Day 17 - Sunday July 17th - Hopwood to Dunhampstead 13 miles 6 furlongs, 42 locks, 11 hours 20 minutes
Decided to have a really early start, because there were several other boats heading towards Tardebigge and I didn't really want to be in a queue of boats going down the flight. Also, an early start would allow me to do some of the cruising and locking in relatively cool conditions. Set off from Hopwood at 5.05am (Sorry Mike if I passed you), and arrived at the top of Tardebigge at exactly 7.00am. A boat had followed me through Shortwood Tunnel, but didn't appear in Tardebigge Tunnel before I'd left, nor did he show up at the top of the flight while I was working through the first lock. The first two locks were a bit slow, as I had to stop and moor up before setting the lock, but after that the locks are sufficiently close together that I would raise one bottom paddle about half way before walking down and getting the next lock set. The flow of water through the lock keeps Arun at the bottom gates, so no danger of ending up on the sill. When I get back to the lock it is nearly empty, so I quickly run the other paddles up, open the gates, drop the paddles and leave the lock. Stop the boat in the tail of the lock to get off via the handy set of steps and shut the gates. I am currently experimenting with an effect I observed. I've found that if the gates are not fully open in the recess, but have an inch or two gap between them and the wall, then, under certain circumstances, water running in the direction of the boat gets behind the gates and they shut theirselves automatically. I have not managed to get this working reliably yet, the speed you are leaving the lock, the amount of reverse you are using, and the precise point at which you wind up the engine in forwards all appear to be critical. Still, if I can get this to work reliably it will speed up going down narrow locks :-) Passed a couple of boats coming up, so had a few locks set ready for me. Cleared the bottom of Tardebigge flight at 12.05pm, so just a shade over five hours for the 30 locks in the flight - an average time per lock of just under ten minutes. Fairly respectable for single handing. The next six locks are the Stoke Prior flight, although with only a couple of hundred yards between the two flights it seems like it should be a continuation of Tardebigge. Tied up outside the Boat & Railway pub for some much needed lubrication and shade - the top of the boat was now so hot that I couldn't touch it. Stayed in the pub until about 4.30pm, when I judged it would have cooled down a bit, and carried on down the Astwood flight to stop for the night at Dunhampstead, tying up at 7.50pm. Into the pub for a couple of pints and a bite to eat, but was so tired, that I returned early to the boat to sleep. Weather - Sunny Tomorrow's Forecast - Sunny Terry Streeter NB Arun - Dunhampstead ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> See what's inside the new Yahoo! Groups email. http://us.click.yahoo.com/2pRQfA/bOaOAA/yQLSAA/ygtolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/canals-list/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
