We left our moorings in time to reach Weston Marsh Lock, the gateway to the ship canal, at 8:00 am wen the BW lock keepers were due to work the lock for us. We were all on time. As we entered the lock there was quite a flow going through as if the bottom paddles were up, possibly to blow away flotsam from the exit. We were advised to follow the channel markers carefully on exit as there is a lot of shallow water elsewhere. The weather was unbroken sunshine but spoilt by a cold north easterly wind strong enough to raise white horses on the water. The first photo shows the lead boat just making the turn and the width of the canal here is evident. It was about 3 hours to the first lock. At first the canal hugs the bank of the Mersey and glimpsing this through the Weaver sluice we saw massive sandbanks as the tide was out. Our first real landmark was the Runcorn bridges at Runcorn Gap, shown here in the second photo.
Further on signs of the Mersey disappeared and the canal became a truly inland waterway marked by occasional swing bridges which of course we could pass under easily. After due time we saw our first lock ahead and one massive gate opening for us. On entry, the lock wals towered above and the idea was to get lines onto the side by tying our lines to a rope dropped down which was then hauled up and tied to abollards well back from the lock side. Narrowboaters are not fond of wnd. We cannot use it in most circumstances and it does funny things in locks, blowing off the windward wall when the lock is empty. This was the wall they wanted us on, a big mistake. No sooner had a bow line been obtained, the back had then blown out and the hieght of the lockside gave very little vector holding the boat in with the ropes nearly vertical. So chaos ensued. However, nce the sluices were opeed, the side flow stuck us on the wall. The locks are massive, of course, as this third photo shows.
Our experiences in the second lock proved even more exiting and certainly tested the patience of the lock supervisor. However, at the next twowe were allowed on the lee wall when only one boat needed to tie off, all the others rafting up to that, a result which was much faster and very stable. Soon after leaving the third lock we passed the Barton swing bridge which carries the Bridgewater Canal over the ship canal and over which we had cruised last year. Finally, now with the locking business cracked we found ourselves at Salford Quays. This vast complex of basins, now no longer used for trade, has been exploited for trend developments, shopping centres, hotels and commercial premises. The waterside is just there to look pretty apart from one basin used as a watersports centre, really a large outdoor swimmig pool as far a we could see. There is only provision for mooring two boats and we are rafted up in consequence. Given the access, either from the Ship Canal (£133) or Pomona Lock (£23 charge) this might be reasonable enough, but Bristol and Birmingham have shown there is another way and there is no doubt that having the boats about makes the waterfront much more attractive. The photo shows our moorings, one boat either side of the lifting bridge in the distance. A missed opportunity?
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