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Saturday 26 May 2018

Gargrave Saturday 26 May 2018

The day started much nicer than yesterday with sunshine, but it did cloud over badly at lunchtime threatening rain, but it never materialised. As well as sun we have had a very stiff breeze gusting over 30 mph..

We backed out of the Spring Branch around 10 am, there had been quite a bit of activity at the hire base opposite for some time. We didn't go far only through Brewery Bridge and then moored up to visit Morrison's. Just to the end of the visitor moorings there is a set of stares that lead straight down to the same road that Morrison's stands on.

We were very fortunate with all the bridges today only having to work one ourselves, the rest of the time we were able to follow someone else.

Once the shopping was packed away we were off again, this time behind a hire boat with 6 chaps onboard, this was especially handy as Gawflat swing bridge is a heavy one, shortly after this we met one of the fat trip boat on bit of a bend but no problem. We did have to work Niffany swing bridge and let the hire boat full of chap pass, but I was just able to keep up with them ready for the next. By now the wind had picked up and they had a great deal of trouble getting off the bridge moorings and through the bridge hole. When we arrived at Holme Bridge lock two boats had just gone into the lock and one was waiting below who we paired up with and it carried on like this all the way into Gargrave. The pound below Gargrave was very low and we had to wait for a broad beam boat to come down with no chance of getting close to the bank, but he got by.

Just as when we came down all the visitor moorings were full in Gargrave and we are moored somewhere near the bank just a short way below Anchor Lock near where we moored coming down. The problem is its a very rocky bottom and when the lock above is emptied we float over the rocks, when the lock below is filled we sit down on the rocks with a good list. It was just as well there was a stopper in the bottle of red wine that slid across the worktop landing on the floor.

Today's Journey map 385¼ miles, 3 locks in 3½ hours

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