Passing Wind - my first boat

Passing Wind

My first  boat

6th December 2010

I was searching through some old photo's recently and came across a very grainy image of my very first boat.

Passing Wind - my first boat in 1979

I have always been keen on woodwork and instead of working during the summer  on 1979 after A Levels,  I decided to build a boat instead. Now I wasn't being lazy, far from it, I had a job lined up with Midland Bank that was from the 3rd September and I figured it would be an excellent way to use my last extended period of free time.

I did a bit of research and settled on a set of plans from an Irish company, a Laser like dingy which was 10ft long, 4ft wide and about 10 inches thick. This was billed as a very fast craft with an oversize sail which demanded the best spruce timber to withstand the strains placed on it. This timber was sourced from a traditional boat builder on the Norfolk Broads and clad in exterior ply.

Much to my surprise it took shape quite easily and with a bit of adaption here and there the pile of timber was transformed into the sleek line of a racing dingy. The problems came with the rigging. The plans didn't cover the mast or the boom so I resorted to measuring the photo and concluded that the mast should be about 18ft tall and Jeckylls of Wroxham supplied an off the shelf sail to fit. This was my first foray into the mysteries of a chandler's - love as first byte!.

And so over the weeks my first boat was born, but to register it I needed a name. After some thought I went with my schoolboy humour and called it Passing Wind.

Passing Wind was a huge success, after a few teething troubles I learned how to sail it and took it out all over the Broads in all kinds of weather. I remember some glorious summer evenings on Wroxham Broad, extended runs south for miles south from Coltishall and some hair raising runs in storm conditions on Barton Broad. PW took all I could throw at it, heeling over so far the water spilled over the gunnels and running so fast before the wind that even with me perched right on the transom, the bows still tried to bury themselves in the water like a submarine.

Passing Wind last sailed about 20 years ago when I took it to Rutland Water with my best man. Sadly she was well past her prime and one of the stays same undone, and the mast fell around our ears leaving us to paddle our way back to the slipway. An inglorious end for a gutsy little craft.

But it's not really the end. Passing Wind lives on, leaning against my garage wall 31 years after I built her and the rigging still clutters up my garage. Try as I might I can't bring myself to cut her up. I know I should, I know she will probably never sail again, but she has a special place on my heart.

Sorry about the terrible photo. Its the only one I have, taken on one of those ghastly 110 cassette camera's in low light. Better a bad photo than no photo at all.

Chaffweed 1978

Chaffweed 1978

Weedon to Stratford

This was one of our later hirings from the now defunct Concoform Marine at Weedon, and in keeping with Captain Ahab Snr's desire to pack as much into his annual week of boating as possible, the desicion was made to get to Stratford on Avon and back in six and a half days.

Of course, this meant the Ahab junior was given the task of working the many locks, including both sides of the Hatton Flight in a single day. Oh how I ached at the end!

The memory of toiling up the hill at Hatton will stay with me forever, together with the frustration of the slowness of the single paddles locks of the South Stratford. 

 

Matilda also has memories of this trip, but due to frustration of a different sort. She was very long suffering about the extended days but she had been really looking forward to an afternoon in Stratford but, because our descent into the town was so slow, we arrived late and just had time for a quick cup of tea in Bancroft Basin before we had to turn round and retrace our steps all over again. Even today, after over 30 years her annoyance is palpable!

Given the demands of the trip few photos were taken and the three in this post are all I can find.

Diane 1977

Diane

Staffs and Worcester Canal

1977

Just as I thought I had unearthed  all the forgotten trips, along comes another one.

Diane was hired from Empress of Warwickshire who, if my memory is right, were based out of Penkridge Basin.

This was another fibreglass topped 50 footer which we took down to Stourport Basin in the early autumn of 1977, year of the Queen's Silver Jubilee. Bo you remember all those telephone boxes painted silver and the street parties complete with bunting? 

 Botterham staircase pair 1977

It was also the year I sat my 'O' levels (I duplicated all my CSE's except woodwork) so this marked an end to that stressful period and a start of a sumewhat under par performance in my 'A' levels, but that's another story altogether. 

 

It's a shame I didnt pay more attention to the trip, and I would have been astounded if you had told me that thirty years later I would not only be cruising these waters again, but also mooring my very own narrowboat on the summit pound.

 Rising through the Bratch 1977

The weather was kind and from the photos the Capt Snr took, the drop down to Stourbridge remains remarkably unchanged. The double locks at Botterham, complete with a lock keepers cottage all look the same, as does the still impressive Bratch.

 Stourport Basin 1977

I could have sworn that my trip into the Stourport Basin last year was a boating first, but apparently not!

The one final recollection of this trip was The Captain Snr's annoyance that someone had piched the hub caps of hus Humber Sceptre - a loss he held Penkridge accountable for and a disgruntlement he took to his grave.

