This map of the north of England show our GPS track for both our Rochdale trip in 2004 (in Blue),
and our Preston Brook trip in 2005 (Green), and our return (Dark Green) via the Lancaster Canal. Watch the video on YouTube:

Day 1- 19 August 2005 Friday

We finally reached the boat at 3:30pm after much messing about in the morning. Dad had decided that the bank needed mowing when we reached Hempholme, so I had to move the boat across to the slipway, and unload the cars. It was 4:45pm when we left which I thought was cutting it a bit fine as we needed to get to Hull before the marina closed 3 hours after high water which was at 7:15pm. The tide had already started to rise by the time we reached Hull Bridge, but there was plenty of room at Weel. We arrived at Ennerdale for 8:24pm, and just nicely got under the bridge. You could see the water mark on the bank, it had already dropped a foot or so even though the water was still travelling upstream a fair lick. Sutton Road bridge was about slack water, and we had even more room to play with. Unfortunately some kids had congregated at the small car park on the other side of the bridge. Most seemed happy when I waved, but one threw a bottle or can at the boat.

We continued a pace through Hull, and arrived at Old Harbour. Dad called the marina to get the lock ready, and with a quick dash through the ebbing tide in the Humber we went straight into the open lock. The lock keeper gave us a choice of moorings but we decided to stay at the ones nearest the lock since we were leaving early in the morning. Our mooring was behind a mock Tudor sailing ship, that was actually just a fibre glass cruiser. Ropes were tied by 9:30pm, and we went to pay the lock keeper for the stay. His computer said it was £24 for the night, which we thought was a bit steep since we would be their less than 12 hours, but we paid it since it was too late to complain about it.

Day 2- 20th August 2005 Saturday

A building alarm sounded at 4:15am, but I was already awake, though still in bed. By the time my phone alarm at 4:30 went off I was out of bed. I called the lock keeper to get the lock ready, and got my camcorder out to do some filming. I had just finished filming when a call on the radio told us the lock was ready, so I drove the boat straight in.

The lock keeper had checked his records, and found we were charged £22 last time we were in, so he gave us £2 back! We were soon through the lock, and onto the Humber by 4:55am. I’d spotted a coaster pass the lock entrance when we were entering the lock, but it was gone by the time we had locked out. We saw it again when we reached the north channel just west of Humber Bridge as it crossed towards Brough. Another two were following behind us, but they had to take the south channel towards Reeds Island, and didn’t catch us up until Trent Falls.

It was a strong north westerly wind, and on sections the fast spring tide was causing some good waves, but Kismet sliced through them with only a little spray hitting the windows. We were making good speed up the river, sometimes over 11mph with only 2000 rpm (about 5.3mph in still water). We reached Goole before we knew it, and so hurriedly called Goole Docks to get Ocean Lock ready for us. The gates magically opened just before I did a turn in the stream to hold station, and we were locked through in a jiffy.

We recently ordered a holding tank from Viking Marine, but when it came it had the wrong fitting for the air vent. They were going to send a retrofit tank fitting from Lee Sanitation, but unfortunately the address was incorrect, and it went to the wrong place. Leesan sent out another to Viking Marine, so after arriving at 8am, we waited for them to open. At 10am they opened, and it had not arrived, so we got an adapter from them so we could put our big hose on to the little fitting. We filled with diesel from Goole Boathouse, and picked up our reserved BW licence – reserved, as we needed a licence number to book Standege Tunnel.

We were underway again at 11am, and reached Castleford for 4pm where we had a run in with the local kids again. Last year, a pack of kids ran for over a mile to throw stones at our boat from the railway bridge below Bulhome Lock, this year more kids were generally being abusive, or should that be abutsive. One threw a large brick/stone which thankfully missed. I called the police, but rang the 0845 606060 number and had to wait nearly 10 minutes to speak to someone. They didn’t know the area, and could not take longitude and latitude from my GPS, but they did have an OS map in front of them, so I could explain where it was. By this time a small fibreglass boat travelling in the opposite direction had also had the same trouble as us, and I suspect this happens all the time at this bridge. A lone copper in the police car came along Lock View Road as we travelled towards the flood lock, but I suspect he could not do much.

