Mon Jun 24th - 8 miles, 3 furlongs, 29 locks - Chadderton to Manchester Total cruising time 11 hours 20 minutes.
My planned departure time of 7am slipped slightly and it was 7.15am before I set off. I had three miles, one lock and a lift bridge to negotiate by 8.30am give or take. I suspected there was something around the prop because of the slight shaking of the tiller, but occasional bursts of reverse seemed to improve things a bit and anyway I couldn't spare the time to stop and investigate. As always seems to happen at times like this, the lock was empty with both bottom gates open and only had one working bottom paddle. Nevertheless I was through this by 7.50am, and causing traffic chaos by operating the lift bridge at 8am on a Monday morning. :-) Under the M60 and arrived at the appointed place at 8.40am. No sign of anyone from BW or the other boat waiting to go down. Talked to a walker who had come from the direction I was heading but they said they hadn't seen any activity down there. At 9am someone did arrive and it transpired there was no other boat going down today. He apologized for the delay and explained that they had a bit of a staffing problem today, as two guys were off on sick leave. Apparently someone had turned up for his booked passage on Friday and was having a certain amount of trouble operating the locks. He was stumbling a bit and looking a bit vague. Then they smelt alcohol on his breath and concluded that he was completely pi$$ed and at serious risk of falling in and killing himself (must have been the vodka and toast for breakfast). After talking to their supervisor he was told he wouldn't be going through the locks today in that state and his boat was winded at the first available spot and he was escorted back to the top of the flight. He took exception to this and started trying to trash the BW van with his windlass. In the process smashing quite a lot of the glass and showering the men with broken glass. The police were called and he was escorted back to the mooring outside the Rose of Lancaster and after mooring up was promptly arrested. Steady run down the flight, passing three boats between locks 75 and 77. There was a lot of water about at the last three or four locks with water weiring over the top gates. The BW guys were running water off through each lock to bring the pounds back under control. This of course had the effect of making the next pounds even worse. Got to Ducie Street Junction at 3.55pm, and set off down the nine. Here again, water was weiring over the gates and in the process of emptying Dale Street Lock I managed to flood the walkway under the buildings between this and the next lock with about three inches of water. Two very unimpressed and rather soggy looking pedestrians emerged, but I was at the other end of the lock and couldn't hear what they were saying. It was the same at every lock on the nine, water everywhere and a major problem opening the bottom gates. As I arrived at Dukes Lock to open the top gate, a suited gentleman appeared from the pub and asked if I was Terry from NB Arun. Somewhat nonplussed I answered that I was, and he then introduced himself as Ray off NB Owl. We had a bit of a chat as the boat was going down and he helped me by closing the gates and dropping the paddles while I left the lock. Finally moored for the night in the arm round the back of Dukes bar at 7.30pm. Supper on board then wandered back to Ducie Street for some Hydes at £2.00 a pint in the Jolly Angler. That completes the Rochdale. Some beautiful scenery, particularly on the Yorkshire side, but hard graft. Terry Streeter NB Arun - Manchester
