The Ribble Link Trip on the nb JUBILEE - by Colin Greenall

On Sunday 9th October Cynthia and I took up the opportunity to join members of the North Lancs and Cumbria branch of the Inland Waterways Association for a trip on the IWA's narrow boat JUBILEE. The journey was to take us down the Ribble Link and on to the Leeds and Liverpool Canal at Tarleton.

The morning was bright and sunny as we arrived to join the boat and her crew of Madeline Dean, Trisha Buzzard, and Peter Simmons, at the canal basin above the top lock on the new Ribble Link from the Lancaster Canal to the River Ribble. Earlier Madeline had been informed by the British Waterways lockkeeper that we would be leaving about 11.30 am.and that four other boats were supposed to be making the crossing with us. However, only one of them had appeared. He also warned us of the strong wind that was blowing up the river, force 8, possibly increasing to force 12 later in the afternoon.

At 11.15 we were asked to enter the top lock, which is over shadowed by a 15ft high wooden sculpture of a naked man standing gazing into the water. We were joined by the other narrow boat LUCY PUSS. The top locks are a staircase of three and seemed to take forever to empty. On leaving the bottom lock you are faced with a problem because the channel you have to navigate goes off to the right almost in the direction that you have come from. So the idea is to go straight out, turn right round, navigate the channel under the road bridge and then a tight left turn under the railway bridge, once through these the way to lock four (right) was easy. Peter had gone ahead to set the lock so we sailed in and waited while LUCY PUSS caught us up.

Once through the lock the canal takes on the character of a large ditch as the high overgrown banks close in and the channel becomes very bendy, as Cynthia found out, running aground just before lock five. Again Peter had gone ahead and got the lock ready for us. Still more of the same after lock five - a narrow winding channel and then comes lock six (left). It's funny how fishermen are attracted to landing stages, for sure enough as JUBILEE leaves the lock and Peter and I want to get back on board we have to ask the fishermen if they would mind moving. (Politely of course.)

After lock six the land appears to be getting flatter and we have left behind the housing, and now open fields and a golf course are on either side of us as we pass beneath the footbridge which the IWA's Waterway Recovery Group built, and then comes lock seven. Now the surrounding land is even more barren and the banks are covered with tall weeds and shrubs as we pass a couple of floating mooring pontoons to reach the last lock, number eight. As the pontoons suggest, this section of the canal is subject to tidal fluctuations in water level, and we took care to remember the warning the lockkeeper had given us that the surroundings of the lock maybe slippery. At the lock the BW keeper was waiting for us. He told us that the wind had not got any worse on the river, and that if we kept over towards the left hand side the bank would offer us some shelter and also, our last resort, if we found that the wind was to strong, was to turn back and go into Preston Docks. The other reassuring message was that the coast guard would be able to keep an eye on us as far as Asland Lamp. With both boats in lock eight and ready to descend the lockkeeper told us that we would only be going out on to the river at about 3-30pm. We had the option to stay there, or to carry on and wait on the pontoons just before the river gate. We decided on the latter.

On leaving the lock the first thing you notice is the smell of mud as you slowly navigate round the blind bends and through narrow rocky cuttings until we arrived at Blackpool Road Bridge. It was here that Madeline's steering went a bit astray as we hit the guard rails just before the bridge, she said, "I think we've got something on the prop". We managed to make it to the pontoons and tie up "Lucy Puss" tied up along side. The first job was to go down the weed hatch and see what we had picked up; a large polythene bag was the culprit. This was soon removed by yours truly and the hatch cover replaced and checked. The second thing to do was to have dinner which Trisha had been preparing and thirdly to wait for the signal from the lockkeeper that we could go.

At 3.15pm we got the signal, a loud blast on klaxon and the BW lockkeeper waving to us to get started. We put on our woollies and lifejackets and started the engines, "Lucy Puss" went first and we followed out over the river gate waving farewell to the lockkeeper and his mate and along the winding channel to the river.

