Category Archives: Narrowboat Maintenance

Bully Boy Battery Cables. 8th November

(Tech Post by Mick)

When I installed the new LiFePO4 lithium batteries back in the spring of this year, I had ordered cables that were too long. Better too long than too short! At the time, I didn’t have the right tool for cutting the big chunky cables (35mm²) nor a tool to crimp new terminals onto shortened cables. In my 40 year career in telecoms and IT, I didn’t work with thick wires, the wires I normally dealt with were only 0.2mm². So I left the battery cables long and tucked the surplus away in a corner of the engine bay.

Monitoring the charging of the batteries over the summer I noticed that the batteries rarely get above 27.3 volts while charging from the alternator and the current, whilst it starts off high at 80 amps or so, quickly drops to 30 amps and stays there for hours. The domestic alternator on Oleanna is a Beta original 24 volt 100 amp. Here is an example from a long day (for us) cruising. Ignore the big downward spikes, they are where we put the kettle on.

My suspicion is that the charging specification of the alternator doesn’t get up to the 28.4 volts that are required to quickly fully charge LiFePO4 batteries. But that is more complicated to deal with so as a first step I thought I’d shorten the cables. I purchased a pair of cutters and a crimping tool as well as some terminals. Tools (and pictures) from https://www.12voltplanet.co.uk/

Equipped with these tools I took a train ride down to Goole. I turned off the inverter and disconnected the incoming 230v supply. I turned off all the DC systems at the isolators. Both domestic batteries got disconnected at the terminals and from the positive bus bar. I pulled back the spare cables from the engine bay to the inside battery that is located in a cupboard just through the bulkhead, measured how much I needed to connect, took the plunge and cut the cables. I took just under a metre or so off each cable.

**Insulation cut back and heat shrink sleeving attached**

Time to repeat for the negative cable.

It was then on to the battery in the engine bay. The same length of each cable was cut off, stripped back, terminal applied, crimped, and heat shrunk.

I reconnected all the cables, thought about things for a while and turned everything on. No smoke or sparks so that was good.

The engine was started while I monitored the current going into the batteries.

The values were slightly higher than before but not hugely. Time will tell but for now that will do. I am going to investigate external alternator regulators to try to boost the charging voltage. A Mastervolt Alpha Pro III is top of the list but further investigation is required. I’m also wondering if I shouldn’t get a marine electrician to look at it and do the job.

Time to pack up and go home.

Since last posting we have enjoyed bonfire night in Scarborough. I, Pip now, have spent many of the last six years being busy on panto, normally painting the floor. Only able to hear the occasional pop bang whizzzzzzz of fireworks from Chippy stage, so this year I was determined to see some.

Scarborough has a tradition that people light fires on the beaches and along with that come fireworks, no need to go to the organised display. So we caught the Coastliner bus to Peasholme Park and walked down to the Corner to see how much beach close to high tide had left in the North Bay.

There were hundreds of people, several fires all huddled onto the 20ft of sand. Plenty of people had fireworks, just how much do they spend?! But it did mean we got quite a good display once we’d decided to move away to a safer distance. There seemed to be a bit of a duel going on between the bottom of the castle cliff and up by the beach huts, We stopped to say hello to Freddie and check he was alright, before walking around Marine Drive where fishermen sat on the accropodes with head torches and luminous lines on their rods.

**The South Bay with the Grand Hotel in the background**

Round in the South Bay there was more beach with a huge fire. People huddled round as others set up rockets facing out towards the sea, a bit more of a comfortable space and the road to be able to watch from. The beach was strewn with spent fireworks, just how much had gone up in glittering whizzing bangs? Certainly none of them had come from the sort of selection box I grew up with. The Scarborough seafront more than made up for the last few years.

Quotes have been coming in for house and boat jobs. Most of them twice what we thought they’d be. Some careful consideration will be needed before we make our minds up.

**The cavolo nero has lasted us over a week**

Veg boxes have started again.

Mick has been tidying up the garden and making use of some two year matured compost, we’ll see how the wild flowers like it.

A visit to the Stephen Joseph Theatre to see The Whitby Rebels, the true story of Captain Jack Lammiman who took a crew of unlikely misfits on a voyage to the Arctic. Three of the actors are old friends so it was great to see them, they had the better parts in a show that we weren’t too convinced about, it felt as though several ideas had been put together and none of them managed to take the lead. But it’s a local story and the audience seemed to enjoy it along with the huge set.

A day was spent in the kitchen, a second go at the chicken, leek, ham dauphinoise pie. This was tasty but as I’d used soya cream it was nowhere near as tasty as when I’d used double cream. I’ll write the recipe up if anyone fancies a go at this self indulgent pie!

