First Narrow Boat Trip (Day Three) – 14 October 2012

Yet another icy night (and a bought of heartburn that I'll not soon forget!) I awoke to ground frost (and more sunshine). The shower warmed me up again but I couldn't eat my breakfast or have my morning tea due to the residual effect of the heartburn from the night before (that lasted about four days!).

My icicle-clad boatmate drug herself out of bed soon afterward. I had to embrace the cold morning and got out my camera to start taking photos of the mist hanging over the hills and the water on the canal. There were a couple of swans that were biting the frost off the side of the boat (not sure what that was all about). I was very careful on the outside surfaces of the boat as I'd slipped the morning before. I really didn't want to be dropped into the icy waters of the canal, whether or not I could just stand up and walk out! I operated the bilge pump and turned the lever to lubricate the engine. As long as I wasn't eating or drinking anything hot (I could drink water), I was all right. But the minute I tried to swallow, it felt as though I was being stabbed in the chest. Either I had burned the inside of my esophagus or someone had a voodoo doll and was going to work!

We set off a little later that morning (the day before was a long one) but we were soon on our way. We untied our moorings and headed back the way we came. We had one lock that morning and a series of swing bridges to work on the way back to the boatyard. As I expected, it all looked different on the way back.

Our last lock for this trip lay ahead of us. There were two boats in front that were just about to go downhill as we approached. We moored up and I waited for them to leave the lock (their workers closed the bottom gates, thankfully!). I began to fill the lock with water (this was a deep one!) and as I was working the cill paddles, the handle swung round quickly and hit my camera (which was hanging around my neck). I heard a "crack!" and when I had a free hand, I saw that the preview screen had been hit and was pretty badly damaged. Thankfully, it didn't break the camera workings themselves, so I can still use the camera!

Frustrated, I continued to work the lock and tried to do very rudimentary sign language to tell my boatmate what had happened. Eventually, the lock was level and I opened the gate to let the boat in. It took nearly as long to empty the lock, but luckily there was a family wanting to come up the lock, so we were able to leave the gate open to allow them access. They were blocking the only bit of mooring so my poor boatmate had to reverse the boat to let me get back on board.

There was a nice long stretch of canal before the first swing bridge and I relieved my boatmate and took over the tiller. It was very quiet, not many people, lots of wildlife, and the sun was shining. I could feel it burning my skin (I came home with a pink face!). I love October in Britain!

If you recall, I mentioned before that if you pass another boat too quickly, you can take their water. During this nice peaceful stretch of water, I noticed a boat coming toward us. At first, they were going to pass us on the wrong side, but I waved them over to the correct side (you're to pass a boat port to port - or left-side to left-side). They never slowed down and as they passed us, pulled the boat toward them and I could hear us scraping the bottom. Very annoying.

We arrived at the first two swing bridges and I stayed on the boat while my boatmate worked them. We traded again and then she took the boat into Skipton.

The first swing bridge in the town, we had to wait in line for. Instead of holding the bridge open, they closed it and continued on their way, leaving me to hold foot traffic to open it again. Once the boat was able to go through, I started to close the bridge and a man started walking on it before it was completely shut (which also made it more difficult for me to close it under his weight and movement on the bridge). I must say I mumbled under my breath as the bloke went by! Finally, I was able to close it and chain it back up before going to get back on the boat.

Boats moor on both sides of the canal in town and maneuvering a few-ton steel death machine through them is challenging to say the very least. (Okay, not a death machine but it is very tricky when you're not used to it!) We came upon the mechanical bridge and I worked that one, too. I pushed the button to close the gates before moving the bridge and people shot under them to go across. I opened the bridge and let the boat through, then closed it again, having the same challenges as before (impatient people!). Stupid people are everywhere, it seems.

I managed to get back onto the boat and we moored up on the south side of town to have our lunch (which I couldn't eat because of the voodoo doll again). It was still quite early and we knew we weren't far from the boatyard. We made a decision to get to the boatyard before they shut and go home that night to avoid another freezing night on the boat. We hurriedly packed our stuff and got ready to set off again for the last time.

