Water problems

Monday, 02 August 2010 18:01

We are lucky - so far!

We feel for those boaters who have to contend with water problems and re-plan their cruises. I have to say it is not only the lack of rain but also the lack of maintenance and leaky gates that have caused the closure of one of our favourite canals, the Leeds and Liverpool. This was Lock 69 with leaky top gates on the Wigan flight on 20th July 2009.

Barrowford Reservoir was down as we passed on the 28th July - potential problems unless it rained!

I have to agree with the guy from Pennine Cruisers (Skipton) who was on BBC Look North this evening - money needs to be spent on the infrastructure of canals, not prettying them up. Lack of funding should have concentrated the mind, how about taking expensive contracting back in-house, allowing bank staff to use their common sense and listening to boaters who keep the canals open. The writing on the wall has been there for a number of years - our climate is changing.

We are so glad we chose the north-east this year. Despite not liking rivers, they do mean that there is plenty of water around! Contrast the photos above with one I took today on the Sheffield and Tinsley Canal, as we descended the Tinsley Flight.

Lock 7/8 top gates

BW Lockie on the Sheffield and Tinsley canal, Dave, has so much water to manage that today he turned the back pumps off as we came down the locks. We were with another narrowboat, Tower of Babel. We do not usually lock down with another narrowboat with a "Biblical" name!

Dave escorted us down the flight whilst trying to organise some volunteers on his mobile phone! John went ahead to set most of the locks and was entrusted with the "special" key in order to unlock some of the paddles.

This one on the deep lock 7/8 was hard work for both Dave and John to open.

As we passed under the M1 Bridge between Lock 9 and 10 I thought that this was a good photo - the cyclist was travelling faster than we were, but not as fast as the lorries and traffic above.

Dave appeared to go AWOL after Lock 9 and as the lock filled itself over the gates (no paddles involved this time!) we were able to enter before he arrived, carrying his lunch; that was why he took so long!

Tinsley Bottom Lock is not the end of Dave's kingdom but for the moment it is the end of this blog.

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Sheffield and Tinsley Canal, Lock 3 to Lock 12

2 hours 4 minutes, 1.07 miles, 9 locks