them without getting hot pie juice all over you is a challenge. You'll also avoid a lot of the difficult swing bridges if you go no further than Skipton.

 

Stewart

[Callunna]

Hi Rob

 

Give us a wave when you pass through Lower Park Marina, Barnoldswick. I'm the gormless looking one on an ex-Silsden Boats widebeam in need of a paint job (the boat, not me). LPM has pumpout facilities and a small shop/chandlery. Barnoldswick has a variety of shops to top up your food etc.

 

The Anchor pub at Salterforth has new managers and sells some good ales. They're also doing food again now. Further on, The Cross Keys at East Marton is also a good pub, or visit Abbot's Harbour just down the lane for great food in picturesque surroundings. (Only open during the day and closed all day Thursday).

 

I agree with Stonker - maybe Skipton is far enough? The countryside between Barrowford and Skipton is the best in the world (I might be slightly biased, though). I certainly wouldn't fancy doing the swing bridges or Bingley 5 rise locks on my own.

[RichardH]

I echo Stewart's comments.

 

Blackburn and Wigan have unfair reputations and I have never had a problem. They are gritty industrial towns but I have always found people to be curious and if anything slightly envious of us having a boat.

 

Our standard line if the kids want a ride is 'we are not insured' (which of course now we have a leisure and business licence is a complete lie) and if they are swimming in the locks always offer to fill it back up - logic being that they will be happy and stay put rather than keeping in front of you.

 

Despite reading and listening to all the sensible advice I have done the Ashton on a Saturday in baking hot weather and the Wigan Flight in similar on an England World Cup day and still had no problem.

 

Don't be too ambitous and again as stated I would go as far as Skipton or at best Bingley and turn round and enjoy - it is a stunning and hugely under-rated canal (but many say that is fine as there are no traffic jams)

 

Richard

www.canalboatescapes.co.uk

[Rob774]

Thank you all for your replies they are very much appreciated, although I’m now worrying somewhat about swing bridges. I’ll check the thread on swing bridges and buy a canal guide.

 

As for travelling through Wigan it sounds like I just got unlucky on that day really. We travelled through starting from Astley at 7am and met a drunk at 8 ish wielding an iron bar. The next encounter was a drunken guy threatening people with a Rottwieller at dinner time, and finally a lock on the northern hill coming out of Wigan had been closed by the Police due to a girl who had sadly been raped at the lock, although it was open when we got there it did add horror to a horrible day. I am glad to hear this is not normal for Wigan though, it had gone down in my favourite towns list.

 

Has for the distance Skipton would make a nice goal because I have a passion for exploring castles, but I won’t push it to get there, instead I’ll sail and enjoy.

 

And yes Callunna I’ll be sure to wave, I’m the useless bugger on the primer grey boat all the car drivers will be complaining about, probably dripping meat pie juice too, but great food in picturesque surroundings is exactly what I’m going for, and fine ale of course.

 

Actually RichardH I’m guessing you know Andy and Sprocket. He’s a man for solo swing bridge traversing advice me thinks. I’ll pick his brains.

[Stonker]

Thank you all for your replies they are very much appreciated, although I’m now worrying somewhat about swing bridges. I’ll check the thread on swing bridges and buy a canal guide.

 

Don't worry too much about the swing bridges. A few years ago we were travelling down from Rodley to Leeds and we met up with a guy single handed. He insisted on doing his share of swing bridges and he had an artificial lower left leg!

 

Stewart

[Matthew Dowson]

So how did the trip go rob? where did you get to. the boat's moored at adlington at the moment en-route to the Rochdale and back to Shipley, nice part of the world