Castleford

Radiance M is moored across the canal from me.  It is undergoing restoration by the look of it but I was unable to find anything on its history from a quick search of the net.  However it does get a mention on flickr where there are some interesting pics of Castleford.

It is a busy area for commercial boats here with the full ones going upstream and after a few hours returning.

With Battlestone coming back again.

And Fossdale H going home.

Then Rix Owl making a trip upstream to the refinery.

A new one to see is the Heather Rose H.  It makes you wonder where all the ballast is being used and why so many lorries are on the road when these can carry so much more in one go.

I walked into Castleford to have a look for the building that was made out of bottle crates.  Sadly I didn't succeed but on the way passed over the River Aire and a view of the weir.  Last year the Millennium bridge was completed and check out the flickr page for a good pic of it. Plenty of water coming down and it isn't in flood.

One of the nice things that you see is the little touches made by some people to enhance the town.  This is a tableau made by a scrap dealer - OK Waste Recycler - I like it.

From the bridge you get a good view of Hargreaves with half a dozen of their tugs moored up.  More of their tubs are across from the entrance.

The only thing that seems to be happening here is the dismantling of one of the tubs.  I hope it isn't a sight of what is going to happen to the rest of them.

The other side of the bridge shows the start of the route for Friday and the continuing journey on towards Wakefield.  Past the flood lock the route is at a crossroads. Right to Leeds.  Straight on to Wakefield. Left down the river.  This is not to be recommended.

This is what will happen if you do decide to have a river trip into Castleford.

It was pointed out that it is not etiquette to fly the Red Dragon but while there are Pirates advertising their trade on the canal I will continue as a mild anarchist to give warning of being a grumpy Welshman :-)

Ferrybridge to Castleford

Its been a busy day for vessels plying their trade today. as I was about to leave the boat for a wander in Ferrybridge along comes Fusedale H full of ballast.  Plenty of movement of the boat from the wash even though they were going slow.

By the time I had got back to the boat ready to pick up the coal and in the middle of a downpour of snow Fossdale H goes into the lock.

Snow subsides and while in the lock we pick up the coal that the dealer had dropped for us on the side of the lock.  In the middle of it I heard over the VHF that there was a boat on its way so left the tidying away of the coal till later.  Out of the lock and shoot the centre of the Town bridge.

The AI bridge comes soon into sight and for most of the time after this there is plenty of bends and lots of trees. Very different from the views from Thorne.

After a while the old loading bays for the pans of coal that would be lifted out of the water and tipped into hoppers.  I am sure the last time I was here there was a load of pans waiting to unload.

After an hour or so keeping a very wary eye open for Fusedale H coming back from unloading the ballast it is bit of a relief to get to Bulholme Lock.  As you go into the lock mind the flow from the river entering from the left. An easy lock to use with the keeper directing you to the best side and we didn't even have to tie up with the flow pushing us into the lock side.

Within minutes of mooring up Fusedale H, riding high in the water, comes from the direction of Castleford.

Pollington to Ferrybridge

A couple of boats went past last night. Up early this morning to a bright and clear day.  Bit chilly though. Wandered up and over the lock. There was some ice on the mooring and with a quick skid I ended up with a wet leg.  That bloody canal was cold :-) 

Chris said that it was most likely Battlestone that went through yesterday.

The long term moorings are astern of us.  Tim has his wind genny up and it went around too.  All we need now is enough wind to spin it fast enough to generate juice for the battery.

On the way back I checked out the old swing bridge.  At the back of it is the working bits and pieces.  All handraulic and a place in the middle for the fiddle to sit while the crew does the winding.

Why does Sods Law say that at any point in time that you meet a large than usual narrowboat there is a kink in the canal that ensures that you have to take avoiding action. I didnt think his wheelhouse was going to get under the pipe bridge but at the last minute the wheelhouse ducked down.

It was actually the pusher Little Kirkby with a hydraulic bridge. I did touch bottom a couple of times as he took the water.

Quickly through Whiteley Lock and there has been a lot of work carried out here in the not too distant past.  Nice new moorings.

Bartholomew and Alan a' Dale are still at the Whiteley Bridge workings.  Not a lot going on there today though.

Into Knottingley and Ferrybridge.  A bit of care needs to be taken through here.  After the straights of the last few days the bends come fast and furious.  Good positioning is need to make sure that you can duck out of the way if you meet one of the big boys here.


Moored at Ferrybridge. There was only 120 foot of mooring left.  I can be fairly sure of that as Tim is nudging the boat astern and I am 6 inches from the BW boat ahead and a couple of feet between us.

Barnby Dunn to Pollington

The wind genny man came out early this morning and we are ready to go.  I am going on ahead as this will let Tim go astern to the water point.

