The longest tunnel ever ......

Wednesday, 08 June 2011 11:01

Today was a challenge - the Kennet and Avon Canal had a bad day!

It was not like this when we woke

This meant we had a difficult and long day on our cruise .....

For a start it was grey and overcast, with rain on the way. But hey - we are used to that. We had the three remaining uphill locks of the Wootton Rivers flight to do. We knew there were water problems, as we had a stoppage email in the evening - good job we had a mobile internet signal (of the 4th - I am a few days behind!). The top lock, Cadley Lock, was locked until 10am due to shortage of water, and was then open until 3pm.  So we did not hurry to set out and Heathy Close Lock came and went.

Cadley Lock from Brimsdale Lock

Sadly, Brimsdale Lock was very familiar by the time we left it .....

The three narrowboats in the photo were waiting for Cadley to open and were aground. We had doubled up with nb Cygnet for the flight and we both waited whilst John went to investigate. He was told by one of the boats that the previous evening BW had said that the electric pumps had failed at Crofton and the summit pound above Cadley was very low. He had been told that he was stuck there until Monday. Oh joy - stuck in a leaky lock overnight!

In Brimsdale Lock

John rang the BW emergency number. It was an 0800 number - NOT Freephone on a mobile phone, please note, my BW readers - far from it! They said they would get back to him and they did. Eventually Nick (BW) arrived and unlocked. He had been back and forth to Devizes and Crofton sorting things out. The pumps at Wootton Rivers had been put into action and eventually, after 3 hours we were able to move.

There was a queue of boats coming down, so we took it in turns to save water. The summit pound was very low and it gradually became worse - about 2 foot down.

Burbage Wharf Bridge behind us and low water

After the bridge it became even lower as we approached Bruce Tunnel. I was now not looking forward to the tunnel.

Bruce Tunnel is at the end of this stretch

I was having jitters about going aground in the tunnel, we took it very slowly but grounded at the entrance. Down below I went!

Low water level in Bruce Tunnel

It was the longest tunnel ever; I was so glad when we reached the other end, but we were stirring up a fair bit again as we came out.

Muddy waters

So now we had the Crofton flight; we met two narrowboats coming up at the top lock - a bit of a kerfuffle to get them out as I had to be right in the lock jaws to stay in deep water with John holding the front rope tight. The stern was pulled towards each boat as it came out.

I kept the boat in the jaws at each following lock, but the wind decided to blow and I was aground a couple of times at the stern. Some of the gates do not open fully and the gate collars make manoeuvring past rather tricky so we needed both gates open.

Sticking out gate collar bolts

Still we made it, meeting up with one of the small narrowboats from Cadley Lock, who had become aground when he stopped for a cuppa on a lock landing! We paired up then for the last three down to Crofton Lock 60. By the time we were down in that lock the water was flowing over the top gates - ridiculous!

Gosh, we were happy to moor up before the bottom lock.

It had taken us from 9.20am to 4.45pm to do 9 locks and 4.41 miles - a marathon challenge! Let us hope that that is the worst the K & A can throw at us!

Kennet and Avon Canal, Wootton Rivers Bottom Lock to Brimslade Lock
0 hours 34 minutes, 0.77 miles, 2 locks

Brimslade Lock to Crofton Crossing Lock
3 hours 32 minutes, 3.68 miles, 7 locks