Today's photographs are of a few of the 328 locks that we traversed in 2018.
CONSUMABLES
Craftmaster carnauba wax 500ml 17-95
Bathroom sealant 6-70
2 x cup hooks 40
electric drill chuck key 1-54
Zeebrite stove blacking 6-90
2 x 5 lt 15/40w oil @ £15-50 31-00
2 trowel @ 75p toilet brush @40p 1-90
K99 stern gland grease 3-20
Craftmaster 2 x canauba wax 2 x wash 70-00
TOTAL 139-59
Having spent a lot of money on having the boat repainted I felt I should try to ensure that it stayed looking good. Whilst not by nature a boat, or car washer/polisher I had taken advice from the painters regarding washing it. This involved a splash every now and then and giving it a good waxing at the end of the year, when the paint had fully hardened. I had used different polishes previously and wasn't very happy with them. I thought I would give Craftmaster Carnauba wax a go. There was a mix up in my order on line and it took a bit of chasing up. When it arrived they had sent a bottle of their Wash and Go in (with carnauba wax) as an apology. I tried both and was very impressed with the finish and the ease of application. As you can see I purchased more and it should be easily enough to last another year or more. I hadn't realisd before that the thing that gives the shine to M and M's etc is sometimes carnauba wax, also known as E903! It is from the coating of a palm leaf that is extruded by the plant to conserve water from the leaves. The leaves are harvested and when dried the way cracks off the leaves and is collected and refined. The palm is only grown in NE Brazil. As well as confection, and as plish it is used in paper making, cosmetics, plastic explosives, surfboard wax and plastic injection moulding (to prevent sticking to the moulds). Who knew!!
We have an Airhead composting loo and they need digging out occasionally and to facilitate this I wanted a trowel and brush. I wont go into the details, but these purchases made life easier as my previous ones had become worn out. The second trowel was for the little bit of gardening that is done on the boat. T
The chuck key was as I had left it at home and needed to use the drill. Yes, I know, how old fashioned needing a chuck key. I have had the drill nearly thirty years. A Black and Decker special! The plastic round the wire is now cracking. Father Christmas was generous and I now have a nice rechargeable Bosch hand drill. I never thought I would aspire to a Bosch drill.
The rest of the purchases are fairly standard. I had purchased enough filters the previous year for an oil change etc, and always have some oil aboard so didn't need the full set this year.
We passed down the Rufford Arm of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal to cross over the Ribble Link for our first visit to the Lancaster canal. This is the lock from the Rufford Arm down into the River Douglas to take us to the River Ribble. You can see that the locks have double doors, the outer pointing out to prevent the river pushing the gates open on a spring tide, and the inner gates to secure the level in the canal.
The Ribble Ling, once having left the Ribble follows the Savick Brook that has been deepened and locked until the top staircase lock. The bend is very tight so longer boats reverse up the new locks. The sculpture is called the 'Canal Builders' and was added in 2014 and replaced the 'Gauging the Ribble' statue that had been unofficially christened 'The Ribble Piddler'!
This is the unusual lock gear on the Glasson Branch. There are similar ones on the Leeds Liverpool, but these have the windlass attached. This Branch was closed later in the year due to a lack of water during the lovely, but dry summer we had.
Not strictly a look as this is just a rotating gate that protects the Savick Brook from flooding by the rising Ribble tide. The tide is rising as we pass and we are hardly moving as the water flows against us as we pass through. We were earlier enough to pass through the Douglas Lock on the level and back on to the Rufford Arm. Those behind us had the gates shut on them and they had to pen up in the normal way.
This is Brunswick Lock, the most northern on the surviving Liverpool Dock system. It has quadrant gates and is normally used by yachts and cruisers. We had come back into Liverpool to make the crossing over to Eastham, and this was out first glimpse of the Mersey from 'Holderness'.
The crossing of the Mersey went well and after a bit of a wait for shipping we were called into Eastham Lock, the largest we have been in, and probably never go through a larger one either. It is 800' x 80' and we had it all to ourselves.
Although deep I enjoy the Northgate triple staircase locks at Chester as their setting is fantastic. Cut through sandstone at the foot of the city's Roman Walls they are lovely. It is not always easy to get the levels right in the locks, especially when half the paddles aren't working.
We had a lovely visit to the Montgomery Canal and here we are just heading back to the hurly burly of the Llangollen Canal at Frankton Junction staircase locks, after the peace and quiet of the Montgomery.
A set of locks that could be thought of as a staircase, but isn't, is Bratch Locks on the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal. Another place in a lovely setting and with plenty of visitors to watch to see if you do it properly.
Stourton Junction marks the point where the four locks take the Stourbridge Canal up from the Staffs and Worcester Canal and head for the industrial Midlands. Again a nice peaceful setting.
I expect that most boaters like the Farmers Bridge Locks as they are well maintained and easily worked with them all with in easy walking distance, and plenty of things going on to stop one getting bored. No.1 daughter gave us a had when she stayed with us for a week's holiday!?
She was still aboard to assist as we descended the 21 Hatton Locks. We shared with a hire boat with some teenagers that were still full of energy at the bottom too.
CONSUMABLES
Craftmaster carnauba wax 500ml 17-95
Bathroom sealant 6-70
2 x cup hooks 40
electric drill chuck key 1-54
Zeebrite stove blacking 6-90
2 x 5 lt 15/40w oil @ £15-50 31-00
2 trowel @ 75p toilet brush @40p 1-90
K99 stern gland grease 3-20
Craftmaster 2 x canauba wax 2 x wash 70-00
TOTAL 139-59
Having spent a lot of money on having the boat repainted I felt I should try to ensure that it stayed looking good. Whilst not by nature a boat, or car washer/polisher I had taken advice from the painters regarding washing it. This involved a splash every now and then and giving it a good waxing at the end of the year, when the paint had fully hardened. I had used different polishes previously and wasn't very happy with them. I thought I would give Craftmaster Carnauba wax a go. There was a mix up in my order on line and it took a bit of chasing up. When it arrived they had sent a bottle of their Wash and Go in (with carnauba wax) as an apology. I tried both and was very impressed with the finish and the ease of application. As you can see I purchased more and it should be easily enough to last another year or more. I hadn't realisd before that the thing that gives the shine to M and M's etc is sometimes carnauba wax, also known as E903! It is from the coating of a palm leaf that is extruded by the plant to conserve water from the leaves. The leaves are harvested and when dried the way cracks off the leaves and is collected and refined. The palm is only grown in NE Brazil. As well as confection, and as plish it is used in paper making, cosmetics, plastic explosives, surfboard wax and plastic injection moulding (to prevent sticking to the moulds). Who knew!!
We have an Airhead composting loo and they need digging out occasionally and to facilitate this I wanted a trowel and brush. I wont go into the details, but these purchases made life easier as my previous ones had become worn out. The second trowel was for the little bit of gardening that is done on the boat. T
The chuck key was as I had left it at home and needed to use the drill. Yes, I know, how old fashioned needing a chuck key. I have had the drill nearly thirty years. A Black and Decker special! The plastic round the wire is now cracking. Father Christmas was generous and I now have a nice rechargeable Bosch hand drill. I never thought I would aspire to a Bosch drill.
The rest of the purchases are fairly standard. I had purchased enough filters the previous year for an oil change etc, and always have some oil aboard so didn't need the full set this year.
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