Wednesday 21 September 2011

Summer Autumn Cruise 2011 (5-3)


Wednesday September 21st

Golden Lion Wharf to Blackpit Lock
Day 31

The day started early at 2am when the dogs started to give warning growls. I checked out of the window and there were a couple of young men sat smoking on a picnic table outside the Golden Lion. They went on their way after about half an hour, so I went back to bed!

Up again at 8am to find that some of the boats in the pound were moving and heading down towards Hebden Bridge. The level of water in the pound was very low due to leakage and I knew that if we did not move soon we would be left high and dry on the bottom. A quick check above the lock told us what the problem was. The top pound was almost empty. Someone had been in touch with BW to advise them about the problem. The previous day 12 inches of water had been coming over the top of the lock gate.

We caught up with a hire boat preparing to descend the lock and joined up with the crew, Jim and Sue from Wales. The inclement weather continued all day as it has for the last few days. Heavy overcast and frequent showers, sometimes quite heavy. However, steady progress was made almost all the way into Hebden Bridge.

We moored up above Black Pit Lock (9) when our friends John and Tracy arrived on the tow path. We said goodbye to Jim and Sue and they continued on their way. The Memsahib went shopping with Tracy. Whilst me and John took the dogs for a good long walk. I heard the familiar call of a Kingfisher which I spotted flying low over the water. John was pleased to see his first ever Kingfisher and followed shortly afterwards a Yellow Wagtail. All from the aqueduct over the nearby River Calder. Two Nb called Kingfisher were moored nearby!

Later we dropped down through Black Pit Lock and went to the pump out mooring just as it started to rain quite heavy yet again. It was soon dark and the heavy rain continued so we were unable to complete the pump-out so we will have to do it in the morning.

Two Common Pipistrelle bats were detected.

Daily Total
Distance: 4 Miles.
Locks: 10
Swing / Lift Bridges: 0
Tunnels: 0
Pump Outs: 0
Engine Hours: 1918.0


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