Summer/Autumn Cruise 2011 (Week 6)
Knottingley to Beal Lock.
Day 36
Up early to let the dogs have some exercise. Today we are waiting our turn to be lifted from the water ready for the maintenance work being done. The boat yard has a small back-log of work to be finished on other craft and so we may be here for a couple of extra days.
The weather is overcast with the odd few patches of blue. It is quite cold and the wind is quite gusty at times. This is causing Rosie to move around on her mooring so I have deployed a couple of springs in addition.
There are a few little jobs of my own that I have started. I have fitted a new length of cable to the satellite dish. The old cable was crushed in a door and the picture quality deteriorated. I also needed to fill the stern gland greaser with fresh grease. I might just brave repacking the gland once Rosie is lifted out of the water. I have a small drip tray under the gland and it is collecting about half a pint of water a day.
I have been watching the antics of several cormorants who are fishing in the canal close to Rosie. The fish they are catching look quite small, so I imagine it will take some time for them to get a good meal. Periodically they emerge from the water to dry their feathers. Unlike other birds, the feathers on a cormorant are not covered in oil and so the birds can become waterlogged over time. It seems quite a strange posture almost crucifix like, as they perch to dry themselves in the sun and wind.
The Sun arrived at about 10:30 roughly the same time as we were told that we would not get Rosie out of the water until Wednesday morning. So I decided that we should get onto the River Aire and cruise for the day. We stopped at Beal's lock to take on water, it took so long the tank must have been almost empty.
A Kestrel kept pace with us along the flood bank for quite a distance and it was easy to see why the old country name for the Kestrel was Windhover. It was not having any luck and only left us when we came across three Environment Agency Vehicles parked on top of the flood banking. A steady passage had us to West Haddersley Flood Lock for 13:30 so it was time for lunch and to await the arrival of our friends John and Tracy.
We worked the lock and passed three cruisers through from the direction of the Selby Canal the wind on the river was making it hard going for them. We watched them slowly zigzag their way up river.
Later, we returned back to Beal Lock and moored up for the evening where we enjoyed a spectacular sunset. Even later we spent some time observing a clear moonless night sky. Then it became so cold that we lit the stove before retiring to bed.
Two Common Pipistrelle bats were detected.
Daily Total
Distance: 10 Miles.
Locks: 3
Swing / Lift Bridges: 0
Tunnels: 0
Pump Outs: 0
Engine Hours: 1946.7
Ah. You have been narrowboaters for too long now. You are moaning about locks gates being left open, boats passing moorings and batteries. There is no hope for you now. :)
ReplyDeleteOn a more serious note, leaving lock gates open as you leave is the norm uless stated otherwise, paddles should be wound down of course more for courtesy then anything else. The idea is that in theory for 50% of the time ou will approach a lock in your favour. Doesnt always work of course.
Hope you are having fun
Naughty-Cal