Goodbye Huddersfield...hello wide locks

Approaching Locomotive Bridge as we depart

under we go.......and then our day came to a grinding halt!

Not really an auspicious start to the day......we were off soon after 8 to reverse back to the sani station. Whilst Geoff did all the necessaries..I slipped up to Sainsburys for a stock up.   We them shimmied over to the diesel pump to fill up.  I say shimmied because I made a bit of a meal of it........it was only a few yards across and slightly backwards but for some reason it took me ages.   We were there just as they opened but due to a lost key situation (them not us) we had a long wait for the diesel by which time the sun was getting rather hot......mustn't complain.   But with the thought of 9 locks to do in the blazing sun I was itching to get going.  However it didn't last, as soon as I had changed into my shorts the cloud came over....

Geoff and Barney then walked down to open up locomotive bridge and we though we were on our way....but no.....something round the prop again.....much cursing from Geoff....I think he thinks I pick these objects up on purpose.  This  time it was a plastic bag and a woolly hat.

All sorted eventually and then another stop just down the canal for Geoff to go up to Pets at Home for a bag of dog food.

Now we were into wide locks but even if there had been another boat to share with I don't think we would have fitted in the locks as they are very short.  They say 57'6" is the max and that is our length.  How you would get two of the same length in and manage to open the gates is beyond me.    In the event we did not meet a single boat all day.   From reading other peoples blogs I think they are all on the Trent & Mersey or the Oxford!

This is now the Huddersfield Broad Canal and once out of the first lock you could be fooled into thinking you deep in the country.   However lurking just behind the trees and bushes lining the canal is industry, suburbia and some magnificent playing fields and stadiums.

Half way down we had to stop for a short coffee break

It had now reached the time of day when we consider mooring up, BUT there are no suitable places until the end of the canal at the junction.

Goodbye Huddersfield Broad, just a short way down to the junction and we had a very sharp right had turn onto the Calder & Hebble navigation.  Once through the first lock (a flood lock and open) we found 72 hour moorings.   This was us for the day.

Geoff's evening picture

Total distance:3.81 miles 

Elapsed time:4h17m1s (Not including sani station and fuel filling and waiting!)

Locks:10

Bridges:26 
Average speed:0.89 mph (3.23 lock/mph)