**Left to Right.**
**Mary Berry crunchy top, yummy pie, River Cottage GF super nice lemon drizzle cake**

There was to be a Leckenby get together and my job was to do pudding. A request was made that there should be a takeaway version for Josh to take back to University. So one gluten free posh lemon drizzle cake and a gluten filled lemon crunchy topped cake for Josh were made.

We caught the Coastliner across to York where we got a full tour of the London Leckenby’s holiday let that they have invested in this year. Andrew and I grew up in York and it’s been 11 years since we sold our family home, so it’s rather nice to be able to meet up in the city once again. Andrew and Jac have been taking advantage of gaps in bookings to have a few days in York and putting their mark on the flat. Standard pictures of York have been replaced with pencil sketches Dad did of the bar walls, I may even sneak in a painting of my own.

The letting agents had advised them to deck the flat with Christmas cheer as guests expect such things from now until Christmas, so illuminated trees were already in position. Left over baubles were handed over to me to make a wreath for the flat door, good job I’d taken my glue gun with me expecting I’d be given a making job.

A leg of lamb was enjoyed along with lots of wine to celebrate us all being together in York. Plans are afoot for a special get together next year, we may bring our own accommodation on Oleanna, though. The sofa bed was okay but has been put higher up the list of things to be replaced in the flat, we’d been guinea pigs. A lovely evening with the London Leckenbys and a very early start to Christmas. I hate to think what Granny would have thought!

0 locks, 0 miles, 2 trains, 4 shorter cables, 2 bays of fireworks, 3 buses, 1 very wide boat, 2 boxes of things for Oleanna, 1 wreath, 2 lemony cakes, 1 special pie, 1 Leckenby get together, 1 river view, just.

Shh! Don’t Tell Tilly. 29th October

The Last Ding Ding. 24th October

Spaghetti Fork. 22nd October

4 Replies

Castleford to Sykehouse Junction, New Junction Canal

Yesterday was the start of Chippy panto rehearsals for Jack and The Beanstalk. I’d be wrong if I said I wasn’t missing working on it this year. I’d also have rather been at the meet and greet followed by read through and fit up followed by fish and chips at the Blue Boar then having stinging eye drops in my eyes yesterday. I’m hoping we get chance to go down to see the show but we need to combine it with other things in the south, otherwise it would be a very expensive theatre trip. I’m still in touch with many people and am getting the occasional sneak peek at what’s happening.

Rather than drawing things out or base coating bits of scenery, today we were going to find out what the health and safety problem was at Ferrybridge Flood Lock and hope for a mooring suitable for some jobs and some cat shore leave.

We got up and pushed straight over to the water point close to Bulholme Lock. With the tank filling we sat down for breakfast. Then the yellow water was pumped into a container for disposal later. Just as we were sorting this a boat came past heading for the lock. We’d have been able to share if they waited five minutes, but by the time we were sorted they had dropped down the lock and were on their way.

I was on key duty and filled the lock. Just above the top gates was a huge island of pennywort, it spanned the the width of the lock. Mick decided to take a run up, either to split it in two or to take it into the lock with Oleanna. As soon as the bow hit the island he cut the engine and she drifted into the lock with the weed surrounding her. As the lock emptied the weed drifted in front only to be picked up again on exiting the lock. Mick then managed to loose it by stopping to pick me up at the lock landing.

Going downstream there’s about an hours cruise before reaching Ferrybridge. Lots of trees and today lots of sunshine. One of those lovely autumn days to enjoy being on the back of a boat.

Just about the only thing that gives away the old Ferrybridge power station is the old wharf where the Tom Puddings were brought to be raised up to empty their cargo of coal. The building is now gone, but the wharf still exists. Pylons stretch off in all directions and stepped back from the river power is still generated. It’s a boring landscape now the cooling towers are gone, so there’s no point in taking photos anymore.

The last couple of bends and we could see we’d caught the boat ahead of us up. A boat came from the lock too. Then through Ferry Bridge we could see the amber light, self operation! The flood lock is operable.

We caught the boat ahead up just as he was about to negotiate climbing a ladder. I managed to stop him, suggesting that as there were two of us we’d work the lock. I climbed the ladder, then over the footbridge.

Maybe the health and safety issue is with the walkway on the top gates, as you’d need a very big stride to get onto them, the step being a good three foot. But that has been the case for goodness how long. The river level board showed green! Not long till the gates could just be left open. I knew there wasn’t a gate through the handrail to reach the panel, so climbed over it. Maybe I’d have been better walking to the far end of the lock and crossing the gates there, but that was a very long way round, these locks are big round here!

On our own now, the other boat not in a rush, we carried on heading eastwards. Fishermen lined the banks and nodded at us as we passed. Lots of boats around Bank Dole Junction, quite a few big ones too. We headed right, turning left will be left for next year, or maybe we’ll head to York direct from Goole, or via Pocklington?

