Riddlesden, Silsden, Skipton and Gargrave... and ongoing technical issues.

SO then... IGNORING the computing issues for a moment, lets have a quick re-cap on the last few days.

We'd spent the night moored Saltaire Side of the big aqueduct over the river Aire... woodland mooring with enough depth not to clonk into the rubble on the canal bed.  After a peaceful (if wet) evening, we chugged along to the bottom of Bingley 3 - where right on cue, the heavens opened and the wind blew a hoolie.

We had to wait it out here for a while as there was a boat coming down AND a widebeam in front of us to go up.  To be honest, the wide beam had tied on a bit too far back, meaning we couldn't access any of the bollards  and as the side was paved, couldn't bash a pin in either... that was a pain in the arse frustrating because it meant one of us had to get wet holding the boat alongside until he began his assent.

WHEN I say one of us, you'll gather it was the ginger one!

SUCH is my lot.  Anyway... after a while the sun returned and it wasn't too bad for long.

Once the wide beam was up, we began our climb and I made a note for future reference to move the plants off the gas locker BEFORE going into the lock

Once through the 3, we chugged on to the 5 where another boat was just leaving.

Still behind the fat bottomed girl widebeam, we thought we'd have to wait a while but once he'd cleared the 2nd lock chamber, the lockie arrived and began working us up.  

It took no time to get to the top (with Andy and Patty helping when they remembered!) and although the wind DID cause a bit of a problem as we excited the staircase, before long we were filling up with water outside the cafe again.

Onwards took us to Riddlesden where we tied up for the night and Andy began experimenting with Tofu.  We had a back up plan involving a local pub but in the end it turned out OK  and it was time to put our feet up.

After a wet and windy night, we cast off and headed towards Silsden.  LOTS of swing bridges on the cards today, with Andy and Patty behaving like naughty school kids on every one!

It really was a blustery day...  We popped into Snaygil boats as we approached Skipton for a pump out, handcuff key and top up the domestic diesel...  they tried to enforce a 60/40 split but at 85/1.30 something that was never going to happen.  I explained  that as we pay 64.9p "at home" for the domestic, there is no way we're paying  any more than 85 there.  The deceleration is of OUR intent and not for them to police.  You could  argue that even when the boat is moving, if it's moving to charge the batteries and heat the water it's NOT being used for propulsion....  

I'll leave that there for now...  Late afternoon, we arrived in Skipton and moored in the basin.

Not long after we'd done so, a returning hire boat moored in front of us for their last night...  we got chatting and it transpired they'd enjoyed it but NOT the hard work/bad weather or cold boat... Andy seized an opportunity to give them a leaflet and before long, we had 2 ladies and 2 dogs on board having a nosey around,

Once they'd left, Andy began another culinary masterpiece - well some kind of veggie pastry thing....whilst I made a lemon drizzle cake - FINALLY getting Patty roped in to helping out! UP until this point, she'd preferred to skive  supervise.

 unbeknownst to me, whilst making the butter icing, she doctored   improved it with a splash of wine.. which might have made it curdle a bit...  no matter, it tasted ok and didn't last long!

We spent a couple of nights in Skipton  managing to create a lovely leek and spinach  bake AND dessert (not spinach obviously)

and  Patty returned from her exploration of the town with a lovely bottle of  "local Gin" as a gift - it's 48 % so we'll have to take it steady!

Yesterday morning, (after buying some coal from Pennine cruisers AND watching 6 day boats go out), we set sail to Gargrave.  A bitterly cold day but  enjoyable non-the-less.

At Gargrave bottom lock, we met up with a hire boat doing a lock for their first time...  Oh how we remembered how panicking that feeling was.

we shared what we've learned without patronising them and hope they enjoyed the experience...  

Once moored up, we had a wander into town for a few bits and bobs from the coop AND pint in The Old Swan - it's changed hands since we last called in but the new folk are friendly AND have lovely (if chubby) old Labrador that was drooling over the barman's lunch.

Until next time...