Bugsworth to Rufford 27th-30th June

[Olliebone]

Dipper had been moored at Furness Vale since we bought her in March. Our first (very tiny 33') narrowboat following on from a cruiser. We kept her at Furness Vale to explore Derbyshire, the Upper Peak and Macclesfield canals - but now it was time to bring her home to Rufford. This is a short story of our journey and a few current hints and tips.

 

Friday: Arriving Furness Vale (evening) Us and crew chugged up to Bugsworth from Furness Vale - hoping for a pre-trip barbecue - but finding rain, settled for the very hospitable Navigator Pub just above the basin. Late and hungry the landlord found us hot food, we bought our usual dozen farm eggs from the bar and chatted to Rosie (a very good natured staffy) and her Dad. Rosie was depressed because she had just had puppies which were now all homed. Back to Dipper, sorted our interesting sleeping arrangements and woke early to find our skipper already moored by the real!!!!! toilets at the basin for christian ablutions- and filling up with water.

 

Saturday: Just chillin' going down to Marple - the usual serenity of the upper stretch. Started so early didn't have chance to pop in to the pub just by the Marple flights (worth going if you pass - beer garden with water for dogs) and plunged straight into the Marple flight. We really enjoyed the flight. Luckily the sun was coming up and the scenery is beautiful. Just a word of warning though (and this point was shared with others we met on the way) - some of the mechanisms were incredibly stiff - and we are not wimps - and had an extremely fit and strong lock operator with us! Also - no immediately visible wayside pubs for sustenance - even at the bottom of the flight.

 

Due to our early start we arrived early at the Portland Basin Marina. Normally we would moor along the canalside - but I openly admit we had some concerns about the Ashton - and our itinerary mean't reaching it at early evening. We therefore 'phoned ahead and booked a space at the Portland Marina for an 'overnight' to allow us to start out early on the Ashton the next morning. Just for the record, despite all the bad press - we were discussing which way Asda was when a local overheard - explained - set back off on his own journey - waited for us at the top of the hill, made sure we knew were Asda was and gave us directions to a good pub! Just for reference, the Portland Marina is owned/managed by lovely people - but - it's more of a corridor than a marina - so if you get there early - let someone jump off and pop to the office to see if you can get in. We negotiated in - discovered we had to wait for the dayboats - negotiated out - and then back later! However, we were glad we stayed - and would do the same again. There is also the Canal museum at the basin (which I am ashamed to say we didn't visit) - settling for a barbecue and a game of cards and the luxury of some 240 volt electricity to wash and dry hair. Again - no immediately accessible pubs that we found - and the basin is set below a very busy roadway - with Asda the main landmark.

 

Sunday Early start on the Ashton (about 6.30am). At the first lock we met a couple about to do the Cheshire ring and so we shared the operation of the whole series of locks with them. Met no trouble - but the Ashton is full of beer cans and plastic bags and does not even really have the benefit of a city scape journey. Of course there were pleasant bits - but overall needs a lot of TLC. Locks and mechanisms were mostly OK. In fact - the only 'trouble' we encountered was from what was clearly a working boatman! He gave way to the couple we were helping along with (we then with best polite practice let him through. He tore up the hill - bounced his boat through - complained that our erstwhile partners were slow, slung two canalside objects over a nearby fence in his temper, then apologised - and shot up the hill to set the next lock before reclaiming his boat. We kept our cool and sang-froid throughout - but he definitely needed a chill pill! I do hope he didn't meet any shrinking violets on his way up. I have a feeling he had a forum sticker on his boat - if so - and he reads this - I hope you got to the Tunnel in time and chilled!!!!

 

The rain fell. We reached Manchester at the bottom of the flight and decided to eat before the Rochdale. Not one of us looked worthy of a posh eatery - or even a pub - so we ate and watched the rain. Miracle! as we finished eating the sun rose and we set off. Our Ashton companions had decided to press on in the rain - so we were alone again. But not for long! As we rounded the bend taking us to the Rochdale 9 we were hailed by a merry crew asking if we wanted to share the flight. We agreed - although Dipper tends to get the worst of things in a shared space - but water conservation and shared brawn always wins! We were very glad we had been hailed. The whole canal was swollen, the mechanisms were a nightmare but the journey was brilliant! The chain mechanisms are terrible. At the first underpass one had become tangled and stuck, swollen waters didn't help and there was much puffing and panting from all parties! However, in the sun, as ever, this is all part of the experience and we had a gaggle of interested watchers throughout the journey through Manchester. Best fun was the Canal Street lock - where - another tip here for novices like ourselves - to get to the mechanism it is necessary to excuse yourself through well dressed punters and leap over the wall onto a sandstone block! Not for the fainthearted. This is a really interesting journey - and the final Lock at Dukes 92 - was the worst yet - we all thought we were stuck in forever - until we finally spilled out onto the junction - where we bore right for the Bridgewater. After narrow canals, sticky locks and various obstacles the Bridgewater was a breeze. The Manchester Ship Canal had no vessels passing through (as last time - in a cruiser - when we ran out of fuel!) and Worsley was its usual beautiful self. We cracked on to Boothstown where you can moor outside the pub by the marina and had a well earned evening meal - chatting to the owner of Robin's Nest - who by chance came from the Marina next door to ours. We picked his brains mercilessly about the best kit for a narrowboat as his was only 2 years old and he had researched everything with vigor. He invited us over in the morning to have a look - but we set off too early - but Robin - if you read this - we will be popping in to take a look!

