Out to Sea...

I've come across another picture of Achilles when it was first refloated

 The first step in fixing Achilles was to look at the engine.    This engine has been underwater for 7 months I believe.

This is a 1967 Lister HA2, which is five years older than the boat, so not the original engine.  It is a good engine thought, so hopefully is will be OK.



After a few days the engine is completely stripped down, and looking in unbelievably good condition

As we were looking at a traditional rebuild of Achilles, I went down to Northwich to Yarwoods basin.





Here I was introduced to Mike and Helen Carter who have a collection of historic boats in the yard.

Indecisions, indecisions...

It was time to go up to the Old, sadly for the penultimate charity folk Festival. By Saturday night, the total raised on the weekend was at £3700 and climbing.
Sunday, the weather was unbelievably warm, sunny and not a cloud in sight, I decided to go for a walk.

Stickle Tarn and still not a cloud in sight

I went directly on and up to Sargent Man, which seemed further than last tine I cane up here...

From there it was back over Thurnscar Knott.  The boggy ground that is normally between the two was all dried out.  In fact I don't think I have ever seen the ground so dry up here.  At this rate the valley will be running out of water

It was nearly eight by the time I returned to the Old.  I am certainly not used to this heat, and I think I have dehydrated quite badly.  Such a difference from the rain, fog, sleet and snow of just a couple of weeks ago

While the canal at Manchester is closed, nobody can get up here from down south.  I thought I would have a trip over to the Lancaster Canal while it was quiet.  Once down the Wigan locks, it was great weather all the way to Parbold.

At Apperly Bridge, the back gates were leaking so bad it was a struggle to get the locks drained.  I was very careful not to let all this water hit the back deck and flood the boat.



I stopped the night at Parbold, and got the train back to Wigan for several pints in Wigan Central for my birthday.
The following day it was still blue skies as I turned off the Leeds Liverpool main line and headed down the Rufford Branch

The further out to sea I got the more this canal looked like a river

Soon I was at Tarleton Lock, where there were some interesting boats.





At the lock there was no water. The tide would be in tomorrow and I can carry on.

Sure enough in the morning the tide came in, very quickly, and before long I was heading out into open water.  Turn right at the Ashard Lamp...




Then it was against the tide heading up the Ribble estuary.  This was the time to be glad that I have a slightly overpowered engine, and glad I doubled up on the skin tanks.  Duck-n-Dive can manage nearly seven knots against the tide, and the engine is sitting at a happy 85 degrees. 






Soon I could see the entrance to Savick Brook...

And after a climb up what seemed more like a river, than a canal, I finally reached the Lancaster Canal.  I turned right, and picked my way through the litter and floating branches to Ashton basin marina to leave the bat for a couple of days.