 

Knotweed 1976

Knotweed

East Midlands ring from Weedon

Easter 1976

Of all the trips, this one stands out in my memory for the sheer audacity of it's scope.

Knotweed at an unknown location, somewhere on the East Midlands Ring.

This was the first of three hirings from Concoform Marine of Weedon, and the plan was to complete the huge East Midlands circle in a single week. I have to admit that I now see this as a 10 day trip at least, and to try and tackle it in what is effectively six days is near madness.

I remember hassling to be off, and then blasting up the Buckby Flight to be ready to branch off at Norton Junction at first light the following morning . I often pass by the spot on the Westcoast Mainline and remember powering around the bends outside Weedon as if our lives depended on it.

Given the rate of passage it's amazing I can remember any detail at all, but by now I was 15 and studying for my CSE's - the exams which followed 'O' Levels and preceeded GCSE's. One of my favourite subjects was history (surprise surprise) and in particular the industrial revolution. For my project I chose the evolution of the canal system and was delighted when we moored up at the top of the Foxton Inclined Plane. I spent a very happy hour or so in the gathering gloom wandering around the site which was then a sea of brambles. There were  bits of concrete and rail here and there, together with the remains of the water channels leading to the top and bottom.  This visit provided enough material for a whole chapter on the topic of inclined planes.

Maybe this is where I caught the bug for exploring lost relics of the inland waterways.

The descent through Leicester passed me by, as did the race down the Soar and back up the Trent and Mersey, all the time knowing that we were against the clock to return the boat and get my mother back to work.

All was going OK, just, till we reached Atherstone. We climbed the flight in early evening only to discover a dry pound between locks six and seven. This is a longish pound and not one you can top up with a couple of lock fulls of water. The captain Snt went off ahead to try and pull some water down from the summit, which was seven locks distant.

After hanging round for a bit on my lonesome I decided to try and surge Knotweed out over the top cill by charging it at full revs and then going hard astern as the stern  passed over to build up depth. To my amazement this strategy worked and I then started a very slow crawl up the 18 inches of water left in the middle of the channel. The slightest bit of power caused it to stick fast so I set it on tickover and poled it along, eventually passing a boat stranded on the margin which caused consternation among its crew. After anout an hour of inching forward I reached the railway bridge where submerged masonry formed a very solid barrier.

I have never been inclined at accept defeat so I leapt into the cut and started to clear a narrow path through the rubble to the lock tail. These efforts, coupled with a few lockfulls of water let down by the Capt Snr was just enough to get us into the lock and on out of the flight in darkness.

It was than a mad dash to reach Buckby before the locks were closed for the night (1976 was the year of the drought). I seem to remember balgging our way into the lock and finally reaching Weedon at about 11.00pm.

The final recollection was of the Concoform staff checking the diesel level the following morning and being stunned at the quantity of diesel consumed, then shaking a dispairing head when they learned of the route we had undertaken.

As for Knotweed, she was a nice little 36 or 40ft boat with a trad stern and a wooden top. I noticed a Knotweed in the yard just before Concoform closed, but it was a newer version without the same cheeky character.

This was one of the all time epic cruises, exceeding even the early two week cruises for ambition and cruising hours. Given the distance travelled, it isn't really surprising that the photographic record is limited to a solitary image!

Seabourne Steel 1975

Seabourne Steel

Lower and Upper Avon

1975

By the time we got to 1975 we had moved away form cruisers and into steel narrowboats. 

This transition took place when we hired a narrowboat from Seabourne Wharf at Tewkesbury, who managed their fleet off floating pontoons on the River Severn. We had booked a small narrowboat but it was broken, so we were upgraded to a brand new 50 ft craft called Seabourne Steel - and very nice it was too. 

We took this craft up the newly opened upper Avon to Stratford, crashing into a submerged lock foundation as we went along but apart from a tipped over cooker we were none the worse for the experience. I do remember the Captain Senior worrying about the possibility of a gas leak and planning to test the integrity of the pipe with a match - till I suggested some washing up liquid might me more effective and a great deal safer!. Sadly, there are no photos of Seabourne Steel so I can do mo more than  make a mention of the trip and so complete the record.

Gay Grebe, River Nene 1974

Gay Grebe

River Nene

1974

You would have to be a brave soul to call a business "Gay Enterprise" these days.

We hired Gay Grebe from Gay Enterprise of Oundle Marine in the days when gay meant nothing more than happy. It's amazing how words can change their meaning in such a short space of time.

