Tarleton

Here I am Rune

Distance  11.4 miles

Total 3650 Locks  229 Tunnels

Running total mileage 5436.7 miles

So today was the day for going back down from Savick to Tarleton, and I have to say the conditions were brilliant. Sunny, very little wind and reasonably warm. We set off from the top of the staircase flight at about 9.30am (we were the second pair into the lock) and were down to the pontoon below bridge 10 by about 11.15am, this is where you need to wait for the right state of the tide to set off onto the River Ribble. About 12.30pm we were good to go and set off as a flotilla heading out onto the Ribble.

The flotilla hit the Ribble

Turning at Asland Lamp

Arriving at Tarleton Lock

Despite the fact that you have to flog the engine a bit (2200rpm rather than the usual 1600rpm) we made reasonably good time and got to Tarleton Lock by about 2.45pm where we had to wait for the two boats that had overtaken us to go up before it was our turn in the lock. All in all it went very well with no real dramas, I’d do it again.

Moored tonight at Tarleton to decide where we are going next

Preston

Here I am Rune

Distance  5.6 miles

Total 3650 Locks  229 Tunnels

Running total mileage 5425.3 miles

For our last day on the Lancaster we took the obligatory trip to the terminus in Preston, which involved a passage through some surface weed that fortunately didn't wrap itself around the propeller so it didn't slow us down at all. We were advised against it by the guy we were going to tow but his boat was powered by an outboard engine which would have struggled through the weed.

Once we'd been to the terminus it was just a case of back to the basin at the top of the staircase of locks to go down onto Savick Brook  and the River Ribble tomorrow.

The end of the canal (looking North)

The Rotating Sea Lock

Moored in the basin

Salwick

Here I am Rune

Distance  12.3 miles

Total 3640 Locks  229 Tunnels

Running total mileage 5419.7 miles

A pleasant stay at Garstang where I did indeed avail myself of the swimming pool, an hour and twenty minute swim with the pool entirely to myself. Today as planned we have headed back to pretty much where we moored for the first night on the Lancaster Canal, a bit further to travel than normal but giving us plenty of time tomorrow to go to the canal terminus in Preston before heading back to the mooring at the top of Savick Brook to await our trip down on Wednesday.

We had made an arrangement to give a broken down boat a tow into Bilborrow but, as things have turned out, he didn’t need the tow because he has now identified the people who damaged his boat in the first place and is arranging for them to help in the repair of it, so he wants to keep the boat where it is currently moored so that they are able to do the work.

Tomorrow will be our last full day on the Lancaster Canal.