Lyra's Travels

Wednesday 5th September 2012

We had a quiet night at Stainforth and set off about 8.33 with a lock and several swing/lift bridges to do.

Bramwith Lock is a strange one, a double chamber, hand operated. I suppose the double chamber allows longer boats where needed.
Turning on to the main line heading north we started the bridges, they're all powered, so no muscle needed. Here we joined a plastic boat and they opened the first bridge for us, in the usual style we did the next, but on reaching the third, Kirkhouse Green Lift Bridge, we hit a snag They got to it but when they tried to open it all that happened was that the road warning lights started to flash, then nothing. Unfortunately at that point it won't let you have your key back and you can't stop the lights. So, while we waited for help someone had to stay on the road and tell the traffic that the lights didn't mean anything.
By the time rescue arrived we had amassed quite a flotilla of boats. The next lock was a big one and took all the boats on one go. The last bridge was ours to open so we ended up tail end as we finished the South Yorkshire Navigations and turned onto the Aire and Calder. The convoy broke up here and some moored up, some turned for Goole and two of us headed west. We travelled as far as Pollington Lock and have moored here for the night and have been joined here by Geoff and Margaret on Seyella, who we shared to trip down the Trent with.