I waited for his arrival at the first swing bridge which I opened and he closed behind me.

It was a steady trip up the New Junction.  Cold but at least it is not raining or snowing as it was earlier.

The last bridge and the foot bridge at the end of the Junction just visible on the horizon.

Lots of birds to be seen on the way up. A number of Herons and Crested Grebe.  The usual birds plus a Jay and a Cormorant - still no Shag. 

There is still plenty of excess water to be seen off the top of the aqueduct.

I came to the end and checked the canal to the left and there was nothing coming.  Checked to the right but there are a lot of trees in the way.  As I got right to the corner I spotted a large bow coming up.

Full astern and pulled in to the bank.  As I pulled in the ship gave a blast and indicated it was coming into the Junction. 

It was the Humber Princess that was coming.  I didn't know when I first saw the bows which way it was going and it was a lot closer than it looks on the pic.  Nearly squished by a Princess - again :-(

Within the next half mile the bows started to lift and around the corner came the Rix Owl.  I moved in to the bank but as the ship came closer the water level drops and the rocks that the bank is made out of look awfully close.  The Rix Owl slows down and the water level rises.

Reached Pollington and moored just before the lock.  


Another large vessel went passed after dark. Not sure which one but it was one whose name ended in stone.

Doncaster to Barnby Dunn

Three waves of rubbish came down the canal in the last couple of days.  Next to the very large builders bag you can see is a tree trunk that must be nearly 18 inches in diameter.  Several smaller trees went under the mooring and lodged in the corner behind the other boats.

Went into town this morning and bought a DAB radio as I do like Radio 7.  Most of the gear I am buying is either 12v or runs on batteries.  This radio however will plug into the 240v which I have on while running the engine but has an in-built battery charger.  Perfect.  While underway I have 240v on and put everything on charge so that the 12v doesn't have too big a drain on it when I moor up.

Once we were moving the first stop was at Long Sandal Lock.  Tim went ahead to open up and after ten minutes I went alongside.  There was a problem with the lock gates. They wouldn't open - well they would but just a tiny bit at a time.  The fault was with the water level indicator.  The gates can only be opened when the water levels are the same and the light comes on but in this case the light kept going out.  We got the gates open enough to squeeze in and I moored next to the Lock-keepers office to use the free phone.  The instructions said 'Lift the phone and  wait for the dial tone.  Then press the orange button and ask for Freephone Canals.  I would have done but the reply on pressing the button was 'The number you have dialled has not been recognized'  Bloody hell!!

Not far from the lock we moored up to pick up some firewood.  Got a load out and sawn up.  Filled all the boxes and some extra on the roof.  I then realised that I hadn't seen the cat since the Lock.  Went on a local cat hunt but he didn't turn up.  Well he doesn't rush back when he is wanted.  Had a cup of tea - still no cat.  So I walked the 3/4 of a mile back to the lock and whistled and called but was totally ignored but perhaps he is nack at the boat.  Went back and thought I will have to go back with the boat in the morning.  By 2000 I gave in and went for another walk to the lock and after whistling a few times there was a Meow from the lock-keepers house garden and up he comes.  You could see he was grumpy because he had been left behind.  Carried him back and he had corned beef for tea as a welcome home.  Little sod.  :-)

I slowed down as I went past the little church at Kirk Sandal.  Isn't it quaint.

Moored at Barnby Dunn to await a visit from the wind genny man to have a look at Tims genny.  After he arrived and had a look at it it was decided that it would be taken away and sorted out and brought back tomorrow - Monday.  So rather than have him chasing us around the system we moved to the otherside of the lift bridge for the night.

The Red Dragon Flies

At long last the Red dragon is flying on the Abigail Jenna.  I left it for a day so that it could be flown for Sues birthday.  Sue is ffredsmum so with a double 'f' she is an honorary Welsh person for today.

Wharf II came past the mooring this morning giving Nottingham a push so I guess that at least one of them is now running. While I got out of the boat to take the pic I saw - - - - -

Where the hell did that lot come from.  After about an hour it had all congregated around the bows and none of it was mine.

Another quiet day

First thing this morning the water moved for me :-) when the Humber Princess got the green light from the Doncaster Town Lock to enter.

Its raining so rather than go for a walk I cracked on in finishing Mal's postcard album.  Its all sewn up and the spine has had all the mull and paper glued on ready for the covers.

Cut the material to fit and glued on the greyboard spine.

Just needs the mull flaps to be glued in and the spine edges to be folded and I am nearly there.

That just leaves the filler paper and the end papers to be glued down and its finished.  Not as good as I would have liked but I wanted to mess with the original material as little as possible.