 

Monday Further on we needed some bread - and found a canalside Lidl at 8.30am which did not open until 9.00am. Undeterred, we carried on and had the remnants of toasted bread rolls with a selection of leftover, cheese, ham and tomatoes for breakfast - kind of pizzas snacks which were lovely! Stopping at Pipe Lane swing bridge we watered and pumped out and chatted to the most friendly bridge mover ever met (Tony). He was a mine of information - even though he did say Dipper was like the day boats and probably needed more ballast! If Tony is the operator when you go through - pick his brains - he is full of hints and tips. Ever further we met our first lock for miles and paired up with Nero 2 through Wigan and beyond. No problems here, locks all Oakey Cokey. Being fickle boaters we left Nero for lunch at Parbold and teamed up another pair of erstwhile travellers, sharing the journey back with them through to the Ring'O Bells. Again - they were another mine of information - sharing stories as wide as how to recover the cat you left behind - to how to cross the Ribble Link (our next proposed journey).

 

Ahead of time (our trip due to finish Tuesday morning) we could either press on for a late finish home or stop. The evening was so beautiful - despite the thought of the lock filled Rufford arm we pressed on. Turning left I was again incensed by the shutting of the facilities at the top lock. Promises to review in August will no doubt find that there is not enough money to re-open. The locks on the arm are interesting! There seems to have been a decision to put as many alternatives as possible. Also - the swing bridge before the top lock is very heavy and not for the weak or fainthearted - and I am not sure really why it is there. Sadly, too late to call in at the pub by the two next locks we soldiered on. Joyce and I got hysterical with fatigue by Chicken Lock and imposed girl power for the next lock - where I snapped a fender! There has been some maintenance of the towpath towards Rufford and there is now an opportunity to stop and barbecue which wasn't available last year because it was so overgrown. Keep your thinking hat on for the two electronic swing bridges - both are different and the second has been 'graffitied' so that you can't read the instructions. On the first you must lower the gates yourself - on the second all is completely automatic.

 

Finally home. Last lock and left into St Marys. Annoyed to find another narrowboat in our berth - but too tired to do anything but squat in an available space and hope that at 9.45pm the owner was safely asleep on the cut. (He was - and all was sorted in the morning). Hot showers, weird meal consisting of all our leftovers - job done, sleep.

 

Many thanks to all the people along the way,Nick Altys Canlplan which is our guiding star - and to Dipper of course. Once a holiday boat, rescued and TLC'd by Chris and now doing sterling service for the Williams family - age has certainly not withered her (but she could do with a new fridge - how expensive are they!) and an inverter that will run a hairdryer!!!!!!!!

[sanseriffe]

[sanseriffe]

Enjoyed your log of Dipper's jouney to Rufford. We did the journey via the Ashton and the Rochdale 'nine' - going the opposite way from Dipper's original mooring at Anderton on the Trent and Mersey, during 2007.

 

Our journey from Manchester to Ashton was eventful to say the least. A total journey time of 12 hours, because of a lack of water in the Ashton canal stranding 'Dipper' in the centre of the cut near Clayton. After a frantic telephone call to British Waterways, they responded very quickly, opening several locks 'upstream' to allow enough water to float her into the next lock, the gate of which promptly jammed! Using the grapping hook lowered down to me by the B.W crew I cleared the bottom of the gate of sunken large 'debris' and we were on our way.

 

Our first long trip in our 'new' boat 'San Serriffe' during July this year, attracted the same sort of bad luck. We had the rudder smashed off the skeg in a lock on 'Heart-break Hill' on the Trent and Mersey. We did not notice that the previous boat crew had left a paddle open and a strong current ran through the lock forcing the stern of 'San Serriffe' into the rear sill - bending the skeg downwards and ripping the rudder out of its socket.

 

We spent two days of the holiday in a dry-dock in Middlewich, repairing the skeg and rudder - at least it was raining outside the dock!!!!!

 

'Dipper' (complete with picture) was featured in a 'Me and My Boats' article in the August 2008 issue of 'Canal Boat'

 

Word of advice - Do not add ballast to 'Dipper' as the guy suggest in your text. 'Dipper' if anything is over 'ballasted' considering the new base-plate completed in 2006. If the toilet tank is full and the 'crew' is on that side of the boat, it is possible to get a 'list' to starboard. With the water tank full she is about right in my humble opinion.

 

Kindest regards all who sail in 'Dipper'.

 

Chris