TNC On Tour 2003 14 - The Lanky (XP)
Neil Arlidge
The "Water Witch" was only half full, but still said we needed a booking, no
tables for an hour!..............so we wandered into town. The first of two
Weatherspoon's showed ominous signs of closure, there was a nasty smell and
a Dyno Rod van parked out side with many pipes and rods littering the
pavement. We trundled on to the other Weatherspoon's, but the WWW did not
think we could get away with the small, but perfectly formed JWWW getting in
as it was after the 17:00 "cut off".We eventually decided upon the "Bella
Pasta". OK, but portions a bit small.
Came back to boat to find a couple of larger bottles balanced on roof,
obviously from the "Water Witch". Quiet night, no noise from pub.
Monday 7th July 2003
Wandered over to new Sanitary Station to check out the newly purchased
Lancaster magic key. You have to have this separate from the BW keyed lock.
Open BW lock then wave magic key over the black pad and door clicks open.
Rather superior Sani Station with free showers. Rubbish point also locked up
inside the hut. Geoff Ashton NB Puffin No35 came over and introduced himself
to us, as he had seen the Cutweb sticker. He is a member of CIBC as well as
AWCC Nat Sec. He agreed that the Lancaster keeps getting better the further
you go up, but to avoid the Upper Tewitfield Moorings, seeing as they are
very noisy due to close proximity of M6, better to moor as soon as the
moorings start, or better still, if you don't want a pub (which he said was
OK), to moor on the 14 day pontoon moorings in the Capernwray Arm, just
short of the end. Plenty of room to wind a 60ft NB at the end, said Geoff.
Eventually after a small shopping expedition in the nearby corner store, we
departed at 09:30. The other side of Lancaster was a bit urban, but soon the
Lune aqueduct came into view, at right angles to the course of the canal.
Neil jumped off at the beginning of the aqueduct and got a couple of piccies
from below, then raced back to the next overbridge to get some piccies of
Earnest on the aqueduct. After this the canal heads towards the sea and
there are many close views over Morecombe Bay.
We stopped for the day (11:05) at Hest Bank, seeing as Linda had to cycle
back to Glasson for the car, collect Wendy, then get back home before
getting involved with the M6 Brum rush hour. Yet again we failed to get the
bows any nearer that 2ft, after checking out all of the extensive visitor
moorings. We ground to a halt, by a new, non standard water point, so filled
up, thus putting the bows firmly on the bottom!
As it was a reasonable day Neil got bored and did a complete paint touch up
of Earnest, leaving out most of the gunwales, seeing as we had now
negotiated yet another booking for the HNC after the L&L and Chesterfield.
The WWW's were off by about 14:00 and Martin C and Neil decided to stay put.
Just as the paint was tacky drizzly rain started, not affecting paint. After
a quick clean up we just made the 18:30 deadline in the "Hest Bank" inn, for
a 6.95 3-course meal and a couple of pints of......you guessed
it.........Timmy Taylor's Landlord. An excellent venue, the only pub in Hest
Bank.
Tuesday 8th July 2003
Rotten drizzly rain in morning, eventually we shoved off at 11:55. Between
the showers we managed to get some bacon and egg rolls from the Station Road
Deli. Delightful section of canal. Up to Carnforth - OK looking pub and
canalside BP shop - the canal clings to the sea shore, with many views over
Morecombe Bay. After this the Lanky swings away, with some very dramatic
views over the Lakeland Fells. The M6 intrudes for its one and only
crossing, the canal is in a concrete channel between the approach road and
the M6 bridge. The is some respite from the noisy end, in the excellent
Capernwray Arm, where we are moored now, on the pontoon, in FOUR FOOT of
water!!!
--
Neil Arlidge - NB Earnest
Follow the travels of the TNC at http://www.tuesdaynightclub.co.uk