While we were lunching, a HUGE barge went past us but hardly moved the boat, unlike the earlier boat that stole our water as they passed too quickly. This one seemed like a skyscraper going past us, it was that big! They asked permission to use our boat to hop onto the towpath and we granted it. Thinking about it, I should have charged a toll! =)

We untied the moorings and headed off to the boatyard. A few more swing bridges (two of which were opened for us from boats going past) and some beautiful original arched stone bridges, we pulled into the boatyard. With a little verbal instruction and rope charming from the handler, I pulled that baby right in and it was time to go.

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Final Thoughts

Just like my first trip to Scotland way back in 1998, this won't be my last narrow boat trip. I want to get the hubby and the boys on the next one and let them experience this amazing part of the world that so many of us have forgotten actually exists (or never knew about in the first place).

I cruised a very small section of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal on a narrow boat, working swing bridges and locks, and mooring up on the towpath. I saw countryside you don't see from the road - and if you did see it, it would be a blur from the car or the train. They say that narrowboating is the fastest way to slow down. It's such an accurate statement. You do slow down and as soon as you're in a car again, it feels very strange to be moving that fast. There were times when I was walking faster than the boat was cruising!

It is an unforgettable experience and one I think everyone should do at least once. But if you're like me, you'll get it in your blood and long to be back on the waterways!

What did I learn?

• Gloves are a must (I used garden gloves, which were easy to slip on and off and still allowed my hands to breathe)
• Sleeping bags and hot water bottles in the autumn would be a good idea
• Dress in layers (as you should for any outdoor activity in this country!)
• Don't drink enough on the second night to cause yourself to have heartburn that burns your esophagus causing you not to be able to eat or drink the following day (it puts you in a bad mood)
• Don't be afraid to slow down, don't get in a hurry, and enjoy the pace of life as it passes you by for a few days on the cut!

First Narrow Boat Trip (Day Two) – 13 October 2012

After a very cold night, I woke up to my alarm - this was going to be the Day of the Locks. I tried to be as quiet as possible so I wouldn't awake my boatmate but turns out she was already awake and just staying in bed because the air inside the boat was icy!

I took a shower (and I should say that the water pressure was excellent), which warmed me right up and made some tea and porridge. That would be a good plan as it would "stick" to my ribs during the day while I was working away. Once my boatmate was up and had her shower and breakfast, we walked up to the next lock so she could show me what to do (she had gotten the training the day before while I did the part in the boat).

For my non-boaters, a lock is an ingenious way of moving up or down hill on the waterway. If you're going up (as we were on this morning), you must make sure that the cill paddles and gate paddles on the uphill gates are closed and that all the water is drained out of the lock to match the water levels on the lower level before the lock gates can be opened to allow the boat to enter. These gates weigh around a ton, but because they were designed for one person to operate them, there are balance beams that you use to push them open and closed. It's nearly impossible to move them even if there is an inch of difference in the water levels on both sides of the gates - but very easy and simple to move once the water levels are the same.

When the boat is safely inside the lock, the gate is closed and then the cill paddles are opened to begin filling the lock with water. The cill paddles are below the water level, which keep the boat from moving around a lot inside the lock. Once the lock is about half-full, then the gate paddles are opened, which continue to fill the lock and make the boat level with the uphill water for the next leg of the journey. (I hope I explained that well enough!) You must remember to close all the paddles and gates after leaving the lock to assure the next boat (whether going up or downhill) can start from scratch to utilize the lock. And remember, these were designed over 200 years ago!

There didn't seem to be a cill paddle, so I phoned the boatyard to ask. Turns out, they didn't know either! So we winged it until some very nice boaters came along and showed us it was a lever-lift! Yikes! Once the level lift was open and the gate paddles opened, the lock filled more quickly and we were on the higher level before long. There were two boats wanting to go downhill, so once the gate was open and my boatmate was able to steer the boat out of the lock, the other boaters told us to leave them as they were wanting to just go straight in.

Next lock and I was able to do this one on my own (which was good as there was no one else around!) while my boatmate handled the boat with a skill she must have been born with! That one was harder work as the gate paddles were hard to work and the lock gate was very difficult to move. They would get easier the further we moved on.

