Lock 33E.............Three & a Quarter Miles of Tunnel...........Lock 25W.

What can I say about the final push to the summit?

I would think that "push" is the operative word in that question, Ubique ran aground on every cill in every lock and was manhandled out of a few by BW staff.

We then had to negotiate the pounds which were more like wet mud than water, It took just over an hour to clear the first two locks. We made it in the end though, the BW staff were all over the flight helping us through and bringing water down all the time, definitely couldn't have done it without them.

A big "Thank You" to all of them.

This was the breakfast view before we set off, all very calming.

There it is, all this way for that, was it worth it?......... You bet it was, what a trip that is.

This year they have been trialing allowing boaters to take themselves through with a member of BW aboard to guide you. This is opposed to the boat being covered in a rubber sheet and towed through in a convoy by an electric tug.

Before they let you in the tunnel the boat is measured all over to make sure she will fit through(Quite what we would have done if she was too big is beyond me) and most things removed from the roof, even our navigation lights had to come off!! This made me think just how tight is it in there?

As it turned out is was very, very tight, only inches to spare in some places.

BW asked us if we would mind taking a passenger through with us, this turned out to be a young girl on a work experience placement. The poor girl was terrified the whole time and in tears for some of the trip.

Here's one of the electric tugs pushing a trip boat into the tunnel, this goes in for fifteen minutes then backs out again. I had to get all dressed up like the man on the tug with the hi vis vest, life jacket and safety helmet.

I'm very glad I had that helmet on as I lost count of the times my head was rattling along the roof.








Photos don't work very well in there I'm afraid, these are two of the very wide places.



All of a sudden we were out, Three & a quarter miles or 5,029 metres in one hour and twenty five minutes, that apparently is a good time.

It is the highest, longest and deepest canal tunnel in the UK and we have done it!!!! (and got a certificate to boot)....... Yeah!!.


No rest though, we then had to drop down the flight of nine locks on this side before they chained and padlocked the bottom lock for the weekend.

Then the top fell off the wine bottle.



Until next time.............................................Cheers.