Ribble Link to Bilsborrow

The charts looked hopeful this morning although it was a bit breezy at the top of the locks. Visual inspection of the brook confirmed the level had gone down, would we be going?

With plenty of time today before we’d (possibly) be setting off there was no rush to get everything back in the shower. As the heavens opened at 9.30 we heard a van door. All our heads popped out the back like meerkats eager to see what todays verdict would be. Once the rain settled we went to chat with Chris. Sadly with weather warnings of rain and wind later in the afternoon we wouldn’t be doing the crossing today. Over the next few days the tides are too low, so we will have to wait until the weekend at least for them to be high enough once again.

Chris took our numbers and boat names and said he would call us on Thursday to give us an update on conditions for the weekend. Sunday morning would be the next possible tide, so all being well weather wise they would lock us down on Saturday ready to wait for the tide.

Blackbird needed water and we needed to let Tilly have some freedom before the interior of Oleanna got wrecked. A quick decision to cruise back to Bilsborrow was made. Blackbird led the way back northwards. With the locks now empty Chris could let some water down from the canal.

As we turned out of the basin, heading northwards again it was raining but it soon brightened up as we cruised back the ten miles. At Moon’s Bridge Marina we pulled on to their service mooring (a little more spacious this time). Wanting to get a bottle of gas and a bag of coal, however we’d miss timed our arrival to coincide with their lunch break.

So we pushed off and continued. Soon the fake thatched roofs came into sight of Owd Nells. Workers were dismantling the huge marquees out the back, so we decided to pull along a bit further. Here a work boat was busy replacing a section of collapsed armco, but there was space for the two boats.

After an afternoon of pottering about, Exploring OUTSIDE!!! we headed to try out the White Bull which was due to re-open when we first came through. None of us were quite sure why it had been closed for so long as no refurbishment work appeared to have taken place. They did however serve a good pint of Wainwright at a reasonable price, so we stayed for a couple before returning to the boats to light the stove and have our tea as the wind picked up.

0 locks, 1 vacated, 10.14 miles, 1 right, 1 left, 0 gas, 0 coal, 0 sirens, 3 boats also waiting, 2 days before news, 1 grey afternoon, 1 hour pootle knitting, 1 hour ripping, 1 hour crochet, 3 hours climbing chasing pouncing, 1 miffed Magpie, 4 pints, 1st of three apple and blackberry crumbles, yummy.

Ribble Link Staircase 1

No point rushing to get ready this morning, we already knew the verdict before opening our eyes. The rain storms that had come over head in the night meant that not only did we have a disturbed nights sleep but that the brook would be very full this morning.

Mick checked Gauge Map and Windfinder before we even got out of bed. The brook had risen higher than it had on Saturday, confirming our thoughts.

Windfinder (a new find on the internet) was also suggesting gusts in the afternoon of over 35 knots.

A final visual inspection of the brook, we could see it from the stern of Oleanna but we still went down to the foot bridge to look. So we settled down to have breakfast and wait for Steve to arrive.

No need to confirm what we already knew. He thought that the brook might still be quite full tomorrow, but there was a possibility. However, he and Harry had been chatting. The forecast looked quite good for the weekend. If they could get us down the locks on Saturday then on Sunday if the conditions were right then we’d be able to go on the tide in the morning. The tide time was too early for them to get us through the locks on Sunday morning (which is why it isn’t on the schedule), but we could wait on one of the pontoons on the link. If Sunday wasn’t possible then over the next four days we could pass boats heading up to the link. So we would have five extra chances to cross back to the main land.

Mick had a thought of how he could pass the day. If we asked Blackbird to vacate the top lock, we could then empty the chamber below us, then empty the top chamber with Oleanna in it. She would then be sat on the bottom and he’d be able to access the bowthruster to try to clear it. Refilling it would be the risky bit, so luckily he was only joking. Instead we caught the bus down to Preston Docks.

Here there must be the only Morrisons supermarket with it’s own lighthouse. Is this to warn the locals to keep away! Part way along the huge dock there is a chicane of concrete blocks. They seemed to be being used by the local ducks and swans and are possibly to help break up any waves, leaving the marina moorings calmer than they otherwise would be. A few narrowboats nestled in amongst the cruisers and yachts and we tried to spot the visitor moorings that you’d be diverted to if it wasn’t possible to enter the Ribble Link due to low water.