The wind was blowing strong as we turned right (Left) onto the River Ribble. Opposite the Link, Janet and Tony Dunning were taking pictures of us, they were standing on the high flood banks that were helping to keep the wind off our tiny craft as we headed down stream towards Asland Lamp and the entrance to the River Douglas.

Our voyage down the Ribble was exhilarating, with the strong head wind and the spray created as our bows broke through the waves caused by "Lucy Puss" who was just ahead of us. Cynthia and Madeline who where sitting out at the front got a little wet. There was very little traffic on the river, only a couple of yachts to worry us. Despite the wind we made good progress and we were soon approaching Asland Light, the point where we turned left to go up the River Douglas. Peter explained that boats must keep to the right of the Light, if they try to take a short cut to the left of it they are in great danger of running aground in very shallow water.

On the River Douglas our progress was improved by the wind now blowing behind us. It's amazing how flat the land is around the area, contrasting with backdrop of Pendle Hill and the Trough of Bowland. The river is beginning to get narrower as we head inland passing the boat yard and yacht haven just before we arrived at Tarleton Lock and the Rufford Branch of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal.

In the lock Andrew Lawton, Chairman of IWA Merseyside and West Lancs, joined us and accompanied us on the short trip out of the lock to the moorings just before the swing bridge.

It was at this point that "Jubilee" was officially handed over to Merseyside Branch and we said our goodbyes to Madeline, Trisha and Peter of North Lancs & Cumbria Branch.

Andrew kindly ferried me back to Preston to pick up our car. After our return to Tarleton he went home and Cynthia and I settled down to spend the night on board "Jubilee".

Next morning the sun was shining as we left our overnight moorings. The wind was still blowing but this time it was a side wind, which led to some interesting situations later in the day. We had been expecting to be joined by Dave Smallshaw at Tarleton but due to local transport problems, plans had to be changed, we would now pick him up at Rufford later in the day. The first thing was to negotiate Town End Swing Bridge then we are on our way cruising along the narrow channel with tall reeds on either side, once through Bank Bridge the canal begins to twist and turn as it follows the old course of the River Douglas as far as Strand Bridge, this was the site of Sollom Lock. Now the canal begins to straighten out as we head in to open country and the wind begins to blow us about.

Fearn's Swing Bridge is next and there is someone standing on it, It's Dave Smallshaw, he'd walked the towpath from Rufford. This is where the wind took charge as we tried to tie up, open the bridge and pick Dave up. When we sorted our selves out and got through the bridge we carried on to Spark Bridge. It was here that we made use of the pump-out facility and had a short break for bacon butties and a mug of tea.

After our break we continued on past Rufford Old Hall and arrive at Rufford Lock. Another marina is under construction just below the lock and opposite a similar recent set of moorings. On through Baldwin's Lock, at Germans Lock the wind gave me a hard time; I eventually got into the lock. Burscough is not far away as the chimney of Ainscough's flourmill (now closed) gets closer and Moss Lock is negotiated, next is Runnel Brow lock, which seems to take ages to fill (only one paddle working).

It's now 1.45pm and a decision is made to stop at the Ship for lunch, we try to moor up below the locks but can't get in as it's too shallow. Once in the lock Dave disappears into the Ship to order three fish and chip dinners. On his return he was accompanied by Peter Keen who had been in the bar finishing his dinner. We moored between the locks and went for lunch and Peter joined us for a chat.

Back on the boat after being refreshed in The Ship we worked through the top lock and turned right on to the main line of the Leeds & Liverpool, waved farewell to Peter and headed for our final stop of the day, Scarisbrick Bridge.

On this part of our journey the weather began to change from the bright, sunny and windy to dull and a few spots of rain. The swing bridges at Crabtree Lane and New Lane proved to be a bit awkward with road traffic. As we were approaching our destination it began to rain, in the distance we could see Andrew waiting for us in the gathering gloom by the bridge.

We moored alongside our IWA Branch Chairman's boat "Testudo II", and prepared for the evening, when the rest of the IWA Merseyside & West Lancs Committee would join us for our monthly committee meeting.

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