 Gay Grebe 1974

This was our second successive Fenland trip, this time covering the length of the River Nene, but never venturing into the Middle Levels. To be honest, I can't remember many details of this trip but I am thankful for the few photos that survive, revealing a rapidly maturing Capt Ahab. I seem to have grown no end between 12 and 13, but by the age of 15 I was well over 6ft so I guess that it comes as little surprise. Gone are the short back and sides administered by my father in an come the longer locks which were so fashionable in the era of glam rock and all that. Whilst my hair looks long I distinctly remember it being far shorter than that worn by all my friends and feeling 'square'.

Still a heavy old job

It is apparent that I was again assigned the role of chief lock winder, and task which was as wearysome as the previous year, with all those manually operated guillotine gates.

 No weed hatches on this river boat

It is also apparent that even as such a young age I was becoming edept as a spot of prop clearing - good practice for the BCN in later life!

I remember those Oxford Bags!

Craik 1973 - Ouse

Craik

Ouse 1973

1973 marked a shift away from the canals in favour of the Fenland river navigations.

Craik 1973

We ventured into these waters for two consecutive years, initially hiring Craik from Hoseasons and exploring the River Ouse, the Cam, the Wissey and the Lark.

With Dr D otherwise engaged (quite literally) boating became a three person affair and at the age of 12, I was deemed old enough to take my turn at the helm and most importantly, to operate the locks.

Matilda dnd Capt Ahab on Craik

A bit of explanation about the Ahab family dynamics is needed here.

• 
  
  Mother Ahab (Matilda) is a wizz at driving cars but when it comes to boats she has a complete blind spot. No matter how much she tries, she can't get used to steering it "the wrong way". This was a problem back in the 1960's and to be honest, it remains a problem today, to the extent that I wouldnt even ask her to steer Wand'ring Bark out of a lock!. Matilda's role was focussed on galley duties (little somethings and mugs of tea were a speciality) plus rope holding. As I reflect on it, her continued support for my fathers boating adventures is a true sign of her love for him.

• 
  
  That left the Capt Snr. Now he was wildly enthusiastic about his boating and as soon as he took control of the craft he was away, lost in a watery world of his own. The problem was his mobility, or rather his lack of it. The Capt Snr was injured in WW2 with a bullet passing through one thigh, ripping out large amounts of muscle and vein. As a result he was unable to walk great distances and could easily find himself suddenly lame and virtually unable to move at all. This disability was a huge frustration for him, and boating was an ideal way to allow him to be out and about in the countryside, without too much walking.

So as I said, lock duties fell to me. The locks on the Ouse and it's tributaries were, at the time, all of the manual guillotine variety. This meant labouriously winding the bottom gate up and down to allow the boat to pass underneath. This usually involved a couple of hundred stiff turns in both directions over a sweat inducing period of ten minutes or so. Heartbreak Hill had nothing on Fenland cruising.

The sign says "hand operated" - like I didn't know it!

I believe that these locks have all been automated over the years, but it was interesting to encounter a couple of manual guillotine locks on the Huddersfield Narrow and Rochdale Canals last Easter, when the twinges of back ache brought back memories of the stiffness I endured on the Fens in the 1970's.

We made it up to Cambridge and has a mooch up the Lark and Wissey, but never went down as far as Denver Sluice, which sounded so remote and mysterious. To this day I havn't been to the Sluice, or experienced the delights of Salters Lode. It's a bit off the track from a Midlands base, but one day...

These were wild and empty waters, with few other boats to be seen and cruising was mostly within the confines of high embankments . Maybe it's not surprising that landmark events were thin on the ground. 

Lindy Helen - 1971

Lindy Helen - 1971

Llangollen Canal

Among the many "pre narrowboats" cruisers we hired, one stands out.  I am referring to the Lindy Helen which was hired from Llangollen, Trevor or somewhere near the top of the Langollen Canal from a man named Mr Smout. It's strange that I remember his name but can't remember the hire base. Why am I thinking Maestermyn Cruisers? But maybe that was a later trip. I have a feeling that Mr Smout was stout - an unkind rhyme which stuck in my adolescent mind!

 Lindy Helen - Promotional Postcard circa 1970

The thing about Lindy Helen was her unusual carvel construction, made out of mahogany with the planks held together with some sort of brass rivets. As you may have gathered, I like wood - real wood, and in particular I am a sucker for varnished hardwood. In Lindy Helen I found acres of highly glossed hardwood and I spent a very happy week staring at the woodwork as I fell asleep.

  Lindy Helen emerges from a tunnel

If you are going to build a wooden cruiser, this is pretty much how it should look - a period classic! It is a narrower version of the classic 1950's Broads Cruisers, about whaich I am also very enthusiastic.