Kellingley Colliery is getting more overgrown around the edges, only the occasional gap to see if anything is happening, nothing since March that we could make out.

Now we were back on the waterways with big skies, reaching from way over there to way over there! We’ve enjoyed trees, hills, rivers this year, but we alos like being back here with so much sky.

The M62 comes close then drifts away. Then it returns to be passed underneath just before Whitley Lock. Here a weed boat was busy collecting Pennywort. The fork lift prongs on the bow jab into islands of leafy green, then rise up. The down side of this is it’s a bit like eating spaghetti with a fork and not being allowed to twist the pasta onto the prongs, the tomato sauce making the pasta slip off. The chap scouped up the pennywort time and time again to deposit it on the bank. Whitley Lock seems to be a place where the weed congregates. Last year there was a closure for quite sometime whilst it was cleared, at least they seem to be trying to keep on top of it this year.

As we approached the lock he asked if he could come down the lock with us. Apparently yesterday above the lock had been choaked with the weed. So we lowered down to the next pound the weed boat shooting out of the lock in front of us, hunting down the next mass of weed to collect and deposit on the bank.

This is all such familiar water to us now. Past the CRT boat yard at Heck. Plenty of work boats in, one out on the bank getting a new lick of CRT Blue.

Then Pollington Lock, our last lock of the year! In Oleanna went, the lolly pop indicators raised and down she descended to the Goole level of the Aire and Calder. The Key of Power could be put back on the main key ring and have a rest.

The VHF radio blurted something out. We always have it on around here to listen in in case there are any freight boats about. It was hard to understand what was being said, Mick checked on boat movements into Goole, Exol Pride had come up Ocean Lock an hour and a half ago. Exol was heading for the New Junction and all the lift and swing bridges, then on to Rotherham. We’d almost certainly have missed her by the time we got there ourselves.

Now at every overhead power line there were notices on the bank on posts, at every culvert notices too. Back towards Christmas 2020 there was a breach on the Aire and Calder, a huge amount of water was lost, the level from this huge pound dropped and several sections of piling and bank slumped into the canal. There is currently a stoppage notice for piling works.

Four hi-vis CRT staff walked towards us on the bank. Then a fence that really meant the towpath was closed, not one that you can manoeuvre to get round. Up ahead several work boats. New piling had gone in and a digger was back filling with earth and packing it down. One worker walked backwards with a remote controlled spikey roller. Skip boats of fresh earth were being brought from past Sykehouse Junction, no dredging silt from the canal, this back filling needed to be sturdy.

Our favourite spot at the junction was taken, so we turned onto the New Junction Canal to see what was available. One narrowboat at the far end, we pulled in just where the edging starts to flatten out and tied up. This would do us nicely.

Tilly you have four hours! Four!! Brilliant!!!!!! No eating your own body weight in rodents! Spoil sport!

After lunch I got the attachment of doom out. The rusty patches on the port side that I’d treated before Standedge needed cleaning off again. Then a coat of primer was applied. The boat ahead was being repainted by the looks of it. Tilly would now have to stay off boats and cat walks!

Mick put the mushroom vent top back on, only tightening it with his fingers, not wanting to put strain on the glued threaded bar. This will be fine. Then the interior cover went back on.

Then it was time to enjoy our evening as the sun set. Tilly zonked from so much friendly cover, now lounging on the sofa in front of the stove. Yarn was selected for the next pair of socks, they were cast on. What a lovely day and cruise.

4 locks, 16.5 miles of big skies, 0 red light, 1 lock on self operation! 2 locks shared, 1 full water tank, 1 clean pooh box, 1 empty yellow water tank, 1 right, 2 colds still clinging on, 1 grab rail with some paint on it, 4 hours of freedom, 3 little friends, 43 pounces, 2 trees, 1 slight patch of white, don’t know how that got there! 1 exhausted cat, 1 cosy Oleanna on our last night out on the cut.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/ZxiYHj3QcSKLyPwH7

Mushrooms and Ashley. 20th October

Castleford

Well the generators here at Castleford are a touch quieter than they’ve been in the past. The last one finally went off at 12:30, that’s at night!

We’re in finishing things off mode on board at the moment and with quite a few eggs left that meant we had to have them scrambled for breakfast, this also helped use up some of my nice bread in the freezer.

The Geraghty zoom followed, thankfully no-one caught our colds last weekend, maybe that’s why we still have them! Subjects covered included West Wittering, Corkmen, Tory auras, rotating apples and My First Wedding cards!

There were a few boats on the move today, but were they heading to the lock and on to Ferrybridge? One boat came from the lock, had they come from Ferrybridge or just behind us somewhere? We are seriously thinking that the lock is user operable, but what is the health and safety issue?

