Some cruise stats

According to CanalPlan ... on our Big Summer Cruise we covered 555* miles and worked through 431 locks. We gave ourselves ten weeks to do it, but were back at the marina after nine weeks.

one highlight: the Rochdale Canal. We are just leaving the summit level; the feeder comes in where the dinghy is tied up

The waterways navigated were:

• Grand Union
• Saltisford Arm
• Stratford Canal
• Worcester and Birmingham
• Birmingham Canal (New Main Line)
• Staffs and Worcs
• Trent and Mersey
• Macclesfield Canal
• Peak Forest
• Ashton Canal
• Rochdale Canal
• Calder and Hebble
• Aire and Calder
• New Junction
• South Yorks Navigations
• Sheffield and Tinsley
• Stainforth and Keadby
• River Trent
• Nottingham Canal
• Coventry Canal
• Oxford Canal

I have filmed much of the journey on a timelapse camera; I shall endeavour to upload the many separate sequences soon.

*we actually covered slightly more miles than this - I haven't allowed for the to-ing and fro-ing on the Peak Forest in our quest for water and a winding hole which wasn't silted up. Nor have I added in the mile or three going to the head of navigation on the Trent. And there may well be other bits and pieces I have forgotten about (until I watch the timelapse back). 560 miles would be nearer the mark. Just remembered: we went to the end of the Halifax Arm, oh, and the Dewsbury Arm.

How to work paddle gear with a hand spike

Sowerby Bridge to Cooper Bridge, Wednesday 13th August 2014

The day's boating started half-an-hour earlier than scheduled, as the CRT lockie knocked on Jubilee at 0830 and asked if we'd like to go down the lock with the other boat, which was booked in at that time. (We were booked in for 0900).

So, of course, we started the engine and untied our ropes and followed Dogstar into Tuel Lane Lock 4/3.

I can't think why this counts as two locks, even though it is as deep as two locks being just short of 20 feet. There is an extra set of bottom gates which, if they were used, would make the lock longer, but it's still one lock, isn't it?

Then it was straight into the tunnel under Tuel Lane. This has a couple of bends in it, the first much sharper than the second.

There's little danger of meeting another boat in there as it's all controlled by CRT.

The friends we met the day before took some photos of us emerging from the tunnel.

After filling up with diesel at Shire Cruisers in Sowerby Bridge Basin (and dealing with water and elsan) (oh, and a spot more shopping - handy Lidl up Tuel Lane) we continued on our way.

At the junction with the Halifax Arm we went straight on, i.e. onto the arm. At the end is Salterhebble where a Premier Inn dominates.

After winding ...

... we came straight out again, stopping to take a few logs from the recently fallen tree. Looking back we could see a pair of lock gates, apparently enclosing a private mooring. Did this go anywhere else? Was there a dry dock here at one time?

Then it was on to the fun and games at the Salterhebble Three. The top lock has no conventional paddle gear: a windlass is useless. Instead the paddles are lifted directly using a hand spike operating on a ratchet at foot level. A length of timber does the job.

The hand spike is inserted into the holes and pulled round to rotate the gear which lifts the paddle. A pawl stops the paddle falling down again. To lower the paddle you take the weight with the hand spike once more, disengage the pawl, and swiftly pull the hand spike away. The paddle then falls under its own weight, with no way of slowing its descent. Some gear of this type is stiff and so has to be wound down again.

Finally for this post a shot of Jan steering Jubilee along a leafy stretch of the Calder and Hebble. Actually it's all leafy (so far).

I'm now a day behind with this write-up of our summer cruise. I might catch up tomorrow but, for now, sleep calls. We are now just east of Horbury Bridge.

Hey, Nicholson's - you missed out this tunnel!

We're coming to the end of the Rochdale Canal now, having tied up in Sowerby Bridge just above Tuel Lane Lock this afternoon. I shall be sorry to leave this canal; yes, it's been hard work, but the scenery has more than made up for it. And the showers of rain haven't been too terrible, and they've certainly kept the canal topped up. I love locks anyway!

Some of the best views were as we looked back. This is as we left Hebden Bridge.

As we approached Sowerby Bridge I saw what looked like a tunnel coming up. There was nothing in Nicholson's to suggest this. It was indeed a tunnel, and over the portal was an ominous "left bend ahead" sign. You have no time for you eyes to adjust to the difference in light level before the bend. You wouldn't want to meet anything here; a collision would be hard to avoid. Thankfully the tunnel isn't very long, but it must bend at least 45 degrees. Interesting!

