It was just as windy when we left our pontoon and I had to use plenty of power to ensure that SKYY turned left towards the exit rather than being blow back down towards the dead end, but we made it out of the marina and moored up online for a pumpout and diesel before heading on
The approach and transit through Burnley was not at all as we had expected, a high, three quarter mile, straight embankment carries the canal above the town centre to one side and industry on the other, it is easy to moor and access the town centre from the embankment. It is only after a sharp right hand bend that we entered the Weavers Triangle, firstly the Inn on the Wharf, a pub, converted from weavers warehouses, immediately followed by an expanse of covered wharfs. The canal then twists and turns passed derelict mills, some with only their chimneys still standing proud, others that are slowly being converted to suit today’s requirements.
We commented on how few boats there are about on this bank holiday weekend, when as I confidently approached the entrance to Gannow Tunnel, Jacquie shouted back from the bow that there was a boat coming towards us. The wind blew SKYY over into the shrubbery as we waited for the boat to emerge and it took a bit of shoving to get lined up with the tunnel entrance, but more fun awaited us on the other side of the tunnel.
Back into open country the wind really picked up and at one place on a particularly exposed point I was using at least twenty five of my thirty eight horse power just to keep SKYY going more or less in a straight line and I was very pleased when we entered a more sheltered area. Small villages dot the canal side with their mills and warehouses and at Church we passed the Leeds and Liverpool Canal midpoint, just sixty three and a half miles to go to our destination, Liverpool and a couple miles further on just beyond West End we moored for the night.
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