It was a touch windy and wet this morning, but nothing spectacular. Was that Ashley over and done with? We were likely to be on the periphery of the storm when it came.

A walk up to the lock to check on the level and just how many leaves were left on the trees. One of the boats that had come past us this morning was moored by it’s centre line in the extension to the lock. We suspected it was a single hander waiting for someone to share locks with rather than have to climb ladders and look after ropes in these big locks. The river level below the lock was just in the amber. Should we move? Or should we stay? We opted to stay and run the risk of the river coming back up overnight.

Back at Oleanna my thoughts turned to jobs that we should have been doing. The sun was out and we could now put the mushroom vent back on the roof. First we needed to find the black tack which seals the join between vent and roof. This took quite some finding, and as always with such things ended up being in the last place we looked, the cat proof cupboard. Then the old black tack needed removing from the vent along with the layer of rusty paint. The vent was then given a clean.

Back when Oleanna was built we’d opted for Chrome fittings so we’d not need to polish any brass. No idea what happened to the chrome but it tarnished pretty quickly on the mushrooms. I think within a year I was trying to find a way to clean them and bring a glint back to them. But this wasn’t to be, as they seem to have had the chrome stripped or stained/worn away somehow. Possibly something to do with the stove as the tarnished sides face the flue, but who knows? I gave up worrying about them ages ago.

Last year we’d removed another mushroom vent and at dusk tried to fix it back on the roof. We learnt one thing from last year and that was the holes in the base of the vent are not drilled equally. So before adding a layer of black tack it was worth seeing which way round the base should be. Then mark the face that faces the bow with some tape. Maybe if we do more of these we’ll add a permanent mark to the insides so not only we’ll know which way they face for next time, but also which one goes where on the roof, before they are removed!

Black tack reapplied, fixings pushed through the tack. Tilly agreed we’d managed to do it better than last time, but there was still room for improvement. She wasn’t wrong, as when it came to put the top back on, Mick had just started to tighten the nut from the underside when I realised that it was no longer attached to the top! The two part epoxy glue was needed and a good 24 hours for it to fully cure before we tried again. The big pan would be staying upside down on the roof for another night!

A big pot of chilli was put together and left to bubble away whilst I designed the next pair of socks. I’m quite happy with the design, I just hope I’ve some suitable colours for it. Yarn selection would have to wait a day or two as I’ve still got the last pair to finish off. At least I’m almost a pair in hand at the moment.

**This pair may take a little bit longer**

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 storm almost nothing, 1 cat bored of this outside, 1 mushroom base back on, 1 mushroom top broken, 1 threaded bar sticking, 3 meals of chilli ready, 44th pair designed, 0 bags packed, 0 drive south, 1 storm arrived later in the day.

Stirring Up The Red. 10th October

Handmade Bakery, Slaithwaite

Sunshine. It was guaranteed to be good weather today as we’d not be working any locks. But the sunshine could be used for other things, painting!

Mick headed off to visit the Co-op and Aldi to see what miracle drugs he could find to help us both with our colds. We’d really like to not be spluttering and sneezing this weekend, but it looks like we’ll have no choice.

I dug out the cream and red paints from one of the bow lockers. Masking tape and fine sandpaper from the painting cupboard inside. The pan was lifted off the mushroom vent and dried off, moisture having collected around the rim of the pan. Then sections of the grab rail were taped up that needed top coat. My aim this year had been to repaint the grabrails, but I’ve run out of time to do a proper job. This also seems to be my aim most years! We just get too busy boating.

Once the sections were taped off I gave them all a sand down. The undercoat needed flattening out and the surrounding paint needed to have a key to aid adhesion.

**May not look pretty, but it’s got a coat of paint on it!**

An old envelope was stuck under the hole of the mushroom vent inside the cabin, to catch any stray blobs of paint. Then a coat of cream was painted. I’d not bothered to mask off an area here, I just tried to keep the area within the size of our biggest pan so it could be covered up again later.

Then areas on the grab rail had a coat of red. Red no matter what you do fades in sunlight, it’s a fact and you have to live with it. For me to have a boat with no red on it wouldn’t be right as it’s my favourite colour. I’ve touched up the starboard side before with the red that had been noted in our boat bible from Finesse when Oleanna was built. However the number was out by 1 digit so the colour had been quite a bit darker. Now the grabrail looks a bit of a patchwork, one day it will all be the same bright red again.

One area of rust had spread across from the red grabrail onto the blue cabin side, I’ll hopefully follow up with the blue on the next possible day. The red also will require a second coat at some point. I made sure I removed the masking tape after a short while, leaving it on too long means it’s a nightmare to remove.

Next job was to dig out my sewing machine from under the dinette. I’d bought myself some red cords which had been sent to the house. They were in the sale and I could only get my size with a longer leg than required. So they needed turning up by 3 inches. Ironed and sewn, job’s a good un.

