Hapton.
.
.

Another day, another spanner.
.
.

I did a quick check of the engine yesterday after she had cooled down, and to my horror found most of the stem seals were at the top of the valve stems.
.
This would account for the smoking, but the problem is I know I fitted them correctly and taking the head off again would be stupid to say the least.

With a strong torch and a very thin screwdriver I got them all back into place and started her up........ Smoke everywhere, another check and the seals had moved up again!!
.
According to the "experts" this is not possible, so, it looks like I am on my own to solve this one.
I do love a challenge.







Our trip through to here did have a few odd sights along the way.
.
.



.
.
Also some very picturesque ones.
.
.



.
.
These were here last year and from a completely materialistic point of view, if I lived around here I would have been onto BW relentlessly to let me get them up and repaired. They are fibreglass so no problem there.
.
.

An early start in the morning for a trip to Asda, essentials only of course.
.
.
.




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





.

Gargrave To Hapton. 3 Days 16 Locks And Two Tunnels.

Lots of problems.

What with BW limiting the opening hours of the locks from ten until twelve and then two until four, the engine is playing up again.

It had run well for two days but as we were dropping through the Barrowford flight it burst into smoke again. This has caused umpteen problems as I cannot afford to disable the engine in this area. There is nowhere safe to moor other than overnight around Burnley and Blackburn unless you want to "take a chance".

This is not for us so we are limping along trying to get through and working around these BW restrictions.

The start of what looks like a great summer and all you can hear is water shortage excuses and get off the canal before they close it altogether.......Typical!

Still, it rained last night so that should add a couple of extra pints.

This is how low the levels are at the moment and the reason for all the concern.

Passing from white rose country into red rose country we were jokingly fired upon from a catapult by some knuckle draggers who had had one sniff too many of the barmaids apron.

They do seem to take this "across the border stuff" quite seriously up here, but as we weren't "Yorkshire" we were allowed on our way unmolested.

Even the Foulridge tunnel didn't look all that welcoming as we waited for our ten minute entrance slot.

We made the Barrowford locks in time and dropped down to Nelson where we had been told that there were two secure moorings at the local Morrisons. We missed these last year and gambled that the information was correct, boaters are notorious for poor information, ten minutes is at least an hour and one mile is any ones guess.

They were there but had two boats on them, luckily and I do mean luckily, one boat started to move off and we were in. Palisade fencing and a locked gate keeping the locals out, not too friendly but at least you can sleep at night.

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

.

Skipton To Gargrave...ish.






Off with her head............!







Two full days of spanner and socket wielding have resulted in the engine running once more and ready for the all important long test run.



Only one gasket was dropped into a completely inaccessible part of the bilge, even with the pick up tools we have aboard this thing was having none of it.
D popped off to the local motorists shop and returned with a tube of gasket goo and all was well in the world again.
Or....... the air was less blue around Ubique if you prefer.










Leaving the strange delights of Skipton behind,









we were soon back out amongst the wildlife and scenery again.











The sun was "cracking flags" as they say up here, meaning "very hot" to us folk from the south.

After a couple of hours I had plucked up enough courage (swallowed enough throat oil) to check the oil level............it was fine!!!!

This was only a short run and the real test has yet to come, but the result was encouraging to say the least.

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

.

Skipton To Skipton.





All tools have arrived.....shall we get oily now?





No, no and thrice no!
The sun is out begging us to take a trip along the canal while it is in all it's glory.
It would have been very rude to refuse.









I know, I know, frivolity in the face of despair is probably not good, but the way the weather is up here at the moment, any lack of taking advantage would be criminal.

One of the many swing bridges along the Leeds Liverpool, this one being different as it actually works, and works without the accompanying grunting and groaning that is normally associated with these things........ BW have had the grease can out.

We arrived at "the" spot after a couple of hours of meandering slowly along through the sunshine.

It was then time for Pimms on the lawn, and what a sweeping lawn that was.

This also, rather strangely, served as our breakfast terrace as well.

.

.

These clouds are all completely man made as they are the vapour trails of the many aircraft plying our Sky's.

.

This makes me think along the lines of.....if they were not there the sun would be able to shine through properly and maybe a summer as we knew it would be upon us once again.

.

.

.

Just a thought.

.

.

.

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

.

.

.

Skipton.

.

.

Waiting for deliveries again...........
.

.

Ubique has been using an awful lot of oil recently and after lots of diagnosing its seems the valve stem oil seals are to blame.

.

This is Major surgery for the engine so we have been out buying/ordering a Torque Wrench and a Valve Spring Compressor as I have not brought these aboard from the house.

.

We are also waiting for a Head gasket Set to be sent on from Calcutt Boats.

Hopefully everything should be here by Monday and I can dive in to the oil.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Running into Skipton, there were still some new born Lambs in the fields.

.

.

.

.

.

.

No less than Nine Cygnets for this mum. This will be a very noisy place when it comes to the time for them to be driven away.

.