However, all was not well with the good ship LH. Sure, she carries us all the way down to the Shropshire Union and back again, but somewhere along the way we must have hit a rock which set off a vibration. I say a vibration like it was the sort of tremor we saw in the puddle scene in Jurassic Park. What I actually mean is the whole boat shuddered on the way back and in the absence of a weedhatch (how did we manage without?) we had no way of telling what the problem was.

Crossing Chirk Aqueduct

I guess that this followed our problem with the bent propshaft on Halcyon the previous year, so it was probably attributed to the same thing. In the event, Mr Smout encouraged one of his staff to take an early bath in the canal only to discover that there were only two blades on our propeller!

Crossing Pont Aqueduct and the Vale of Llangollen

Looking back we seem to have been very hard on our boats, or maybe the craft were flimsy, or the canals were shallow and poorly maintained, or maybe a bit of all three. Whatever the reason, we returned yet another boat to it's owner in a broken down state and scuttled off with out tails between our legs.

It's a good job that the boatyards didnt maintain a blacklist of hirers, or Capt Ahab Snr would most certainly have been close to the top of it!

Update October 2014:

Lindy Helen up for sale.

Lindy Helan has been fully restored and is looking for a new owner. Here are some photos of her in 2014 - almost 50 years after we hired her.

For more details follow this link.

Lisa 1972

Lisa 1972

Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal

I think 1972 must have marked a low point in the Ahab family fortunes.

Capt Ahab, Matilda and Dr D

Till this point each boat seemed to be a progression on the one before, but now it was back to earth with a bump!

We hired Lisa for an Easter week on the Monmouthshire Brecon Canal, but for some reason I always think of it as the Brecon and Abergavenny. Maybe time has seen a shift on the canal 's name.

Friends and family

Lisa was a poor old craft costing, I think, £25! We got what we paid for.

An uninsulated and unheated fibreglass cruiser is not what you want for a sleety easter in the Welsh hills. It wasn't then and it isn't now. As I recall, there was no escaping the weather, there wasn't even a place to eat inside and all meals had to be taken round a collapsing table in the cockpit. If the precipitation got too bad there was always a pram hood arrangement, but without sides it offered little in the way of protection.

The dining room in "snug" mode

Looking at the photos I can see an attempt was made at creating a makeshift emergency exit on the front deck, but beyond that the boat had little to comment it. I am amazed that Matilda agreed to come on any future boating holidays, or maybe that is why the quality of boats we hired took a sudden turn for the better from that time on.

Capt Tom at the help

One notable feature of this trip was the presence of visitors in the shape of my grandparents (Tom Cooke is steering in some shots) and a Mrs Wiseman, a longstanding friend of the family from Leominster.

The dining room

I fear that my one experience of the Mon and Brec  was, how shall we put it? Ah - the phrase "sub optimal" captures it well. The photos show it was very pretty but nothing looks very good when you are cold to the core.

Cold - but pretty.

Not one of the great cruising trips and sadly, one I have never repeated. I have read many glowing reviews of the canal and I must try and re-explore it again one of these days.

Leeds Liverpool Canal 1981

October 1981
Heath Charnock (Chorley) to Skipton

106 miles
70 locks
6 days

This trip was undertaken by the Captain before he was promoted to such an exalted rank!
As can be seen from the grainy photos taken on 110mm film (do you remember that short lived format?), I was barely 20 and accompanied the then Capain (now deceased), his wife (my Mother) and my Aunt.

The overriding memory of the three surviving crew was rain, rain and more rain. As I recall, it rained every day for most of the day and always heavily!

Maybe this is par for the course on the western side of the Leeds Liverpool, but it went down as one of our less successful boating trips and we spent a whole week in a state of mild hypothermia. However, it must have stopped raining as some points to allow the following photo's to be taken.

The Captian working Stegneck Lock

I recall the scenery being somewhat dull but even in 19

81 my father and I were both canal fanatics and enjoyed the trip. Its funny looking at a very young me all togged out in my Troll waterproofs, but clearly happy to sit out in the pouring rain day after day plodding along a lonely stretch of canal. Some things never change, and each year you will still find me in exactly the same position, happy as a pig in muck!

For this trip we hired nb Rivington from a now defunct yard at Rawlinson Lane in Heath Charnock. This is about an hour or so above the Wigan flight and just before Botany.

The photos don't include the name of the hire company but (I am reliably informed that it was Leeds & Liverpool Cruisers - see comments below) the boat was approx 50ft , steel with GRP superstructure and decked out on a particularly bilious orange livery.

Happy viewing.

Mooring at eastern end of summit pound near Gargrave

Were it not for the images captured on this film I would deny ever having visited this stretch. This is good news because whilst I have technically "done it", it remains effectively a virgin canal ripe for exploration.

