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!

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There is a new regime now for coming into and out of Liverpool and I have to say I think it is a lot better.  It removes a lot of the time pressures that existed when you had to rush from bridge to bridge and to the locks, also you used to have to leave Salthouse at 8 but now it is up to 9.30, much more civilised.

So a lovely sail out and then a glorious sunset as we finished up dinner.

As those of you who regularly look at my ramblings know, and I hope there are some out there, I do love a good sunset.

There has been no post processing on this shot, though I do have to admit it was slightly underexposed in order to enrich the colours, I hope you like it.

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We were supposed to be coming in yesterday but a hydraulic hose broke at one of the bridges. CRT were amazing and on a bank holiday Sunday the fitters came out and the specialist van to make up a new pipe. They got it all fixed and we passed through spending the evening at Litherland and then coming down Stanley flight at 10 this morning.

It was lovely run through the docks and into our mooring in Salthouse Docks.

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Canning Dock was built  1737 as an entrance sick to the now filled in Old Dock, this is under Liverpool one and can be visited.

Entrance to Albert dock is via Canning as is access to the two graving docks.

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As ever a great time in Salthouse with the added bonus of the steam festival satrting up. Some great steam trucks, steam engines and steam ships. Danny has an absolutely fab art deco interior designed for the directors of the Manchester Ship canal. Having been left to rot at Ellesmere port a group of enthusiasts have done a wonderful restoration job. With interiors copied from  photos and as much original kit used as possible.

Guests always love a go on the helm and this old salty seadog was no different, with a clear mastery as soon as his hand touched the helm. Coming in and out of Liverpool is such a great experience and now that Tobacco Warehouse is being restored that whole end of the dock will have a great lift.

Thanks, as ever to all the CRT guys and volunteers.

completed

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But also large, all be it short, boats

We are moored next to the 1910 wooden L&L short boat. It may have been horse drawn or may have been towed by a stem tug or boat. She was built in Wigan and took coal from Leigh to Liverpool, an honour to share berth space with her. Sunk and abandoned in Worsley she was rescued and taken to the Ellesmere port boat museum. She has been in a number of colour schemes over the years but her brightwork is currently National Coal Board. She was taken to Tiverton in Devon, I know so sad nowhere nearer home, to have a fabulous restoration/rebuild, she does look good.

Here she is giving some kids a nice outing in 1943, much fancier brightwork than the NCB one she now wears.

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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.

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.

Just look at the amazing tobacco warehouse in the background.

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