Stuck!

12/7/2017

From the delightful village of Upper Mill, and the comforts of Cafe Java, we set off in a light drizzle to climb the last 11 locks to the maw of Standedge tunnel. At the first lock we realised that
1   Santiago is a tight fit in a narrow lock (think maybe 2 inches either side)
2    we had forgotten to lift her fenders.

These are narrow rubber or rope buffers which  hang from the sides, to protect the boat rubbing against things. Yes, you guessed. The fenders caused Santiago to stick like the proverbial cork, unable to move either forward or back.
Extra throttle did not work. With the crew (me) looking helplessly down at the stuck cork, Cap'n JJ had ito exert strength, ingenuity and patience to the task. The plank (for reaching the bank when the canal is shallow, (yes, we do on occasions walk the plank!) was pressed into service as a lever. The boat hook became a push me pull you on the offending fenders. The engine was given short bursts to rock the boat. 30 minutea later, the boat groaned backwards, the fenders were removed, the problem sorted. We won't  forget to lift the wretched fenders again.

Later we met up with other boaters who recounted being suspended in a lock by stuck fenders. As the lock emptied beneath them, 20 tonnes of boat then made a sudden drop, as gravity did its stuff.
Who said canal boating was a slow gentle form of travel.

The weather got worse.  Constant heavy drizzle, me now steering, the Cap''n  on the locks, as the paddle/sluice gear was very stiff and cranky. At one lock the mechanism was so out of kilter,  it took over 30 minutes to fill the lock, to float us out. And then some not charming person at the
next lock had failed to close the sluices, so the water level had dropped to a non navigable level. Solved by the Cap'n going ahead and opening a higher lock, to create more depth at our lower lock.

Despite it all, we achieved the 11 locks, mooring at the entrance to the tunnel, and after donning dry kit, decamped to the Diggle Hotel for dinner.

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