As I worked the locks and jumped on and off the boat, I was getting very warm (the sun was shining that day) so I ditched my jacket and was just in my t-shirt. I wasn't cold at all! The further we got away from Gargrave, the more rural we were getting - farmland, trees (which were all shades of beautiful autumn colours), fewer and fewer people.

Another narrow boat pulled out from a mooring ahead of us. They were moving slightly faster than we were but I hoped that they'd hold up at the next lock to let us go through with them. NB Eric was waiting for us around the next bend at the third lock of the day. I jumped off the boat and walked up to assist the boater's wife work the locks. We worked the next four together and shared the locks going uphill nearly to the next town. The conversation was very interesting and I learned a lot about the couple (we never exchanged names for some reason). They live in Leeds and had just purchased their boat about two years ago. They're both retired and enjoy spending time on the canals. They have cruised about three or four months in all so far this year and were on their last big cruise before "winterizing" their narrow boat.

After the sixth lock of the day, we stopped just short of the next flight of seven locks and had our lunch and tea. I took a walk around noticing that the towpath seemed to just stop. Apparently, it crosses the next bridge after the aquaduct (a canal bridge over a river or a valley) and continues on the other side.

We made a decision not to continue on through the next set of locks. Our plan was to moor at the boatyard on Sunday night and we didn't want to take any chances on these shorter October days to miss that opportunity. After our lunch, my boatmate (again, quite skillfully) turned the boat and we headed back down the way we had just come that morning.

I'll say now, without a doubt, going down is much, much easier than going up! The problem we had going up was that the centre line, which we really needed to keep the boat from flopping around inside the locks (unless we were sharing) was difficult to get topside from a deep lock. Going downhill, on the other hand, the boat was level with the towpath and could easily be handed over to the lock-working person to wrap round the bollard to keep the boat steady.

The only real challenge is to keep the boat from being too close to the cill (it's a ledge-like area that can catch a boat and tip it when the water empties from the lock) as well as enough clearance for the gates to open on the other side, once the lock is emptied.

We had a lot of folk who were on walks that stopped and watched us. I understand that the boating community calls them gongoozlers (of which I used to be myself!). We were stars of photos and videos and kids asking questions.

Eventually, we made it back to Gargrave with plenty of time to moor up and watch the sun set, finish a movie we started watching when we moored up for lunch (Charlie St Cloud, for those who are interested - very good movie, by the way!), and have a glass or two of wine before wandering into town for dinner.

It was hard work but it didn't feel like hard work. It was something I expected and something I'll never forget. Incidentally, the day before, my boatmate met a couple while she was working on of the swing bridges, that told her they had also hired a boat. When they arrived at the first lock, they turned around and went back the other way because they were scared of it and no one was there to show them what to do. First of all, shame on that hire company for not giving them direction on what to do - it can be dangerous for someone without the proper tuition. Second, I'm very proud of my boatmate, who conquered her fears of heights and pushed through doubts she had to continue on the journey on the Day of the Locks!

First Narrow Boat Trip – 12 October 2012

I think I must start this with a bit of background on myself and why I wanted to do this so very much.

I was born in the USA in the land-locked state of Arkansas. I lived all my childhood and a good deal (so far) of my adult life in Arkansas and not really near water (with the exception of the Arkansas River, which I rarely spent time around). The funny thing is, I've always been drawn to the water. I was 25 years old before I ever laid eyes on the sea (my first glimpse, the Gulf of Mexico). When I moved to Scotland, we lived sort-of near the water but now where we are living, we can be by the seaside in less than a minute’s walk.

In 2000, I came for a visit to the UK, starting out in Manchester. I took a short train journey to Chester to visit and walk the walls of the city. When I was on the train, a lovely couple (who I'm still in touch with) pointed out that I needed to walk from the train station by the canal. So I did. I don’t remember ever reading or studying about the canals here in the UK while I was in school. I was fascinated. I also saw a narrow boat for the first time that day. I asked someone passing by what they were, and instead of treating me like an imbecile, he explained how they used to work the canals and that nowadays they were mainly for living on and holiday makers. That was it – I wanted to get on one as soon as possible.

Many times over the years (in the USA) I tried to put together trips to come over and go on one of the canals and things just never worked out.