Here's another "looking back" view. I'm going to have to do this canal again, but in the other direction so I can see what I missed the first time round.


Three hours after leaving Hebden Bridge we arrived at the lock landing for Tuel Lane Lock. We could go no further as passage down the lock and through the tunnel (another bendy one) has to be booked. I'd booked this morning, so we're in the 0900 slot. We should be down straight away as the lock is full and there is just one other narrowboat on the lock landing.

I omitted to take any photos of the deep lock, so I'll have to make amends tomorrow. It's an inch or two short of 20 feet drop, and is reckoned to be the deepest lock on the system. Immediately after the lockie-controlled descent (all crew has to remain on board throughout) you're into the tunnel under Tuel Lane. One side is town; the other is countryside. You pop out just above locks 2 and 1, then it's the Calder and Hebble Navigation.

The Calder runs through Sowerby Bridge; a kayaking slalom course has been set up.

I was hoping these paddlers would shoot the rapids lower down, just the other side of the road bridge, but they went the other way.

After an excellent meal in the Wetherspoon's pub (the Commercial Inn) (Tuesday steak night) we returned to Jubilee where boaters Les and Ursula of Clemency joined us for a drink. They are moored below the locks; their daughter was in our son's class in the village First School.

(l-r: Jan, Halfie, Les, Ursula)
You can't see is directly in the photo, but I had lit the fire (the first time since reblacking it). It is August, after all. The giveaway is the blurred blade of the ecofan.

David and Penny should be joining us tomorrow afternoon; it will be good to see them.

No, you steer on the RIGHT!

After a weekend in Walsden we pulled the pins and moved on down the locks. This canalside garden colours the scene nicely.

The black clouds were a sign of the heavy showers we were to encounter all day. They were interspersed with warm sunshine, but it was rather windy too.

All the rain we've had lately has meant there's been no shortage of water. It's been cascading over both top and bottom gates of most of the locks. This is Lock 24 on the approach to Todmorden.

I'd been looking forward to this sight the whole trip: the railway bridge below Lock 22.

At the next lock (I believe it was) a CRT man asked if he could come on our bow to try to clear a fallen tree across the lock tail. He couldn't budge it, but we were able to squeeze past with no problem. It was not a very big tree, as you can see.

Next came the Great Wall of Tod - another feature I'd read about but not seen before. Its millions of bricks hold up the railway (and stop it falling into the cut).

In the centre of Todmorden is Todmorden or Library Lock 19 which has an electrically operated guillotine bottom gate. The vast amount of water pouring over the top gates, coupled with the fact that only one bottom paddle worked, meant that it took an age for the lock to drain sufficiently for the electrics to come to life.

We attracted a crowd of gongoozlers (three's a crowd, we're told), all keen to record the spectacle of the guillotine gate rising!

We tied up immediately below the lock and used the water, Elsan and rubbish disposal facilities.

It was as if a switch had been thrown. Suddenly there were other boats, including a moving one. We no longer had the canal to ourselves. No hire boats yet - we'd see them in Hebden Bridge - but there was one remarkable incident. A narrowboat was approaching, and it was obvious that we'd pass right by a moored plastic cruiser. Ordinarily this would not have been a problem; the canal was plenty wide enough. I steered well over to the right, giving bags of space for the oncoming boat to get between me and the moored boat.

BUT ... the approaching narrowboat steered straight towards us, seemingly intent on a head-on collision. I had slowed right down by now. Frantic hand signals indicated that I should pass on the wrong side; a course of action which I'd already decided on. As we passed, the oncoming boat grounded on the shallows on the offside. I had almost stopped by this stage, so we had a short conversation during which it transpired that she thought you pass oncoming boats on the left. I gently corrected her, and pulled her boat, Bumpkin (say no more) off the mud.

photo taken looking back: I had come through between the two boats

And then we came into hire boat territory. As we approached Hebden Bridge a Shire Cruisers boat, heading towards us, was dithering at the head of a lock. Fair enough, it had just come up and was probably collecting its crew. I was very surprised to see, though, that the lock it had presumably just ascended was empty. Then I saw that the bottom gates were being pushed open to admit another Shire Cruisers narrowboat. Why the first boat didn't wait for the second one to share the lock with I don't know. Jan had, by this time, arrived with Jubilee and had to wait on the Black Pit Aqueduct while we worked the second boat through.