The weather brightened up in the afternoon considerably, being a mostly blue sky with only a few small bits of fluffy cloud. I started to make tea, and it was ready just as we left Birkwood Lock at 6pm, so Dad moored the boat on the visitor moorings there. We decided to do the last bit to Stanley Ferry and arrived at 8:15pm. I recon we could make a Monday booking for Standege if we really wanted to do.

Day 3- 21st August 2005 Sunday

For some strange and unknown reason Dad decided to get up early today (well early for him), and so an hour later at 10:10am we were off. Wall to wall sunshine today, not a cloud in sight, but a nice cooling breeze was blowing. The couple from the boat moored in front of us overnight caught us up at Fall Ing Lock, and we shared the next couple of locks. We next caught up with other boat with more crew than you could count – by they were “not in a hurry”. They were bound for a pub, but come the time they said, they were nowhere near a pub! Dad wanted to do the Dewsbury Arm, so we turned off down there. A nice enough run to a small basin with lots of boats in it. There were also boatyard facilities here, with a slipway and a crane.

At Greenwood Lock we passed a small inflatable. A couple and a small baby were in it. They had just come down the weir stream, exploring – but not down the weir you understand! We shared the next few locks with them – having to lift the paddles slowly and carefully otherwise the inflatable would become a very poor fender.

At Battyeford Lock we found the less spotter lock mooring hog – in fact two of them alongside each other, facing in opposite directions for some reason. However when we arrived the lock gate opened, and a boat came out, leaving us with a direct entrance. The poor boater coming out of the lock had to moor along side the outside hog, and the poor boater’s wife had to climb over both boats!

We turned into the Huddersfield Broad, and in the first lock found that the paddles are not very useful when going up alone. The near side ground paddle pushes the boat away from the wall when at the bottom, the far side ground paddle pushes the boat away from the wall again, and the two gate paddles can do the same depending on where the boat is! We finally found a pattern that got us up with some difficulty. Every lock was full, so after the first two I got on my bike, and lock wheeled. We arrived at Aspley Basin at 8:10pm – mooring just near the end of the supermarket on the towpath side.

Day 4- 22nd August 2005 Monday

A late morning, and then some shopping in Sainsbury’s, and then lunch caused us to leave at 1:40pm. We were following a hire boat which had set off ¾ hour before, so every lock was full. It was slow going due to low pounds, and having wait for the locks to empty, but we speeded up once I managed to get Dad on his bike. We reached 17E by 6:30pm, where we stopped in the full lock to watch Look North on the satellite. A business man from Hull walked across the Humber, last done over 1000 years ago! The hire boat was moored at this lock, and the bloke on it kept looking quizzically at us. Eventually he came over and asked us how far we were going, and if we could get by his moored boat, since it was sticking out a bit. There was a short shower, and after getting tea still moored in the lock, we moved a hundred yards down the canal, and moored right next to the wall just in front of the small mill at the lock.

Day 5- 23rd August 2005 Tuesday

We got early this morning, as we still had a fair way up to lock 32E for the tunnel passage, but soon after we set off we caught up to another boat, with a couple of BW bods in attendance. They said that they had been having trouble with water levels above Slaithwaite, and so were helping people up the locks. When we reached 26E we had to wait for the BW people to sort out the levels. As we waited I biked up to the winding hole next to the mill at lock 31E, and found that only a couple of pounds were down more than two feet, the others no more than a foot. We waited what seemed like ages… I’m sure if it was just me on my bike I could have sorted the levels out in an hour.

Eventually BW decided there was enough depth in the pound, but the person first in the queue did not seem to be able to handle his boat very well, and got it stuck on a bar of mud below the next lock. I told him to “give it some welly”, and he opened the throttle to just over tickover – which needless to say didn’t do anything. A BW man, and I started to pull on his bow rope to help him – which made more difference than I thought, which goes to show how little throttle he was using. The bow was now floating, and we had pulled it towards one of the lock walls, but now he didn’t want to go forwards in case he scraped the wall! With lots of water, and both me and a large BW bloke standing on his bow we go into the lock.

