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.................................

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