We walked along sheltering from the sudden downpours at a restaurant and the marina chandlers. Not much of interest at the chandlers as it caters more for cruisers, so no new chimney for Blackbird.

Crossing over the large swing bridge which not only carries the road but also a railway line which leads to the Furness Railway Trust. The lock was huge, wider than Cromwell but not as long. A narrowboat would feel really rather diddy in there on it’s own. A boom covers the entrance from the river, this will open  to allow boats in and out. After another expanse of water there are mitred gates both facing the river and away. These stop the tide both coming and going.

The river was lively. The tide was coming in but there was so much fresh coming downstream, bringing a forest of logs with it, that it was hard to tell. (Flow from the river on the left, tide coming in on the right) Thank you Harry for protecting us from this. Far in the distance we could just make out where the link joined the Ribble (just beyond the pylons on the right). It certainly looked like you wouldn’t need much engine power to punch the tide today, but then you’d be seriously fighting your way up the Douglas.

Sadly there were no engines to be seen at the Engine Shed at the end of the Railway, just some old goods rolling stock on the sidings visible through the trees, this must be where most of the NCB wagons came.

When I’d looked at Google maps I’d imagined the docks to be a bit like Brayford Pool in Lincoln, restaurants and bars up to the waterside. But other than the marina there is little here. Flats overlook from the southside and your usual retail outlets from the north. What a missed opportunity.

As we walked the afternoon gusts built up. The dock water became very lumpy and at times it proved difficult to stand upright, glad we weren’t on the stern of Oleanna in it.

A quick stock up on fresh food before we headed back to the boats. If we are here much longer we’ll be needing a bigger shop, but for now this will do, who knows we might get to cross tomorrow! I hope so! CHASC, The Cat Health and Safety Committee, have been far too cautious and don’t deem it safe for me to go out here! NO idea why, there are trees and sideways trees. I know about staircases! Bridget does her best pulling faces at me through the window, she’s nice, but still no where near as tasty as Jaffa!

0 locks, 0 miles, 2 boats nestled together still, 2 much rain, 2 stronger winds, 2 buses, 1 huge expanse of water, 1 mushroom mooring, 0 trains, 2 standard lamps, 2 jackets potatoes, 4 teas, 0 hot water, 2ft waves, 1 bag made, 1 cat crawling up the cabin sides, 3 steps in a staircase deemed as dangerous, 4 steps on the boat!

Ribble Link to Ashton Basin to Ribble Link Staircase 1

Grey skies greeted us this morning, there had been little rain over night and there was next to no breeze. Things from the well deck got stowed in the shower again and we were ready for the off. Roger arrived and walked down to look at the brook. The level had dropped some more and even though there was a flow it looked quite hopeful. So we all gathered and waited for the C&RT chaps to turn up. Everyone chatted away quite happily, pausing whenever a white van came past and looked like it was going to turn onto the track leading to the locks. Eventually at 9.30 the right van showed itself, paused to unlock the barrier and then carried on to meet us.

Steve climbed out of the van and knew what we all wanted to hear. Just a shame that he didn’t say it. Harry had done his checks this morning and called, the forecast for later today was a problem so we wouldn’t be going. He also told us that it was unlikely that conditions would be suitable tomorrow, so we were all to pray for better weather on Tuesday.

No-one had booked the crossing today, but by Tuesday there would be a total of two widebeams and eight narrowboats, so there would be six full locks. A busy day on the link. If weather conditions are still bad then we will have another ten days to wait before the tides are right for us to go. Quite an extension to our visit.

Mr Widebeam has lost his tow, so unless he can get his engine working better or find another tow then he won’t be crossing. So he swapped places with Blackbird who backed into the lock. After we’d had what is starting to feel like our usual morning cuppa with Roger we said goodbye to him, then we pushed off to head to the services further down the cut towards Preston.

