From suevbutler@compuserve.com Sat May 15 11:56:42 1999 Date: Sun, 9 May 1999 13:28:05 -0400 From: sue butler Reply-To: canals@blacksheep.org To: Messages for newsgroup Subject: Trip Report - Jemima D goes to Skipton - May 1,2,and 3 [The following text is in the "ISO-8859-1" character set] [Your display is set for the "US-ASCII" character set] [Some characters may be displayed incorrectly] In which Jemima D finds she is deemed safe, goes to Skipton, makes a new friend, and visits the nether reaches of the Springs Branch. On the Thursday before the Bank Holiday Weekend, Jemima finally got her safety certificate. This had involved a number of things, including a chain round her gas bottles, a new pipe to join her twin diesel tanks, and the removal of her stove chimney. A couple of things amaze me... The diesel tanks were joined by a perfectly acceptable pipe - but not up to BSC standard. The weekend before Neil had spent several hours emptying the tanks, so that the pipe could be removed and a new one fixed. Unfortunately the original fitting was not standard, so the tanks had to be removed, and a new fitting created. This monstrous edifice is now in a far less sheltered spot, so we have had a protecting bar fitted above it so it doesn't get bashed whilst extracting things from the weedhatch! This was completed on Wednesday, and all diesel returned to the tanks. (You will learn the relevance of this on Saturday.. read on dear reader...) The stove chimney was deemed a fire hazard where it met the roof, and it was agreed that it needed replacing completely, as it was old and bashed and rusted. Unfortunately a new chimney was not forthcoming from our boatyard, so the old one was removed, and the hole in the roof temporarily covered over. This, surprisingly, was passed. So we have a pot-bellied stove with no chimney.. I just hope that no one is silly enough to decide to light a fire in it! So, to celebrate her certification, Neil and I set off on Saturday for a weekend afloat. When we arrived it was clear that there was more diesel in the bilge than in the tanks. A small, but significant leak in the new pipework had slowly done a dastardly deed. Fortunately for him, the guy who had done the work was away from the yard, but Neil was able to identify the offending join, and tightening it up did the trick. Undaunted we set off for Silsden, pleased to find that all the swing bridges behaved themselves. Once in Silsden, we moored up outside the Bridge Inn, because Silsden Boats were busy moving boats about on their moorings, and we were reluctant to get in their way. I walked across the bridge, and asked whether they would pump out the bilge, fill our tanks and sell us a new bottle of gas. They were happy to oblige, we found the service there excellent - friendly, helpful - even though we did not arrive until after 5 o'clock on a Bank Holiday Saturday when they had probably had enough. They declined to charge us for the pump-out, and I would recommend them to anyone. Once beyond Silsden we are into new waters, and the scenery is getting more impressive by the minute. We take a gentle evening cruise to Kildwick, where we have tea on board and refreshment in the excellent White Lion. (Where Mobile phones are banned !) There is a nip in the air tonight, and we miss the stove. A lazy start to Sunday, but we are eventually away, and soon passing though bluebell strewn woods, and the wonderful vistas of the lowland dales. All too soon we find ourselves making our way into Skipton, and who do we spy but Lady Elgar, so we moor up behind her. There is no sign of life, (apart from a dog in the cratch) so we make our way into town for a mooch around and lunch. Returning to Jemima we are about to cast off when I spot that someone is aboard Lady Elgar and we make ourselves known to Trevor and Mary. We promise to return later, but for now the joys of the Springs Branch are calling us. We sweep confidently in and under Coach Street Bridge, noting the shiny paintwork on the moored boats and recalling the warning words in Nicholsons... "craft over 35ft should be confident that they can reverse out avoiding moored craft. Craft less than 35ft may still have to reverse..." We enjoy a challenge on Jemima D! The Springs Branch is less than half a mile long, but it turns from busy moorings to a little backwater between pretty little terraces, to an overgrown shallow cut between sheer walls, in that short length. We find ourselves in a ravine, with Skipton Castle towering 100ft above us, and the cut becoming shallower. Neil is in the bow, looking down into the clear water, while at the stern all I can see is clouds of mud. We proceed ever more slowly, touching the bottom several times, but always moving, til we reach the end. Here there is a rusted shute, and just enough room to wind a 35ft boat, if taken with care. It took a while to wind in the shallow pool, and onlookers from above peered down at us, no doubt surprised to see us there. We make our way slowly back to Skipton, feeling that we have been in a far away place for a short while. After a short chugg for about a mile or so North of Skipton, we return to moor behind Lady Elgar once more. Neil goes off to watch a game of football - apparently its an important one - returns for tea, and falls asleep. So I tiptoe out for a visit to Lady Elgar and a pleasant evening chatting about canally things with Trevor and Mary. Monday morning arrives bright and sunny. What a scorcher. A visit to the Dunny dump and we are off.. back through the swing bridges and beyond. We are waved on through a bridge by a boat full of young lads, and we let them through the next. Although we are not slow, it is clear we are holding them up, and they say they are in a hurry and shoot off at a great rate of knots. I cannot remember the name of the boat, but it wasn't long before we caught up with them anyway. They had flooded their bilges and were pumping like billy-o with a hand-pump!! We cruise on to Kildwick, and take a pleasant stroll round the village (worth a stop), followed by an excellent lunch at the White Lion. Moving on, we pass Lady Elgar, moored for lunch, and not far away, the young lads again - speaker on the roof blaring. It is clear that they have managed to get their stern rope well and truly wrapped round the prop! (Perhaps they had foolishly hung it on their tiller pin!) They are all clambering over the stern with knives, I wonder if Mum and Dad will be pleased with the state of their boat when it eventually gets home? We moor up in Riddlesden, and I walk along the towpath to fetch the car from Bingley. Another wonderful weekend on Jemima D! Sue and Neil Content were we on Jemima D