The great Adventure day 1 (Thursday April 9th) Going aground and getting drowned.

It’s been a while since I blogged. We couldn’t do it whilst travelling (too busy trying to survive and no conections) so I wrote a diary and here it is.
We started off very well and the early start (5.45 am!) meant we missed the predicted great Easter getaway traffic and we made excellent time to Sowerby Bridge. We filled up with all the essentials and even managed a trip to the local Tesco before setting off finally. I think Sue and Nigel of Shire Cruisers were a little emotional at saying goodbye to one of their boats (Nigel hand built it from a hull) but we were happy and full of excitement (Jon) and trepidation (me).

Finally leaving Sowerby Basin, photo curtesy of Nigel.

We had visited the first set of locks (a triple at Salterhebble) on our last visit and managed to get through the first like pro’s. I moored up at the proper place in the small pound between the first and second locks to help Jon with the lock. The middle lock at Salterhebble is a disgrace and a sad reflection on the BW repair regime. The lower gate leaks furiously and it took ages to fill the lock since almost more water is poring out than going in. I had meanwhile gone to tell the lockkeeper on the third lock (a guillotine lock -also broken and thus requiring a lockkeeper) that we were on our way so that he wouldn’t disappear after his allotted time. I returned to the boat and was only mildly surprised that I had now to jump down into the boat by about three feet (I was new to this remember). Jon had managed to fill the lock enough to open the gates, but I now realised that we were grounded somewhat and I was horrified to see we were also listing dramatically and water was seeping into the front deck through what were supposed to be drain holes. I shouted at Jon (well shrieked really) to shut the gates and paddles to stop any more water disappearing as of course the leaky lock had caused the small pound to almost empty. I did realise that we would have to put more water in from the top lock but couldn’t see how Jon and I could do this quickly (I was still working in town time and thought everything should be done quickly) also I thought the boat might somehow turn right over too. I shouted (shrieked) at Jon to go get help from the lockkeeper. The lockkeeper amiably strolled up and reassured us that he could get us some water from the top as there was ‘plenty up there’.
After opening both ends of the top lock we managed to refloat the boat. We started again trying to get through the second lock and finally managed it. However the top gate of this lock was also leaking horribly and Jon and the boat got a real soaking at the back before we could manage to get out through the lower gates. We then went through the guillotine lock (the only one we saw all the trip). All this had taken about three hours (for our first one and a half miles and three locks- we would never finish the journey at this rate).
The lockkeeper had recommended the Barge and Barrel at Elland (good home made food he said) 2 miles and two locks away, so we headed for this and decided to stay put for the night and meet our extra crew (Neil and Karen) there. When we arrived there Jon checked the bilges etc and realised we had taken huge amounts of water onboard and into the engine section which wasn’t draining into the bilges. Cue a two hour bailout with a cup which was about the only thing I could manage to fit into the small space left once I was in the engine compartment (it had to be me as I am slightly smaller and more flexible than Jon). I cupped the water into the bilges and then Jon pumped them out (I now know that this isn’t recommended since the engine compartment tends to be polluted with grease and diesel but it looked fairly pollution free). Tired and aching we waited for our friends (in the pub of course which unfortunately wasn’t doing food that night). Neil and Karen had had lots of trouble on the roads and arrived at 8.30, but luckily we found a good Chinese in the town. Our first day had seemed to be a mild disaster but as soon as we had settled into our moorings we found how instantly relaxing being on the boat is. From now on things could only get better!