On Thursday 4th we woke up to very low water in the basin ... Diane had rung up CART to let them know and they said they would send some more water through !
After brekky NB Moonshadow set off down the Rochdale 9, assisted by Ray on the first two locks and Paul, myself and Diane helped Dot and Gordon on the first of their two locks heading up the Rochdale canal. It was a hellishly windy day - not good in a Narrowboat ! Eventually we got Dot and Gordon moored into their marina at New Islington, where they would stay for a couple of days, and they came back with us to the basin to help us down the first of our two locks ...
As NB Moonshadow had already gone down we shared the, now double locks, with Ray and Diane (NB Ferndale). Dot and Gordon saw us off after two locks ... at which point the canal passes underneath an office block and you have to jump back in the boat for the duration !
After brekky NB Moonshadow set off down the Rochdale 9, assisted by Ray on the first two locks and Paul, myself and Diane helped Dot and Gordon on the first of their two locks heading up the Rochdale canal. It was a hellishly windy day - not good in a Narrowboat ! Eventually we got Dot and Gordon moored into their marina at New Islington, where they would stay for a couple of days, and they came back with us to the basin to help us down the first of our two locks ...
As NB Moonshadow had already gone down we shared the, now double locks, with Ray and Diane (NB Ferndale). Dot and Gordon saw us off after two locks ... at which point the canal passes underneath an office block and you have to jump back in the boat for the duration !
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| Freaky under-building canal! |
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| Ray and /Diane next to us |
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| Saying goodbye to Dot and Gordon |
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| Emerging the other side of the building ! |
On we go ...
Could it be that we are in the Gay village ?
Hmmm maybe ...
Through the buildings we go ... in the wind !
Very big buildings !
More ducky houses ...
Hilton apartment block on emerging through the canals ...
Dogs weren't too perturbed by the wind ...
Ray and I did the 'Rochdale 9' locks between us while Paul and Diane drove the boats through. I would have to say they were bloody awful ! Each lock was different in its make-up and degree of difficulty. Some of the towpaths, where they were present, were littered with cigarette butts and syringes - really not a great area. Some lock gates were the normal bum-opening type but some were opened via a chain / winding apparatus - amazing mechanisms in themselves but some were pretty tricky !
We eventually reached Castlefield basin, which was a lovely area (pics in next blog entry). I have to say I was 'done for' that day ... when we moored up the chap in the boat next to us asked me if we had just done the Rochdale 9. When I asked why, he said I had that 'look' about my face ... hmmm !
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