No other traffic on the canal today and we soon arrived at the smart service block to fill with water, empty our yellow water tank and dispose of rubbish. I’d prepared some cruising sausage rolls with the idea to have them hot as we did the crossing, they needed cooking so became non-cruising sausage rolls. To make the most of filling with water I had a shower, but the incredibly poor water pressure meant that filling the tank took a very long time! We carried on to the next winding hole which is just after Ashton Basin with the end of the canal in sight. With no urge to go right to the end Mick started to swing Oleanna round. Almost straight away she reared upwards in the water riding over a submerged something. She came back off again and we managed to get all the way round without any other problems.

Back at the holding basin we winded and reversed into the lock next to Blackbird. This would free up space for other boats that might arrive and mean that we can lock down as soon as Harry says we can. Of course should we not be able to cross on Tuesday then we’ll vacate the lock.

Plans on exploring  Preston docks were rejected in the end due to it being very wet every now and again. We have pottered for the afternoon, I’ve mastered the magic loop technique and ripped up a lot of fabric to make bags with. For much of the afternoon the conditions here didn’t seem too bad, would we have made the crossing safely? But Harry had spoken and he knows his stuff, by 4.15 the wind and rain had joined forces and became horizontal. Glad we weren’t out in that!

1 lock moored in, 42 seconds to lock 2 of the staircase, 3 miles, 3 winds, 1 right, 1 left, 1 aborted crossing, 2nd morning tea with Roger,1 full water tank, 1 empty yellow tank, 1 large lump, 2 wet for docks, 1 border than bored cat, 2 prototypes complete, 3 colours ripped up, 20 fingers crossed, 20 toes crossed, 4 paws crossed 4 Tuesday.

The fifth boat arrived this morning at 7.30am, a wide beam who pulled into the open lock to moor up, there was nowhere else really that he could go without being in the way. But if he thought this would mean that he’d be first down the locks he was wrong.

Roger arrived and had a guided tour of Oleanna and a cuppa before the C&RT chaps turned up. Last nights heavy rain meant that we were all prepared for a wet crossing and we went out to see what Harrys verdict was for us to cross. It turned out that even if the wind was within range we wouldn’t be going anywhere today. The heavy rainfall had caused Savick Brook to go into flood, meaning that the level was too high to get under bridges on the link. When we went down to the bottom of the staircase we could see the strong flow of water bubbling away, which would have made it near impossible to turn out from the bottom chamber safely and it would be behind us, pushing us heading to the locks, very little chance of slowing down.

Over this weekend numerous places are open to the public as part of Heritage Open Days. We’d had a vague look at what was on offer the other day, but not taken much notice as we’d be busy crossing back to the main land. So over breakfast we looked again. For a couple of hours this afternoon you could gain access to the Egyptian Balcony in the Harris Museum. We all wanted to look at the gallery anyway so this spurred us on into town. After a short walk up the very wet towpath we headed across Haslam Park to find a bus.

A rather stunning building inside and out, The Harris Museum contains the Library, Museum and Art Gallery. Built from a bequest from a Preston Lawyer Edmund Robert Harris in memory of his father, Rev. Robert Harris, who had been vicar at St Georges Church for 64 years. The building opened in 1893. The views up through the atrium are as good as they are down.

Artist John Somerscales was commissioned to paint murals for the balcony close to the top of the building. For some reason Egypt was decided on as the subject, this was before the tomb of Tutankhuman was discovered in 1922. He visited the pyramids and made watercolour sketches which informed his final murals. Eight large paintings are interspersed with studies of the Egyptian Pharos. Painted onto canvas as he would as a scenic artist in the theatre, he worked on them over a period of four years. The guides couldn’t tell us if they had been hauled up the atrium to the top of the building or whether the canvases had been rolled up and carried up the narrow staircase.

Considering we had an unexpected extra day in Preston it was nice to be able to do something that we’d only have been able to do today.

Bilsborrow to Ribble Link Bridge 1

Our mooring last night had been noisy at times but then very quiet at others. The theme park that is Guy’s Thatched Hamlet had large marquees out the back and we think they were sound checking for the next few days. They are having an Oyster festival, last night there was Irish music and dancing at the pub, today a seafood lunch. Glad we’ve not there over the weekend, I think it’ll be noisy.

