It as sunny alright, but the wind was s**te !!

Friday 26^th April 2013

After the colder weather yesterday afternoon – wet and a bit windy – there was a bit of an expectation that we might be in for some of the same, but the sun was out with a bit of cloud and a breeze (from the north-west) – with a hint of a pirate accent he says “aye, there be a gale from the north and the glass it be rising and somebody be moving them bridges today”.

We wanted to make for Burscough, so that someone would have her paper in bed for the morning with her coffee – mmm! Wonder who that might be?

So we headed off early and at the first of the many swing bridges this morning, Diane felt the power – she held up the traffic headed towards work, or dropping the kids at school – but she held them all up just the same – the power at work.

little did they suspect that there was an unexpected delay about to occur

I just pootled through not really caring about it all.

Ducklings by the baker's dozen

3 wise ducks

Three more swing bridges – one was a pedestrian only and one was not used much but  at the other one she showed her mettle again – well after she let through about 20 cars whilst I was trying bobble around in the “gale from the north (aye!)”.

this bridge wasn't used by much local traffic - just a hold-up
getting around this lot

It was pleasant cruising along – even the wind didn’t concern me too much –the sun was mainly out from behind the few clouds and it had a very warming effect – someone else had to resort to her thermally heated gloves (batteries included) to take the frost off her hands.

a local statue in dedication to the mining in the area

another sad story

We came up behind another boat – there was one other boat we had passed this morning and this was the second boat moving we had seen – and were fast approaching the New Lane Swing Bridge – one of the guys on the boat in front was off and trying to operate the bridge, but it had a problem – oh no – not these two again – but we managed to reset it; open it; and close it, and then the same with the next one (our nemesis) and through without any drama – then moored up by lunchtime.

No more problems for the rest of the day and time to relax – as I write this, she is relaxing in the cratch whilst reading and I am also doing a bit of work.

13 miles, 7 swing bridges for today

Totals: 1578 Miles, 1261 Locks, 56 Tunnels, 26 Lift Bridges, 119 Swing Bridges