After all this excitement we stopped on the 24 hour moorings by the park, where I washed the mud off my bike. Then we had tea on board and walked round the town.

coming in to land ...

Ooh - Sowerby Bridge tomorrow - I must book Tuel Lane Lock ...

A barrel of laughs

What a wet day! And now the wind has picked up, too. But I'll start at the beginning.

We walked down the towpath in the rain to St. Peter's Church, just a few minutes down the towpath from our mooring in Walsden, for the 0930 service.

This was led by a retired priest who gave an excellent sermon, appropriately enough, on Jesus walking on the water and quelling the storm.

The church was built in the mid 19th century; as preparations were under way for the centenary in the 1950s it was gutted by fire. Insurance money paid for rebuilding - and the result is a marvellous 1960s interior in the Victorian shell.

On our way back to the boat we said hello to Irene and Ian on Free Spirit, whom we joined for drinks last night. We were about to make the return invitation, along with Lindsay and Paul on Happy Daze.

After lunch on Jubilee we walked into the hills, from where I took this view of Walsden.

On the way I spotted a blue plaque on a house tucked away up the hillside. It turned out that famous atom-splitter Sir John Cockcroft lived here for 26 years. It's amazing what you discover when out walking!

His name has particular resonance for me as I remember a building at Salford Uni was named after him.

And now to the title of this post. Ian and Irene from Free Spirit and Paul and Lindsay from Happy Daze joined us for drinks on Jubilee this evening. We had a great time sharing boaty stories - I don't think we ever stopped laughing!

(l-r: Jan, Halfie, Lindsay, Paul, Ian, Irene)

As you may deduce, the boat stayed tied up all day. The forecast for tomorrow isn't promising anything much better, so we may yet get to sample Grandma Pollard's famous fish and chips.

On top of the world - Rochdale summit reached

It felt great to have reached the summit of the Rochdale Canal which we did this afternoon, having worked our way up from Manchester starting on Thursday. Two and a half days to do 47 locks and 17.5 miles, which has been a comfortable rate of progress in that we are not whacked out. Our intermediate stops, at Chadderton and Littleborough proved good ones; now we are at Walsden, a few locks down the east side of the summit.

My first task of the day, as yesterday, was to top up a low pound just above our first lock. This didn't take long and we were soon on our way. We had a small amount of light drizzle at one point, but it didn't last long. For most of the day we enjoyed excellent bright and sunny weather, albeit with a stiffish breeze.

Immediately above Lock 46 is a wonderfully secluded arm with bollards and no apparent restrictions. This would make an excellent overnight - or longer - mooring. There's even the stump of an old crane to add interest. If we'd known we might well have gone up the extra two locks yesterday.

At Lock 43 was more evidence of the bracing framework provided in former times to support weaker bottom gates. Bill S. had left an illuminating comment on yesterday's post explaining some ironwork I'd asked about, and here was a real life example. (More about Bill later.)

The Rochdale Canal towpath seems to attract cyclists in huge numbers. Here at Lock 41 a posse of them gathers at the top of steps leading to the towpath. The braver (or more reckless) among them cycled down the steps, which include a turn. I didn't manage to capture one of them pulling off the feat, I'm sorry to say.

Here they are whizzing down the towpath.

Now I have to say I'm a bit miffed that my camera has developed a nasty smudge in the lens system. It is worse when I (optically) zoom in, but I tend to operate zoomed in - at least partially. There is another piece of dirt in there which I can zoom past. All a bit complicated to explain, but the upshot is that I need a new camera. I'd like to stick with a compact as I love being able to have it with me all the time. (The current, now not very good, camera is a Fujifilm Finepix F50Ffd.)

The following photo of Jubilee cruising the Rochdale Canal is ruined by the horrible splodge!

At about 1430 we rose up West Summit Lock 37 onto ... the summit! I took a self-timed photo of us to mark the achievement.

This lock, Lock 37, is supposed to have a water point. Indeed, it does appear to have a water point. The appearance was so convincing that I got the hose out of the locker, removed the filler cap, untangled the hose and connected it to the tap.

Then I switched on. Nothing. On closer inspection I saw that the pipework inside the water point had been disconnected. Oh dear. Coil up hose, put away. (Did I remember to screw the water filler cap back on, unlike last time?)

At the head of the lock I put my bike on board and joined Jan for the short cruise to the first of the descending locks. This was the first time I'd steered today. I've done the Rochdale Canal more by bike than boat; next time we'll have to get more crew so I can do a bit of steering!

