Good progress

Before moving on to today's events, I forgot the update on the people from Finland. 

After mooring last night, I had a walk up to the key operated lift bridge. This is an electrically operated bridge so all the work is done for you.  There are traffic signals to stop the traffic and a level crossing type barrier for safety. It is not a busy road but has a fair amount of traffic and this was early evening, so people heading home from work.

The Fins were about to go through. 

Barrier closed and the bridge lifted with no problems. The helmsman casts off and immediately sets off at right angles towards the hire boats in the marina opposite the bank.  Manages to find reverse and avoids a collision.  I take his centre rope to assist.  Another attempt.  Too fast!  He puts the tiller over the wrong way.  I shout full astern, but of course he does not speak English - BANG!  He hits the opening on the right hand side.  I hope all fragile items and crockery had been secured.  With the aid of sign language, indicating in which direction to put the tiller and a fair amount of pulling on the rope by my he manages to get through.  

While this is going on the two crew members are standing by the control panel watching, offering no assistance.  The dozen or so cars waiting, by this time, were no doubt not amused by the antics!  I hope I do not meet them in an awkward spot when they have turned and are coming back down.

On to today.  Awoke to glorious blue sky and no wind.  Need a good days cruising over the next couple of days if I am to achieve my aim of getting to Llangollen by Friday - advice from other boaters is that it is quietest at the weekends as the hire boats do not get there until mid week (most start Saturday or Sunday).

I moved up to the bridge but working it on my own, while not difficult, would mean holding up the traffic for quite a while:-

turn on the signal lights;

close the barrier;

back across the bridge and raise it;

move through and moor the boat;

get off and lower the bridge;

open the barrier;

back across the bridge and turn off the stop signals.

I decide to wait for 10 minutes in the hope another boat arrives.  Fortunately someone from the boatyard sees I am on my own and comes to open the bridge for me.

I took the opportunity to partake of some liquid nourishment while working WilleyMoor lock.  Very welcome.

The canal is used to feed Hurleston reservoir at the junction with the main branch of the Shroppie so there is quite a flow of water down it and the by-wash (used to channel the flow round the lock) can be pretty fierce, making entering the locks interesting to say the least!

A note on lift bridges.  They are hydraulically operated, using the windless and take quite a bit of effort.  These and swing bridges all seem to have the workings on the non tow-path side, making life difficult if you are on your own.  Fortunately, on the Llangollen, the builders have provided a bollard on the working side, on either side of the bridge, for a single hander to tie up to while operating the bridge.  Two nice young ladies did all the work at two of them for me and another boat did another one so I did not have to do them all.  A boater walking his dog came along while I was going through one and told me how he did them on his own and the info was very useful.  Chatted to him for quite a while.

A very enjoyable 10 hour day (including stops), although I kept going a bit longer than intended in the hope of getting a signal on the phone - no luck.  I was pretty tired by the end and the whisky went down very well.

TODAY: 12 miles; 10 locks; 6 lift bridges
TOTAL:  172 miles (36 miles broad, 7 miles river); 101 locks (21 broad); 8 lift bridges