Rescuing goslings, the notorious Lock 61 again, and some very bad news.

(Boat Flamingo - posted by Cath)

Very late post for Friday 7th June 2019 - please see the explanation at the end.

Leaving Littleborough past other boats held up by Rochdale failure.

Because the weather forecast was for rain later in the day we started fairly early, getting going at just after 8 am. The sky was blue, with a few wispy clouds.

Down through Durn Lock - another one at a time lock - then we met up with Lynnette on Saltaire again, who has a friend, Paul, assisting with working the boat today.

 

More of the same - Bath & Beatty

There is a longish pound through Rochdale, and then we got Lock 49, which has been subject of a stoppage for nearly two weeks. We got the boats in the lock, and drew the paddles, but almost immediately Saltaire 'hung' (this is the boat catching on something as the water starts to empty out of the lock). Both boats are wider than many modern narrow boats, so this is always a danger, but no problem, it was spotted quickly, we 'dropped' the paddles and filled the lock again from the top. We moved Flamingo as far forward as possible, and Saltaire as far back as possible (without risking it on the cill at the back of the lock), then emptied the lock very slowly, checking all the pinch points all the time. The problem was that some of the coping stones at the top of the lock were slightly overhanging the rest of the lock, once we were past those the lock emptied with no further problems.

Totally grounded in narrows for a swing bridge.

Then on to three 'Blue Pits' locks just south of Rochdale. As we shut the gates for the last one, at about 12:15, we got the first few scattered raindrops. At about this time Lynnette got a phone call to tell us that Lock 66 was broken. That's further than we planned to go today, but if there is a stoppage, then we won't be able to get to Manchester tomorrow. It eventually turned out that due to 'boat impact' the 'mitre-post' on the bottom gates has been damaged, meaning that the gates won't seal. (Note: it later turned out that it had nothing to do with a boat - the lock sprang apart on its own)

the lock in Rochdale that had caused our first week of delay.

By the time we got to the Slattocks flight the heavens had opened. I've rarely seen quite so much rain - I suppose it's needed, but it made everything slippery and dangerous.

 

Clearing one of many propeller fouls on Saltaire.

Slattocks is supposed to be a corruption of 'South Locks', which makes some sense, but I always think that it should be some mild and affectionate insult - 'Ah, get on with you, you gurt slattock!'

 

Rescued goslings.

At one lock there were a pair of Canada Geese hissing at me, and waving their wings, but I couldn't see why. They don't usually do this if they haven't got goslings. Then I saw them, three very young goslings in the lock, just by Flamingo's bow. The parents had got out of the lock when the boats went in, but the babies couldn't make it up the couple of inches from the top of the water to the lock-side. I didn't expect to be able to do anything, but I knelt down at the lock-side and scooped the babies out one at a time, while the parents stood back - although I half expected an enraged goose to attack me. The babies seemed quite tired, stumbling as I put them onto the lock-side, but they waddled to their parents. Once they had gathered the babies up again the parents returned to threatening me.

We carried on down the flight, it was wet, cold and miserable for most of the way, although it eased to drizzle later on.

Very worrying "repair" to disused railway bridge at Lock 61!

At lock 61, which was the lock that we stuck very firmly in on the way up, we planned carefully. It was very clear that despite the reports, the lock had not been fixed. The pound below was very empty, so we ran some water down. We put Saltaire on the side of the gate that would open, and Flamingo behind the fixed gate. Then we slathered washing up liquid on the widest parts of the boats. Lynnette nudged the boat up to the point that the boat stuck, then opened the throttle as we tried 'bouncing' the other gate. Slowly, very slowly, Saltaire slid out of the lock. Then we tried with Flamingo. Once again, the boat left the lock slowly, but we were out in a fraction of the time that we took getting unstuck last time.

Two more locks and we were at the moorings. Quarter past four, about 8 hours in all. Tiring, but not a bad day.

Now we have to find out what is happening about Lock 66, and when we will be able to continue our journey again.

Note: This post was written the same day as what it refers to, but has deliberately not been published until 4 weeks later.  We decided that if we were going to have to leave a boat for periods on an unattended tow-path over 200 miles from our home, it was probably best to publicise the fact as little as possible.

Littleborough to Rose of Lancaster, Chadderton
Miles 8.7, Locks: 17
Total Miles 213.0, Total Locks: 242