Monday 17 August 2015

Lock jumping

 

IMG_3899After a night at Radford bank we pulled pins at 08.10 . The reeds are starting to take over in certain places on this canal and its only the constant movement of boats that keep the navigation open.

IMG_3916Another good boat name.

IMG_3851With contractors cutting the grass there seems to be more in the canal than there is on the towpath.

IMG_3940With me on lock wheeling duty Carolyn expertly steers Inca into the lock.

IMG_3920The art of lock jumping. Carolyn still can not bring herself to jump across the gates on a single canal. Its only a few feet to jump across ,but because it can be more than 12 feet up in the air it sort of puts people off doing it. I have even measured it out and Carolyn can easily jump it on level ground, but its just not having the confidence to jump between the gates…Maybe one day !

IMG_3926Arriving at Penkridge and it can be so hard sometimes to pass a good looking watering hole. After using the services above the lock we moored up and then Carolyn and Curly went to Penkridge market which according to the expert shoppers is very good and well worth a visit.

IMG_3935After the Girls had their shopping fix we left Penkridge and headed to a mooring we have used before which is above Boggs lock at Gailey. After a night here we will have a 4 or 5 hour cruise and then hopefully get onto The Shropshire Union Canal.

                                                                                                   Happy Days

2 comments:

  1. Gary, I cannot watch David doing that step across the lock gates and seeing the photo of you doing it gave me the shivers! I will never do it, even if I can step that far on dry land and that is unlikely given I am rather short!
    Look out for the replica working boat Unknown No 3, from the Arch Stanton Canal Carrying Company. Owned by good friends of ours. If you are a Good, Bad and Ugly film fan, you will recognise the references in the boat name.
    Cheers, Marilyn

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    1. Hi Marilyn , they are not all easy to jump . I just couldn't jump the ones on the Aylesbury arm and had to walk around. We will look out for that boat on our travels ...

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