Are we on Plan Z yet?

We had planned a reasonably early start today but the fish were biting nicely so we enjoyed the sunshine for a little longer than planned whilst drowning maggots. After both fuelling up it was midday before we left the canal basin at Sowerby Bridge and started off down the Calder and Hebble. I had warned Ray that it was a right turn into the first lock at Salterhebble, he didn't realise that it was a right-angle turn literally into the lock. so he overshot by about ten feet and had to shuffle his way backwards.

We had this theory that we could get both boats into the lock and then swing Merlin across the stern of both boats allowing us all through the lock together. They all fitted into the lock but as the lock gates open inwards it would have been impossible to actually open the lock gates to exit the lock once we were down. So we untied Merlin, hauled her back out of the lock, took the two boats down, refilled the lock and took Merlin down. Merlin does not have a motor, at the exit to the lock there is a small bridge, we had to work out how to pass the ropes under the bridge so we could still control her. A bit of nifty work with me allowing her to drift under the bridge without letting go of the ropes allowed Ray lean over the bridge to hook the front rope with the boat hook. so now we are doing these locks with Ray taking Merlin in beside Morgana and Chris bringing Almyne down alone. We seem to have devised a system that works. The front boat prepares the lock, by which time second boat has arrived. First boat goes down through the lock, heads off to next lock, second boat goes down, I tidy up, dropping paddles and closing gates behind second boat and either ride on second boat or walk to the next lock. This way nobody has to do a lock entirely on their own.

We did have other interesting moments, Almyne ran aground whilst moored betwen the first two locks ( which are only about 30 yards apart) and it took considerable effort with me pulling and Chris pushing to refloat her. Ray managed to get Morgana and Merlin wedged in not one but two lock entrances because the gates would not open fully and at the last lock of the day one gate would not open at all so Ray had to untie Merlin get Morgana into the lock and then pull Merlin in alongside. All this time Ray was struggling with the throttle as "something" had worked loose making the lever position needed for any particular gear variable. If you think in terms of a clock face by the time we stopped neutral was at nine instead of twelve, forwards at six instead of nine and reverse at twelve instead of three. Then, as we were about to moor Ray gave a qiuck blip of reverse to slow us down and forwards would not re-engage. Luckily there was a fellow boater who we threw a rope to and we were safely moored.

By the time we moored for the night we were all totally knackered but "toad in the hole" with roasted onion gravy and a nice bottle of red did much to restore our spirits.

Today's journey 4.5 miles and 7 locks.
So far we have travelled 291.7 miles, 330 locks, 12 swing bridges, 4 lift bridges and 9 tunnels.