A backward cruise

Saturday, 18 July 2009 13:12

A move backwards and why

I was woken at 6am this morning by the scrapyard next to our mooring. Maybe we should move!

There were a number of boats on the move, a couple up and more down. Several of the boats going down were going across the Ribble Link onto the Lancster Canal and it was a Lymm Cruising Club outing! We read that about 20 were going across this weekend - but we haven't seen that number.

There was now a space on the BW moorings outside the office, so we decided to go backwards! John reversed Epiphany to the lock and down we went with another of the Lymm boats

Last time we went down forwards!

The pound below the lock (86) was up much more than yesterday so it was OK to get into the mooring. We are now settled and it is much quieter! The leaky top gates of the bottom lock of the flight make the pound prone to low water - in fact since we have been here the level has gone down.

The pound between Lock 87 and lock 86

There are fishermen here too - ones with nets and life jackets! They are fishing out all the dead fish - the result of the "pollution incident". There are so many floating on the surface it is rather sad to see them.

Yesterday I was amazed to see a duck approach one of the fish to see if it was edible and quickly back off. This morning a seagull swooped down intent on picking up a fish for his breakfast but it too quickly flew off with out even touching it. Do they have a sixth sense that the fish are poison, I think they must.

The rain is holding off - just, so we may do a bit of exploring this afternoon!

Above lock 86 to above lock 87 - 44 minutes, 0.15 miles, 1 lock