Tue Jun 17th - 46 miles, 2 furlongs, 13 locks - York to Wakefield Total cruising time 13 hours.
Set off from Lendal Bridge at 5.35am, arriving at Naburn at 6.45am. Filled up with water while waiting for the lock keeper to arrive. The fix to Naburn lock appears to have involved disconnecting the broken paddle gear and getting the paddle seated properly in the closed position. How long it'll stay like that is anyone's guess - the lock still works, although a bit slower as there's only one bottom paddle. Four plastic cruisers went out in the first locking, then five narrowboats and one late arrival plastic cruiser in the second at 8.40am. I was slowly pulling away from the other narrowboats and was finally overtaken by the cruiser after a couple of miles. Passed under Cawood Swing Bridge at 9.50am, as the flood tide switched to ebb. The floating debris increased from this point on - not much of a worry to me, but the cruisers must have had to slow down to pick their way through it all. Coming around Turn Head, about 3 miles from Selby Lock, I heard Selby Lock and the cruiser talking on the VHF, and discovered he was only about a mile ahead of me. Called the lock keeper as I rounded the bend by the Selby Swing Bridges at 11am, and he said the lock was ready but mind the cruiser already in there. Spun Arun around as I passed the lock and powered back up and into the lock. I must be getting better at this, as there was absolutely no drama about it at all. Once out of the lock, I went through the swing bridge following the cruiser, and carried on down the Selby Canal while they stopped to collect the crew member on gate duty. They made slow progress along the canal, only catching me up at West Haddlesey flood lock. Once out onto the Aire they passed me, but were only just going into Beal lock as I rounded the corner. They waved me in alongside as there was space. I let them go on ahead while I closed up the lock, but was with them again just as they went into Bank Dole lock. They were turning left at the junction, heading to Great Heck, and I let them go as soon as the lock was filled saying I would close up. Leaving the lock at 2.50pm, I went straight on towards Castleford. Castleford Junction at 4.40pm and I went straight on again heading for the Calder and Hebble. I finally tied up for the night just before Wakefield Flood Gates at 8.05pm. Next stop the Rochdale canal.