Attention turned to a painting I did recently. This needed trimming and a backing making for it. I’ll hopefully be able to show you what it was and for after the weekend.

Next and final job, give Mick a hair cut. It’s not that long since it was last done, but a tidy up would be good. He’s all smart now, we’re ready for the weekend. Just have to hope my nose stops glowing red from being blown so much!

**My photo of tonight’s Northern Lights!**

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 bottle of cough medicine, 1 box tissues, 2 boxes cold capsules, 1 roof touched up, 1st coat on grabrail, grade 3, 3 inches up, pair 41 finished, 8 more pairs on waiting list! 0 northern lights visible, 2 sniffly coughing boaters, 🙁

Apple Bobbing. 6th October

Above Lock 41E

Mick has developed a cold over the last couple of days. I’m doing my best to avoid it, so I’m trying to avoid touching things he’s touched, sharing the same air won’t be helping, but I’m hoping to fend off getting it for a week if possible as I have a hospital appointment amongst other things.

So this morning I was on tea and Lemsip duty. This is normally Micks job as he’s on that side of the bed and he hands me my tea. This morning I was scrabbling my way back to my side of the bed ( we have a cross bed) trying my best not to spill any tea when the alarm above our heads sounded. A red flashing light and three beeps. This meant there was a fire. Not that we were aware of. I pressed the button to silence the alarm. We took it off it’s base and Mick tried to reset it. It did nothing! Was this a dud detector? Only a month old! Mick spent some of the day checking things on line and it turns out the detector was fine, it just turns itself off when not on it’s base on the ceiling. Why had it sounded? Steam from my tea!

Subjects included Radio Caroline, sausage casserole, cousins in Gravesend and tying Aunts in armchairs! Everyone was present this morning for zoom, even if our internet kept dropping out in a somewhat annoying manor, so we only got part of the story from John about the PS Waverley passing Radio Caroline a few days ago.

This morning seemed to be dry enough to add another coat onto the mushroom vent. Mixing, brushing followed, the starboard side grabrail bits got another coat too. If my knees hadn’t been playing up so much I’d have done the port side as well, but balancing on a gunnel with nowhere to step back to at the moment is not on the cards, my knees are burning whilst doing nothing, so that side of the boat will have to wait.

Just about as soon as I’d finished it started to spit! Oh well, I’m trying my best considering my phone currently thinks I’m just to the west of Moscow! Mick seems to have this happen to his phone too at the moment. Are the Russians checking up on us? Anyone else get the weather in Russia rather then West Yorkshire? They are expecting thunder storms tomorrow.

**Marsden Mechanics standing out from the crowd**

This afternoon I headed off down the Marsden flight of locks to see what I could see at lock 37E, the lock which has closed the flight has a dangerous bridge. Despite it being a grey day the flight is still pretty with the occasional glimpse across the valley.

Below lock 39E there were numerous apples bobbing about waiting for Halloween, none of them had toffee coatings though!

**The Blue Peter Lock or Smudgees Lock 37E**

Lock 37E is the Blue Peter lock with a shield on both bottom gates. Orange fencing was draped around the tail bridge. On the far side I could see what looked like rotten wood on one of the uprights to the handrail. With a suitably sized baulk of timber and carpentry tools and skills it didn’t look like it would be a long job to mend. Hopefully it will be sorted tomorrow.

I didn’t want to do anymore down hill so headed back up. There are a new cabins that have been built alongside the canal, A Place in the Pennines. The office looks like it is in a blue narrowboat next to the care takers cabin. They look nice and I suspect they have good views from their terraces across the valley.

I walked up the hill, hoping I’d stay on the level more to return to the boat. Past houses all with great views over the top of one another and along to the station. Steep stairs lead down to the platforms, I’ll enjoy those tomorrow!

Back on Oleanna, Mick was snoozing by the stove. I got out my box of socks to weave ends in. Three pairs in total. I had a sponsorship for four pairs so have been waiting for them all to be finished along with the next pair and then take more photos. My box is now full. By the end of the evening and the ninth episode of Traitors NZ I’d finished off pair 40, ends weaved in too. 40 weeks 40 pairs! Yarn has already been selected for the next pair, they’ll get started on the train tomorrow.

0 locks, 0 miles, 1 broken handrail, 2nd coat, 1 very bored cat, 5 siblings, 1 dodgy alarm mended? 6 pairs of socks waiting to be posted.

Seconds Away. 3rd October

Uppermill to Diggle moorings

Just the last eleven locks up to the summit today, that’s all. They shouldn’t take us long to do. We already knew we might have trouble with one pound being low, it’s been low the last two times we’ve come this way. Our map suggested it would be about 2.5 hours, we added a bit more for good measure but we should still be moored up in time for lunch and to give Tilly some shore leave.