Fast forward to 2012: After a discussion with a colleague at work, we put a plan in motion to do a trip in October. We chose the route, a boatyard, a beautiful narrow boat, and before long, we found ourselves loading our belongings onto NB Sweet Basil just outside Skipton (in North Yorkshire) on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal.

Neither one of us had ever been on a narrow boat before. It was something both of us wanted to do for a very long time and here we were – unpacking and getting ready to set off.

The boat was a wee bit bigger on the inside than I had expected. Still quite tight for space, we actually did find a place for everything. We completely unpacked and we waited for our tuition (they had a couple on another boat in front of us).  Andrew boarded the boat and showed us around, how to turn on the engine, run the bilge pump, told us we needed to run the boat at least six hours a day in order to keep the batteries charged, told us about how to keep the engine lubricated by turning a dial clockwise a few times every morning before setting off, and explained how to steer and stop the boat. That was it. When we set off, we were on our own.

He talked us through turning the boat around (we were going West towards Liverpool and the boat was pointing towards Leeds!) and we were off! It did take a few minutes to get the feel of moving the boat the way I wanted it to go and even longer before I felt comfortable leaning against the railing on the stern. I made it through the first of many of the original 18^th century arched bridges and to our first swing bridge. This was a trial – we didn't use the centre line (three ropes, one on the bow, one on the stern, one in the centre) but there was a nice lady who was walking her dog past us. She suggested we use it by keeping it within reach of the stern (for non-boaters, stern=rear of the boat) and helped us by giving us suggestions to temporarily moor the boat while the other one was working the swing bridge.

I feel I have to explain a little to non-boaters here. Swing bridges are usually just foot bridges but you get some that are also for cars. This particular one was just for pedestrians. It’s an easy way to put a bridge over the canal without a huge level of construction to arch it so high that it would be unusable for strollers and wheelchairs, so they make it swing to one side so boats can also get through. Some are mechanical, some are manual. All the ones we worked were manual, although one in Skipton had a mechanical set of traffic barriers.

We continued on coming up against a few light showers (and one heavy shower) while we cruised at between two and three miles an hour, only passing a few other boats going the other way. When you pass other boats, either also cruising or moored, you’re supposed to slow down so you don’t move them much. When passing another boat that is also moving, going too fast can pull the two boats together and can also pull the water out from under the boat you pass. The canals are not known for being too deep (in fact, we learned that the section we were on was not even five feet deep). If you take the water from another boat, it can make them scrape the bottom – which is not good.

We saw a lot of wildlife (mainly birds – swans, ducks, kingfishers, & moorhens) and a few people walking along the tow path. For my non-boaters, the canal was built as a sort-of motorway for the industrial revolution – this was before steam engines, so the boats were pulled by horse. The horses obviously needed to walk along the side of the canal, so they gave them a mostly level area of earth to walk on. It’s now used for walkers and cyclists, who share it with the boaters.

Time was getting on but we made it to our first lock before nightfall. This is where I found that my boatmate was afraid of heights. I steered the boat into the lock and she worked it with someone from the hire company, who gave us tuition on how to work the lock. It was a very strange sensation to be on one level of water and then begin to rise to ground level while the lock was filling. I filmed some of it but it was quite low light in the guts of the lock! It was better once I got topside and the gates opened up and we were off for our first mooring of the night. I was informed that I would be working the rest of the locks because my poor pal was afraid of falling into the canal.

We finally made it to our mooring – moored the boat up (quite well, especially since we’d never done it before) and headed into Gargrave to have our dinner. I don’t think I've been quite that hungry for some time!

My pal had the set-up double bed in the back of the boat and I had the to-be-made-up bed in the front. After dinner and a cold walk back to the boat, we got ready to crash (ourselves, not the boat). I made up my bed and climbed in, thinking I would sleep like a baby. Well, let me tell you – I don’t think I've ever woke up so cold! I was violently shivering with the cold and I don’t think I ever warmed up that night! It was more like a series of short cat-naps but I did get some rest.

The best part of the day was actually being on the canal. Knowing that although there is continually maintenance being done on the canals, the lock gates, bridges, etc – it works just like it did all those years ago using the same techniques and mechanics that it did when it was built. I was living a dream that I’d had for more than a decade and it was just beginning!