.

.

.

.

.

One of the elusive water points that are around here, tucked away behind a locked unmarked door set in the car park wall. Easy when you know.

.

.

.

.

.

This poseuress parks herself there for the attention she gets. This is a very busy path and most people seem to like cats. She has managed to avoid getting run over by a pram or push bike so far though.

.

.

.

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

.

.

.

Stockbridge To Skipton.





What a day that was.......




We were waiting at Stockbridge for the nice people at Calcutt Boats (BMC specialists) to send us, Poste Restante, some new fuel injectors. This they did with alacrity, we ordered them on Monday and they were here on Tuesday by one o'clock. That is good service, that is very good service.

I fitted them in the afternoon and we were all ready to set off on Wednesday morning for the test run.
The sun had it's hat on and the air was fantastically clear and clean as we set off to cover the ten miles to Skipton.

I am just going to let you get the idea of the trip from the pictures.....what a day!

It was a day where you felt you were lucky to be alive and traveling through Yorkshire on a narrowboat, as opposed to a working for a muppet type of day.

.

.

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

.

Saltaire To Stockbridge. 1 Lock, 3 Staircases.






From an embarrassed looking boat to meeting the worlds worst lock keeper!











Leaving Saltaire we passed this unfortunate craft emblazoned with flags and plastic cones.

The Village of Saltaire was designed and built by one Sir Titus Salt for his workforce back in 1850. Next to the river Aire and with him being Sir Salt, you can see where it gets its name from.
There was no pub built though as he was against drinking. Nowadays there is a Wine bar/Bistro well named.................. "Don't Tell Titus"

All the locks along here are of heroic proportions, you can feel very small indeed at the bottom of these monsters.

We had to get through the Bingley three and five rise staircases today, ( A staircase lock is where the top gates of one are the bottom gates of the other).

The three rise was a breeze as we had a lock keeper who knew what he was doing and with D's help we were up and out with no mishaps.

Then it was onto the five rise where we met him, the jobsworth, the know it all, the lockie from hell.
It took two hours to get through the five locks and he succeeded in smashing Ubique from one side of the lock to the other THREE TIMES out of five. This was down to him opening sluices at the wrong time.
He even said to D (Who he wouldn't let help because they are his locks) that he can't seem to get it right today.
To cap it all a woman on the bank said to D that you have got the bad one of the bunch there, he always does this.
It was a nightmare of a trip, which had D been allowed to operate the sluices, would have gone a lot smoother than that idiots effort.










On a slightly calmer note, when we had moored for the day mummy swan here brought her cygnet to show us.







Who's an ugly duckling then? ............Not me!

.

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

.

Clarence Dock To Rodley Then Onto Saltaire.





Pouring rain through the water shortage.




We crept out of a very soggy and grey Leeds early Thursday morning in an attempt to get through the "Badlands" before one o'clock. This is the time the drunks descend on the locks for a dose of narrowboat sport.







We only had to wait a short while before nb Great Escape joined us. This was lucky as due to the water shortage on the Leeds Liverpool the lock keepers were not allowing single boats through, two at a time or not at all.
Water shortage....... everyone must conserve water! (BW mantra) this picture is of brand new gates and no paddles or sluices are open. Mmmm.....










On one staircase the lockie left the top gate paddle open which completely filled the middle lock to over flowing. Just watering the grass says he.
Another few feet and he could have had a narrowboat garden feature.

Friday and we are far out into the country heading for Apperley and a welcome top up of diesel. Although they force you into the 60/40 split there is nowhere else to buy fuel along here.

The Rodley boat centre is a bit of a joke, having been recommended to us by BW (Might have been the owners sister) the place is all but derelict and has no diesel and cannot say when they will have any more.

Once again no paddles open. This staircase was a bit humbling though and you cannot see the top of the gates. Poor little Ubique.

.

.

.

Yes there is someone living on this.

It doesn't move far though as it was here last year when we passed by.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Not being a mind reader or a mentalist I have no idea when the water bus is due, I hope its not any time soon!

.

.

.

.

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

.

.

.

.

.

.

Clarence Dock.
.
.


It was that day again..........
.
.




One year ago almost to the day.... and in the same place, I did it.
.

I went for a hair cut.
.

Today I had to do it again as we are setting off tomorrow and the threats about scissors are getting serious.
.

Some people don't like doctors, for others its the dentist that gets them, me its the barbers, I HATE going to them.

Back at the house a woman used to call round every six weeks or so and that left me with no escape, which wasn't so bad really as you do have to get it done sometime or other. Left to my own devices though, I will get out of it for as long as possible.
.

Still........at the moment I am a white neck and should the sun appear again any time soon, I will be a red neck.
.
.
.









.
Just a quick temperature check here.
If you look closely you can just make out the smoke billowing forth from this boats chimney.
This equals warmth.
.

If you could see us you could see the breath billowing from our mouths.
This equals cold.
.
.

Simples...........Click.
.
.




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








.