The Great Adventure day 5, Monday 13th April. New crew.

Leaving Leeds

Back to business today. We managed to be up and going by 8.30. We had triple and double locks to contend with and got to Newlay for a change of crew by 12.45. We had several phone calls to my cousin Kathy who was bringing our new crew member (my mum). Neil and Karen have to leave us to go back to work. Eventually we worked out that we should all get to Newlay at about the same time so that was fixed as the rendezvous (a pub near the bridge). Unfortunately we couldn’t moor by the bridge as the moorings were covered by loads of kids in canoes (a bit of horn blowing went on here as we were much less manouverable than them). We caried on to try to moor but the whole place was full of boats. Eventually we stopped by the towpath, but since it was very busy with walkers and all sorts of people we decided to leave Jon on board. Poor Karen and Neil had to carry their baggage back the half mile and down to the pub. My cousin (well her boyfriend it turned out) had kindly offered to take Neil and Karen back to Sowerby Bridge to pick up their car. We had a sad but swift goodbye and then mum and I walked back to the boat pulling her suitcase behind us. Back on the go we have decided to get to Saltaire tonight as it looks nice and Nicholsons recommends a good pub.

Jon at the back looking a long way away.

We missed Neil's strength at the Kirkstall two triple staircase locks but there was a lockkeeper to help.

Our first staircase lock.

We then hit the infamous Leeds and Liverpool swing bridges. These are quite a pain, I had to drop Jon off to go and open them (as I didn’t think I would have the strength- I remember them being difficult 25 years ago), and then try to hold the boat centre stream until it was open, then hold again and pick Jon up afterwards. It does help to improve your manouverability skills. Mum was very helpful holding onto ropes whilst picking Jon up or letting him off. The canal was a bit shallow at the sides and we scraped the bottom a few times. There were lots of gongoozlers (?is that right) at the swing bridges. We got to Saltaire eventually, and pulled up to the very long moorings by a newly renovated factory (now lots of expensive apartments I guess). The British Waterways sign said we could only moor for 6 hours and the proper mooring was at Shipley. A bit late, I thought as we had passed that already. I don’t know if the new locals have put pressure on here to get the mooring stopped. It seems strange to have a lovely, new very long mooring and only be allowed to stay for 6 hours.

The new apartments at Saltaire, the long mooring is the towpath on the right, we had to carry on under the bridge.

The facilities mentioned in Nicholsons (water, bins toilet etc) did not seem to be there any longer. We moved on a few hundred yard beyong the next bridge and stopped at a single mooring there. I couldn’t interpret the sign to see if we were allowed to stop but it was well after 6 and I hoped that the BW boys would have all gone home by now. It was by a very busy part of the towpath, leading off the bridge so I was a bit worried what the night would bring. Nichlosons recommended the Boathouse pub and it was very close so Jon went for a ‘reccie’. He came back with the news that it was no longer there just a heap of burnt down building. Oh well. After another reccie into town Jon came back to say he had booked us in to ‘Don’t Tell Titus’. In the end this was a great restaurant with a fab menu and good service. It’s named after Titus Salt after whom Saltaire is named. It turned out that the owners have bought the Boathouse and are looking to do it up and open up again. Maybe we will try that one next year. Mum said she had enjoyed her first day aboard.
14 miles and 18 locks today.