Approaching Skipton

Cheshire Ring - Saltersford to Bartington Wharf

Cheshire Ring - Saltersford to Bartington Wharf
18th August 2006
Trent & Mersey Canal

2 Miles
0 Locks
1 Hours

The last day of a hire boat trip is always a serious anti climax - just a short run to have the boat in by 10.00 am.

We arrived within 10 mins of the prescribed time and were the subject of the usual checking out process.

We confessed to three losses, a windlass on the Rochdale "no problem", a tumbler in Bugsworth "normal" and a wife at Sandbach. "Oh, now that is unusual. We havn't had a missing wife for years but don't worry sir, there is no surcharge!".

It was a good week covering an interesting route. It was a shame that we were not on Wand'ring Bark, but all in good time.

I liked the Black Prince boat, it was constructed of very solid steel and would make a good private purchase, if you don't mind the very distinctive Black Prince style. My bit gripe is the rear deck. It is large but with it being flat to the sides there was an ever present danger of coffee cups etc rolling off.

Chshire Ring - Sandbach to Saltersford

Cheshire Ring - Sandbach to Saltersford
17th August 2006
Trent & Mersey Canal

15 Miles
9 Locks
7 Hours

The day started with a walk to Sandbach Station, a 15 minutes from the canal. Belle was off to London so Kiwi was left in the care of Tilly and Jeff whilst the Capt waved her off from the platform. Her departure left an empty hole, reminiscent of the separations when we were courting years ago.

We had a deadline to meet and a boat to return to Black Prince, so we were on our way again by 10.00 am, shortly after Sarah had passed us once more The weather was fine as we crossed the broad open tract of land leading to Middlewich, past various chemical and salt works. The geography changes little after Middlewich, with the next 9 miles passing endless flash lakes caused by the extraction of brine. Most of the length is on a slight embankment, built up at the land has settled down.

We passed the Anderton Boat Lift, which we would have loved to experience or at least look around, but time was against us and so we pressed on initially through the Barnton Tunnel and then the Saltersford. We stopped just after bridge 204 and spent a couple of hours tidying up the boat and then a spot of fishing before a meal and a DVD. The bed seemed very large without Belle.

Cheshire Ring - Congleton to Sandbach

Cheshire Ring - Congleton to Sandbach
16th August 2006
Macclesfield and Trent & Mersey Canal

14 Miles
27 Locks
9 Hours

Yesterdays thunderstorms cleared away leaving a glorious summer day for the descent of Heartbreak Hill. The final four miles to the Hall Green stop lock passed quickly and uneventfully and we soon found ourselves looking down into the orange water of the T&M from Pool Lock Aqueduct, a structure which is more impressive when viewed from below. Red Bull junction performs its curious circular descent, taking the canal back on itself using the first two locks to lose the necessary height.

As we emerged from lock three, a hire boat made a desperate dash to move off from the waterpoint before we passed, cutting it all so fine we had so apply reverse gear to avoid a collision. Things got interesting when they realised that Tilly had walked ahead and set the lock ready for our entry. I pointed out that it was our lock and after much muttering on their part I politely pointed out that it is very bad form to push into the stream just as another boat was about to pass. Result: more huffing and puffing.

As we descended the lock a self righteous plonker from said boat decided to come and remonstrate with me for criticising them, trying to justify themselves by claiming that they were merely trying to clear the water point for us - how thoughtful! But I has the last laugh. These locks are mostly duplicated so for the next eight I raised a top paddle on the parallel lock to fill the chamber for them before they arrived. It was very amusing to see the result of my "killing with kindness" policy.

By the time we reached the Wheelock flight proper a queue had build up at lock 55 involving 9 boats, which took and hour and a half to clear. Here we had time to catch up with Sarah (2 boats ahead) and avoid contact with Mr Pushy who was behind us.

Heartbreak Hill dragged on interminably, as it always does and we paused at Hassall Green for ice creams, provisions and to purchase a copy of Narrow Boat Planning by Graham Booth.

It was a relief to reach the bottom of the flight at 5.30, but Belle had an appointment In London the following day so we pressed on the bridge 160, near Sandbach and about 15 mins walk from the station. The mooring was very secluded and one which we will use again.

Cheshire Ring - Higher Poynton to Congleton

Cheshire Ring - Higher Poynton to Congleton
15th August 2006
Macclesfield Canal

17 Miles
12 Locks
8 Hours

Today we played tag with nb Sarah, who had been our companion since Manchester. Among her crew was a girl called Emma, who quickly became Tilly's new best friend. The girls swapped back and forth between the boats, ultimately settling for Sarah because of her superior DVD capabilities! At one stage we lost Tilly for over three hours, only to see her plodding up the towpath from the foot of the Bosley locks.

