Flight from Wigan

Thursday 16th. 

The flight from Wigan, better known as the Wigan Flight. 21 locks raising the canal over 200ft. And all in the space of 2 1/2 miles. 

All the locks are double locks with very heavy gates. Some have a windlass and chain to help close the gates, others have a mechanical winding gear with a large handle on the top. Others rely on 3 or 4 passers by to help push the gate closed. I had to resort to this tactic on one of the lock gates. The opening of the paddles is relatively easy in that each gate has a low gearing adapter. The only problem is that you are winding and winding and winding with the mechanism being slightly above your head. Then, to lower the paddles it's the same in reverse. 

We realised fairly early on that Brigid would not be able to manage the gates on her own and the locks were deep enough that I wouldn't always be able to get off the boat to help her. So, I worked the locks and Brigid looked after the boat. Neither job was as easy as it sounds and there were no other boats going our way, so no help going our way. Neither were there any boats coming down the flight. Every lock to be emptied and then filled again once the boat was in. 

At this lock I am opening the ground paddle using a worm gear, not something I have seen before. 

A view back down the flight with the clouds building. 

At the very top of the flight the rain started and soon after we moored for the night another full scale storm. 

What should have taken between 5 - 6 hours took us 7. Win some, lose some! Still, no locks tomorrow.