Thursday, 29 September 2011

Summer Autumn Cruise 2011 (6-4)


Thursday September 29th 

Southfield Junction to Goole Boatyard.
Day 39

A heavy mist had built up over night and the canal has a glass smooth surface this morning with not a single ripple. No wildlife noise, total silence other than a distant faint pop pop of someone’s engine starting further along the moorings. The tranquillity was soon shattered when at 7am the boat decided to wind on the mooring. Complete with all the expected disturbance that winding would create. Backwards and forwards in a seventeen point turn! Accompanied with frequent shouts between the tiller and the bow as they approached each bank. The fact that the canal junction was 200 yards only further along in the direction they were pointing and wide enough to wind the Titanic seemed lost on them.

They then demonstrated their Klaxon horn as they left. Giving a cheery wave to all the disapproving faces lining the windows of the remaining boats. Wishing everyone to have a “nice day no doubt!” With a feeling of Deja Vou I remembered that the Titanic hit an iceberg in poor visibility. The mist has not left the water yet, I can live in hope.

The morning sun through the mist was an orange orb and it was possible to see what looked like a sunspot on the surface. Must try the old trick of a sheet of white paper and binoculars used as a projector to display the suns image later!

A gentle cruise towards Goole stopping twice en-route to scrump apples from two bank side trees. One was a sweet eating apple the other was a cooking apple. Mousaca and Apple crumble for tea announced the senior galley slave.

We pulled into the BW Water point and topped up the tank. I did a check on the batteries by way of a test of their condition. After leaving them to settle to their quiescent state I found that two were at 12.58v and one at 12.51v.

We backed up from the water point onto the 3 day visitor moorings. The sun was beating down and we all ended up sat in the shade until late afternoon watching the comings and goings of the various vessels.

At 8pm an hour after dark John Whittaker's Humber Princess came through the lock fully laden with oil. At 8:30. John Whittaker's Humber Pride also passed with a full load of oil and disappeared off up the canal into the night.

Several Pipistrelle bats detected around the Goole boatyard.

Daily Total
Distance: 8 Miles.
Locks: 0
Swing / Lift Bridges: 0
Tunnels: 0
Pump Outs: 0
Engine Hours: 1956



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