After another wait for the water levels to be sorted out in the next pound, and the second boat of the group to go up, we started our assent. We got through the shallow pound without any problem, and waited in the tail of the next lock. This wasn’t good enough for one of the other BW blokes, who then told us to wait until the next lock was emptying to save water? Now, tell me how that works, please?

We waited for another age while they sorted out more levels, so again I went up to see what was happening. They had managed to just get into the next lock, and I helped them shut the gate. It came to a springy stop just before closed – something on the cill. I wafted the door about a bit, and it then closed, but now the otherside would not close! The bloke had a good poke about with a pole, and managed to move it out of the way. It soon dropped back in the way for the other boats.

I had found out that BW were just using standard PMR446 radios (channel 1), and so I set up our pair of radios to listen in. Later up the flight, a bottom gate was not opening fully. We could hear the fun and games over the walkie talkies. When we arrived I had taken over steering. The boat jammed in the lock, and after giving it a blast forwards which made no odds, I tried to get back out. It took a bit of doing, but eventually I was free. This time I was going for it – flatout straight in the lock. At one point I needed a flush of water, so I lifted off the throttle, and watched the water flow back in, and then forwards once more. No real problem had.

Once at the top we stopped in Marsden for 50 minutes, while the others carried on up to the tunnel. Once at the tunnel we fill with water on a slow tap, and then when to have some food at the Tunnel End Pub. They don’t normally do food on a Tuesday, but since they had the staff, the landlady was willing to do a meat and potato pie, with mushy pies, and chips. I had apple pie, and Dad had Treacle Sponge with Custard. The total came to just over £10 each.

Day 6- 24th August 2005 Wednesday

I’d just woken up as the BW van approached after a difficult nights sleep. The railway is right next to the canal at Tunnel End, and there is also two gaps in the track so you get clicky clack as the trains pass. I was going to set the timer for 7:30am, but forgot, and set it at 8am by mistake. Dad was not happy as he likes to spend all morning getting up. The rain was still coming down, and hard at times also. The BW men put the rubber mats on, and we were now second in the line of three.

Come the time for off, we got into the passenger module with most of the other boaters. The first boat up wife was taking a taxi over the hill with their dog, and I think the wife of the second boat went with her.

Standedge Tunnel is a mixed bag, with a chequered history. Originally a single canal tunnel, completed in 1811, was the only one through the hill, but first one, and then another single track railway tunnels were built. Finally a dual track tunnel was constructed, which is the one in use today. All these tunnel are linked, and the railway tunnels used the canal tunnel to remove the spoils. The two older railway tunnels are now used by BW to shadow the convoy to ensure everything is OK, and provide an emergency exit. Due to the linkage of the tunnels, apparently when the very odd steam train comes through, it fills everything with smoke!

The end of the tunnel came, but not the end of the rain. In fact it was windier at this end, and at times blow the rain horizontally. The other two boats did not look like they were ready for off, so we thought we had better get in front of them. We locked down to 25W, and stopped for ten minutes while we had lunch. By the time we were onto our second round of bacon they had caught us up again, and off we went again.

We kept going strong, and reached Stalybridge by 6pm. As Dad was pulling into the mooring at Tesco’s, we got something around the prop. As I dislike shopping, I told Dad to go round Tesco’s, and I would clear the prop. I think Dad got the better of the deal as the jumper around the prop was jammed solid. I tried hacking at it, and eventually got it free enough for the engine to turn the prop. Dad had returned, and so I let him have a go. Eventually we gave up with some still around the shaft, and set off again hoping it would spin off.

We reached Duckinfield Juction in the dark at 9:10pm, and since we did not have any tea, I had some weetabix for supper.

Day 7- 25th August 2005 Thursday

We awoke to scaffolders dropping large lumps of steel tubing, and diggers running up and down. When we moored we didn’t even think about it being a building site, even though we could see that they were brand new buildings, not quite finished!

I had the runs over night, and felt terrible all day. I still don’t know what caused it, but I can only assume it had something to do with the canal water I had my hands in the day before – unless you can get food poisoning from weetabix!

