Lancaster Canal Part 7 - Flaming June! 1st - 2nd June 2019

Saturday 1st June 2019
Lancaster to Galgate Basin
5.25 miles

Well here we are in June and what is the weather like - yes you got it right - rain, wind and very chilly.  I spoke to someone in Reading today where it was sunny and 23C!  Jealous us?  You bet we are!

Chris decided he was fit enough to go, so we pushed across to the facilities, filled and emptied as required and then headed out of the city via that wonderful green pastureland and those lovely alpacas.

The journey back will be mostly things I missed on the way north!  Having said that things always look different when reverse a route.

Do you ever wonder if there is actually a boat behind boat house doors?

The irises are still looking lovely despite being almost past their best.

Monty and I had jumped ship and agreed that Chris would pick us up at Deep Cutting Bridge - I had rather foolishly thought that might be at the start of the cutting and that we would have good towpath - how wrong could I have been

Our saviour arrives and I was then on shoe cleaning duty

Deep cutting means tall bridges

This photo is for our friend and neighbour who has a penchant for sheep of all varieties

The plan had been to moor just before B84 - a mooring with a lovely view that we had used on the way north, however it was not the easiest of moorings and we had been unable to get our stern anywhere near the bank

20th May 2019

Then the sun was out and the sky was blue, but today it was cold, wet and miserable and about half a mile before the above mooring there was a long line of rings.  The view was non existent, but our bow and stern were both tucked into the bank, so we wimped out and stopped!  Sue and Ken pulled in behind us.

Once the rain had stopped Sue, Monty and I went for a walk down the Glasson Arm

I don't think I have ever seen such a small 'semi stile' before.

I will miss these views when we leave this canal.

but blue sky would have made a better contrast.

During the evening we had some visitors  - we had seen them before when we were moored near B84.  Nine healthy looking cygnets.

 Both parents held back to let the cygnets have the majority of the swan/duck food I was providing and when a female duck tried to bring her three youngsters in to join the feast, the cob was having none of it and saw them off.

The mother duck led the ducklings between the two boats opposite, emerged without them and led the cob round to the far side of the left hand boat away from her babies.

A protective cob who judging by his neck wound must have been in a scrap to either win his lady or protect her and the cygnets.

Sunday 2nd June 2019
Galgate Wharf to Garstang
8 miles

We woke to guess what - yes more rain!  The entire trip today was one long round of showers and strong winds.  Certainly not 'flaming June'!

There seem to be vast tracts of plastic in these parts - I hope it is bio-degradable, or at the very least re-cycled.

I missed this on the way north as I was at the helm.  From a distance I was not sure if it was real or not and by the time I realised it was a dummy fisherman it was too late.  Today I was on the helm again, but knew it was behind the bridge and was ready with the camera!  There is supposed to be a water point here or near here, but I failed to spot it.

'Holiday' parks of static caravans seem to be a common feature of waterways and this one is no different.  Some make the most of their water frontage.

I have to say I would want one like the above with a patio/balcony - as well as a mooring of course!

The rain was fairly relentless and with many lines of moored boats this was a longer than expected journey and we were delighted and somewhat relieved when we finally made it to Garstang

But before we finally arrived there was one last obstacle to avoid at a blind corner with a bridge.  The bridge is also blind for cars and it is quite disconcerting as you are lining up to go under the bridge to hear the sudden sound of a horn albeit from a car above and not a boat ahead!

The other side of that bridge is the facilities block which is where we met up with Cleddau.

Once we were done, Monty and I crossed the last bridge on foot (not an easy task as there is no pavement and it is very narrow, but a kindly motorist waited and waved us over) to scout for moorings.

Do you remember that very narrow mini stile from yesterday?  Well today I saw a footpath sign

With a very narrow gate to pass through to

to access the path and yet another gate

We ended up crossing the Wyre Aqueduct

and mooring pretty much where we were when we were heading north.  As you can see above - it was still raining!  The sun did make a brief appearance in the afternoon and Chris was able to walk Monty in the dry.