Blackbird pushed over to the services this morning as we headed onwards towards Preston. A mixed day weather wise. Showers followed by bright sunshine. We pulled in at Moon’s Bridge Marina to fill with diesel. The area left free by the pump wasn’t ideal for narrowboats, we didn’t quite fit the gap. However the length of their hose meant that we had to bring the stern to about half way with the bow of Oleanna right across the cut to avoid the tuperware in front, which meant we totally blocked the canal. Luckily the first boat to appear was just as we’d finished and were pulling Oleanna back for me to climb back on board. They came past just as we were about to push out again, which left me fending off, protecting the tuperware and almost falling in.

At Swillbrook, where we’d stayed the second night the cruisers had taken over the visitor moorings, glad we’d stopped where we had last night as there was no space for one of us never mind two. On we pootled through showers, the boat ahead still just in view. We’d thought about going right to the end of the canal for me to pop into town before returning to the rendez vous for the link, but we decided to turn into the top of the link and leave me to walk the rest of the way.

The boat ahead had just moored up behind another narrowboat. There was a possible space on the other side of the basin, but we didn’t think we’d fit, so pulled along side NB Waters Edge and breasted up. It turns out that they live on the High Peak Canal and own the house with Laurel and Hardy in the garden who keep Paddington Bear company. If you’ve ever been along the High Peak you’ll know the garden I mean. Where was Jaffa? When ever we’ve pulled up next to another boat there has been Jaffa. But he wasn’t there! There aren’t even any windows for me to stare through, just green! Bring back my tasty neighbour!

After lunch Blackbird had arrived and whilst Mick attached the anchor and fixed things to the roof Bridget, Storm, Max and myself walked along the canal into town. The canal was far greener than we’d expected. Terraced gardens on the offside and at times a bit too much greenery and mud on the towpath side. The service block and house nearby were very neat and tidy. A short arm spurs off to the south which is full of boats and caravans, quite a nice looking place to moor. Then the canal just simply finishes, stops, no winding hole, just the end.

From here we could see Tulketh Mill up ahead, built in 1905 it was one of Lancashire’s biggest cotton mills. By the end of the 60’s however Prestons cotton industry was finished. In 1968 Littlewoods took over the mill and stayed there for 30 years. Then the Carphone Warehouse took over the building for a call centre employing 2000 people in 2007. We walked though some of the university to get back to Abakhan, the fabric shop where I stocked up with quite a bit of fabric for crochet bags and some wool. Bridget was a very good assistant acting as a sherpa as I made up my mind on colours.

When we returned to the basin there were people standing around the top of the staircase locks. Three boats had done the crossing today and were making their way up the locks. The wind had been quite strong for them out on the river, hopefully tomorrow will be calmer. Apparently there will be five of us tomorrow, still one boat to arrive. The C&RT chaps will be with us at 9am, they will chat with Harry (custodian of the link) over in Tarleton, checking on conditions before they let us down the locks. My escape pod has been zipped together in readiness for tomorrow. I’ve already moved in. Just a few things to bring inside in the morning and we’ll be ready for our crossing to the main land.

0 locks, 10.09 miles, 124 litres, 1 out board motored canoe, 1 right, 4 boats waiting, 3.5kg fabric, 200grams alpaca wool, 2 canalside bars, 3 boats crossed, 1 escape pod at the ready.

Garstang to Bilsborrow

Today being Thursday it was market day in Garstang. Before continuing our journey southwards we decided to have a look round. Taking over much of High Street the buses get diverted on market days. There is the usual mix of sweets, slippers and cheap diy bits and bobs (Newark still wins at this). We walked from one end to the other checking out each stall.

As we got near to the end a very cheery Hilary McGrath came past. She is the Town Crier and had her full costume on. An invite to join her for a cuppa and a slice of cake around the corner was handed to us. This was very nice of her, but after a few purchases we wanted to head back to Oleanna and be on our way. So next time we are here we might take her up on her offer.

