Leeds Liverpool canal Archives

Lady Teal Takes a detour!

Craning out at Reedley Marina

Lady Teal Crosses the Leeds Liverpool

Lady Teal has had a few interesting days on the Leeds Liverpool Canal.

The canal at Burnley, between Reedley Marina and Wigan, has a closure that is overrunning by a number of months. Instead of re-opening in March the canal will now re-open at the end of May. Normally we would look to reroute cruises and then make our way through the re-opened canal and catch up our schedule. But in this case the closure is so long, so disruptive to our schedule and only on one section that we decided to see if there were alternatives. We came up with the idea of lifting the boat out of the water and taking it to Liverpool where we could get it cradled back in.
Seems a straightforward thing to do? When you are trying to lift a 42 Tonne boat the options on where you can lift out and in are very very limited. We need a 220 Tonne crane that comes with two support vehicles, one carrying 80 Tonnes of balance weights and one a small crane to lift the pads. We also need a very large lorry to transport Lady Teal. In order to do achieve the lift we also need very solid ground very close to the canal and a crane company experienced in this sort of work so as not to damage either the ground or, more importantly, the boat. This really does limit where it can be done as the area the crane passes over cannot have drains that could be collapsed by the very large weights involved. Whilst lifting the boat the total weight will be approaching 200 Tonnes.
With some looking around we decided to go with Ray Bowern transport for a contracted lift and transport, they do a lot of boat lifts so know what is needed to successful.
Night before we were due to lift some ~@}{@~ gentlemen decided to take a JCB and destroy a bridge control unit just outside Liverpool , BBC Article , CRT initially thought it would be weeks to fix! But they pulled through and have figured a way to manually operate the bridge a couple of days a week till it can be fixed. CRT were brilliant in keeping us informed, but it was all a bit worrying.
Well we are now in Liverpool about to start our series of cruises down here with minimal disruption and change to our guests. This sort of excitement, and cost we could do without. Though one of our guests had the unusual privilege of starting her cruise in Leeds and ending it in Liverpool!

Showers, Mud, wildlife and a good time on Lady Teal

Well a real mixed day today, we had some heavy showers and a very muddy tow path. In previous years we have been in shorts and t-shirts in April.

A bit muddy at the Leeds Liverpool Water Point

But that was all made up for with the 20 minutes watching a Barn Owl hunt in a field. How amazing, I have never watched one for so long. It swooped silently over the field, sorry too far away for pictures. I then moved on with the boat but the guests stayed to watch it land, presumably having caught something. This really is one of the magic things about this job, we get to see fabulous wildlife.

Then a bit further up the canal there were two mad March Hares on the tow path, once again too far and too quick to picture, but really lovely to see.

Certainly lots of water around in the canal, roll on tomorrows sunshine!

Leeds Liverpool Muddy Boots

Another day on the Leeds & Liverpool

We set off form lovely Reedley marina yesterday and after making our way up Barrowford locks we we headed fro the tunnel. Unfortunately we picked up a tent up on our prop on the approach for the tunnel so went through on the 2.30. It really is a lovely sight through the tunnel, about 1 mile long and pretty straight, you have to marvel at the guys who built it.

Then on toward our lovely overnight mooring, photo below and video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OutCNzF999w

Lady Teal going into Greenberfield bottom lock, Leeds & Liverpool canal

Mooring bottom of Greenberfield Locks

Goodbye to Liverpool

Well its goodbye to Liverpool for another year. We do so enjoy the run in and our time in Salthouse.

Albert dock is so impressive, one of the first truly fireproof warehouses with no wood being used. They still had to have a hit squad fire team as stored items could catch fire but it could not spread to the warehouse with its stone and brick floors, metal window frames and cast iron columns, they wanted granite but it was too expensive.

Lady Teal Leaving Albert Dock Liverpool

Passing out of Salthouse Dock its through Albert, into Mann Island Lock then through the Pier head tunnels past the three graces before going through Princess Lock and round the corner past the Titanic hotel, in the old rum warehouse, past Tobacco warehouse and up the Stanley flight locks back onto the Leeds Liverpool.

Stanley flight from Liverpool docks to Leeds Liverpool canal

Just look at the amazing tobacco warehouse in the background.

Skipton and Gargrave

A lovely run up through Skipton, fuel at Pennine cruisers, always seem to have it and at a fair price, not true of all marinas.

The Aire valley was a little windy, it can be relly bad, the swing bridges are protected to stop you being blown into them. We love the Leeds Liverpool.

Up above Holme lock there is a great little stable block and the old register house, unfortunately in a state of collapse now, 4 years ago it was pretty much complete, shouldn’t CRT heritage be saving things like that not just fussing over things others do?

A neat little aqueduct and then up through Gargrave a pleasant dales village, then off the other side heading to Bank Newton locks, more of them tomorrow.

A lovely sunset, OK I stopped this down a lot for effect, but I think its pretty cool.

View from by Scarland Lock near Gargrave Leeds & Liverpool canal