Michael Tyler

Only a very short journey today.

Due to time constraints on travel over the Ribble, I’ve decided not to wait 10 days for the next crossing, and make my way to Scotland tomorrow.

From there I will be Bonnyless.

St. Mary’s Marina, Rufford

I’m parked at St. Mary’s Marina with Mark Ball who seems like an affable fellow.

It’s got a few mod-cons like electric, which means I can watch more telly and use the microwave.

The trip is only a very simple one. From Tarleton, you have to negotiate the 3 swing bridges, follow the river. That’s about it.

The marina is directly before the lock, opposite to another, competing marina.

I did get a look in both. I know my locking partner on the way up planned to leave her boat here. Also, it was the first one I visited. I know the other is slightly more upmarket, if that’s what you’re after.

Trip to Scotland

Today has been busy booking accommodation for my first few days in Scotland.

The weather up there is over 15 for the duration of my stay, even rising to around 20.

I’m quite looking forward to it, because I’ve got no idea what to expect.

The road to Inverness

I know the first few days will be fairly easy.

From now on, I’m going to be using Strava to track my progress and making timelapse video.

From now on, my maps will look like this.

It’s roughly a 500 mile journey back down to the boat.

Today saw the introduction of swing bridges to the list of contraptions I need to man and manipulate.

During the course of my journey from Crooke to Tarleton, I had to pass through 9 working and perhaps 3 or more derelict.

Swing bridges on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal

From what I can make out, these exist way rights of way still exist to cross the canal.

Sometimes they are passed by road, sometimes by tracks, sometimes by paths or seemingly nothing.

But they’re still there, adding something to the countryside I guess. And I have to pass through them. Nearly 10 of them on the course of my journey.

For those on the top of my journey, where I as sailing alone, not in convoy, the moorings were always on the other side.

That meant, once I’d operated the machinery, my boat was not reachable.

All swing gates are the same. In theory it takes 2 people to operate them. One to operate the machinery and push the bridge, and the other to man the boat.

For me, this wasn’t possible. Passing through on my own meant I had to be flexible with my mooring.

I practice, I had to moor the boat to the bridge itself, which would pull it through when I opened.

Then I would drive in through at an angle and jump of the stern, and moor it again, to the swing-bridge whilst I closed the bridge. Continue reading “Day 9 – Crooke to Tarleton”

Didn’t really cover a lot of ground today.

What I did discover is that you need an ‘anti-vandal’ or British Waterways Handcuff Key.

Locks on the Leigh Branch of the Leeds and Liverpool

Have the handcuff key, or anti-vandal key fitted throughout the city.

It’s a small square fitting. You basically put it into the lock housing and it releases the paddle.

Without these, you won’t be able to turn the paddles and you won’t be going anywhere.

Luckily due to the queuing at Plank Lane Bridge, I was in convoy so it wasn’t a problem.

Plank Lane Bridge

Had a problem with the counterweight and I was sitting here from 10:00 to 14:00.

More about that in the video.

Passing through Wigan

Seems a nice town, if a little run down, but there’s a lot of character in the buildings, just no money.

Weather – rain

All day until 18:00.

Couldn’t take pictures.

I did make the video, but that was all I could manage.

Day 8 – Map

Day 8 – Video

South Manchester, money zone. To Leigh, working class zone.

The air is fresher here.

There are no motorways.

I’m moored overlooking Pennington Flash on the outskirts of Leigh on the Leeds and Liverpool canal.

Now back on Canal and River Trust land, off Bridgewater Canal which seems like a zombie-land comparatively.

Bridgewater Investment co.

It seems like Manchester keeps it’s waterways open for posterity reasons.

For example, Bridgewater Canal sold angling rights in one deal. Signed a deal with one company to deal with the whole of their 200 mile odd network.

The same with the collection of fees from boaters, sold the rights to another company to collect on behalf of the network.

The Manchester ship canal. Bridges maintained and assets manned. Nothing actually works and no ships use it.

It seems they’re maintaining the waterways as a token of a bygone era. They’re not living and breathing things in the same way CRT waterways are. They’re future-less remnants of the past.

When they opened the waterways up, they moaned that too many people were staying on them.

Reeks of capitalist opportunism.

Linotype factory – Sale

This is where they invented metal typefacing. If you pressed more than 3 keys at once, they used to jam the typewriter.

They never got around that problem.

Now the typewriter is consigned to history, much like the Linotype factory.

I see it’s being knocked down by Nic Brooks, kind of a school-friend of me and Kerri. Kerri’s friend Sharon used to call him ‘Nicky bosch’ on account of his hands being like sandpaper.

I guess they’re even worse now… Continue reading “Day 7 – Grappenhall to Leigh”