With socks, insoles, baseball cap, hose and a pork pie in our bag we headed back just as the drizzle was getting slightly heavier. We could have waited to see if it abated, but decided to head off after donning full waterproofs. Blackbird pulled out behind us and both boats waved goodbye to Garstang. The rain kept coming, mostly drizzle as we wound our way out of town disturbing Harry the Heron time and time again.

A lonely cow and it’s very new born calf watched as we passed. Only one boat heading the other way today and luckily we met the speeding widebeam on a wide stretch. Passing Barton Grange Marina the new buildings have come on a long way since we passed a month ago. We spotted The Margaret Kane, the charity boat Roger skippers tucked away in a corner. Families with additional needs can hire the boat for short breaks at a minimum cost.

Soon the long line of visitor moorings at Bilsborrow came into view. We pulled over to the services to top up and empty tanks. With this done we pushed over and pulled in behind Blackbird. With no reasonable moorings we could think of before Preston, this will be our last stop, leaving about ten miles to do tomorrow. With the pram cover up we have nestled down inside as the heavens have opened time and time again. As Bridget said, a duvet day. The radio has been on with Test Match Special whilst Tilly has been out loving getting wet. Here’s hoping the sky runs out of rain by Saturday.

0 locks, 4.8 miles, 12 pairs socks, £5, 1 pair thermal insoles, 75ft hose, 1 hand bell, 1 tricorne, 2 full sets of waterproofs, 1 tank full, 1 tank empty, 1 very wet afternoon, 1 brilliantly wet Himalayan Balsam forest to find friends in.

Garstang

Whilst Bridget and Storm headed off to have a look at Fleetwood we stayed behind to catch up with some chores on board. The cooker needed a good clean as did the shower. It always amazes me how much of my hair ends up down the plug hole. On Lillian there was no way of cleaning it without contorting yourself through a bathroom cupboard to underneath the shower. We only did this once and the slow emptying of the shower tray turned out to be down to a small bit of plastic from a shampoo bottle lid, not my hair. On Oleanna you can just lift out the cover over the hole, this is where stuff collects, undo a screw and clean it out a thirty second job that you just need to get round to doing.

Finesse got back in touch regarding the removal of bulbs in the control panel. It is just a case of pulling and they slide out.  They also suggested opening up the grills on the bowthruster tube and having a clear out, which might save having to have Oleanna lifted out of the water to solve the problem. We had wrongly assumed that the grills were welded onto the hull, but they are held on with two bolts. Hopefully it will be possible to reach over the bow to do this, if not I think Mick will need to go in! He’s after finding some waders, I think some trunks would do. Anyhow both options would be cheaper than taking her out of the water.

They asked if we could send them some photos of the chimney, which I did including one of our next door neighbours chimney capped off. We are still concerned that the height we have will be a problem at low bridges. We’ve not come across any yet, but as we head southwards we make take a trip up the Caldon where there is a very low bridge, NB Winding Down certainly had to have it’s chimney removed to get under it.

My knitting was completed and popped in the post to Hebden Bridge and then we stocked up the cupboards including the wine cellar.

This evening we visited The Tithebarn and met up with Roger, one of the original syndicate members from NB Winding Down, and had some food. Their menu said that they had a gluten free burger option, so I jumped at the chance. However they didn’t have any gluten free buns to put my burger in. So when my food arrived it looked a third the size of everyone elses. I should have changed my order to something else, but didn’t.

We had a lovely evening catching up with Roger and hearing about the boats he helps skipper on the Lancaster Canal including Tavy Cleave that we saw him on the other day. Weather permitting Roger will join us to do the Ribble on Saturday, he’s an old hand at the crossing.

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 cardie finished, £3.40 postage, 3 boxes wine, 2 emergency meals, 1 clean shower, 1 pair of trunks required, 4 burgers, 3 buns, 1 stir fry, 8 pints Guzzler, 2 J2O.

Ratcliffe Bridge to Wyre Aqueduct

Last night we checked out the buses to Garstang, two an hour and the ride would only take 13 minutes, yet it would cost over £6 return! As we needed to be heading towards Garstang anyway we decided to cruise there this morning instead of catching the bus.