Before we pushed off I got Tilly’s Escape Pod out of the cupboard and zipped it together, she was straight in it before I’d even got the top on. Should anything go wrong in the tunnel tomorrow we’d need the pod at the ready, so best to get it ready today and let Tilly move back into one of her favourite places, only when the doors not closed!

The first two locks were the same as the one’s we’d come up. Although Lime Kiln Lock can’t quite be classed as just a HNC lock. It has Saddleworth Railway Viaduct right across the bottom of it. Then there is Mytholm Bridge just below the lock too. The approach is slightly skewed and I half expected to mess it up, with a bywash coming towards me at the same time, but no it was pretty easy. Up Oleanna rose in possibly the most picturesque lock on the west side of the canal.

**Another fender to add to our collection!**

We pulled in at the services, topped up on water, the washing machine running, emptied yellow water and refreshed Tilly’s toilet. The weed hatch was also checked. No weed but a fairly new looking rope fender! Mick walked up to set the next lock.

The Diggle flight have single big bottom gates, similar to those south of Banbury on the South Oxford. All the paddles are on the lock beam side of each lock. The bottom paddles are geared and have a pawl to keep them in place. The top paddles wind up as normal but the pawl on these is a flat bar that you need to angle in to slot into place to hold everything up.

We worked our way up the first two locks without too much bother. Then there was the expected low pound. It was VERY low. Mick lifted the paddles to fill the lock, no chance of getting over the cill without more water. He walked up to the next lock and ran water down through the lock. He also called C&RT to check it would be okay for us to do this, they were fine about it. The next pound looking pretty healthy, it wouldn’t stay that way as the one we were trying to raise was really quite big. Mick phoned me, would I prefer him to be at the helm through a low pound, so for us to revert to the A team. I did, so he returned and helped me climb off the boat with the aid of the stern lockers. We needed so much water to fill the pound enough to get over the cill. I walked up ahead and once Oleanna was over the cill and in the pound I closed the top paddles on the lock, let it finish emptying and opened the bottom gate, hoping the pound was deep enough to get across. Thankfully it was. Once Oleanna was in 27W I returned to close the gate at 26W.

The same process was now required to rise up the next lock 27W, the pound above very depleted of water. I walked up to 28W and ran water down, Once over the cill Mick managed to encourage the gate to close behind him, the flow of water into the pound helping and saving me the walk back down to do the job myself.

Same process at 28W, each pound above was lowered just enough to get Oleanna from one lock to the next. Each time, each pound above looked that bit higher than the one below.

Getting across from 28W to 29W was a little bit more tricksy, getting over the bottom cill took more effort. All the way up the flight we’d had walkers stopping for a chat, saying how they’d never seen the pounds look so low, it must happen especially for us! A chap possibly with a dog had walked up, not chatted then sat down on the bench to admire the view.

I stayed to see how we’d do. Opened the top gate when it was level. A guestimate on how deep the water was over the cill had been met. I closed the top paddles and waited to close the gate. We now should be fine.

Mick gently brought Oleanna forward to the cill. Her bow crossed it, but then she came to a sudden stop. Possibly the cill or was there something under the water stopping her. We’d need more water to get her over whatever was stopping her. I started to walk up to the next lock, Mick put Oleanna in reverse to get away from the cill.

Mick shouted. ‘QUICK, really QUICKLY!‘ He’d not been able to get Oleanna to reverse. She was sitting on the top cill. The bottom of the lock was doing it’s best to empty itself!!

I ran. I ran. The towpath curved around the pound, a small bridge to cross over the bywash, up the side of the lock was steep. Which paddles to lift first? I have no idea if there was any water in the lock or not. One bottom paddle was raised, followed by both top paddles, then the second bottom paddle. Now all I could do was gasp for air and watch through the camera 100 meters away.

Mick had climbed off Oleanna, he wound the top paddles up as Oleanna was stopping water from getting past and into the lock chamber. The first paddle dropped and needed lifting again. He was wondering should he get Tilly off, would she be nice and comfortable in her escape pod, easy to pick up. But adding weight to Oleanna would be a really bad thing.

All we could do now was watch, hope there was enough water getting into the lock. Mick walked to the bottom gates, checked the paddles were down, they were, but there was still a big leak. From 100 meters away the angle Oleanna had reached was alarming, I suspect it was more alarming close to. Had we done everything in time? Would she rise back up? Or had she reached the point of no return.

What felt like a good ten minutes actually it was only one. Oleanna’s stern seemed to be coming back up. Taking a photo to check whilst out of breath and with shaky hands was hard to get in focus. Thankfully down at lock 29W Oleanna was floating again and Mick had to get back onboard to stop her from hitting the bottom gates.

