Lyra's Travels

Monday 10th October
Despite the weather forecast, wet and windy, we decided to move today. We haven't shopped since Doncaster and the larder was getting low.
Dropping through Bank Dole lock took us onto the River Aire. The lock mooring on the river side was very awkwardly placed, making me have to turn around in the stream to pick Cath up and then turn again to head off downstream.
Here the river runs through high flood banks, twisting and turning in a way reminiscent of the upper Thames.
The flat countryside and high banks allow only the dominant features of Kellingley Colliery and Eggborough power station to be seen from the river.
Beal Lock was a lot easier to negotiate as the mooring was well placed, but all the locks had very heavy gates.
West Haddlesey, at the end of the river section presents a flood lock, which the book says is normally open and that caution is needed approaching it as the wind and currant can carry you into the lock wall. We found the gates closed, which gave us a bit of a problem trying to moor up facing downstream. Many boatmen will sympathize with our predicament.
Once through the lock we were on The Selby Canal and it was an easy cruise up to Selby itself. The only interruption was from a stranded boater we came across who had lost his steering control, so we gave him a tow back to his home mooring close by.
We've tied up in Selby basin and hope for better weather tomorrow.