Wednesday 15th August 2012
Wigan Top Lock to Botany Bay.
Plenty of boats going down the Wigan flight this morning. Mostly in pairs. This will also help to flush down more water into the lower pounds which are still low and well below the bywash level.
In theory, the water out of one lock is used to fill the next lock further down. In a perfect world of locks without leaks, this might just have a bit of truth. The real problem is that its just a theory. In the real world, as you release water out of one lock you should be running it in to the next lock down the flight.
However, if you release a lock full of water into a full pound. The water released will go down a bywash. Then when you get down to the next lock and draw water out of the pound. You have used two locks full - one into the lock and one over the pound bywash. When going down a pair of locks or flight's we make the effort to synchronise opening and closing the paddles with the boat in front.
It was very windy with very strong gusts around lunch time. Just before Adlington we came across a 70ft tall tree that was split at the base and hanging over the canal at a very steep angle covering both sides. It was obvious that it was going to come down sometime soon. I telephoned the Canal and Rivers trust emergency number.
Stopped for a pump-out at the Red Lion boatyard. Diesel available on a self-service pump one price including propulsion at 90p a litre. After the Boatyard we passed a burnt out narrowboat, still afloat but completely gutted. It looked like a it would be just be cut up for scrap as the metalwork was quite twisted in places. Someone's pride and joy now about to be a pile of scrap!
The weather has rapidly gone down hill. The rain is very heavy and the wind is gale force. So like captain Cook, we moored up at Botany Bay. However, the first boat along was full of "Yoof" sat out in the rain drinking cans of lager. They managed to give us just a glancing blow and a shout of "cheers" in passing!
Next boat along was a wide-beam going obviously as fast as possible to avoid the rain! Which succeeded in pulling out the pins on the boat behind us. He turned round and watched as it moved across to the other side of the canal driven by the wind to where we could not recover it! Being a responsible boater - he just kept going!
We did manage to recover the boat a bit later when it eventually made its way back across the canal. I always thought that BW were famous for using blue string for mooring lines. Lets put it this way. My shoe laces were longer and in better condition!
Wildlife: Another couple of Kingfishers livened up the morning cruise. Top spot for the day was eight Mistle Thrush sat on a telegraph wire.
However, if you release a lock full of water into a full pound. The water released will go down a bywash. Then when you get down to the next lock and draw water out of the pound. You have used two locks full - one into the lock and one over the pound bywash. When going down a pair of locks or flight's we make the effort to synchronise opening and closing the paddles with the boat in front.
It was very windy with very strong gusts around lunch time. Just before Adlington we came across a 70ft tall tree that was split at the base and hanging over the canal at a very steep angle covering both sides. It was obvious that it was going to come down sometime soon. I telephoned the Canal and Rivers trust emergency number.
A mumbled voice said "Hello" so I gave them the canal name, a location including two bridge names and numbers, one either side of the tree. I was about to say that the tree was on the off side. Only to be given by a disinterested voice. "I'll pass it on." That was it - the sum total of the conversation. My immediate thought was "Ah, first class (à la CaRTe) customer service - why did I even bother."
Stopped for a pump-out at the Red Lion boatyard. Diesel available on a self-service pump one price including propulsion at 90p a litre. After the Boatyard we passed a burnt out narrowboat, still afloat but completely gutted. It looked like a it would be just be cut up for scrap as the metalwork was quite twisted in places. Someone's pride and joy now about to be a pile of scrap!
The weather has rapidly gone down hill. The rain is very heavy and the wind is gale force. So like captain Cook, we moored up at Botany Bay. However, the first boat along was full of "Yoof" sat out in the rain drinking cans of lager. They managed to give us just a glancing blow and a shout of "cheers" in passing!
Next boat along was a wide-beam going obviously as fast as possible to avoid the rain! Which succeeded in pulling out the pins on the boat behind us. He turned round and watched as it moved across to the other side of the canal driven by the wind to where we could not recover it! Being a responsible boater - he just kept going!
We did manage to recover the boat a bit later when it eventually made its way back across the canal. I always thought that BW were famous for using blue string for mooring lines. Lets put it this way. My shoe laces were longer and in better condition!
Wildlife: Another couple of Kingfishers livened up the morning cruise. Top spot for the day was eight Mistle Thrush sat on a telegraph wire.
This Weeks Solar Panel Data.
Average 24.3 Ah per day High 36Ah Low 10Ah
Daily Total
Miles: 8.0
Locks: 0
Swing / Lift Bridges: 0
Tunnels: 0
Pump Outs: 1
Engine Hours: 2.5
Accumulated Totals
Miles: 1103.8
Locks: 796
Swing / Lift Bridges: 120
Tunnels. 21
Pump Outs: 13
Engine Hours: 2358.0
Miles: 1103.8
Locks: 796
Swing / Lift Bridges: 120
Tunnels. 21
Pump Outs: 13
Engine Hours: 2358.0
Later......
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