We set off at 10:30am. I was a little worried about the amount of kids that might be about, but the rain kept most of them away. We did have one moment, when two kids picked up a handful of gravel to throw at the boat as it was going down in the lock, but Dad gave them the eye, and they left without incident.

When we reached lock 10, a BW man walked up, and asked Dad about someone leaving bottom gates open. We did have a lot of bottom gates to close, but just assumed the wind had opened them. He then walked back down to his van at the next lock, not even thinking to raise the paddles, or to ensure the gates were shut properly!

Later down the flight at Ancoats we had caught up with the culprit. A single hander, who I think must have been the boat that passed us at about 8am.

At the last lock the BW man had helped the single hander through, but then he started talking on his mobile. While he did this Dad had to close both bottom gates, even though the BW man was stood next to one, and then to fill the lock. He did close one of the gates as we left however!

We continued down to Piccadilly Basin as it seems to be known as known, arriving at 3:45pm. The single hander was still messing about when we arrived, and decided there was to much “dog shit!”, and moved to where we were moored next to the car park. For some reason he decided to reverse up, even though this meant that he was facing the wrong way, and managed to bump into us. His Lister engine belching out fumes a plenty, filling our boat.

Dad went out shopping at 6pm, and came back with £7 worth of stuff from the pound shop. He had also been to MacDonnell’s, but I could only manage a small amount of it.

We moved the boat around to the finger jetties, since the building site next to lock 1 was a noisy one, and then I went straight back to bed at about 8pm.

Day 8- 26th August 2005 Friday

We could still hear the building site, but it was a lot quieter. We set off at 10:50am, and set off down the Rochdale 9. We stopped at the bottom for lunch, and internet access. Dad decided he wanted to reverse up the arm, before leaving, and then we were off proper at 2:22pm. The level was back to normal after the leaking sluice, and we made good time, not stopping until we reached our mooring at H04B. The bloke on the outside of the two moored boats wanted to be on the outside, worried about people jumping down onto his tug deck, and rocking the boat. After seeing our deep front he decided against it, since his elderly wife has trouble getting about, so we stayed on the outside.

Day 9- 27th August 2005 Saturday

Dad suffered from the same bug I got, and so it was a bit of sleepless night for me. If it wasn’t for the heat from the heater, it was the trains, and it if wasn’t the trains it was the planes, and you still hear the motorway running in the background. Early next morning the bloke behind ran his engine – back doors open, so the sound went straight into our boat. We met with David King, who was site manager (or some like that), so as usual he was busy. It sounded like he had a good night last night from his 60th birthday party, as he was woken up this morning by people wanting direction!

Day 10 - 28th August 2005 Sunday

Julie, and Mum arrived today, and went off to the site with Dad. I however was feeling under the weather again, so decided to stay inside. The family went out again during the night to meet Dave and Jan King, but it was much to cold for me, so again I stayed on the boat. I wrapped up well for the illuminated parade – somehow the rest were to boozy to have seen it.

Day 11 - 29th August 2005 Monday

It was still raining when we got up at about 9am. We stayed in the boat until 12, when it looked like it had stopped – but the rain had a last hooray before disappearing altogether. This made the site muddy, which was a shame because it was doing so well this year. We looked around the site until about 3pm, and returned back to the boat. We had received a 40p/l voucher from Claymoore Navigation, so we went to fill up. Dad had a look at some side steps in Midland Chandlers but they were a lot more than some on site we’d seen. He managed to get back to the tent as they were finishing packing up, and got them to unpack them from the van.

Mum had her car, but needed to stay the night. It was nearing tea-time, so we had an early lunch, and finally left our moorings at 7:15pm. Mum had decided that it was worth carrying on in the dark to Lymm, even though she was already there, and we were miles away. We finally arrived at 9:30pm.

Day 12 - 30th August 2005 Tuesday

The night was fraught with annoyances, when at 2:40am there were several thumps, and then an high pitched alarm. It lasted 20 minutes, when we heard two none concerned voices, some rattling and then the alarm went off again. It didn’t stop for another 20 minutes. Early in the morning the ducks started attacking the boat, trying to get every last morsel off the hull. I would have minded, but they were probably the best fed ducks in the area.