**Floated back into the lock behind the cill mark**

Mick rang, ‘She’s floating!’ ‘I’m going to lift the engine board to check if any water got into the engine bay’. He disappeared from view, then reappeared, waited a while then gently brought her out of the lock. THANK F**K for that!! The gate closed behind and Oleanna made her way across the pound to 30W.

The only witness to her very near sinking was a dog who’s owner had sat admiring the view all the time a major drama had been happening behind him. As the lock gate closed, the man stood up and walked away with his dog, totally oblivious.

Up 30W, we had a moment as the lock levelled out. It had possibly only been a matter of a few seconds between saving the situation or sinking. If Oleanna’s stern had got any lower and water got in through the engine vent that would have been it!

The next pound was a touch low. We made sure the top paddles were left open until Oleanna was well clear of the cill.

I walked on to 31W. My phone rang. It was a jolly chap from Standedge Tunnel control checking to see if we’d made it up to Diggle yet and were we still on for our booked passage tomorrow morning. Two more locks to go. I asked if I should report our incident to him or was it the west side of the HNC we should contact. West side, he was the East.

Grandpa Greens looked attractive as we came up the next lock, but we refrained from indulging. I have to say I was extremly relieved when I opened the top gate on lock 32W and Oleanna easily passed over the cill and onto the top pound of the HNC.

We moored up. The only thing out of place inside was a galley drawer. Tilly was checked on. What’s all this with the big hug! Yuck!! It looks great here, just get on and let me out!

The flight had taken us 4.5 hours, it was time for a late lunch. The sun was out. Time to carry on with prep work for the grabrails. The attachment of doom was attached to the drill and I ground back the fertaned rust patches to bright steel. Then another coat of fertan which could work it’s magic overnight.

11 locks, 1.6 miles, 1 extremely close call, 2 boaters who will never close top paddles on a low pound again! 100 meters personal best, 1 canine witness, 1 horrible day, 29W reported, 1 grab rail prepped, 4 hours, 2 many pesky woofers!

https://maps.app.goo.gl/mGQ9fhhbRB2zsthi9

A Rounder O. 28th September

Hyde Bank Tunnel to Dukinfield Railway Bridge

Quarter of an hour earlier than of late we managed to push off, a small achievement but at least it was in the right direction.

Once down the Marple flight the Peak Forest Canal is just flat, there are two tunnels and a lift bridge for a bit of interest, but no locks. We pootled along, tunnel mode engaged for Hyde Bank Tunnel all 308 yards of it. I then bobbed below to give Tilly’s pooh box a refresh as I could tell she was desperate to go, wanted to use shore based facilities, wouldn’t be allowed onto the outside, her pooh box smelt! I can tell these things easier now I spend half an hour every day at her level on the floor!

A touch of autumnal knitting at the stern as we made our way along the tree lined canal. At Woodley Tunnel a Dad was cycling with his two kids along the towpath which goes through the tunnel. His daughter wasn’t peddling, just pushing herself along with both feet, making her Dad’s progress behind quite difficult. As soon as we passed there was no light in the tunnel and the daughter really wasn’t happy! I’m not sure how Dad coped with it all, I suspect the easiest way would have been to reverse out of the tunnel, but his son was way ahead. I hope next time they’ll equip their bikes with lights!

Past Joseph Adamson and Co, Est 1885. I wonder if originally they had planned for a rounder O than was used Or was the company actually Jo Seph Adamson and Co?

Under a couple of roving bridges. One with metal sides. Going under this it looked like the bridge has been expanded several times, I think we counted five different archways

The next bridge was under the M67, I think this is just about as close as we can get to Fallowfield where my nephew Josh is currently living at Manchester University. 5.3 miles as the crow flies.

Who would wind up the lift bridge? I remember doing so on a hire boat, this I’m pretty sure would have been the first lift bridge I ever worked, unless I got the job on the Llangollen way back when! First thing was to remember what would be needed to unlock it, a handcuff key, not a Key of Power! I remember making the same mistake last time. 31 turns up and 21 down, it was hard work, maybe I’m loosing all my windlass lasspower.

We pulled in a short distance on, enough outside before the drop down to the River Tame for Tilly to have some shore leave and not too close to the railway bridge. Before sitting down for lunch I gave the nettles along the bank a trim, intentions to do more to the grabrail.

Over lunch it decided to rain, this along with the bank not being right alongside Oleanna put me off getting the attachment of doom out to grind back the rusty bits. I just hope that I get a suitable mooring and suitable weather to get more done to them and the mushroom vent before too long.

A walk up to Lidl then Asda to do a ‘just in case’ Sunday roast shop and to buy a newspaper in the wet kept us busy. Three buildings caught our attention. The first not very architecturally significant, Ashton Primary Care Centre. This is where nine years ago a lovely nurse practitioner redressed my missing finger despite them not being allowed to do such things.