This section is the "Mac" at its best, with open countryside interspersed with small towns. It may be lock free in the main but it certainly isn't without interest. Bollington is passed high up on an embankment complete with aqueduct, providing excellent views of the area. The Middlewood Way also accompanies the canal, providing good walking and cycling potential for those that prefer to move under their own steam.
Next came Macclesfield, complete with the original Hovis Mill, with the hills rising up to our left. Finally we arrived at the top of the Bosley flight, overlooked by the impressive Jodrell Bank radio complex.

All 12 locks (if you exclude the stop lock at Red Bull) on the Macclesfield are grouped into the Bosely flight which drops the canal by 110 ft in about a mile. I decided to test Jeff's boat handling skills by awarding him points out of ten for each lock, with one point deducted for each bump, no matter how slight. He rose to the challenge and was dismayed when he did a double tap on the penultimate chamber, breaking his perfect record and resulting in a score of 118 out of 120. Not bad for a 12 year old and represents a record I am not sure I could achieve myself. This feat of navigation marked his boating coming of age and an acceptance that he really can be trusted at the helm.

Just before Congleton the canal takes a wide sweep to the north before arriving in the town amid a collection of embankments and cuttings. We moored at Congleton Wharf and tramped down the Dog Lane Aqueduct to the Wharf Inn, under an atrocious thunderstorm which soaked us to the skin. Both families shared a table and enjoyed the rather splendid ales offered by the CAMRA pub.

Cheshire Ring - Romiley to Higher Poynton

Cheshire Ring - Romiley to Higher Poynton
14th August 2006
Peak Forest Canal and Macclesfield Canals

16 Miles
16 Locks
9 Hours

It was a short run from Romiley, through the Hyde Bank Tunnel and onto the bottom of the spectacular Marple Flight. Running alongside Brabyns Park and then through Marple itself, this is unquestionably one of my favourite flights. The chambers are made of huge blocks of limestone brought down from Bugsworth basins with short, curved intervening pounds, all tucked away in groves of trees. There may be 16 of them but they are such a delight that they pass all too quickly.

During our passage there was a problem with the water levels in some of the short pounds and in one the level was nearly a metre down, rendering navigation almost impossible. Jeff became stuck mid channel and was only able to progress when a lock of water was run through under him. But I could only do this once because of the limited supplies in the next pound up.

After the Marple flight we made our way firstly to the Whaley Bridge terminus, filled with water and then went to explore the Bugsworth Basin complex. As we entered we saw much arm waving and there was nb Susan, who we had accompanied up the Rochdale and Ashton the previous day. We moored up alongside and sampled an excellent pint in the Navigation Inn, before taking a good look at the drained inner basin, and the remains of the inclined plane which once connected the Peak Forest Canal with the the Cromford via the High Peaks Tramway.

We were both completing the Cheshire Ring in 6 days, so we didn't spend the night there, though we would have liked to. Instead we returned to the junction at Marple and then moved down the Macclesfield past the impressive Goyt Mill. With evening approaching we pressed on past High Lane and into Higher Poynton, mooring just opposite the shallow flashes and near the excellent Braidbar Boats.

Cheshire Ring - Castlefield to Romily

Cheshire Ring - Castlefield to Romily
14th August 2006
Rochdale, Ashton and Peak Forest Canals

14 Miles
27 Locks
11 Hours

We had been strongly advised to stay in Castlefields for the night and given our late arrival we didn't have a choice. The mooring is surprisingly good for such a central location, and we awoke to the rattle of trains bringing commuters into Piccadilly Station on a fine and sunny Monday morning.

One hears dreadful stories of the Ashton Canal, with yobs running amok on and in boats so we decided on the tried and tested approach of sneaking past early in the morning, before they stir their adolescent a***s out of their beds. We were up with the larks and engaged with the first of the Rochdale Nine by six am. I may have been up but I wasn't really awake, and as a result dropped my first (and so far only) windlass into the lock. It slipped off the paddle gear, bounced off the balance beam, was nearly caught as it tumbled to the ground but took an unlucky bounce and slithered over the concrete and polp! straight into the cut.

Surprisingly, we weren't the first boat out. A "stealth" hire boat had beaten us to it was was already three locks ahead. The Ahab team is an awesome sight when we are moving in full flow and in spite of their efforts to keep ahead we kept making ground on them. Realising that our progress was unstoppable they slowed just below Bridgewater Hall and we continued up working the locks as a pair - which was much easier for all concerned.

The towpath around Canal Street is very obscure at times and as I was working the locks it fell to me to run around the streets and finding access points to the cut. Canal Street is interesting in the day but probably not to my taste at night, if the discarded syringes and prophylactics (used) were anything to go by! Jeff and Tilly are innocent little souls so we suggested that they take a break and manage the boat through this section!

