Location: Wigan Pier
Canal: Leeds Liverpool main line
Heading: Go west old fart
Weather: Surprisingly nice really. Bit on the breezy side.
Of course there is a pier in Wigan, stupid, there's even a road to it as well as a canal. It's where all the cruise liners and roll-on roll-off ferries dock. But it's nearly 8 miles away and we need to get there so 1st mate can get a choo choo home for an appointment. So we set off from Leigh on the early side and chug along the cut to the Park Lane lift bridge. I have to fess up to a perverse satisfaction in stopping all the traffic on the highway to let our little boat through. We steam on in a pleasant fashion till we get to the flashers - no this is not grubby blokes in raincoats displaying their privates from the towpath, this is a series of bodies of water on the approaches to Wigan which, in order, are Horrocks Flash, Turners Flash, Scotsman's Flash and Pearson's Flash. No idea who the best flasher was, probably the Scotsman.
Passing Poolstock locks we are told there has been an issue with the water levels between here and the Leeds Liverpool main line in Wigan. Probably vandalism, there's a lot if it about round here. Anyway the CRT guys are on hand and are helping people through locks and whatnot and they've been working throughout the morning to bring water levels back up so it doesn't look to bad. At one point we are told there is a grounded CRT barge ahead of us and are asked to proceed past it at full throttle in the hope the wash from our boat will help lift it off, so we do, but it doesn't.
We pause at Wigan Pier so 1st mate can walk to the station for the train home. I hang about for a tea and sandwich but don't plan to stay in Wigan for the night and get vandalised so will continue after munchies through three or four more locks and stop for the night somewhere out of town.
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