Shepley Bridge to Calder Grove (Broadcut)...

A side from the dilapidated boats moored on the water point here, Shepley Bridge is a nice little stopping point - FAR enough from Mirfield to deter and unwanted scallies but close enough to walk down the tow-path with a couple of carrier bags to Lidl... we WOULD have gone into the Coop (which is also there) but it didn't open until 11 on Sunday, whereas Lidl was open at 10 -  a shame really as the patriot in me STILL prefers to patronise our 'home stores'...

No matter,

It was a peaceful (if a little chilly) night again so the fire was lit and left to burn out...  it's amazing how much even just 8 of the brick-ets can warm the boat up so quickly... ROLL on winter!

ANYWAY - AFTER we stuck our nose into the water point and then almost got wedged against the aforementioned rotting boat on the water point - a rotting boat with a submerged 2 foot of right-angled box section ready to jam in your prop I hasten to add we topped up the tank (having done another couple of loads of washing before setting off) and then tackled the small lock again - diagonally of course.

I'm not moaning (properly) here but it's quite dangerous in that because there are SUCH big grooves worn in the bottom gate, the level begins to drop as soon as the top gates are shut - which has the potential for the sort of people who take the chance to nip to the loo whilst in a lock  to catch them unaware s....

THAT is how much it dropped in the time it took me to get back on the boat once I'd closed the other gate....

It was a lovely morning to be cruising on and off the river

I still don't like being so close to weirs but as the flow was slow and the birds didn't seem perturbed who am I to complain?

Only 1 proper problem today and that was double lock bottom on the Calder and Hebble - the bottom gates leak like a holey bucket -mainly from behind the pivot (if that's the right name)... we'd been warned in advance by another boat we'd passed coming the other way so rather than get stuck, when in the top lock, we ran some water through for 10 mins or so to fill up the small circular pound between the two - it raised the level by about 18 inches but given the speed it was leaking out, that wouldn't last more than an hour or so before someone else would need to do the same.

This was how we left it but as already intimated... it won't stay like that for long!

The rest of the journey back was quite pleasant until we came upon a "fishing match"....  CRT are always bleating on about us "sharing the space" - AND for the most part, we're both happy to... being live and live types... 

HOWEVER,  Fisher men ARE stupid.  - Sorry, I'll rephrase that... SOME fishermen are stupid ... on exiting a really tight lock, with a nasty side flow AND a boat already waiting on the lock landing we came across today's idiot - who;d set up stall at the back of the lock landing ... along with keep net etc.  As far as the eye could see were his competitors.... which meant we had to "try" and pull in sharpish behind the waiting boat.  On doing so, "Mr Angry" starting having a rant warning that if we snapped his pole we'd have to pay for it.  Ffing moron - it's a lot easier for HIM to move his pole out of our way than it is for us (in a breeze) to avoid crushing his keep-net and pole.    

I very politely but firmly suggested that "you see that wooden rubbing strip your net is over? - well that is for BOATERS to rub their boats up against... you are the fool that has decided to set up stall their and WE take priority - ESPECIALLY as we're the one's paying through the nose to license our boats, insure them and pay for moorings... you fecking idiot" - ... I think   that was verbatim.

AS a result of this distraction, I did take great pleasure in really chopping up the canal using forward and reverse and as many turns of the prop as necessary NOT to hit him!  my best not to hit him and we carried on our way - unscathed.

I mean Fishing - THIS chap (if you look carefully) was so bored he either fell asleep or died.  

Once we'd passed this group, we came across a lone fisherman who in contrast was NOT in a stupid place so we dropped the boat in to neutral and shouted THANKS to him for being a considerate sort... he appreciated the comment and that small act, restored good karma for the rest of the day.

We chugged on for a while and I suddenly became aware I'd caught the sun - so much so, that my hands, neck and forehead were actually hurting...

NOT being fashion conscious at all, I rummaged and found the perfect protection

Once through the figure of three we moored in our regular spot just above broad cut top-lock... where shortly afterwards another couple of boats joined us for the evening - ALSO with tails of the grumpy fisherman with the blue keep net who'd gotten in their way too lol.

Between you and me, I was glad to note I'm NOT the only one to get wound up by the  behaviour of a few.

Home tomorrow as Andy has to get back to work...

Until next time...