After about 2.5 hours of effort we emerged blinking from the subterranean last lock and intro Ducie Wharf. The Rochdale continues on straight ahead, but we took a right under Ducie Street Bridge, which marks the start of the 7 mile Ashton Canal. This stretch parallels the inner city sections of the BCN, with the combined estates of Ancoats, Clayton and Audenshaw representing the danger zone, which until recently demanded a BW escort. But it was still early and as we ended up in front the the other boat, we set the pace , leaving a bottom sluice open behind us to ensure they could keep close astern. The area is clearly undergoing a massive regeneration, with the tower blocks giving way to the Manchester City Stadium and the National Cycling Centre. Posh flats are being built to the north of the canal, complete with a big new basin and repro drawbridge. It was only as we approached Clayton that the deprivation started to make itself felt, but we didn't see a single gathering of kids till Fairfield Junction, by which time it was too late for them to bother us.

The M60 marks a boundary and the inner city Manchester quickly falls away and is replaced by a much more pleasant Aston Under Lyme and Portland Basin. We were in need of supplies so we entered the bottom of the Huddersfield Narrow, passing under ASDA, which spans the canal and forms a long rectangular tunnel. Belle and Tilly were dropped off at the far end whilst Jeff and I carried on the the winding hole just below lock W1. The little used Huddersfield Narrow was enticing and was identified as a future route for a Wand'ring Bark adventure.

The afternoon was completed by the first 4 lockless miles of the Peak Forest Canal, winding along beside the River Tame, often surrounded by trees. It was immediately apparent that this is a narrow and shallow channel, with progress slowed to little over 2mph. We finally moored Romiley, nearly 12 hours after leaving Castlefield and dined on fish and chips purchased from a shop on the High Street. Jeff had another stab at fishing, but this time without success.

Cheshire Ring - Moore to Castlefield Manchester

Cheshire Ring - Moore to Castlefield Manchester
13th August 2006
Bridgewater

23 Miles
0 Locks
8 Hours

The Bridgewater slides along the southern bank of the Manchester Ship Canal, which can be glimpsed form time to time from the canal's lofty 83ft contour. The canal is popular with moorers and boats line the route for mile after mile, slowing progress but adding interest to this lockless waterway.

Shortly after passing under the M6's notorious Thelwell Viaduct (we were travelling faster than the traffic) we passed through Lymm, a pretty town which catered well for a provisioning trip. Then it was on through open country for about four miles before reaching Sale, the M60 and onto Waters Meeting, the arm (was the old main line) leading to the Barton Swing Aqueduct. The section from Sale gets progressively inner city, hemmed in with run down factories and wasteland. I have a liking for this sort of post industrial waterway, all lonely and seemingly unloved.

As we had reached Manchester in good time I convinced Belle that you really can't pass the Barton Swing Aqueduct by on account of it being on the seven wonders of the Waterways (an argument I have used on more than seven occasions!). The run out past the Trafford Centre was quiet in the extreme, with only a handful of fisherman to keep us company. The aqueduct offered fine views up and down the deserted MSC, and we turned in the Worsley Cruising Club's winding hole, returning for a second viewing of this extraordinary structure. With evening approaching we scurried back to the main Bridgewater Canal taking a left past Manchester United'sTrafford Park and the famous Throstle Bridge. We are expert canal football finders and it grieved us sorely that there was a prime MUFC ball in the scrub next to the stadium. Sadly, it was tantalisingly out of reach and had to be left behind.

After good views of Salford Quays we passed Pomona Lock, entry point to the Docks and the Irwell. Another backwater which will have to wait for another year. We finally approached Castlefield Junction in the gathering gloom and ate fish and chips to the accompanyment of skateboarders on the steps opposite. The whole area seemed like one big set from Cold Feet. After we had eaten Jeff and the Captn extracted their rods and did a spot of fishing under the railway viaduct arches. The memorable feature of this evening was Jeff catching his very first fish - it was only a tiddler but I wish I had a camera with me to capture the moment.

Castlefield offers a surprisingly secure and peaceful spot for an overnight stay.

Cheshire Ring - Bartington Wharf to Moore

Cheshire Ring - Bartington Wharf to Moore
12th August 2006
Trent & Mersey and Bridgewater

6 Miles
1 Lock
3 Hours

This is an account of an clockwise circuit of the Cheshire Ring in Black Prince's nb Kiwi. The trip had been booked long before we seriously thought about buying our own boat,and by the time we had we would have lost nearly £600 had we cancelled.

In addition, Wand'ring Bark needed some major internal alterations to accommodate two teenagers and the trip offered access to a relatively remote section, so we went ahead. However, it did seem rather perverse to be taking a hire boat out when our own craft was bobbing at her moorings a mere 80 miles away!