We woke to rain and it carried on for much of the morning. The sensible thing would have been to stay put until it stopped, but my parcels were waiting at the sorting office which closes as 1.15pm. Mick heroically pushed off and cruised us into Garstang with me dry inside, Blackbird would follow us later. As soon as we’d moored up I headed into the town to pick my parcels up and do a bit of food shopping.

The contents of said parcels were several circular knitting needles and a set of double pointed needles. I could now continue with the top I’ve been making. This morning, whilst avoiding getting wet, surfing the internet I came across a technique of knitting with circular needles called the Magic Loop. This enables you use a much longer length of needle than required to knit small circular things like socks and gloves, even fingers and thumbs. This dispenses with the need of double pointed needles all together! I’m going to give it a try on my next project, if it works it means I’ve wasted money on the set of double pointed needles, but you live and learn.

This afternoon I’ve completed the sleeves of the top, with one set of circular needles and then blocked it ready to do round the neck and the button bands. This wool is really nice, I just have to be near it. It smells nice, feels nice and I really want to lie on it. There is Tilly’s endorsement for you, Hopefully someone will like the look of the top as much as Tilly does and buy it.

Mick in the meantime has been checking on places to buy diesel. Moons Bridge Marina does, not as cheap as at St Mary’s on the Rufford Branch, but it will save us an anxious crossing at the weekend. He has also tried to replace a bulb in the engine control panel that has gone. He was successful in getting to the back of it, but didn’t know whether to just pull the bulb out or twist it. So we’ve sent an email to Finesse for advice and also enquiring about the lithium batteries. As the evenings are drawing in now our current battery set up (still temporary) is struggling to meet our demands, so we are hoping that the third battery on order will arrive soon.

As the evenings are getting cooler Mick decided it was time to light the stove. It is autumn after all! I suspect we’ll be very toasty this evening.

0 locks, 4.55 miles, 1 wet cruise for some, 2 parcels, 0 wine boxes, 1 bulb twist or pull, 2 sleeves, 4 hours! 1 blocked top, 1 lovely place to snooze, 1 banished cat, 1 chilly afternoon, 1 stove going.

Glasson Basin to Ratcliffe Bridge 75

This morning the wind had died down and the rain stopped, so it was time to start moving back southwards ready for our booked passage back over the Ribble to what I’ve started calling the ‘Main Land’. Up on the Lancaster it has felt a bit like being on an island, which of course we are, but as the canal is cut off from the main network it has felt more so.

Blackbird winded to fill with water and by the time we’d got ourselves together and pushed off we followed them back up the cut from the basin. The local swans escorted us for some of the way, yesterday they’d been giving flying lessons to their offspring across the basin, but today they just bobbed along.

Most locks were full, only the top one was empty. The boats took it slowly between locks so they didn’t have to tread water much waiting for the chambers to be emptied and the gates to open, I suspect the going for them was slow anyway. Bridget, Max and I worked the locks and walked up the hill. Not as sunny as it had been on our way down, but the scenery was still lovely. Lots of butterflies around today, a Red Admiral flashed it’s wings at me from some brambles and hung around for a photo.

We reached the top of the locks just gone 12.30pm. Both boats waited for their crew under the bridge before turning out onto the main line. Oleanna just had enough room to turn out to the left. The plan was to top up our diesel tanks just enough to feel comfortable to do the crossing. Galgate Marina sells diesel and Mick thought that there was a self service pump here as there often is at BWML marinas. So Blackbird pulled up onto the services whilst we headed another half mile or so further north to wind. As we returned though Bridget gave us the news that diesel was only sold on certain days and the pump was not self serve. Wednesday would be too late for us. We stopped and topped up with water and emptied our yellow water before pushing back over to the towpath for some lunch.

Once we got going again we headed southwards. Waterproofs were needed on and off as showers passed by. Up on a hill surrounded by trees we got a glimpse of Ellel Grange. Sadly it was only a glimpse as the building with it’s Italianate Towers looked quite impressive. Built for William Preston, a merchant, in 1860 it is a copy of Queen Victoria’s Osbourne House. It has a few quirks, some of the internal columns are not marble but are hollow and used to drain water which is collected centrally, there are no drainpipes on the outside of the building. The twenty bedrooms are accessed from a hidden corridor. It is now a nondenominational Christian retreat  run by the Ellel Ministries.