Next was Ashton Old Baths. Opened in the 1870s, Ashton Old Baths is one of the finest example of a former public swimming baths in the North of England. The building has housed concerts, held tennis matches and closed in 1975, the building remained derelict for 40 years until Tameside Council and Oxford Innovation decided to reinvent the space for the digital age. It’s a grand Victorian building from the outside, inside it holds a wooden pod. More info can be found here.

The other building is Cavendish Mill a former cotton spinning mill. It was built between 1884 and 1885 to a fireproof design and was the first mill in Ashton to be built with concrete floors and a flat roof. What stands out though is it’s octagonal staircase around the base of the chimney. The mill ceased spinning cotton in 1934, then was used for various purposes until it was converted into housing in 1994.

0 locks, 6.4 miles,1 lift bridge, 2 tunnels, 1 great looking outside, 1 mediocre outside, 2 many woofers, 1 plan postponed, 1 Sunday roast purchased just in case, 1 dormant pizza boat neighbour.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/71R28WmF9pvizJ2d6

Dribbles. 17th September

Bramble Cuttings to Rookery Railway Bridge

Turning my phone on this morning I came across two messages, both about rendez vous. I was expecting one, but not the other. Location and planned route were passed on to one, and current location to the other. No time for a full cuppa in bed this morning, we were about to meet up with NB Cobweb. Last night they were moored only a mile away and Vicki was checking to see if we were still on the Weaver as they were heading that way.

Tilly was allowed some shore leave whilst I washed the Fertan off the grabrail and roof. Fertan does the job, but it can also leave a horrible streaky mess! The dew this morning had done it’s worst! Maybe some Bar Keepers Friend will help.

**At last the boats and owners get to meet up**

One of our neighbours moved off a short while before NB Cobweb arrived, perfect. Vicki and David have had NB Cobweb for a couple of years now, we passed the boat last year on the Leeds Liverpool, but no-one was on board. Vicki used to work front of house at the SJT in Scarborough, her daughter was also part of the youth group Rounders, she is now a very talented musician. Early last year there had been a comment made about the annoying Princess Ann’s swing bridge in Thorne on Facebook, I noticed a reply from Vicki who was moored in Thorne at the time, they were preparing to move aboard. Well we’ve been trying to meet up since and Vicki had sponsored a pair of socks, which I’ve been hanging onto in case our bows crossed.

After about an hour of chatting it was time for both of us to move on. They hoped to be on the boat lift this afternoon and we hoped to be through Middlewich. Good to see you Vicki, enjoy the Weaver and yes we’ll meet up for a drink when we’re all back in Scarborough this winter.

It was nearly midday when we pushed off. Back towards Middlewich, two boats just entering Big Lock. I went up for a chat with Sabrina as the lock finished, at last we’ve met and not just given each other a wave as one of us has passed. Once we’d risen ourselves we pulled in as close to the little Tescos as we could, a few items required and it was time for lunch.

As ever through Middlewich we timed our departure ten minutes late, the bottom lock of the three was over topping as a boat was coming down the lock above and we were in a queue with Baked Onboard the Pizza boat in front of us. At least we’d not been another five minutes later as there were now another two boats behind us.

No volunteers in sight, but the lady from the boat behind came up and helped. I worked the locks, wimping out of turning the corner. We helped the pizza boat up, then she helped us up the first lock. We swapped with another boat coming down at the corner, and then once we were up the three we lifted a paddle for the boat behind.

The junction wasn’t as busy as ten days ago and King’s Lock only needed a touch of emptying before we could go in. Our chosen route back to Yorkshire would be back up the Cheshire Locks.

We soon found we were following a hire boat who were following a single hander, the going was a touch slow. At Lock 67 I went up to set it for us and chatted to the hire boat. They didn’t want to start up the Cheshire Locks today so were looking for a suitable mooring, I suggested where we’d be pulling in and a couple more places before Wheelock.

A young girl was busy asking Mick questions, she came to see how the lock worked, it was scary! But it was still way more interesting than watching her family fishing just above the lock. She also helped with the gates which was great.

One day, when I’ve retired from boating, I would like the job of repainting the numbers on lock beams. It feels as if each canal used to have a style of numbers, but as you can see on the lock at Middlewich that style has now become a dribbly mess. In comparison the faded number at lock 67 is just wonderful.

We pootled on back to the moorings after Rookery Railway Bridges, the hire boat had already pulled in there. Tilly was miffed as it was already after cat curfew time!

9 locks, 6.8 miles, 1 straight on, pair 33 handed over, 1 hour apart, 20 years ago, 0 volunteers, 0 free pizza for helping, 1 long day, 1 miffed cat.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/Fd2fRgqj6aL9EbTo9

Narrowboat Oleanna

Travels of Narrowboat Oleanna