We got off at 10:30am, and made good progress. After crossing the Barton Aqueduct, there is a short section were the road runs along side. Two cars bipped their horns, and waved – there are either really friendly here, or there is something else at play.

As we approached Worsley I picked up my camcorder. The battery on the back of it was loose and popped off. It hit the back deck, and then slide into the canal. We tried for ages with a magnet, but had no luck. Mum was visiting the Maritime Records Office in Liverpool, so I asked her if she could go and get one for me - £60 from Jessops.

We stopped at the last chance pump out station, more usually called Bridgewater Marina, and then continued to Leigh to do some shopping.

As Dad pulled the boat over to load the shopping, the boat in front had called the bridge keeper at Plank Lane, and found it closed at 8pm, not 10pm as we’d been told at Bridgewater Marina. We followed another two boats, and got through nicely. Since there was a convenient car park we stayed the night so that Mum could stay.

Day 13 - 31th August 2005 Wednesday

Set of in the morning, virtually pushing Mum out of the door, as we had to reach Tarleton tonight. Two boats came through the bridge just after the two we came through with last night set off. We were all waiting for the first two to get through the locks in Wigan. The two in front turned off to go up the 21, but the two slow coaches were still filling the lock when we reached the last locks in the Wigan flight.

At the next lock, we again arrived, just as they were entering the lock. This was going to be a long day, but Dad asked if we could go ahead. The two blokes on the boats were happy, but when we actually went into the lock - and it was explained – one women went spare. “You’ll slow us down”, she started, but we had offered to back set the locks and I mentioned that. “No don’t do that”, she said, and then continued to complain about us rushing, and that they wanted to do things their own pace – which would have been a lot easier without us following. They didn’t take our help of shutting the gates at one of the previous locks – if we were to be stuck behind them, we would have biked ahead to get the lock ready for them! Anyway we got passed them, and even as we left the next lock, they were still not in sight. I do wonder what some people want, and why they are unhappy when someone else wants different!

The rain started to fall on the long stretch to Rufford Junction, and it kept rain down the first 4 locks. By the time we reached the sanitary station it was a beautiful evening. We all had showers – not one fitted yet – and then continued down to Tarleton.

Julie had decided that we were to go to the pub, but after the showers it was too late, and they are not even on the canal there. We had Sweet and Sour Chicken instead. When we arrived the mooring were full, so we breasted along side a boat that was based on the Lancaster, and was going the next day.

Day 14 – 1st September 2005 Thursday

Two boats had gone past us earlier, so were waiting in the lock when we arrived at 9:20am. The tide was out, completely out! A small trickle in the middle showed it was still a river. At 9:45am the tide really started to come in, and had made two foot by 10am. The locky didn’t let them go until about 10:15am, and we managed to get put back to the last lock, since another two boats had moored on the outside of us.

Once out on the tideway at 10:30am, we made 4.25mph in the full flow. By skirting the edges a bit – not to be recommended – we managed 4.8mph. We caught up with the other boats at Hesketh Bank, one of the boats in the first lock had problems with their SR3 (I think it was), and so turned back. We over took the Gardener powered boat we moored against last night next, and finally managed to overtake the other boat in the first lock before Asland Light. The smaller springer that was in the middle locking cut right across Longton Sands – we later found out he was a local, and had sailed the waters in the estuary.

We continued on to Asland Light, passing it at 11:22am. We were doing 6mph before and after turning at the light, so it must have been at slack water. We soon started pushing the ebb, and had slowed to 4.84mph just before Savick Brook. The light was out, but we weren’t hanging about, and we followed the springer who had turned into the brook only a couple of minutes before.

The phone rang as I navigated the shallows in the brook. It was the BW men wanted to know where we were. I told them I’d turned into the brook, and he asked for me to get a move on. I told them the others were quite a bit back, and he said they would have to go to the docks. The water level was just on the piling as we passed the sea-gate, just after 12pm.

We needled our way through the shallow brook, and reached the first lock. We were asked to sit on the pontoon, but it was too shallow to reach it, so I kept going to the lock. Another boat from Preston was in the lock, but with a bit of shuffling, the 72ft lock held all three of us.

