SO HERE WE ARE ON THE Lancaster Canal at last.
And a shock on our first day on the waterway as we only saw two boats actually cruising all day—it was deserted!
But a blessing was that there was none of the many moored boats along the way that we get on our usual canals causing our forever changing our rate of knots. Then we discovered why—it was a 'V' shaped cut and mooring anywhere but the designated moorings was a bind, as we found.
And even that required the gangplank as can be seen!
That time it taking four attempts at getting near the bank, so the obvious reason for the gangplank on the boat's roof.
Beth, our Rhodesian Ridgeback, just did not know what to make of it so ended up, as usual, jumping it.
It was way back 26 years ago when we last needed the use of a plank, in the early days of the restoration of the Kennet & Avon Canal, when even some locks were devoid of moorings and so a plank was often necessary.
Glasson Branch
Then moving on to the official moorings above the Glasson Branch, the first attempt still had the boat grounded! But eventually managed a bit more depth so were able to stay the night.
So of course we had to investigate the Glasson Locks that go down to the basin as one had been closed for weeks waiting for a paddle assembly to arrive from abroad.
Then seeing the paddle assembly we could see why, as we have never in all the locks we have worked seen anything like it, with our log now telling 6,918 locks.
Here's our picture, showing a hefty handle (hanging down) winding the the assembly along a rack, and moving the wooden planks that were obviously opening or closing some sort of paddle. We gave it a miss!
Lancaster
Then it was a night at Lancaster, during the day seeing only a single boat on the move then during early night one plastic job hurtling part at a hefty rate of knots, but strangely having no effect on our boat whatsoever.
Again there was plenty of choice of mooring, right near the shops, that was very handy.
But alas no supermarket to be found other than Marks & Sparks, but just local variations of the main supermarkets.
Alas it was somewhat noisy staying there overnight, as a university town with the pubs rather rowdy, even being able to hear them inside and the outside seating customers creating the hell of a racket. The best advice would be to join 'em, or give Lancaster a miss, that we will certainly do on the way back.
Most unusual
The Lancaster Canal is quite wide with many lake-like features as can be seen in the picture, and nearly all is in attractive countryside with not too many overgrown hedges as we saw when we last did the Shroppie.
Had a meal at the Royal, at Bolton-le-Sands that was somewhat expensive, but good and the service first class.
Then something most unusual—we could see the sea, Morecambe Bay no less!
Not many canals can boast of that. We have never managed it before from a canal. Alas not tempted to a paddle. We first noticed the sea at Hest Bank then you could see more of it when we reached Bolton-le-Sands.
Again we discovered moorings for the night with a hinged aluminium ledge to allowed the mooring to move up and down as on a tidal river! That we could not understand, until realising it was a water taxi stop so the hinged part would be for the aid of wheelchairs.
Except for these moorings all the others were a menace, as time and time we attempted to get into the side, but eventually had to resort to the gangplank.
Not too much happening I'm afraid, so that's it until next time.
Victor Swift—telling tales for 26 years
The site is closed until 12th May, as obviously cruising.