Kiwi was a good 6 berth boat, with a cabin each for Tilly and Jeff. We picked he up from Black Prince's Bartington Wharf base at the northern end of the Trent and Mersey and departed at about 3.00pm, after the necessary but rather frustrating hirer's briefing. In no time at all we were passing through the broad Dutton Stop Lock and making a mad dash to catch up with the short line of boats passing into the Preston Brook Tunnel - before the traffic lights turned red. We very nearly made it and were on the final approach when the colour changed. Never mind, we speeded up a bit and soon caught up with the last of the convoy, emerging long before the lights at the other end turned green.

Just beyond the M56 motorway the Bridgewater splits with the Runcorn Arm on the left and the Bridgewater on the right. We skipped the Runcorn arm - leaving it as a destination for a future trip, and pressed on through open farmland dotted with stands of trees. The canal is broad and deep allowing an easy passage.

We had no plans for a long journey on the first day, we just wanted to have travelled far enough to ensure we could reach Castlefield Basin in central Manchester on the Sunday evening. We therefore stopped at at Moore Bridge, which offers quiet and secluded moorings.

Honey - Whittington to Rugby

Whittington to Rugby
May 2006
Coventry Canal, Birmingham & Fazeley Canal, Oxford Canal (northern section)

40 Miles
14 Locks

2 Days

With Florida looming, we decided we would divide to conquer. Belle would stay at home packing and studying, leaving me to complete the trip with Tilly and Jeff.

On the Friday evening Belle returned us to Whittington, where Honey was moored all safe and sound (prayers of thanks).

We were off with the larks the following morning, up through the slow Goscote locks and then the long Atherstone flight.

Honey behaved herself and the two days passed in a blur, burrowing under the M62 and then the M6 before emerging in Ansty and on to Rugby.

As we approached Rugby we received a phone call from Mr Truth wondering where we were. We soon realised that we were about 200 years apart and that he had found a good mooring in a park, opposite Tesco. Crucially, it was close to a beefeater pub and the next phase was clearly a booze cruise!

Mrs Truth swapped husband and two cronies for the Captain plus children, dropping us off at home and the prospect of two weeks in America.

Honey did indeed make it to Little Venice and this time without significant mechanical mishap. I am advised that one crew member went for an unexpected swim near Whilton but the less said about that the better.

The return journey was again undertaken by Messrs Whately Snr and Jnr who reached Stone as the closest achievable point to the Tatton Festival. Her stern gland problem reared its head again on the return journey, and I paid her a quick visit at Tamworth with Mr Whateley to apply remedial treatment, and pump out the many gallons of water which had found its way into her bilges.

That was the last I saw of Honey. Her engine seized and extensive work was required at Stone boatyard. I think she has since been sold on to a friend of Mr Primrose so if you see a very scruffy springer, now painted British Racing Green, clock her location and let me know if she is still afloat.

Honey - Calf Heath to Whittington

Calf Heath to Whittington
May Shuttle 2006 - phase one
Staffs and Worcester Canal, Trent & Mersey Canal and Coventry Canal (detatched section)

31 Miles
17 Locks

Honey was off on her travels again, returning to serve as accommodation for the 2006 Chelsea Flower Fesitval. A relay team had been sorted out, organised by the Captain. The bulk of the trip south would be undertaken my Mt Truth, supported by a variety of friends and conscripts.

Due to a holiday to Florida, The Captian's contribution had to be limited to two weekend shuttle trips, getting Honey as far as Rugby before handing her over.

Phase one, Calf Heath to Whittington, was undertaken by The Captain and Belle, whilst both Tilly and Jeff were elsewhere, a rare weekend alone.

Saturday started with a two car trip to Whittington and a mooring identified during the previous year's hire boat (Conrcrake from ABC Leisure) Black Country Ring trip. The first day way ideal spring weather, bright and fresh, but with a nip in the evening air. We made our way down the Staffs and Worcester mooring up below Gt Haywood lock, eating in the nearby pub. The night was particularly memorable as we lay snuggled under our duvet with the stove chugging away beside us.

As we started to doze off Bell observed what a perfect day it had been and how much she had enjoyed it. I think her actual words were " I am amazed, I have found this absolutely lovely and Honey is a horrible boat (a bit harsh in my view but not that far wide of the mark in reality). If I like boating on Honey how much better would it be in a nice boat of our own". With that she fell asleep and my mind went into overdrive.

The next way was cold and blustery. We made our way through Armitage and Fradley Junction, turning down the disconnected part of the Coventry Canal passed Seethay wher we refilled with diesel. During this stage we talked about buying a boat, what it would cost and what would have to happen to make the dream a reality. We concluded that it would need an income uplift of £200 pm minimum and left it at that.

We made it to Whittington and our parked car by 3.00pm leaving Honey securely moored and sheeted down. I left her with a prayer for safety.