The Ribble Link is a marvel of modern engineering – steel pilling sided locks, and a re-levelled, and dredged brook gives a strange feel to the navigation. We finally reached the top of the staircase at 2:30pm, and turned right towards the end of the navigation.

We had been told that the boatyard at the end is always helpful, and after taking the usual photographs, we pulled into Ashton Basin. After dropping my camcorder battery into the canal at Worsley, I wanted to try and get a replacement. We went into town, and after talking to the guy in Jessops decided to keep with the battery Mum had got in Liverpool. I bough some trousers in M&S, and Dad bought some in BHS. I saw a Sony Center, and so thought I would try in their for a battery. They had the one I wanted, for a tenner less than Jessops (which didn’t have one in stock). Since the box had been opened it, the shop assistant took another £10 off, bargin! Julie had to pay for all this since I’d forgotten my wallet, and so had Dad! All Julie came away with were some nail files, even though she had spent over £100 quid!

We moored at the sani-station, even though it was empty when we passed, it was full on our return. We moored in the weir stream, with the back end on the last 10 foot of wall!

Day 15 - 2st September 2005 Friday

We tried to get into the shower this morning, but the door was locked even after using our BW key - we later find out you need to get a card for £7. We set off at 11:30am, and kept going until 5pm, when we reached Garstang.

We needed some shopping, and found a Sommerfields back along the main road towards the river. Afterwards we went to the "Th'aud Tithe Barn" for diner. The food was OK, but nothing really to write home about.

Day 16 - 3rd September 2005 Saturday

We got off at 11:32am, and again just kept going. That's the problem with the Lancaster, no enough locks! Finally I got my wish - locks! Unfortunately they all come at once. We set off down to Glasson at 3pm, and reached the dock for 5pm. We had a look around at the dock, and the seagate, but the café selling chips had closed before we had chance to buy some. We had a pizza we'd bought from Garstang, with some pan fried scallops.

Day 17 - 4th September 2005 Sunday

We did have a think about going out into the estuary to have a look. Even though it was windy, the sheltered waters still looked inviting. You don't need to book the lock during BST, but it seems they don't like people going out, and back in on the same tide due to loosing water. This annoys me slightly as BW ask for people to empty the locks even when going up to combat vandalism.

Another boat, which was moored behind us, decided to set off back up the locks, so we joined them - making much lighter work of the locks. They had come up here to visit their family which live nearby.

When we reached the top again, we turned left to continue up to Lancaster, while the other boat stopped there. It was about 4pm when we reached Lancaster, but because it was Sunday no shops would be open, so we thought we would use it to break the journey back. We reached Hest Bank by 5:30pm, and had a stew like thing that Julie had made. We could see Morecombe Sands from our boat, but since the weather is not looking so hot tomorrow, I think we will leave the paddling till another day.

Day 18 – 5th September 2005 Monday

We left at 12:15pm, arriving at Tewitfields at 5:15pm. We had a look up the locks, and to take some pictures. The lock chambers are in good condition, for the most part, but not all the locks might be used in restoration in order to get under the motorway. We motored back along the canal a little way to some moorings a few hundred yards from the motorway, rather than a few yards from it. The night was not to bad once you got use to the noise.

Day 19 – 6th September 2005 Tuesday

We had a long way to travel today, but we still only managed to get away by 10am. At Hest Bank the weather was a bit nicer, so we stopped and made the short walk to the beach front. It was high water, and so all that was left was some salt marshes. Dad decided he wanted a paddle, and found it was a sandy bottom under the water. Julie was persuaded to join him, but she didn’t go far. I stayed well and truly dry. We had an icecream at the café there, and then wondered back. There are not many (any others?) canals you can walk easily to a sandy beach (that are easily accessible from the rest of the system).

We managed to reach Lancaster by 4:30pm, and we had a very quick look around the town before the shops closed. We also walked up to the castle, but it was closed well before we arrived. I suspect it’s a great view from the top, it was quite good even from the castle hill.

Galgate was reached by 8pm, and we had a quiet night here, once the trains had stopped running.