Thursday 2nd June
It’s been a fab day weatherwise, at times really hot. We left Sowerby Bridge this morning at 9-30am and descended Tuel Lane Lock, Britain’s deepest lock at 20ft, which is keeper operated. This used to be two locks but they have been replaced by one very deep one enabling the canal to tunnel under the road, where the Rochdale used to terminate and join up with the Calder and Hebble on the other side. There were then a further two standard 10ft locks to negotiate.
After the locks we went into Shire Cruises boatyard for diesel, water etc. Ken got a chap to look at his prop and he didn’t seem to think the bend in it would be a problem. We will probably get something done about it when we have the boat out to be blacked later in the year. As I said at least the whine has gone! Another thing which will need attention is a three cornered tear in the cratch cover, which I discovered this morning, God knows how that happened! We taped it over with waterproof duck tape so hopefully it will be ok for a while.
We then travelled a further couple of miles to Salterhebble where the first of the short locks are. These locks are only designed for 57ft 6in boats to use although it is said you can do them in a 60ft boat by taking all fenders off and going in diagonally. We have spoken to people who have done it but were reserving judgement until we saw the locks in action. As we got there there was one boat going up and one boat going down, both 57 footers and it looked awkward even for them. This demonstration made us decide that, especially as we are going down, which is more difficult because things can get hooked up on the cill, discretion is the better part of valour and we are going back the way we came! Sometime we will do the Huddersfield Narrow canal which has long locks but we’ll have to come at it from the other direction!
We had always had it in the back of our minds that we may have to go back the way we came and none of us were particularly looking forward to it but as we know what we are going in to, so to speak, we can plan our trip accordingly. It’s not all doom and gloom though, we are already planning another excursion to Grandma Pollards Chippy, I may get one of those vanilla slices this time! The Red Lion in Littleborough (£1-50 a pint) is on the list for another visit and the nice mooring arm there. We are going to blitz the nasty bits (Manchester) as quickly as we can, rubbish in the canal permitting!
Getting back to today, after the gongoozling we took George for a toddle up the short Halifax Arm to the Watermill pub. He hasn’t done a review because I forgot to take a photo but he did enjoy it and so did we. It was a nice walk, not very far but far enough for him, bless. It was so hot ouside the pub we had to move into the shade, something unheard of for several weeks now!
We have booked our return passage through Tuel Lane Lock for 1pm tomorrow so in the morning we will be doing useful things – maybe.
