After yesterday's brilliant weather, it was a bit of a disappointment to start today with an almost overcast sky - which gradually became greyer and even brought a short, sharp shower later afternoon. As a result we did not expect to take rally effective photos - this was made ll the worse by the fact that by the time we set off down the Stanley Locks, something had smeared the front of the camera and from then until we arrived at Salthouse most pictures are low grade indeed, even by our standards!
The inbound passage does not start until 1 o'clock so we had a fairly laid back morning - Mike went to the nearby 'Eldonian Village Store' (aka Costcutter). The nearest church that we could find on A Church Near You was some distance away and finished too late for our passage time.
Late morning we reversed back to the junction, passing under Vauxhall Bridge - there is no room to turn in the basin itself - and moored above the locks.
The land opposite the entry to the Stanley Dock Cut was, until a couple of years ago, used for low grade industrial activity. Its re-development into housing is well advanced.
There is a strange pipe bridge across the top of the Cut but it becomes more obvious when told that the pillar once supported a footbridge that carried the towpath over the top.
After seeing that, although the top gates were open, the bottom gates were still padlocked, we assumed that it was expected that the first two arrivals would tie up in the look - which we did. Not long after another boat arrived, a couple from Australia on an extended canal cruise.
Remembering that six years ago we picked up plastic on the prop as we started through the docks, Mike opted to check down the weed hatch whilst we waited - there was plenty of time, he thought. Turned out to be a smart move as he quickly saw, in the clear water, a lot of plastic and other detritus around the prop. After pulling out about half of it his trusty patio cleaner (which serves as a prop cleaner as it cuts through most weed and plastic) came apart and the sharp end disappeared into the depths of the lock. At that stage it was clear that as well as the wired bra he had already pulled out there was a length of rope that was proving reluctant to come away. Eventually Mike was satisfied that we now had a clean prop. What all this meant was that the seasonal lock keeper had already arrived - most chatty - and was more than willing to let us down when we were ready as he had more boats expected any time soon. This meant that our planned lunch break had disappeared and it was thus lunch-on-the-go as we dropped down the locks. With two crews and a very helpful lock keeper we made our way down to the Link proper in very good time.
One of the things that the lock keeper told us about was that peregrines nest on top of the tobacco factory. However, we were really too far away to tell and by the time we were alongside the building we were concentrating on navigation!
The warehouse to our right has now been converted into an upmarket hotel, The Titanic. A few people were sitting outside and waved out took photos. Ah! If only we could charge a modelling fee . . .
The Tobacco Factory has been disused for some time now and several schemes have been approved by planners but have fallen after more detailed scrutiny of the economics. It does look (see) as if something is now on the move and a couple of cranes have been installed. Only the first third is being converted in Phase One. We have long understood that one of the problems has been that the original building - once the largest brick building in the world and still claims the crown for Europe - is the low height of each storey. It was designed for efficiently storing and processing tobacco not for living in! However, the plans on that website show how each new apartment floor will utilise two of the originals. It is also necessary to create an atrium in the middle to allow light into the rooms.
Straight ahead is the six faced clock which at one time not only rang out the time but also the state of tides, all for the ships using the docks. Alongside the clock there used to be large gates which allowed ships to access this section of docks. We turned left just in front.
The next dock was used as a council waste tip when it ceased operation. To construct the link a narrow channel; was re-excavated and is now known as Sid's Ditch. It seems to have been named by one of the first lock keepers to escort boats through the newly opened Link.
Some of the stonework gives an indication of the age of the docks, especially at their most rapidly developing.
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We followed through a succession of former docks - Princes Dock is being aerated, presumably to keep the water fresh and good looking for the surrounding premises.
Towards the end of the Link there are three tunnels which burrow under some of the iconic public buildings that were created as part of the more recent regeneration programme, part of which was the Link.
Eventually we emerged at Mann Island Lock where Mike's first attempt to land Christine so that she could operate the lock was thwarted as there was a lacked gate between the landing and a smaller one next to the lock, which was then obviously the one to use! The lock did not accept the standard Watermate key. Mike had to bring the boat back alongside so that Christine could use it to hop on and then off the other side of the fence.
This lock only changes the level around 300 mm but is mainly a flood look to protect the rest of the link from changes in level in the next dock which still has boats coming and going. It is known as Canning Dock. The route is then right, right, left,left as we weaved our way through Canning Half Tide and Albert Docks (where we had to moor on our last visit) before passing under another bridge into Salthouse Dock. (a half tide dock is one that is entered or left at the normal high tide, after which the gates keep the boats inside the dock afloat. However, at higher tides the inside level will also rise - hence the need for the Mann Island lock)
The moorings are reasonably well marked and we ere able to turn about so that we could reverse into our allocated mooring. For some reason we have to use one of the mid-length pontoons even though several of the longer ones are empty. Because we overhang the pontoon several metres it took a while to tie up satisfactorily.
We are at the far end of this line of boats (apart from the short one in the distance)
Canning Dock was once the home to a bright red former lightship with the word BAR written in large letters on the side. It was used as bar/night club but its operator tended to ignore the usual regulations and then made the real mistake of failing to pay its mooring dues. eventually the authorities took action and a court order allowed it to be taken away. We saw it last autumn languishing in Sharpness Dock. The dock looks a little empty without it.
Mike took a walk around the dock, partly to checkout the car parking which we will need for a short time on Tuesday as we load up the small; amount of stuff we need to take back home for the few days back there. The chain fencing alongside Canning Dock have become a home for a lot of locks.
Most of the locks are probably love locks inscribed with the names of a hopeful couple (one wonders if the relationship lasted) but some are in memory of a lost loved one.
After a rain shower had passed over, Christine also went for a walk across to the riverside. Here she also found a long line of locks.
This brightly coloured sculpture is a reminder of the modern art which the Tate Liverpool, part of Albert Dock, supports.
At the ferry terminal, the link to the Isle of Man was awaiting its next trip.
2.5 Miles - 6 Locks
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