The next photo illustrates the reduction from "normal" level of the summit pound: possibly six to nine inches. We just steered a middle course and had no problems. We'd actually traversed much lower pounds than this earlier on without grounding - our draught of only two feet proving a distinct advantage.

Just down from the summit we came to the sign indicating the border between Lancashire and Yorkshire which I had been expecting.

We shall be in Yorkshire now for some time.

Warland Gate Swing Bridge could have been where we came unstuck, had it not been for the timely assistance of a passing walker. A recent rain storm had left the iron track on which the bridge runs covered in mud. The mud stopped the bridge's supporting wheel from revolving, and needed the brute strength of the passer by, Jan and me to push the bridge open. Once the bridge was open I cleaned the mud off the track with a stick, and it closed sweetly with no undue effort. No doubt it will work like that until the next rain washes mud onto the track again. I'll have to e-mail CRT and suggest they clean all the mud away.

And now back to Bill S., an occasional commenter on this blog. He lives in Rochdale and appeared on the scene to explain in great detail some of the finer points of lock construction, overspill weirs and much more. Fascinating stuff, and I hope I am able to retain some of what he told me.

Naturally a windlass was thrust in his hand!

It was good to meet you, Bill.

There is much more (as always) to say, including writing about meeting Lindsey Lindsay and Paul on Happy Daze and fellow bloggers Iain Ian and Irene on Free Spirit, both moored in Walsden which is where we are.

And this is tonight's mooring: Jubilee on the left; Happy Daze on the right.

For now though ... it's well past my bedtime!

edited to correct spelling

Good value rubbish in Rochdale

The first job this morning was to fill the low pound above our first lock. I did this by opening one top paddle and both bottom paddles of Lock 61, leaving it to look after itself while I worked Jubilee through Lock 63. (Going from west to east the lock and bridge numbers go down.)

By the time we'd come up Lock 63 the pound was only slightly down, so I nipped up on my bike to lower the top paddle and open the bottom gates. In nearly every lock I've had to open both bottom gates as few of them opened fully.

At several locks, a few feet behind the bottom gates there were the remains of what look like collar fixings for former gates.

I could see no other evidence of the locks having once been a different size. There was nothing in the masonry walls to show where heel posts might have been. So what are they?

At Lock 54, Slattocks Top Lock, we had a nice surprise. An A4 notice invited passing boaters to top up with water from the lock cottage owner's hose and outside tap. How convenient!

We just sat in the lock while filling up; I made coffee and Jan investigated a local shop. There was very little danger of holding anyone up - we knew there was no-one behind us, and no-one had come towards us. In fact, we saw no other moving boats at all today; the first narrowboat we saw was tied up where we moored after today's cruising in Littleborough.

Just after leaving Slattocks we caught sight of the Pennine hills in front.

I think I made more trips down the weed hatch today than the rest of the cruise so far, removing plastic, clothing and weed. Fortunately it has all come off the prop quite easily ... so far.

The worst stretch was through Rochdale, with rubbish swirling in the locks and lurking in the cut.

Above Lock 50, the closest one to Rochdale Station, was this pound where the navigable channel was obvious.

I must encourage Jan to take more pictures. She picked up my camera and snapped this one as she steered through Little Clegg Swing Bridge on the outskirts of Smithy Bridge. It's better than most of mine.

This is where we ended up this afternoon in Littleborough, within spitting distance of the summit. Well, what's 12 locks and two miles?

I see from Nicholson's that the summit level is not much more than half a mile long. Blink and you'll miss it. I think we'll have to tie up somewhere and explore by foot. The summit pound itself is probably not the best place to moor, as if anywhere is going to suffer a water shortage, that place is the Rochdale Summit.

Perhaps there'll be another deluge. We sheltered under a convenient road bridge during today's thunderstorm (thank you, Bridge 58). Again, we held no other boats up. After 20 minutes the rain had passed and we continued in sunshine. My coat dried quickly.

Tomorrow, then, we'll have been over the top and will have started our descent from Lancashire into Yorkshire. I expect there'll be a county boundary checkpoint sign. First, though, I will again have to fill the pound above our first lock of the day.

We have had it easy on the Rochdale so far: nearly every lock has been in our favour. Today I had to turn just one, where obviously the bottom gates and paddles didn't leak enough. I wonder if going downhill we'll suddenly find the locks against us.

Oh - the title. Good value rubbish? Yes, you get a lot to the pound. (Groan!)