PICTURE the scene. I'm Sitting in the bow of a canal boat gliding effortlessly along mirror-like water with breathtaking Yorkshire scenery either side of me.
I'm drinking coffee, reading the morning papers as the Beatles' Rubber Soul album plays quietly in the background. From the galley I can smell the bacon frying for breakfast. This, to me, is complete relaxation... and you realise just how the pace of life has slowed down when you notice that people walking along the towpath are actually overtaking the boat. Exactly 18 hours earlier, the scene had been rather different. We had entered our first lock unaccompanied. Me and my good mate, Tim, were controlling the boat while our wives, Caroline and Louise, were on the top of the lock opening the gates and attempting to catch the ropes being inexpertly thrown at them by us below. Lots of shouting splashing bumping around, cursing... but more of that later. We had set off upstream from Sowerby Bridge on the Friday afternoon for a weekend break on the Rochdale Canal. Even before we had arrived at Shire Cruisers to collect our 44ft boat, we had been sent an enormous amount of bumph through the post — including a DVD — outlining every possible type of lock and disaster we might encounter. It all seemed very complicated — with more 'don'ts' than 'dos' — and while you could not criticise the detail, the effect was to fill us — with some trepidation. This was further compounded by the 30 minute talk we had on arrival followed by a tour of the boat where we were shown 'windlasses', 'handcuff keys', 'handspikes' and various other paraphernalia.
Next, one of the staff took us through the first three locks, where we were shown how to open the 'paddles' that release the water into the lock and told when to tie up the boat and how to open and close the lock gates. |
Then we were on our own — floating up the canal and trying to master the steering.
This too, is not as easy as you might think — it's nothing like driving a car in that when you push the tiller one way the boat goes the other, and nothing happens instantly In other words, you have to anticipate when you need to make a turn, to give the boat time to come round. And so to that first unaccompanied lock. Having glided in, the idea is to throw the rope up to someone above so they can tie the boat to a capstan and hold it steady as the water is being let in. There is an art to rope-hurling, and after about the fifth time of having several pounds of sopping wet rope land back on your head, you start to get the technique. With the boat not very well tied up, we proceeded to clatter from side to side in the lock as it filled up — we'd made the mistake of letting the water in rather too quickly The next lock was better, and by the third lock the four of us were operating like old hands and feeling very proud of ourselves. The boat was extremely well equipped — like a large caravan on water really — with a good cooker, hob, TV CD system, central heating and surprisingly efficient shower. There were two double beds — one permanently set-up and the other swiftly assembled from the table and seats at the other end. But it's worth noting that if you are taking the trip with friends, make sure it's someone you know really well — it's all rather intimate! We moored up for the night in a secluded spot at Brearley and — not wanting to be bothered with cooking — headed off to the Grove Inn for a meal. |
This was a friendly place, but curiously they decided to serve us ratatouille with everything because they had "run out of peas". Fish and chips with gravy and ratatouille... bizarre. Next morning, we headed for Hebden Bridge.
At 4mph it takes you ages to get anywhere, and after a stretch of relaxed cruising you're ready for a bit of activity and excitement. Hebden Bridge is a fabulous place with great places to eat (try a place called Mooch for lunch... fantastic) and dozens of little coffee shops and places selling crafts and gifts. We ate at a large Thai restaurant right in the centre of town, then while the women headed back to the boat for a nightcap, we wandered into an amazing freehouse called the Fox And Goose, and put away rather more glasses of real ale than was good for us. Next morning we moored up to enjoy a slap-up lunch of cheeses, crusty bread, tomatoes, olives and assorted pickles purchased at a terrific little cheese shop in Hebden Bridge. Then it was a slow cruise home, handling all the locks on our own with consummate ease apart from the last, the giant Tuel Tunnel lock, where you require the assistance of the lock-keeper. It all made for a very relaxing weekend. We were, however, very fortunate with the weather, which was glorious. I can't imagine it being much fun in the pouring rain, and while many families do enjoy canal boat holidays I would have been on pins if we had had any very young children with us. On getting home, we felt very relaxed mentally though quite tired physically (all that rope hurling and lock gate opening I suppose). And strangely as I lay in bed that night I had the curious sensation that I was still bobbing on the water... it rocked me off to sleep. |
