I'm still buzzing from yesterday's subterranean excitement, but I need to move on. Just a quick update, though: many readers will know that Standedge Tunnel has already reopened after Network Rail worked through the night removing the dangerous timbers. The wooden beams had formed the floor of an access walkway across the canal to the live railway tunnel. The delayed boats from yesterday should have gone through the tunnel today and CRT is saying that everything should be back to normal tomorrow.
On to today, then. We continued our descent of the west side of the Huddersfield Narrow Canal from Dobcross to Stalybridge, dropping through locks 23W to 5W via Uppermill and Mossley. We saw just one other moving boat,
On Reflection, which we passed right by a moored work flat.
On Reflection grounded as we passed; we stopped in a bridge hole and I helped them get off the shallows.
The best views today were those looking back at the hills. The worst lock was 13W: one of the bottom paddles was leaking so badly that the lock wouldn't make a level when we tried to fill it.
We tied a rope from the bow of
Jubilee to the gate post and even with Jan giving it full astern and me heaving on the balance beam still the gate wouldn't budge. Eventually two people from a nearby garden came to give assistance; with the three of us and with the boat pulling the gate started to open allowing the remaining few inches of water in.
One more lock of note is Lock 10W. There is no grip surface for the feet (there's a word for this, I feel) when opening or closing the top gate; all there is is the slippery grass/mud. To make matters worse there is a badly placed bollard over which I tripped when opening the gate AND when closing it.
The photo indicates that the bollard is just outside the arc of the balance beam, but I doubt I'm the only one who finds it in the way.
We stopped at the services by Grove Road Bridge 96 for water. This was entirely unsuccessful as we couldn't attach the hose to the tap.
It looks as though the screws fixing the tap in its original position had come loose; the tap has been repositioned lower such that there is now no room for the hose connector.
I think I'll just send CRT a link to this blog!
2 comments:
That tap is annoying. Mick somehow thought of turning the tap itself through 90 degrees so we could fill up. Have the bins been emptied there yet?
Pip and Mick
Pip and Mick, ooh - I didn't think of that! It look and felt sort of secure. I didn't look in the bin store.
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