Fun and games on the Marple Flight.

Having had my lie in (still got up before 8 though) we set of for the Peak Forest canal. Weather perfect again and a joy to be out boating. By bridge 18 we encountered another sorry sight. We had been warned that a cruiser had sunk on the visitor moorings but, apart from taking a mooring space, it didn't create any sort of hazard to boaters.

Duck figurehead perhaps?

 We reached Marple Junction after a couple of hours cruise, stopped on the facilities and then turned left onto the Peak Forest canal. Immediately after the junction, the top lock of the Marple flight came into view.

Marple Junction

Marple top lock

 These locks are deep! Takes forever to fill and all of them apart from the second lock, was against us.

Had myself a foot bath while waiting for Ian to open the gate.

 The reason the second lock was with us is because a cruiser was just about to exit.  Why all the rest were against us is beyond me. He told us no boat was ahead of us so it must be all due to gate leakage. Anyway, with a short pound between the two locks, I moved over to the towpath side so he could come straight out of his lock and into the one I had vacated. And there I waited, waited and waited. He sat in the open lock without moving for ages. Ian went over to see what was what and turns out he had broken down! The only way he could get out was to bowhaul the cruiser, and the only way to do that was for one of the men to walk along our gunwale while the chap holding the center rope flicked it over our roof furniture. Once he was at the lock side, I moved into the open lock to allow him to take my place. Ian started me down before walking on to set the next lock. I did wonder what would happen as we left them to it, but I did hear a roar of an engine as I descended so can only assume he got it going

You can make out one of the chaps pulling the cruiser.

 Then on leaving lock 12, I hovered in the pound while Ian walked on ahead to set the next lock. Bad mistake because with the pound already low and Ian filling lock 11, I got well and truly stuck! Try as I might I couldn't get free and, to get Ian's attention to stop filling the lock, I had to phone him!

Sad I know but had to take 'me' trying to get free!

Ian on his way back to help.

 For me to get off the mud Ian had to run water down from the pound above. A good 9" in total so I'm sorry for anyone who was following 'cause now they would have had to run water down to fill that pound! After finally getting into lock 11 Ian really struggled to open the paddles. Now he is a strong man especially as his left arm has had to compensate for the uselessness of his right arm, but even he found it difficult. I'm sure I wouldn't have been able to move it and I doubt many women could either. This particular paddle gear could do with some attention although nearly all of the bottom paddles on the 16 locks were hard work.

Ian putting all his weight against the windlass to try and raise the paddle.

 I then changed from steering to lock wheeling to give Ian a break. This photo shows how deep these locks are.

It was while I was walking towards lock 8 that the men from the fire service appeared. They congregated around the pound, disturbed a fisherman and proceeded to throw ropes with some sort of floating attachment in front of FS.

By the time we had reached lock six we were both knackered. Both of us had worked the locks, Ian would close the gate once FS was in then open one on the bottom gate to start FS down. In the meantime I would walk on to set the next lock, waited till it was full, opened the gate and then walk back to let Ian out. It was hot and exhausting work so no wonder we were knackered! Then at lock 6 a notice on one of the bottom balance beams stated that this lock must be left empty. Found out the reason why after it was filled. The wall by the bridge is leaking badly when the lock is full. I expect gallons of water would be lost if the top gates were left open!

You can see the river it's creating along the path.

After a slog of 3 hours and 10 minutes we reached the bottom. 16 locks with difficult paddle gear and heavy gates, as well as the intense heat, made this day unforgettable. We were so relieved to get moored, have a shower, grab a cold drink and settle down to watch the Commonwealth Games for the rest of the afternoon. Tomorrow should be an easier day for us as we are now well ahead of the schedule we set ourselves. ( Standedge Tunnel by next Wednesday)

Sign as we started across the aqueduct over the river Goyt.

Marple Aqueduct

We moored just through the bridge'ole