Locks, wind and kippers

Wednesday 22^nd May 2013

What are these lock things again – it is so long since we have had to do these – Diane wanted to do most of these but we fell into a routine of mooring the boat on the lock landing and doing them together.

It started off pretty easy...

then it got a bit harder...

...then she was a bit tuckered out and needed the rest

Such was the strength of the wind today that this was the only thing that made sense – it would simply have been next to impossible to hold the boat in the middle of the canal.

This boat didn't help anyone - mooring up at the lock landing -
fortunately we were going down the locks - dread to think how
difficult it would be going up with them right there !!

We made it into the basin at Glasson and followed advice we had received – this was all new for us – and to head left to the visitor moorings – all occupied – so wouldn’t be mooring there.

The right hand side was all long term moorings – so not there.

We had seen a mooring point with bollards just on the right at the start of the basin so we did a 180 and moored up there – fortunately the wind was right at our back and whilst we didn’t find it easy it was manageable and more to the point it was straight sided, so we could tie up tight against the side – magic – and a water point just 20 meters away.

The tidal part of the River Lune, the same Lune that we saw in Lancaster, meanders it’s way around the Glasson docks.

the far gate is the sea lock onto the tidal Lune; in the foreground
is the lock into the basin

If it was possible the wind seemed to increase in strength – but true to form we thought that we should have a bit of a wander around the area to see what was about – we were under the impression that there was only the two pubs down here but we also found a very nice café, a small general store and a smokehouse (after finding it, we remembered someone had told us that it was here). Naturally we gravitated firstly to the smokehouse and left with a nice bag of goodies including kippers, mackerel and cheese – all to be given a try sometime very soon.

Port of Lancaster Smokehouse - don't miss it if you are here

Next we stepped inside the café for lunch – very lovely fish and chips – can highly recommend this to anyone coming here.

The marina - yachts only - more money here than our boat cost

out for a stroll - or more likely an escape - sheep on the run

Finally we also needed to find the Glasson Basin Marina – amongst other things a pumpout card was required for the visit that we planned on Friday morning to the Galgate marina – the card is for their pumpout system. I should hasten to add that the cards are also available at Galgate – only problem is that the office is only open 10am to 1pm.

Moored up safe and sound, but still being rocked a bit  by the
waves

getting a bit choppy indeed

Back to the boat for some work for me and Diane to navigate through the multitude of things that she has to do – some of which were thought about, I am sure, but not so sure that any got done – no problems, there is always tomorrow and then the day after that.

3 miles, 6 locks

Totals: 1711 Miles, 1300 Locks, 56 Tunnels, 28 Lift Bridges, 131 Swing Bridges