Wednesday 7 August 2013

Summer Cruise 2013 (16)

Bank Newton Locks to Salterforth Bridge

A much better night with no rain to speak of. The sun was quite warm first thing.

Morning: The Bank Newton Locks were opened at 10am however the first pound was very low. After the lock keeper rans some water down we were able to limp across the pound. All the subsequent pounds were low on water.  There is a scum of an algal bloom on the water.

Afternoon: After clearing Bank Newton we enjoyed a good 5 mile run to Greenberfield locks. At the top of the flight we stopped for water and to use the sanitary station.

Evening: We managed to find a place at Salterforth bridge (151) to moor for the night and had a walk to the Anchor pub for a beer and a sandwich.

Wildlife: Dragonflies and butterflies with a single Kingfisher. 

After a relaxing days cruise along the Leeds Liverpool canal we arrived at Bank Newton Locks. As the flight is locked overnight for water conservation we decided to stop for the day. Its a bit noisy at times with the odd aircraft on low level training flights. But the sounds of the countryside, I find to be very soporific. Or thats what we would have hoped. As the evening drew near and the countryside seems to enter that period of velvet nightfall - slowly growing ever quieter. 

We began to notice the bleating of sheep and lambs. As it got darker, so the plaintive sound of the wooly flock was carried across the fields to our moorings. It was not the odd bleat, it was a continuous wall of bleating with no gaps. As I lay in bed, the sound seemed to get even louder. I think is was due to more and more sheep and lambs joining in the cacophony.

It was time for the ear buds. Plugging in my iPod I started to listen to a half hour podcast. With the sound of the podcast and the softening of external noise through the earbuds I quickly dropped off to sleep. This morning, at first light the noise continued. I assume it had been going on all night. Then as if by magic the sound of the countryside started to increase. The sheep suddenly all stopped bleating. It was as if someone had turned them off. Now the silence of the lambs is deafening.

I have this urge for mint sauce. 

Todays Total.
Miles: 7.6
Locks: 9
Swing / Lift Bridges: 0
Tunnels. 0
Pump Outs: 0
Engine Hours: 5.2
Solar Panels: 57 Ah

Accumulated Total.
Miles: 1514.8
Locks: 1020
Swing / Lift Bridges:203
Tunnels. 24
Pump Outs: 14
Engine Hours: 2642.4
Solar Panels: 9912 Ah

No comments:

Post a Comment

Please put your name to your comment. Comments without a name may automatically be treated as spam and might not be included.

If you do not wish your comment to be published say so in your comment. If you have a tip or sensitive information you’d prefer to share anonymously, you may do so. I will delete the comment after reading.