A couple of possible moorings showed themselves with armco and picnic benches, but the canal wouldn’t let us get into the side again, so on we continued to Ratcliffe Bridge where we had our covers fitted. Tomorrow the forecast isn’t good and I have a couple of parcels to collect in Garstang. So from here I can walk up to the A6 and get a bus to the collection office before it closes.

At last some trees to climb and sideways trees and best of all some rain. Marvellous.

6 locks, 7.69 miles, 0 lead, 1 left, 1 wind, 0 diesel, 1 tank full, 1 tank empty, 2 moorings aborted, 1 cat towel deployed, 1 more required before too long.

Glasson Basin

Last night as we laid in bed I wished for a power cut as the untuneful howlings of a karaoke wafted across the basin from some sort of do on the far side. Luckily it quietened down just gone midnight allowing us to get to sleep. This morning we woke to wind and rain buffeting us against the side. Once we were up Mick deployed our tyre fenders which helped a great deal.

As it was such a miserable morning we decided to see if Lantern O’re Lune lived up to its reputation of being in the top 5 Lancashire breakfasts. We managed to dodge the rain but arrived at the swing bridge when it was swung. A visiting yacht was coming up in the lock, the second boat this morning. Two lock keepers wound windlasses and chatted to the crew, pointing out where to head in the basin to moor. Plenty of people were watching and being Sunday several cars waited, empty, to cross the bridge. A route was open to cross the bottom gates so we carried on and found plenty of seats free in the cafe.

A full breakfast was described as not for the faint hearted. We decided to opt for a veggie breakfast but with pork sausages, Mick had fried eggs whilst I had scrambled. A generous plateful and they had gluten free bread too, so we were both happy. As we ate the tables filled up, cyclists, walkers and quite a few regulars, the proprietor placing their orders before they’d even entered the door. We enjoyed our meal only one slight criticism was that even thought the sausages were nice, they could have been even nicer. But that was only a very small thing.

Very serious twitchers were watching the mud banks and salt marsh when we went to look at the high tide. This was the first time we’ve seen the river full since we’ve been here.

For most of the rest of the day we stayed indoors avoiding the weather. Tilly sat watching the rain under the pramhood, It was far too windy out there! I continued to make a giant crochet bag. Much of the day I’ve worked on this, but sadly the fabric I bought is very fluffy and the boat now has a layer of dust everywhere despite ripping it up outdoors. I’ve persevered with it to try to get a pattern, but the fabric will have to be a different type, cotton sheeting most probably.

Later in the afternoon the rain eventually stopped so we went out to see if we could find where the music was coming from last night. We walked up the canal to the first bridge and then round to the marina. Nowhere suitable showed it’s face and we’d seen lights further along. The next entrance from the road was into a field. A traffic cone sat by the gate along with a water tap, but other than that there was nothing. This looked like it was the right place for the lights, but unless they had power from the school or generators we didn’t see how there would have been power for the karaoke. Maybe it hadn’t been powered, maybe it was a spectral karaoke that just disappeared into thin air at midnight!

By the dock is an imposing building, The Caribou. This is the oldest building in Glasson. In 1787 it was known as Pier Hall a hotel for the dock. In the 1820’s it became known as The Caribou Hotel. In 2002 it was divided into seven houses and apartments. £160,000 will get you a three bedroomed house right now. The railway ran up the road in front, the station being nothing more than a small hut which has since been demolished. By the dock there is a metal plate which marks the boundary of the railway.

Garlic chicken this evening made with some of the smoked garlic I bought yesterday was very tasty and the mackerel Mick put in the kedgeree last night was very nice too. I may have to pop back to the smoke house before we leave for some more.

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 miserable day,  2 boats, 1 bridge, 4 held up, 2 veggie breakfasts with meat, 1 Americano, 1 tea, 1 refill of tea, 0 need for lunch, 3 twitchers, 2.5m ripped, 1 dusty semi trad, 2 much fluff, 1 and only PB, 1 bag, 1 dusty sofa, 0 power, 0 karaoke, 1 very bored cat, can we move tomorrow please!